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DEDMAN SCHOOL OF LAW

Combined J.D./M.A. in Economics

Nature of the Program

The combined J.D./M.A. in Economics – Law and Economics Track program is offered jointly by the School of Law and the SMU Department of Economics in Dedman College. The program is designed for law students who have some prior background in economics and who wish to develop further their abilities to deal with complex economic issues. Through the program, the combined degrees can be obtained in four academic years or even in as little as three years and one additional term if classes are taken during at least one summer term.

Structure of the Program

The Master of Arts in Economics – Law and Economics Track is a 36-hour non-thesis program that can be completed in part-time evening and summer study. For students in the combined J.D./M.A. program, the Economics Department will accept up to nine hours of law school credit towards the M.A. degree. The School of Law will accept up to six hours of graduate economics credits towards the 87 hours required for the J.D. degree. Thus, the student in the combined J.D./M.A. program will be able to receive both degrees with a total of 108 hours of credit.

The first year of the program consists entirely of law school courses, and students may apply for the joint degree plan at any time during their first year of law school. The economics curriculum consists of six required courses (18 credits), of which one may be the School of Law course in Economic Analysis of Law, three elective courses (nine credits), of which one must be a 6000-level course, and up to three additional law school courses (nine credits). These economics courses will be taken along with law school courses during the remainder of the student’s period of residency after the first year. Many of the economics classes are taught in the evening or during the summer term, and generally are small classes (fewer than 20 students).

The required economics courses and the available electives are listed below.

Required Courses:

Strategic Behavior
Introductory Econometrics
Applied Econometrics Analysis
Law and Economics (or Economic Analysis of Law offered by the School of Law)
Computing for Economics
New Approaches to Managerial Economics
Economic Analysis I

The M.A. program also is available to those who have received the J.D. degree. Credit from law courses, however, cannot be counted towards the M.A. degree once the J.D. degree has been conferred. Likewise, a student who has completed the M.A. degree or the joint B.A./M.A. degree cannot receive credit towards the J.D. degree for any courses prior to entering the School of Law.

Other Requirements

Except as modified by the above, a student must meet all the requirements of both schools for admission, performance, graduation, etc. In particular, the student must satisfy the law requirements outlined in Section III of this catalog, and the student must earn a grade of C or better, with an overall B cumulative average maintained in the degree program.

Students enrolled in the joint degree program also must complete all noncredit-bearing requirements of the program.

Students must be admitted separately into the School of Law and the M.A. in Economics program.
Applications and additional information from the School of Law may be obtained from the Office of Admission, SMU Dedman School of Law, P.O. Box 750110, Dallas, TX 75275-0110; telephone 214-768-2550.

Applications and additional information from the Economics Department may be obtained from the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0496; telephone 214-768-4335.