To qualify for the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (JD), a student must meet the
following requirements:
- The student must have completed a period of resident study equivalent to
at least three academic years.
- The student must have taken (and, if failed, repeated once) all courses
required by the faculty of the School of Law at the time of the student's
initial enrollment, except those that have been removed from the list of
required courses since the student's initial enrollment.
- Eighty-six semester hours are required for graduation. With the
permission of the dean, a student may enroll in a course in another school or
college of the University. To count toward graduation from the School of Law,
the course must be a graduate course and must be related to a course of study
offered in the School of Law. (Except in the School of Law, graduate courses at
the University are identified by numbers with "8" or "9" as the second digit.)
No more than six semester hours of such work may be counted.
- The student must have a grade point average of at least 1.90 on all work
taken in the School of Law.
The following courses are required: Law 221, 321, 421, or 621; 323; 227, 327,
or 527; 231, 331, or 531; 132, 232, or 332; 233, 333, or 533; 334 or 434; 181C,
281C, 381C, or 481C; 285 or 385; 297S, 397S, or 497S; and such other courses as
the dean and faculty of the School of Law may specify. To avoid scholastic
difficulty, the student should complete all required work except the seminar
before the final semester.
Seminars are classified either as "writing seminars" (Law 297S, 397S, or 497S)
or as "nonwriting seminars" (Law 297N, 397N, or 497N). To graduate from the
School of Law, a student must take and pass at least one section of Law 297S,
397S, or 497S during the second or third year. A seminar is classified as a
writing seminar if the instructor requires that the student write an original
paper that embodies the results of extensive research. The student must prepare
at least one draft, which is meaningfully critiqued by the instructor; the
student must then submit a final version of the paper, revised in light of the
instructor's critique. A seminar is also classified as a writing seminar if the
instructor requires the student to write at least three papers involving
research. The papers must be of significant aggregate length and the instructor
must critique both the style and the content of each paper. Writing seminars
are limited to twelve students, unless the instructor agrees to admit
additional students. Any course in which twenty or fewer students are enrolled
may be counted as a writing seminar if a paper of seminar quality is completed
as optional or required work. With the consent of the dean a student may elect
a second seminar. The purpose of this program is to require demonstration of
the ability to write an original paper embodying the results of extensive
research.
The degree of Master of Laws (LLM) is awarded to students who have completed a
rigorous program of coursework and research. The program leading to the degree
is designed for students of high ability seeking academic work beyond the
Doctor of Jurisprudence degree or its equivalent. Specific information about
the graduate program and application forms are available from the Director of
Graduate Studies, School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin, 727 East
26th Street, Austin, Texas 78705-3299.
Applicants are considered for admission to candidacy for the degree by the
Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Law. Complete applications must be
submitted by March 1 prior to the fall semester in which the applicant seeks to
begin the program.
- The applicant must have earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree or its
equivalent from a school that is a member of the Association of American Law
Schools or is approved by the American Bar Association, or have earned a Doctor
of Jurisprudence degree or its equivalent from an established foreign
university.
- The applicant must demonstrate outstanding ability to complete the
requirements for the degree.
- An applicant who graduated from a law school situated in a country whose
official language is not English must present a satisfactory score on the Test
of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This test is administered by the
Educational Testing Service in the United States and other countries.
Information about it is available from TOEFL Services, P O Box 6151, Princeton,
New Jersey 08541-6151.
For each candidate, a specific program of coursework and research is developed
to meet degree requirements and the candidate's needs and interests. The
program must include:
- Residence during one academic year, consisting of two long-session
semesters. The residence requirement of two long-session semesters cannot be
reduced by coursework taken in residence during the summer session.
- Completion of a program of work in the School of Law and other divisions
of the University that includes at least twenty-four semester hours of
coursework, including a thesis. This program must be approved by the Graduate
Studies Committee.
- Preparation of a thesis that makes a substantial contribution to the
literature of the chosen subject area, and approval of the thesis by the
Graduate Studies Committee.
Candidates must maintain a grade point average of at least 1.80 to continue in the program and must have an average of at least 1.90 at the end of the final semester to receive an LLM degree. They must complete the Master of Laws degree requirements within one calendar year of beginning graduate law study at the University unless, in unusual circumstances, the Graduate Studies Committee grants an extension.
The University also has approval to offer the degree of Master of Comparative
Jurisprudence, but this degree program is inactive.
The School of Law and the Graduate School of Business offer a joint program
leading to the Doctor of Jurisprudence and the Master of Business
Administration degrees. The program is designed to train qualified students for
careers in business or the legal profession or both. Students must complete at
least 134 semester hours of coursework to earn the two degrees. Generally, the
first year of coursework is taken in the School of Law.
The School of Law and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs offer a
joint program leading to the Doctor of Jurisprudence and the Master of Public
Affairs degrees. This program is designed to train qualified students for
careers at any level of government and in government-related areas of the
private sector or the legal profession. Students register in one school during
year I of the program and in the other during year II; in years III and IV the
student may register in either school.
A second joint program leads to the simultaneous award of the Doctor of
Jurisprudence and the Master of Arts with a major in Latin American studies.
This program is designed for students who wish to study law and Latin American
issues in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner. Generally, a student with
the requisite language background can obtain both degrees in eight semesters. A
student admitted to the joint program must complete the normal first-year
coursework in the law school during the first year of the program, before
taking any courses in the joint program.
The University also offers a joint program leading to the simultaneous award of
the Doctor of Jurisprudence and the Master of Science in Community and Regional
Planning. This four-year program is designed to train students for careers in
which knowledge of planning methodology and process, coupled with the analytic
skills and professional expertise of lawyers, are essential. Students register
in the School of Law during the first year of the program.
Another joint degree program leads to the award of the Doctor of Jurisprudence
and the Master of Arts with a major in post-Soviet and East European studies.
The program combines study of law with interdisciplinary area studies and
language. It responds to an increased need in both public and private sectors
for legal specialists with a thorough understanding of the culture, economics,
geography, history, and politics of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
This program takes approximately four years; the first year must be taken in
the School of Law.
For information about the joint programs, write to the School of Law, The
University of Texas at Austin, 727 East 26th Street, Austin, Texas
78705-3299.
26 January 1996. Registrar's Web Team
Comments to rgcat@utxdp.dp.utexas.edu
