Juris Doctor/ Master of City and Metropolitan Planning (MCMP)
The S.J. Quinney College of Law and the College of Architecture + Planning have adopted the following program to enable students to pursue both Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of City & Metropolitan Planning (MCMP) degrees simultaneously.
Reduction in Overall Credit Requirement
The JD/MCMP program is based on the assumption that, because there is complementary intellectual benefit from studying law and city and metropolitan planning in a coordinated program, a student enrolled in the dual degree program should be allowed to earn both degrees in less time and with a lower overall credit requirement than were that student enrolled in each program independently. Accordingly, students enrolled in the dual degree program may count up to 12 credit hours of College of Law class work towards fulfilling the 49-51 credit-hour requirement of the MCMP degree, and may count up to 12 credit hours of MCMP class work towards fulfilling the 88 credit-hour requirement of the JD degree. Upon completion of both programs, the student earns two separate degrees, a JD degree awarded by the College of Law and an MCMP degree awarded by the College of Architecture +Planning.
Because the overall credit requirements for both degrees are reduced by 24 credit hours, a student enrolled in the dual degree program can expect to complete the two degrees in approximately 8 semesters of full-time study. However, as noted in Section iii. below, an MCMP student who enrolls in the law program after matriculating in the MCMP program will have limitations imposed on those MCMP credit hours that can count towards the law degree.
Application to the JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program
Applicants interested in this program must submit separate admission applications to the College of Law and to the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning. Each program has its own independent admissions standards, and admission to one program does not ensure admission to the other.
Applicants interested in pursuing the JD/MCMP dual degree are encouraged to apply to both programs at the same time. Nonetheless, a law student may apply to the MCMP program (and thus be eligible to earn a dual degree) prior to completion of the first year of law school. As noted in Section iii below, an MCMP student who enrolls in the law program after matriculating in the MCMP program will have limitations imposed on those MCMP credit hours that can count towards the law degree.
Completion of First Year at the College of Law as Prerequisite for Law Credit for MCMP courses.
The College of Law will not give law credit for an MCMP course unless the applicant has first successfully completed the first year at the College of Law. This prerequisite means that applicants who start the dual degree program by doing work in the MCMP program before completing the first year of law school must delay taking the specific MCMP courses they intend to count towards their 12 hours of law credit until after they complete the first year of law school.
The College of Law strongly recommends that an applicant not take any MCMP courses during the first year of law school. The first year of law school is demanding.
Enrollment in the JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program and Appointment of Faculty Advisors in Both Programs.
A student who has been admitted to both the JD and MCMP programs and who wishes to pursue the dual degree program opportunity must file a Dual Degree Enrollment Form with the Registrar or Admissions Officer of each program. Upon filing this form and its being approved by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Law and the MCMP Program Coordinator, an advisor will be appointed in each program to assist the student in planning an overall program of study that takes advantage of the goals of the dual degree program.
Requirements for Cross-Over Course Credit.
To earn academic credit towards a law degree for coursework completed in the MCMP program: (1) an MCMP course must be pre-approved by the student’s College of Law advisor, and that approval must be indicated on the “Petition for Non-Law School/Dual Degree Credit” Form; and (2) the student must receive a grade of 3.0 (“B”) or higher in the course.
To earn academic credit towards the MCMP degree for coursework completed in the College of Law: (1) the course may not be part of the law school’s first-year curriculum; (2) the student must receive a grade of 3.0 (“B”) or higher in the course; and (3) the course must be pre-approved by the student’s MCMP advisor.
Notification to the College of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of Enrollment Only in MCMP Courses
A student in the JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program who during any semester is enrolled only in MCMP courses shall notify the law school’s Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of that fact.
Notification to MCMP program Advisor of Enrollment Only in College of Law Courses
A student in the JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program who during any semester is enrolled only in College of Law courses shall notify the MCMP Program Coordinator of that fact.
College of Law Seminar Writing Requirement
The College of Law Seminar Writing Requirement will not be waived for students in the JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program, and no MCMP research paper or other work product will satisfy this law school requirement.
MCMP Professional Project Requirement
The MCMP program requires that every student complete a professional project. This requirement will not be waived for students in the JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program, and no JD research paper or project will satisfy this MCMP
Completion of Both Programs Required for Award of Each Degree
A student enrolled in the JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program who wishes to count credits taken in one program toward fulfilling the degree in the other program, must complete all requirements of both programs before either degree will be awarded.