History and Law (M.A./J.D.)

The Catholic University of America – Globally Recruit

The joint M.A./J.D. program allows students to earn the standard professional degree required to practice law, simultaneously with advanced study of history. It is designed to allow students to complete the two degrees in less time (with fewer courses and credit hours) than if they did the two degree programs separately.
Legal practice requires fluency in information retrieval, research, analysis, and writing. Moreover, understanding of historical circumstances in which legal precedent has evolved is central to many fields of law. For these reasons, studying history at the graduate level can be a significant enhancement to legal career skills and prospects. Other prospective students may be interested in eventually pursuing a Ph.D. in history, with the intention of an academic career in law and a particular interest in legal history, making an M.A. taken simultaneously with a J.D. a logical starting point. Additionally, some prospective students may simply be interested in continuing study of a subject about which they are passionate, while preparing for professional life.

The M.A./J.D. program usually requires five years of full-time study.

School of Arts and Sciences