A law-humanities degree may be referred to as a joint-degree or dual degree offered by a variety of law schools. Upon completion, the recipient is usually awarded the level of Juris Doctor as well as a partnered graduate degree in the humanities.
Why the Joint Degree?
The law-humanities degree seeks to engage law students in a variety of interdisciplinary fields. Proponents of this coursework argue that considerable benefit can be gained by immersing the law student in cultural, political, social and even literary studies. Coursework in the above mentioned also may solidify the law student's writing craft.
Different Combinations or Forms
One can study a wide variety of humanities disciplines for this joint degree. These can include, but are not limited to, political science, literature, and history. Some programs, like that at the University of Louisville, offer ever more varied degrees, including divinity, urban planning, medical humanities, and social work. While the law degree award is usually the J.D. degree, the correlating humanities or similar joint business degree may be a Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts, or Doctor of Philosophy.
Institutions
Some of the better-advertised programs include the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, School of Law University of California-Irvine, American University, and the University of Virginia School of Law.
Admissions and Coursework
An applicant seeking a law-humanities degree will likely have to gain acceptance from both a college or university's law school and graduate school. In some cases, the majority of the coursework will be in the law school. The Brandeis School, for example, requires 21 hours' worth of humanities credits and 81 hours from the law school.
Benefits
This degree is not only valuable for future lawyers, but those who wish to engage in careers as "civic leaders." There is also the possibility for exciting work in academia. Many who instruct courses in these combined fields have published innovative scholarship, particularly on the impact of law in society and how politics, industry, technology, culture and society reciprocally shape lawmaking.
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