JD/MA joint degrees Forum

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andetheriel

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JD/MA joint degrees

Post by andetheriel » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:28 am

Hi! I'm a new member here. I've been looking at joint degree programs, specifically University of Virginia's joint degree with law and a Master's of Art, and I was wondering if anyone on this board has had any experiences with these kinds of programs. I am interested in doing a JD as well as an MA in English. Thanks!

EzraStiles

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Re: JD/MA joint degrees

Post by EzraStiles » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:36 am

MA programs in English are notoriously easy to get into, mainly because they're money pits for the English departments since they offer no funding. You can do it, but you may want to figure out why, as it seems like little more than a waste of 60 grand (if you're out of state) on top of the already exorbitant tuition rate for law school.

You'll have to take the gre (just the general, MAs don't require the subject) and then apply by the deadline for the MA program--which is usually sometime around march or april--while also Applying To the Law School following their timelines and following all the required steps entailed in that application process. If you're admitted to both (the decisions are separate) you'll usually have to find a way to mix the degrees in order to finish up in 4 years (something like first year in law classes exclusively, 2nd year in the MA, the next 2 years in a mix of the two).

But, again, it really is not worth the extra money, as neither degree really complements the other.
Last edited by EzraStiles on Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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billyez

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Re: JD/MA joint degrees

Post by billyez » Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:45 am

Also, you might not need to take the GRE. You don't need it to be accepted into the History JD/MA, but you might want to check and see if it's the same way with English. They substitute your LSAT instead.

Just wanted to say that I also intend to get a JD/MA from UVA - although, in History instead of English. The only thing I'd say is that you might want to contact the students in the program currently if you have any questions. I did and I certianly learned a lot from doing so.

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