Juris Doctor/Philosophy Dual Degree

Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University and McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Duquesne is one of the few universities in the country to offer a Juris Doctor and Master of Arts in Philosophy joint degree. Students in the program gain the benefits of a rigorous study of philosophy and law and create new opportunities to further academic or legal careers.

  • Candidates may begin in either the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University or McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts.
  • Candidates apply to each school, and the schools retain independence regarding admissions.
  • Upon completion of the requisite conditions for graduation, students receive a degree from each school.

Credit Requirements

Students are required to complete credit hours for the J.D./M.A. in Philosophy joint program according to requirements for each degree. Students remain responsible for satisfying additional graduation requirements, as dictated by program guidelines.

A 15-credit limitation, per semester, is placed on all students enrolled in the program, except for students engaging in their first year of legal study. Students are not permitted to take any graduate philosophy courses during the first year (day or evening) of law course work.

For completion of the J.D. degree, students must obtain 88 credit hours, 12 of which can derive from graduate philosophy courses. Based on the uniform allocation of credits for graduate philosophy courses, all classes being worth 3 credit hours, a student may only apply 4 courses towards the J.D. credit requirement. These credits shall be considered non-classroom credits and count toward the Law School's 18-credit cap for such credits. A student who chooses to count the maximum of 12 credits of philosophy graduate work toward the J.D. degree will be able to count only 6 credits of non-classroom J.D. credits toward the J.D. degree.

For completion of the M.A. in Philosophy credit requirements, students must complete 30 credit hours, 24 of which must be derived from courses offered by the Graduate Philosophy Department. Based on courses being worth 3 credits, students are required to take 8 graduate philosophy courses. Concerning the 6 additional credits needed to reach the 30 credit hours requirement for the degree, students may use up to 6 credits obtained by the completion of qualifying courses offered via the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University. Due to the fact that courses offered by the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University vary in regards to credit hours, usually 2 and 3, participating students have flexibility concerning the manner in which the 6 credits are obtained.

Applications

Application instructions for the J.D. degree are available on the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University's application process page.

Application instructions for the M.A. in Philosophy are available on the Liberal Arts application page.

Program Information

This dual degree, offered through Duquesne University's Kline School of Law and McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts, allows you to benefit from rigorous study of philosophy while completing your law degree.

Program Type

Major

Degree

Doctorate

School

Thomas R. Kline School of LawMcAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Duration

4 years

Required Credit Hours

117

Modality

In-Person

Learning Outcomes

A. Knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law

A.1. Fundamentals & Bar Exam: Remember and explain the black-letter law in the core doctrinal areas.

A.2. Legal Policy: Recognize the law's theoretical frameworks and trace their influence and the influence of extra-legal factors (e.g., politics, history, culture, etc.) on the development of substantive doctrine.

A.3. Legal System: Explain and differentiate among key conceptual categories of law and understand the hierarchy of authority.

A.4. Practical Knowledge Development: Integrate information from multiple sources (e.g., opinions, statutes, regulations, rules, scholarly analysis) to identify operative legal rules, principles and concepts.

A.5. Specialty Areas: Remember and explain the black-letter law in the substantive and procedural law on specialized topics.

B. Legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, and written and oral communication in the legal context

B.1. Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiating: Investigate and analyze facts to achieve a client's objectives or otherwise solve a legal problem and recommend a solution.

B.2. Legal Analysis and Reasoning: Critically read the applicable authority, including identifying the key rules within each authority; synthesize the relevant rules into an analytical framework, identifying which rules the court is most likely to apply, and apply the rules to the relevant facts.

B.3. Legal Research: Create and execute an effective, efficient legal research strategy to conduct legal research with the appropriate use of sources and technology.

B.4. Problem Solving: Develop systems and procedures for effectively working with other people and to ensure that time, effort, and resources are allocated efficiently in a legal practice.

B.5. Written and Oral Communication: Draft legal and non-legal documents in the manner expected of a competent new lawyer and communicate orally in a manner appropriate for the audience and purpose.

C. Exercise of proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system

C.1. Cultural Competence: Work with others of diverse backgrounds and understand the importance of building an inclusive community characterized by interdependence, dignity, equality, compassion, and respect.

C.2. Diligence: Demonstrate a strong work ethic, engage in productive time management, understand the principles of timely project submittal, and be punctual and respectful.

C.3. Leadership: Exemplify servant leadership through ethical conflict resolution and emotionally intelligent engagement in teambuilding, collaboration, and cooperation.

C.4. Pro Bono: Possess knowledge and understanding of the lawyer's professional and civic responsibility to advance the mission of community service.

C.5. Professional Integrity: Uphold a strong sense of honor and conduct affairs with honesty, dignity, and care, while treating others with civility, fairness, and respect.

D. Other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession

D.1. Judgement: Recognize the importance of relevant non-legal considerations when advising clients regarding available outcomes and avenues, such as moral, emotional, economic, social, and political considerations.

D.2. Respect for Others: Practice in a diverse society and world by engaging competently with persons from a variety of backgrounds and holding a variety of views.

D.3. Reflection and Self-Evaluation: Develop an ability to critically evaluate the performance of self and others when performing legal tasks including recognizing, evaluating, and understanding one's own roles in resolving ethical dilemmas.

D.4. Self-Care: Seek and use resources when necessary to address personal challenges including managing workload and stress; recognize common causes of lawyer misconduct and be aware of sources of support for lawyers.