Joint Degree Programs

Joint Degree Programs with the Stanford Law School

The Department of Economics and the Stanford Law School offer a joint program leading to either a J.D. degree combined with an M.A. degree in Economics or to a J.D. degree combined with a Ph.D. in Economics. In addition, there are several abbreviated law programs open to economics graduate students that involve some exposure to law and lead to a masters level nonprofessional degree rather than to a J.D.

J.D.M.A. and J.D./Ph.D. Programs

The J.D./M.A. and J.D./Ph.D. degree programs are designed for students who wish to prepare themselves intensively for careers in areas relating to both law and economics. Student interested in either joint degree program must apply and gain entrance separately to the School of Law and the Department of Economics and, as an additional step, must secure permission from both academic units to pursue degrees in those units as part of a joint degree program. Interest in either joint degree program should be noted on the student's admission applications and may be considered by the admission committee of each program. Alternatively, an enrolled student in either the Law School or the Economics Department may apply for admission to the other program and for joint degree status in both academic units after commencing study in either program.

Joint degree student may elect to begin their course of study in either the School of Law or the Department of Economics. Faculty advisors from each academic unit will participate in the planning and supervising of the student's joint program. Students must be enrolled full time in the Law School for the first year of law school, and, at some point during the joint program, may be required to devote one or more quarters largely or exclusively to studies in the Economics program regardless of whether enrollment at that time is in the Law School or in the Department of Economics. At all other times, enrollment may be in the graduate school or the Law School, and students may choose courses from either program regardless of where enrolled. Students must satisfy the requirements for both the J.D. and the M.A. or Ph.D. degrees as specified in the Stanford Bulletin or elsewhere.

The Law School shall approve courses from the Economics Department that may count toward the J.D. degree, and the Economics Department shall approve courses from the Law School that may count toward the M.A. or Ph.D. degree in Economics. In either case, approval may consist of a list applicable to all joint degree students or may be tailored to each individual student's program. The list may differ depending on whether the student is pursuing an M.A. or a Ph.D. in Economics.

In the case of a J.D./M.A. program, no more than 30 semester (45 quarter) hours of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees. In the case of a J.D./Ph.D. program, no more than 36 semester (54 quarter) hours of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees. In either case, no more than 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of courses that originate outside the Law School may count toward the law degree. To the extent that courses under this joint degree program originate outside the Law School but count toward the law degree, the law school credits permitted under Section 17(1) of the Law School Regulations shall be reduced on a unit-per-unit basis, but not below zero. The maximum number of law school credits that may be counted toward the M.A. or the Ph.D. in Economics is the greater of: (i) 3 1/3 semester (5 quarter) hours in the case of the M.A. and 6 2/3 semester (10 quarter) hours in the case of the Ph.D.; or (ii) the maximum number of hours from courses outside of the department that M.A. or Ph.D. candidates in Economics are permitted to count toward the applicable degree under general departmental guidelines or in the case of a particular student's individual program. Tuition and financial aid arrangements will normally be through the school in which the student is then enrolled.

Other Joint Law Programs

Other joint programs may be arranged - for example, the Ph.D. in Economics combined with one or two years of study in the School of Law, leading either to the nonprofessional Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) degree or the nonprofessional Master of Jurisprudence (J.M.) degree. These joint programs do not involve counting any courses toward both the economics and the law degree. See the Law School Bulletin for details.

Joint Degree Program in PH.D. in Economics and Master in Public Policy

The Ph.D./M.P.P. joint degree is designed for students who wish to prepare themselves for careers in areas relating to both policy and economics. Students interested in this degree first apply to the Economics Department, indicating an interest in the joint program. There is one admissions application and one fee. If the decision is made by the department to admit the applicant, the file is then forwarded to the M.P.P. program. An admission decision, based on the information in the Ph.D. application, is made promptly, and the department informs the student of the decision.

Students may also apply to the M.P.P. after having commenced study in the Economics Department at Stanford, by first receiving the consent of the Director of Graduate Studies in Economics and then applying to the Public Policy program.

Students must have a faculty adviser from the Economics Department to assist with the planning and supervising of the joint program. The adviser is usually chosen from among the department's Public Policy-affiliated faculty.

Requirements for the M.P.P./Ph.D. in Economics

Core M.P.P. curriculum of 45 units