Earn your J.D. and your M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management with 12 fewer credits than would be required to earn the two degrees independently.
This dual-degree option with the UBalt School of Law is an opportunity to develop skills for a variety of positions in government, nonprofit or private organizations that require knowledge of the law and an ability to manage conflict. You can earn both degrees concurrently by completing all required courses over a three- to four-year period.
How it works:
- You'll complete a minimum of 78 credits in the law school and a minimum of 33 credits in the M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict program.
- The UBalt School of Law recognizes 9 credits of the negotiations and conflict management requirements as transferable to its program (or 6 credits if the degrees are not completed within the same academic year), and the the College of Public Affairs reciprocally allows the transfer of up to 9 credits of law school courses to satisfy coursework requirements in the M.S. program.
- You'll begin master’s program work during the summer preceding enrollment in the law school or during the summer after finishing the first year of law school, but you can't take courses within the master’s program during the fall and spring semesters of the first year of law school.
Applying and admission:
- Apply to and meet the admission standards of both the School of Law and the Master of Science in Negotiations and Conflict Management program separately:
- You can apply to the dual-degree program after having enrolled in either the J.D. or the M.S. program; however, to obtain the full benefit of credit sharing, negotiations and conflict management students should enter the law school program no later than after the completion of 15 credits in the M.S. program.
"The joint J.D./M.S. program is applicable to my future goals because there is so much more to being a lawyer than just standing in front of a judge or making objections. You have to be able to negotiate and manage conflicts in ways that are not straight lines or easy to predict. The Negotiations and Conflict Management program has helped me understand the different ways I can use various conflict resolution tools within law to hopefully be the best lawyer I can be in the future!"
-Danielle Martin, M.S. '20, J.D. '21
For more information, see the Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Negotiations and Conflict Management (J.D./M.S.) section in the UBalt Graduate Catalog.
If you're interested in applying, contact:
- Colin Starger, associate dean, School of Law
- "Rae" Yunzi Tan, director, M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management.