Maurer School of Law

Departmental E-mail: lawadmis [at] indiana [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.law.indiana.edu 

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, the University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Graduate degrees in Law include the Doctor of Philosophy in Law and Social Science, the PhD in Law and Social Science-Law & Democracy Track, the combined Ph.D. in Law and Social Science-Law and Democracy Track and J.D. in Law, the combined M.A. in Journalism and J.D. in Law, the combined M.A. or M.S. in Telecommunications and J.D. in Law, the combined M.A. in Russian and East European Studies and J.D. in Law, the combined M.A. in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and J.D. in Law, the combined M.A. in European Studies and J.D. in Law and a Ph.D. minor in Law.

Additionally, although professional rather than graduate degrees, the Maurer School of Law offers Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.), Master of Laws (L.L.M.), the Master of Comparative Law (M.C.L.), and the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) degrees. Joint professional degree programs include the combined Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and J.D. in Law, the combined Master of Business Administration in Accounting (M.B.A.) and J.D. in Law, the combined Master of Science (M.S.) in Accounting and the J.D. in Law, the combined Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) or Master of Science in Environmental Science (M.S.E.S.) and J.D. in Law, the combined Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) and J.D. in Law, and the combined Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) and J.D. in Law.  For information regarding these degrees, see the website or bulletin of the Maurer School of Law.

Special School Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Law and Social Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in Law and Social Science (PhD) involves interdisciplinary research and coursework in law and the social sciences. PhD candidates must complete a course of study as specified by the candidate’s faculty advisors. Candidates take comprehensive exams and must complete a dissertation defense. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL results. Each PhD candidate will be assigned an advisory committee consisting of at least two faculty members from the law school and at least two faculty members from the collaborating academic department. The chairperson of the advisory committee will serve as the candidate’s primary academic advisor.

When applying to the PhD program, applicants must indicate with which IU social science department they hope to collaborate. The law school will be responsible for consulting with that department to make an admissions decision. Applicants should carefully research their options for academic collaboration and be sure to mention relevant social science faculty members and/or programs on their application.

The PhD requires a minimum of three years in residence and the following:

• 60 credit hours divided between law courses and the collaborating department (as specified by the candidate’s academic advisory committee), no fewer than 12 of which shall satisfy the requirements of the candidate’s academic advisory committee for designation as a Minor
• Completion of comprehensive exams
• 30 credit hours for dissertation research
• A dissertation defense

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law and Social Science - Law and Democracy Track

A specialized Law and Democracy track within the Law and Social Science degree program focuses on the way that law structures democracy. The track involves interdisciplinary research and coursework in law, anthropology, political science, and area studies for the part of the world in which the candidate wishes to work.  PhD candidates must complete the course of study specified in the program description. Candidates take comprehensive exams and must complete a dissertation defense. Each PhD candidate will be assigned an advisory committee, including a primary advisor who is a faculty member associated with the Center for Constitutional Democracy.

Before applying to the Law and Democracy PhD program, applicants should contact Prof. Susan H. Williams to determine whether they are appropriate candidates for the program.  The application procedure for this program is slightly different from the application procedure for the PhD in Law and Social Sciences.  The supplementary application materials can be found here.

The PhD in Law and Democracy requires a minimum of two years in residence and the following:

• 69 credit hours divided between courses in law, anthropology, political science and area studies
• 15 hours of coursework in Anthropology, Political Science, or Area Studies shall satisfy the requirements of the candidate’s academic advisory committee for designation as a Minor.
• 21 credit hours for dissertation research
• Demonstrated proficiency in the language of the country or countries studied
• Fieldwork related to the country or countries studied
• An internship with the Center for Constitutional Democracy
• Completion of qualifying examinations
• The production of a dissertation
• A dissertation defense

Combined J.D. in Law and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law and Social Science- Law and Democracy Track

To be eligible to receive the degrees of Doctor of Jurisprudence and Doctor of Philosophy in Law and Social Science- Law and Democracy Track, which must be received simultaneously, a student must:

• Complete 82 credit hours in the School of Law, including all of its required course work; and
• Complete 57 graduate credit hours in anthropology, political science, and area studies in accordance with all the requirements for the Ph.D. in Law and Social Science- Law and Democracy Track (see above), including the requirements for a dissertation, a comprehensive exam, and a minor (see directly above); Up to 33 credits taken in the School of Law may be counted toward fulfillment of both degree programs.

Joint Degree Programs

The Maurer School of Law offers several formal joint-degree programs that allow students to combine a law program with programs from other Indiana University schools and departments. These joint-degree programs allow students to earn a J.D. and either a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in another discipline. Joint degrees decrease the time, typically by a year, that students would spend earning both degrees separately. Joint-degree programs with other disciplines may be individually designed and struc­tured to meet students’ learning and career goals. Proposals for such individually designed programs should initially be submitted to the Maurer School of Law. The Law School will coordi­nate with the other school or department to establish the joint or concurrent program.
 
Candidates for joint-degree programs are encouraged to apply for admission to each school at the same time. However, law students can apply for admission to the other school or depart­ment before the end of the second year of law study. Students enrolled in master’s programs at other schools and depart­ments should apply for admission to the Law School before the end of the first year of the master’s program. Each degree has required course work. Joint degrees are awarded at the same time, and all requirements in both schools must be completed in order to receive each degree.
 
Whether in a formal or individually structured joint-degree program, students typically spend their first year at the Law School. Thereafter, course time is divided between the Law School and the other school or department in whatever way best meets the educational objectives of the student and the program requirements.
 
As a general rule, joint-degree programs do not require aca­demic work during the summer recess, permitting joint-degree candidates to take advantage of opportunities for internships, clerkships, and summer associate programs.

Joint degree: Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Doctor of Jurisprudence in the Maurer School of Law

The Maurer School of Law and the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Studies offer joint Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Arts degrees. Under the program , a student must complete 79 semester hours of credit in the School of Law, including all of its required course work; complete 24 semester hours of credit in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, including all of its required course work; meet the language proficiency and thesis requirements for the M.A.; and earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 on all work taken in the School of Law and at least 3.0 on all work taken in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

Joint degree: Master of Arts in Russian and East European Studies and Doctor of Jurisprudence in the Maurer School of Law

The Maurer School of Law and the Department of Russian and East European Studies offer joint Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Arts degrees. Under the program, a student must complete 79 semester hours of credit in the School of Law, including all of its required course work; complete 27 semester hours of credit in Russian and East European Area Studies, including all of its required course work; complete a language oral proficiency examination (Russian at intermediate level or other area language at the 2nd year level); complete the M.A. Essay and Examination; complete 20 semester hours of credit in the College of Arts and Sciences; and earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 on all work taken in the School of Law and at least 3.0 on all work taken in the Russian and East European Institute.

Joint Degree: Master of Arts in European Studies and Doctor of Jurisprudence in the Maurer School of Law

The Maurer School of Law and the Department of European Studies offer joint Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Arts degrees. Under the program, a student must complete 79 semester hours of credit in the School of Law, including all of its required course work: complete 24 semester hours of credit in European Studies, including all of its required course work; meet the language proficiency and thesis requirements for the M.A., and earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 on all work taken in the School of Law and at least 3.0 on all work taken in European Studies.

Ph.D. Minor in Law

The Maurer School of Law offers a minor in Law for Ph.D. students from other fields, which requires completion of 13-16 credit hours of course work. Students must complete 2 credit hours in either a research seminar or independent research and must complete one of the following courses: contracts, torts, property, constitution­al law, criminal law, civil procedure; or a basic methodological course that has been approved by the law minor advisor. Other courses to be taken will depend on the student’s interests and needs and shall be recommended by the assigned faculty advisor from the Maurer School of Law and approved by the student’s Ph.D. advisory committee as well as the appropriate chairperson or the dean of the student’s school. Examinations are required for individual courses, but none is required for the minor itself.

The minor chairperson in the Maurer School of Law is Assistant Dean Catherine Matthews, Room 024, (812) 856-9677.