Joint Degrees

The nation's first joint J.D./LL.M. in Advocacy and Litigation allows full-time, on-campus J.D. students to earn both degrees in three years at no additional cost. Open to incoming students and current 1Ls, the program offers 25 advocacy-focused credits with a specialized concentration in Trial, Appellate, or Alternative Dispute Resolution — including required courses like Evidence and Trial Practice, elective options like Selecting Your Jury, and the option to count intercollegiate competition participation toward the LL.M. Externships and Orange Flex remain available, though advance course planning is strongly advised.

Business and industry must take the law into account when making decisions. The College of Law and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management have responded with a J.D./Master of Business Administration joint degree program. Students may obtain a J.D. and M.B.A. in less time than when both programs are pursued separately. These programs are particularly appropriate for students with career objectives in corporate law, tax law, intellectual property, or labor law.

Joint degrees in communications prepare students for careers in communications law and media public policy. Students may matriculate into one of several programs including advertising (M.A.); Arts Journalism and Communications (M.A.); magazine, newspaper and online journalism (M.A.); Multimedia, Photography & Design (M.A.); Public Relations (M.S.); and television, radio and film (M.A.). The duration of the joint program in communications varies according to the program chosen and the student’s prior coursework.

Conferred with the globally recognized Maxwell School, this joint degree combines a J.D. with the MAIR — a multidisciplinary program requiring five career tracks, second language proficiency, and a professional capstone. Both degrees are completable in three years. Students may also pursue a Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism Law through the Institute for Security Policy and Law.

Offered with the Maxwell School's M.P.A. program, the oldest of its kind in the United States, this joint degree prepares graduates for careers in government, nonprofits, international organizations, and think tanks. Both degrees are typically completable in three years. Students may also pursue a Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism Law through the Institute for Security Policy and Law.

Offered with the Maxwell School's Department of History, this joint degree pairs legal training with graduate study in historical research and analysis — deepening students' understanding of U.S. and comparative legal traditions and sharpening the research skills that translate directly to legal practice.

Conferred with the Maxwell School's Department of Political Science, this joint degree is designed for students interested in the intersection of law, the judiciary, public policy, and political science at both the domestic and international levels.

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Offered in collaboration with the Forensic & National Security Sciences Institute, this joint degree pairs legal training with hands-on forensic evidence analysis — preparing graduates for criminal law careers in law enforcement, federal agencies, and the courtroom. Both degrees are completable in three years and 100 credit hours, compared to 123 if pursued separately.

Conferred with the College of Arts & Sciences' Department of Philosophy, this joint degree prepares students to analyze legal theory and history through the lens of ethical, moral, and political philosophy.

The nation's first joint degree combining law with a concentration in Disability Studies, this program — offered with Syracuse University's top-10-ranked School of Education — prepares graduates for careers in disability law and policy across government agencies, advocacy organizations, school districts, and law firms. An optional New York State-approved Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Disability Studies [PDF] is also available. Students complete both degrees in three years.

Offered through the School of Education, this joint degree trains students to advocate for clients with an integrated understanding of the psychological, social, and legal dimensions of their challenges — ideal for careers in family law, child welfare, disability rights, and public interest work.

The concurrent J.D. and Master of Professional Studies in Forest and Natural Resources Management (FNRM) is offered in conjunction with SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, situated next to the Syracuse University campus.

This joint degree is designed for students interested in legal careers involved with forest, natural, and environmental resources. As human demands on the environment increase, society needs attorneys who understand the economic, demographic, social, and political issues that drive resource use allocation. Students learn the complexities of managing both resources and people, recognizing that resource and environmental decisions involve value-driven conflicts. An FRNM provides a comprehensive foundation in natural and environmental resources issues and an understanding of both biophysical and social science.

Students must earn a minimum of 96 combined credits at Syracuse University College of Law and SUNY ESF. The stand-alone J.D. requires 87 credits; however, concurrent degree students can take advantage of a credit-sharing agreement between the institutions, allowing them to complete at least 72 College of Law credits, and to transfer 15 credits from SUNY ESF to the College of Law. The FNRM degree requires 30 credits, a minimum of 24 of which must be SUNY ESF courses and six of which may be applied by transfer from coursework at the College of Law.

Students can apply to the joint J.D./M.P.S. in FNRM simultaneously before entering the College of Law or after completing the fall semester of study at the College of Law. Applicants applying simultaneously must complete a College of Law application and a SUNY ESF graduate application. Applicants applying after enrolling at the College of Law must complete an internal College of Law application and a SUNY ESF graduate application.