The School of Law has announced the launch of a new joint degree program in Law and Communications, the first interdisciplinary program at the University of Miami that will allow students to earn a J.D. and an M.A. in communication in less than three and a half years.

The new joint degree program in Law and Communications is intended for students with a variety of goals, including those who plan to practice professionally in a communication-related field such as journalism or strategic communication with a law-related emphasis. Graduates of these programs may also work as in-house counsel for new communication technology companies and others may serve with government agencies concerned with communications law, or with law firms practicing in that field. This program also provides a solid grounding for future journalists who wish to report on legal affairs.

In this program, a law student can choose from three different M.A. programs within the School of Communication: journalism, public relations, and communications studies.

The program will allow nine J.D. credits to be applied to the M.A. degree and six M.A. credits to be applied to the J.D. degree, saving the student 15 credits between the two programs.

Currently enrolled students can apply for the joint degree by submitting a personal statement attached to an e-mail ([email protected]) indicating their interest in applying for one of the three M.A. programs offered. Applications are due April 1.

The J.D./M.A is one of three new joint degrees Miami Law has offered in the past year. Last spring the law school announced a J.D./M.M., where a student earns the Juris Doctor degree from the School of Law and a Master of Music in Music Business and Entertainment Industries from the Frost School of Music; and in the fall the Triple Degree Program, which enables an undergraduate business major to complete a J.D., an M.B.A., and an LL.M degree in nine semesters or fewer, was announced. The law school also offers an array of other joint degrees in areas such as public health and marine science.