Faculties
of Rutgers School of Law-Newark and the School of Criminal Justice
(SCJ) have collaborated in the development of a juris doctor/master of arts (J.D./M.A. criminal justice)
degree program.
Purpose of the Program.
In the
past decade, virtually every aspect of the criminal justice system has
come under intense legal scrutiny. Similarly, many legal norms in the
system have been subjected to extensive empirical research. There is,
consequently, a growing need to prepare teachers, research workers,
administrators, and criminal justice leaders with skills that enable
them to combine both methodological and broad criminological expertise
with legal education.
Program Requirements.
Normally,
it takes four and one-half years to obtain both the M.A. and the J.D.
degrees. This program allows the candidate to finish the process in
four years. Each candidate must successfully complete:
- All first-year required law subjects and five seminars required by the
School of Criminal Justice (Justice, Law, and Policy; Problem Analysis; Planning and Evaluation; Foundations of Scholarship; Master's Project Seminar)
- A minimum of 16 additional credits from a list of law school courses
dealing with issues of criminal justice and institutionalization
- A joint-degree paper, for which 6 credits are awarded in each school
- Usual requirements for each degree
The
6-credit paper is the unique part of the joint-degree program. It is
intended to ensure the cross-fertilization of disciplines. Each student
is assigned, generally at the beginning of the third year, a
joint-degree committee that discusses with the candidate possible
topics, subjects of investigation, and methods. The committee works
closely with the candidate, throughout the remainder of the program, on
every aspect of the paper to ensure that it will be of acceptable
quality by the end of the process.
Thus, the typical program consists of:
First year: 31 credits at law school
Second year: 30 credits at SCJ
(15 required credits)
Third year: 31 credits at law school*
Fourth year: 16 credits at law school
12 credits for joint-degree essay
(6 credits toward each degree)
Students are enrolled for one year at the School of Criminal Justice and for three years at the School of Law-Newark.
Admission Requirements.
To
be considered for admission into the joint-degree program, a candidate
must be admitted independently to the School of Law-Newark and to the
School of Criminal Justice. Admission to one school does not ensure
admission to the other.
A "notice of intention" to apply to
the joint-degree program may be filed at any time before the candidate
has completed either the second year at the School of Law-Newark or the
first year at the School of Criminal Justice. Usually, such a notice is
filed with the application for general admission to one or to both
schools.
Once the candidate has been admitted to both
schools, and the notice of intention has been filed, the candidate
meets with the joint-degree committee, which consists of members of
both faculties. The committee screens applicants to assess their
experience, interest, and suitability for the program. Since the number
of persons who can actually be admitted to the program is small, it is
possible that not all qualified candidates will be admitted.
