Dual Degrees

Dual Degrees

Students in the dual degree program combine their law degree with one in another subject, joining two areas of interest and expanding career opportunities. Boston College Law School partners with other programs such as Tufts University, Vermont Law School, and the Sorbonne Law School of the Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne.

JD/MBA

Offered in conjunction with the Carroll School of Management, this popular program is ideal for future lawyers targeting careers in the corporate sector. Students can complete both degrees in four years—rather than the five years required to complete the two separately. Students must apply to and be admitted to each school.
 
Contact our Admissions Office to learn more. For information on the MBA program, contact the Carroll School of Management.

JD/MSW

BC Law has partnered with the Boston College School of Social Work on a dual degree for those who want to combine social work intervention skills with legal practice. The result: Better service for clients and constituencies—especially those who live in poverty or are powerless or disadvantaged. Students interested in serving both the legal and social needs of individuals, families, and communities can complete this dual degree in four, rather than five, years.

Students must be admitted to each school. Graduating students will be eligible to take both the bar and social work licensing exams.
 
Contact the Graduate School of Social Work for more information.

JD/MEd or MA in Education

Interdisciplinary expertise in law and education can be invaluable for students committed to the pursuit of social justice and quality education for all. These programs provide students with access to leading experts and field-based learning experiences, allowing them to acquire vital skills. Students emerge prepared to act as advocates in a variety of careers, including as policymakers, education leaders, policy analysts, and teachers.

Students must apply for and be admitted to both programs. Learn more by contacting BC Law Associate Professor Elisabeth Keller or by visiting the Lynch School of Education & Human Development website.

JD/MA or JD/PhD in Philosophy

Law and philosophy have always been inextricably linked, employing similar styles of argument and analysis. These dual degrees provide frameworks for examining issues of globalization, bioethics, modern technology, professional responsibility, and social justice—designed for students looking to leverage interests in legal theory and jurisprudence. Students must be admitted to each program.

Boston College’s strength in both fields makes it an ideal place to study these disciplines: BC Law faculty have dual degrees in law and philosophy, with many of them conducting advanced research in jurisprudence. And Philosophy Department faculty are experts in ethics, natural law, philosophy of law, social-political philosophy, and continental philosophy.
 
The JD/MA program offers a foundation for examining a range of topics, allowing students to put theory into practice. The JD/PhD program investigates the intersection of law and philosophy, preparing students for academic careers.


Deadlines

BC Law: April 1
Philosophy: January 2 (PhD) and February 1 (Master's)


Admission Requirements

Students must be admitted to each program.
 
We require:

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
  • LSAT (taken within the past five years)
  • Registration with the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service

The Philosophy Department requires:

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
  • GRE General Test
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose and a writing sample


Degree Requirements

Students must meet both degrees’ individual requirements, but the following provisions can reduce students’ course load and time to degree:

  • Students can apply up to 12 credit hours of BC Law classes toward the requirements for the MA or PhD.
  • Students can apply up to 12 credit hours of philosophy classes toward the JD.  
  • Students can apply one semester of study in the Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences toward the JD.

Dual degree students must take a one-semester, three-credit integrative seminar offered jointly by both schools.
 
The JD/MA program may be completed in as few as three years, but it must be completed within six years of enrollment. The JD/PhD program may be completed in as few as six years, but it must be completed within ten years of enrollment.

Philosophy Department requirements

JD/MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (with Tufts University)

This innovative program offers BC Law students the chance to explore an array of professional practice areas. Participants acquire practical skills while studying land law, environmental policy, the limits of private and governmental roles in urban planning, and more. Courses incorporate debates and critical thinking about the environment, human settlements, social and environmental justice, corporate responsibility, and public and private land use management.

In collaborating with the Tufts Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, students can complete both degrees in just eight semesters.

Students meet regularly with the program coordinator and academic advisors from both schools to develop a course of study that matches their backgrounds and interests. Students are eligible for financial assistance based on current policies at each university.

Students must submit separate applications to each program to join. BC Law students can wait until their 2L year before applying to the Tufts degree program. Contact Tufts Admissions for more information.

More on Tufts Urban & Environmental Policy and Planning

JD/MPH (with Tufts University)

This master of public health dual degree puts students in position to pursue a wide range of career opportunities in the legal and public health fields. The curriculum lies at the intersection of health law and policy, where interdisciplinary training has become more essential than ever. Among other issues, students examine health care law, global health, environmental regulation, and food safety policy.
 
Some law school courses count for credit in both programs. Students can complete the degrees in four years—finishing their regular 1L course of study at BC Law before satisfying coursework at both universities.
 
Contact BC Law Associate Professor Dean M. Hashimoto to learn more.

"Our graduates leave with a competitive edge as they start their careers—both knowledge of the law and a thorough understanding of the science that underpins public health principles. With this combination they can make their way through a variety of complex legal and health landscapes.”
– Marcia Boumil, Program Director 


Application Deadline

March 15


Application Process

You must obtain the approval of BC Law to apply.
 
Required materials:

  • BC Law application via LSAC
  • Tufts application
  • Application fees—$75 for BC Law, $70 for Tufts
  • Personal statement

Other admissions materials BC Law sends to Tufts, including recommendations, transcripts, and LSAT scores

 
There are two ways to apply:
 
As a new first-year BC Law student: Your application to BC Law, completed through LSAC, satisfies the JD application requirements.
 
For the MPH, you must complete an online application to the Tufts Public Health & Professional Degree Programs. You can use a letter from a BC Law faculty advisor to apply to the Tufts MPH program, but you must submit a separate Tufts personal statement.
 
Tufts will hold your application until we notify them that you have been admitted to the JD program. BC Law will forward to Tufts the law school application, including transcripts and LSAT scores.
 
As a current or transfer BC Law student: You can apply during your first or second year at BC Law or after transferring to BC Law by completing the online Tufts application.
 
Your transcripts, faculty advisor letter of recommendation, and scores will be sent to Tufts when you approve the release of your information.
 
Email all supporting Tufts application materials to med-phpd@tufts.edu.
 
Admission to BC Law does not guarantee admission to the MPH program. Students applying to the JD/MPH dual degree program do not need to take the GRE.


Required Courses

Students can complete the dual degree in four years—instead of the five years it takes on average to earn the degrees separately.
 
A sequenced curriculum allows some law school courses to count in both programs. JD/MPH students take their regular 1L course of study, followed by MPH coursework at Tufts in the second year and coursework at both universities in years three and four.
 
Students must complete all BC Law first-year and upper-level required courses and Tufts MPH core course requirements: one course in each of the five core knowledge areas, one research methods course, one course on health care budgeting and management, and the Applied Learning Experience (ALE).

Year One

FallSpring
First Year Law CurriculumFirst Year Law Curriculum

Year Two

FallSpringSummer
MPH Courses
MPH Courses

Summer Internship

Year Three

FallSpringSummer
Law Courses
Law Courses

Summer Internship

Year Four

FallSpringSummer
Law CoursesLaw CoursesStudents Eligble to Take July Bar

Tuition

Students pay BC Law tuition for three years and pay Tufts tuition for the year they attend the Tufts School of Public Health.


Deposit

To hold a place in the BC Law entering class, accepted applicants must pay a $500 deposit by the date indicated in their acceptance letter. They must pay a second $500 deposit by June 2. These amounts are credited toward the first semester tuition and are non-refundable.


Prerequisites

College biology or its equivalent is a prerequisite to graduate from the Tufts MPH program. Students who have not met this requirement are usually expected to take an equivalent course by the end of their first fall semester. As Tufts MPH students, the 0.5 credit Public Health Biology course offered each fall satisfies this requirement. You can also enroll at another college or university and take an undergraduate level biology course before the end of your first fall semester.
 

JD/Masters Degrees in Environmental, Energy, or Food & Agriculture Law (with Vermont Law School)

Presented in partnership with Vermont Law School, this program offers several specialized advanced degree credentials, focused training, and flexibility: Students can choose masters concentrations in environmental protection, energy, or food & agriculture law. 

Contact BC Law's Office of Admissions for more information.

Being admitted into one graduate program does not guarantee admission into the other. A student must apply to both schools and admission decisions are made independently. Please note that enrollment in a dual degree program may have an impact on tuition and financial aid. Students considering enrollment in a dual degree program must meet with Academic & Student Services.