Fully-Funded PhD/JD programs Forum

[SehMeSerrious]

I'm trying to weigh my options before I apply next year, and I'm looking for joint programs offer funding/stipends to students, and cover the JD in the same way that they would cover the PhD. Some of the professors I've talked to recommend the joint degree route, but not many knew about funding/stipends/grants. Does anyone know how common it is for joint programs to fund the JD as well as the PhD, which schools offer good programs, or any other advice? Some of the information I was looking at was pretty vague with regard to funding and aid. The PhD would either be International Relations or specific area studies.

[Br3v]

No info on funding sorry, but this is somewhat relevant to my interests as I am debating PhD route as well. What exactly do you plan to do with your joint degree?

[Doorkeeper]

I'm trying to weigh my options before I apply next year, and I'm looking for joint programs offer funding/stipends to students, and cover the JD in the same way that they would cover the PhD. Some of the professors I've talked to recommend the joint degree route, but not many knew about funding/stipends/grants. Does anyone know how common it is for joint programs to fund the JD as well as the PhD, which schools offer good programs, or any other advice? Some of the information I was looking at was pretty vague with regard to funding and aid. The PhD would either be International Relations or specific area studies.

Most of the programs work whereby you apply to the law school and the PhD program separately, and if admitted to both programs you can then merge them into a dual-degree program. In regards to how funding works, it varies from school to school how they cover you, so it would be best to contact the Financial Aid at the programs you're interested in. Some schools have special awards for such students (NYU), while others cover your law school with your PhD fellowship money. Meanwhile, a few schools do have a combined JD/PhD that you apply to directly (Northwestern). It is completely different depending on the program. But generally speaking, it is only once you get into both programs that the school worries about funding for you.

[justicefishy]

I know Vanderbilt has a few programs like this, but other than that, I have no idea.

[sach1282]

I was accepted into the JD/PhD program at UIUC, and at least for the philosophy department, they cover your law school tuition as well as waive tuition for the PhD. Different positions pay different amounts, the position I was offered pays about $7500 per semester.

However, echoing what others have said, it not only depends on each school, but each department within each school.

[westbayguy]

Stanford info- the JD/PhD deal is pretty sweet

Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition and financial aid arrangements for joint degrees fall into three categories:

JD/MA or JD/MS in which the nonlaw degree can be completed in one year:
You enroll through the law school and pay tuition to the law school at the law school rate. You may also apply for financial aid through the law school.

JD/MBA:
During your first year in the program, you attend the law school full time, pay law school tuition, and apply for financial aid through the law school. During your second year, you attend the business school full time, pay business school tuition, and apply for financial aid through the business school. During your third and fourth years, you take courses through both law and business schools, pay a specific JD/MBA tuition, and may receive financial aid through both schools.

JD/MPP:
For three of your four years in this program, you enroll in the law school and pay law school tuition. For your fourth year you enroll in the School of Humanities and Sciences and pay tuition to that school. You may apply for financial aid and loans through the law school during all four years.

JD/PhD:
Students who pursue a JD/PhD dedicate one year to their JD and the rest of their time in the program to pursuing their PhD while finishing the requirements for a JD. During the year you're enrolled in law school you may apply for financial aid through the law school. While you're completing requirements for your PhD, you will receive fellowship support—negotiated when you are admitted—through your PhD department. Please note that fellowship support may require you to work (e.g., as a teaching assistant) or contribute some funds to your education, but typically should cover all cost associated with both degrees until you complete them or for five additional years.

[mjd]

Northwestern has a really nice program in place, which I believe provides full funding for both the Ph.D. and the J.D. plus a stipend.

[SehMeSerrious]

Thanks for all of the replies so far!

Stanford is a bit of a reach for me, even with a relatively high GPA, but if my LSAT turns out good I'll definitely go for it.

Northwestern looks like they have a great joint program with fool support, but it seems like their PhD program and other departments don't really focus on what I'm looking for. I will definitely consider it, though.

I'm going to look into Georgetown, Berkeley, Michigan, NYU, and UT Austin and see what they say. I'll post back later.

If anyone knows about these programs or any others, please post what you know.

[SehMeSerrious]

Just did some more digging around - I found some AMAZING joint programs but most of them are Master's and JD programs so I really doubt they get any serious funding. The sites intentionally left it vague or said it was up to the other school but I'm going to call on monday and see what they say. So far, Stanford, Michigan, UT Austin, and Georgetown seem to have some programs that match up nicely with what I'm looking for. I'll check out all of the T14 and then other usual suspects soon.

If anyone knows anything about how the funding works, please continue post. Most websites either point to the generic financial aid sites or say "check with the other school" without making it clear if PhD stipends and such also cover the JD.

[MTal]

This is a fluff degree that will not gain you any marketable skills. I know a PhD who works at a call center making $12/hour while teaching adjunct classes on the side. Not worth it.

[coldshoulder]

This is a fluff degree that will not gain you any marketable skills. I know a PhD who works at a call center making $12/hour while teaching adjunct classes on the side. Not worth it.

You. Shut the fuck up.

If you find a program, it won't hurt you, and hell, if it can pay for your law school tuition, that's worth 2 or 3 more years in school.

[MTal]

This is a fluff degree that will not gain you any marketable skills. I know a PhD who works at a call center making $12/hour while teaching adjunct classes on the side. Not worth it.

You. Shut the fuck up.

If you find a program, it won't hurt you, and hell, if it can pay for your law school tuition, that's worth 2 or 3 more years in school.

Please tell me what marketable skills that are valued by employers a PhD in "ZoMG iNtenAZHUnal RelAzHunz!!!!1111" is going to bestow on him.

[tempur_three]

.

[tempur_three]

This is a fluff degree that will not gain you any marketable skills. I know a PhD who works at a call center making $12/hour while teaching adjunct classes on the side. Not worth it.

You. Shut the fuck up.

If you find a program, it won't hurt you, and hell, if it can pay for your law school tuition, that's worth 2 or 3 more years in school.

Please tell me what marketable skills that are valued by employers a PhD in "ZoMG iNtenAZHUnal RelAzHunz!!!!1111" is going to bestow on him.

MTal, if the PhD candidate is a great research a few will look. If that student produces great papers and wins fellowships, they will be valued by employers in higher education, namely universities who want good researchers. If the students still does that but is not interested in pursuing academia, well management consulting firms always hire PhDs from very diverse fields, and those jobs pay well. If you just get a PhD without publishing, without fellowships, without doing much of value, then you won't be valued since the market is saturated with people who have pieces of paper be that JDs/PhDs/MBAs (excluding only professional degrees that are in markets of extreme shortage, namely MDs/DOs/DMDs/etc).

[MTal]

MTal, if the PhD candidate is a great research a few will look. If that student produces great papers and wins fellowships, they will be valued by employers in higher education, namely universities who want good researchers. If the students still does that but is not interested in pursuing academia, well management consulting firms always hire PhDs from very diverse fields, and those jobs pay well. If you just get a PhD without publishing, without fellowships, without doing much of value, then you won't be valued since the market is saturated with people who have pieces of paper be that JDs/PhDs/MBAs (excluding only professional degrees that are in markets of extreme shortage, namely MDs/DOs/DMDs/etc).

None of these things are valued as much as work experience. The smart thing to do would be to research which skills are currently valued by employers and which industries are expanding and hiring. For example, there is a huge shortage of workers in the skilled trades such as welders/plumbers/mechanics, etc, some of which pay starting salaries of as high as 80k. If you are squeamish about fitting pipes or using a blowtorch for a living, then consider that the new reality is no longer about "doing what you love" but just simply "surviving". Having a bunch of letters after your name is no longer valued in the oversaturated glutted market of academia. You have to make yourself useful to others, and that can't be done by spending massive amounts of time and money cloistered in the comforting womb of academia.

[tempur_three]

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[MTal]

"Doing what you love" is a luxury which the current coming of age generation cannot afford. 200 years ago, telling someone to "do what they love" would have been met with incomprehensible stares. Back then people did what they could to survive, whether it's work on the family farm or learning a trade. The "doing what you love" phenomenon was only an option for a brief period during our parent's generation when the economy was booming and there were jobs aplenty in any field you cared to enter...obviously that is no longer the case. Only a tiny percentage of us can be magnificent concert pianists, NBA athletes, or brilliant scientists...the rest of us mere mortals need to realize this and focus on paying the bills rather than pursuing a fruitless dream which will in all likelihood never materialize. Unemployment among youth in Spain (18-24 year olds) is over 50 %. How many of those young people are chasing the "doing what you love" dream as opposed realistically analyzing their options and focusing on being self-sufficient and independent?

The focus of the current generation needs to shift from the view that they are entitled to a job they love to one of finding a job/career which will emancipate them. Spending years chasing a dream which will never materialize will result in an entire generation of heavily indebted paupers with no skills or savings. Unfortunately, this seems to be the direction that vast numbers of youth are currently headed in.

[tempur_three]

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[SehMeSerrious]

So now that MTal's ranting is confined to the off-topic section, I will hit resume on the discussion of PhD/JD and Master's/JD funding.

For anyone who still cares, I'm a former STEM major but I want to work in foreign policy analysis from both a political and legal perspective. I have some firsthand experience in the issues I'm interested in, and did a good internship abroad, but I don't have that good of a grounding in political science, international relations or policy analysis since I spent my first three years as an engineer. I'm sure I could pick up those skills easily, but I can't take any more classes in these subjects since I'm about to graduate and my units are maxed. I would therefore need some requisite knowledge of these subjects so I could conduct better research and write better articles, reports, and theses on them, and I figured a funded PhD/JD or Master's/JD program would be the best deal in getting a knowledge of both the PoliSci/IR/Policy issues and the legal issues. Any recommendations that pertain to this specific goal (even if you want to criticize the plan) would be appreciated.