In spring 2005, the University of Kansas established a joint (dual) degree program in Law and Global Indigenous Nations Studies. Students who successfully complete this unique program will earn a Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) and the Masters of Arts degree (M.A.) in Global Indigenous Nations Studies. This program is especially suited for students who intend to become leaders and policy-makers in Indigenous communities worldwide.
One of only three universities in the United States offering such a joint degree program, the University of Kansas’ Joint Degree Program in Law and Global Indigenous Nations Studies, is unique for its focus on the survival, strengthening, self-sufficiency, and mutual support of the more than 300 million Indigenous Peoples around the globe.
In addition, the joint J.D. /M.A. program offers students the opportunity to participate in the Tribal Law Certificate Program, the Tribal Judicial Support Clinic, and to attend the annual Tribal Law and Government Conference.
The objectives of this joint degree program are:
Candidates for the joint program must meet the separate admission requirements and be accepted by both the Law School and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GINSP Master’s Program. Students, therefore, must submit individual applications to, and be separately admitted by, the Law School and the GINSP Master’s Program. Admission into one school does not guarantee acceptance by the other school and creates no presumption favoring admission to the other.
Students may apply to both degree programs simultaneously, but they are not required to do so. For students who are admitted into the Law School program first, they should seek admission into the master’s program as soon as possible and must be admitted into that program no later than the end of the spring semester of their second year of law study.
For students admitted to the Master’s Program first, they should seek admission into the Law School program as soon as possible and must be admitted into that program no later than the end of the third semester of study as a Master’s student.
NOTE: Some of the Law School and GINSP courses are cross-listed, meaning they have a Law course number and an INS course number. Only courses taken under the Law course number will count toward Law school credits. This point can be important in a timely completion of the dual program, especially if the GINSP Program is started first.
Students enrolled in the J.D. /M.A. program must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours for the law degree.
Students enrolled in the GINSP Master’s Program must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours for the Master’s Program.
Students enrolled in the joint J.D. /M.A. Program may count nine
(9) credit hours of approved GINSP Master’s courses toward their
required 90 law credit hours and twelve (12) credits hours of approved
Law School courses toward the M.A. degree.
Students can complete the joint J.D. /M.A. program in seven semesters
including summer school.
Students must earn a grade of B or better to receive law credit for their GINSP courses. Students must earn a C+ or better to receive M.A. credit for their Law courses.
Students must complete the Thesis/Non-Thesis requirement for GINSP and the Law School’s writing requirement. These projects may overlap but must meet each individual degree requirements. For further information, see the Tribal Law and Government Center webpage http://www.law.ku.edu/tribal/.
| Global Indigenous Nations Studies 104 Lippincott, 1410 Jayhawk Blvd. University of Kansas Lawrence, KS 66045 |
Phone: (785) 864-2660 Fax: (785) 864-0370 Email: indigenous@ku.edu |