JD Dual or Advanced Degrees

A dual or advanced degree can enrich your studies and enhance your professional qualifications. Our dual degree programs dovetail with the offerings of other Boston University graduate schools—enabling you to earn two advanced degrees in less time than it would take to pursue them separately. In addition, the BU Law Graduate Tax Program and Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law allow qualified students to pursue a Master of Laws degree (LLM) at an accelerated pace, usually in just one additional semester.

Law and Management (JD/MBA)

The worlds of law and business have become increasingly intertwined. BU Law and Boston University Graduate School of Management offer a combined JD/MBA that provides the legal and analytical tools for results-oriented decision-making. Students can complete both degrees in as little as four years.

Law and Health Care Management (JD/MBA)

If your interest is health care, the JD/MBA dual degree program in Law and Health Care Management, offered in conjunction with the Boston University School of Management, can enable you to earn both the JD and the MBA degrees in an accelerated program of four years rather than the usual five.

Law and International Relations (JD/MA)

The dual degree program in Law and International Relations provides an essential background for positions in national governments or international agencies, and gives the international lawyer a perspective on the global environment. Students can complete this dual degree program in three-and-a-half years.

Law and Mass Communication (JD/MS)

If you’re aiming for a career in telecommunications or the media, you can acquire your law degree plus a master’s degree in mass communication in only three-and-a-half years, rather than four-and-a-half. This is offered in partnership with the Boston University College of Communication.

Law and Philosophy (JD/MA)

Public life in constitutional democracies depends on a theoretical understanding of the nature and application of law—the focus of the dual degree in Law and Philosophy offered by BU Law and the Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Department of Philosophy. Students take at least four seminars in the Philosophy Department. Credit from these courses applies to both the JD and MA degrees. You can receive both degrees in as little as four years.

Law and Historic Preservation Studies (JD/MA)

If your interests include historic preservation or real estate, you may want to pursue this dual degree program. In an interdisciplinary program involving both BU Law and the American & New England Studies Program of the Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, you’ll complete both programs in seven semesters, instead of the nine semesters it would take if you pursued the two degrees independently.

Law and Public Health (JD/MPH)

BU Law and the Boston University School of Public Health offer a dual degree program that reflects the interrelationship between the legal system and the delivery of health care services. Successful candidates receive the JD degree followed by the MPH—a three-and-a-half- to four-year sequence that otherwise would take at least one-and-a-half more years.

Accelerated JD/LLM in European Law

Through this program abroad, students have the opportunity to receive both the JD degree from BU School of Law and an LLM in European Law from Université Panthéon-Assas in Paris, France. Students in the program complete a full year of study at the Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II), one of the world’s foremost legal institutions. Originally part of the Sorbonne Law School, Paris II is renowned for its excellence in international and comparative law. This program is available to qualified 3L students, and instruction is offered entirely in English.

JD/LLM in Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore

For complete immersion in the legal systems of South, East, and Southeast Asia, your can spend your third year in Singapore pursuing an LLM in Asian Legal Studies at Asia’s “global law school,” the National University of Singapore (NUS). At the end of the year, you’ll receive the BU Law JD and the LLM degree from NUS. (In English)

Accelerated LLM in Banking and Financial Law

If you have a strong interest in both law and financial services, you may apply for the accelerated LLM in Banking and Financial Law. By taking qualifying courses during the second and third years of the JD program, you can graduate from the JD program with sufficient advanced standing to complete the LLM in Banking and Financial Law in just one additional semester.

Accelerated LLM in Taxation

A limited number of students who demonstrate a strong aptitude in the area of taxation may apply for the accelerated LLM in Taxation at BU Law. Employers seeking help in the tax area are increasingly citing the degree as a prerequisite, and students often find that the broad range of tax issues explored in the Graduate Tax Program cannot be learned on the job. The Graduate Tax Program admits qualified JD students during their second or third year of law school.