芝加哥洛約拉大學

The dual JD/MA program permits students enrolled in Loyola’s Law School to complete both a JD degree and an MA in Political Science in a shorter period of time than if both programs were pursued separately. Students typically complete the joint program in 4 years, as opposed to the 5 years (3 years for the JD and 2 years for the MA) if both programs were pursued separately. Students enrolled in the dual program must be admitted both to the Department of Political Science and the School of Law, and satisfy the academic requirements of the School of Law for the JD degree and the academic requirements of the Department of Political Science for the MA degree. The Department of Political Science will accept 4 Law School courses for the MA requirements and the Law School will accept 3 Political Science courses for the JD degree.

Learning Outcomes and Professional Success

The dual JD/MA in Political Science is designed to achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Provide Law School students with specialized training appropriate for careers in the public sector or for law practices involving administrative agencies or processes, by combining the study of law with an exploration of the political context within which domestic and international legal systems operate; JD/MA students have gone on to pursue careers in politics, government, international affairs, law, the non-profit world, journalism, business, education, social services, and other professions, as well as for further graduate (PhD) study at professional schools and institutions of higher learning, both in the U.S. and abroad.
• Acquire an overview of the theories and scholarly literature devoted to four major subfields within the discipline of Political Science:
  • American Politics (study of U.S. institutions and political processes).
  • Comparative Politics (study of political processes in various regions of the world, such as Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East).
  • International Relations (study of global processes throughout the international system).
  • Political Theory (study of political philosophy ranging from Ancient to Modern and Contemporary political thought).
• Obtain methods training, including research design and statistical analysis, that will enable the successful candidate to effectively design and conduct research.
• Enhance the ability of students to express their thoughts in writing (all Political Science graduate classes include a significant writing component).

We as a Political Science department also encourage our JD/MA students to take advantage of additional learning opportunities through numerous Political Science-sponsored programs that will enhance learning outcomes:

• Acquire advanced methodological training, including taking advanced statistics courses at Loyola, as well as participating in specialized programs outside of Loyola, such as the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).
• Pursue advanced language training/proficiency in a language other than English by taking language courses at Loyola, as well as by participating in specialized language programs outside of Loyola, especially if the student is planning on conducting field research outside of the United States.
• Acquire advanced research skills by working on a research project under the mentorship of individual faculty members who have received prestigious internal or external grants, as well as through Loyola’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (LUROP).
• Gain international, cross-cultural experience by participating in study abroad opportunities led by Political Science faculty or more broadly offered through Loyola’s Office for International Programs (OIP).