Dual Degree Program in Law and East Asian Languages and Cultures

The J.D./M.A. EALC program combines the Juris Doctor program offered by the School of Law and the Master of East Asian Languages and Cultures program offered by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences into 4 years and one summer of full time study.

Growing interdependence with East Asia, particularly with China, provides a need for lawyers versed in culture and language. A dual degree in Law and East Asian Languages and Cultures opens many doors for its recipients. One can find opportunities in international trade and finance, immigration law, and other related fields, as well as a greater ability to work with clients from various backgrounds.

Funding

Dual J.D./M.A. students are eligible and strongly encouraged to apply for a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship through the Center for East Asian Studies.  

Admission to Graduate Studies

Admission Requirements

• All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy. 

• Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.  

• English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required. 

Admission to the Dual Program

In addition to the KU admission requirements for graduate study, to be admitted to the joint J.D./M.A. EALC Program, an applicant must hold an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and meet the admission requirements for both the School of Law and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. Students apply for each program separately and must be admitted to both programs no later than the end of the first year of study in Law or the completion of more than 16 credit hours in EALC. Full-time, in-resident study is required for the joint J.D./M.A. EALC program.

EALC Application Materials:

• A current C.V. (Curriculum Vitae) or resume.
• A Statement of Purpose explaining your academic objectives. Please describe the research interests and goals that you intend to pursue in light of specific strengths that can be found among the faculty at KU. 
• A writing sample that demonstrates your writing skills and basic research capacity. A research paper from a previous upper-level undergraduate course will suffice.
• The names and emails of three references.  These references will be contacted directly by KU for letters of recommendation.  Please alert your references in advance.
• Copies of official transcripts from all institutions from which a degree was obtained and from all institutions attended post-bachelor's. *
• Official GRE scores (strongly recommended)

*International applicants who obtained degrees from the People's Republic of China must also provide an official copy of his or her Degree Certificate or "Xuewei Zheng."  A Graduate Certificate only, or "Biye Zheng," will not be acceptable for admission to the program.

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the only standardized test required for an applicant to the joint degree program.

Visit the KU School of Law or more information about requirements for admission to the J.D. and the EALC graduate admissions page for more information about admission to the EALC M.A. program.

Degree Requirements

To receive the J.D./M.A. EALC, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 106 credit hours, 81 in the School of Law and 25 in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. The School of Law requires a 2.0 grade point average, while the office of Graduate Studies requires a 3.0 GPA for all courses counting toward the M.A. in EALC portion of the degree.

J.D. Requirements

Students must complete all required first year School of Law courses (29 credit hours) prior to enrolling in courses for the joint degree. In addition to these course requirements, the School of Law has an upper-class writing requirement, a residence requirement, and a time limit for completion of the degree.

In addition to the 44 TOTAL credit hours of coursework  required of all law students, students in the joint J.D./M.A. EALC program must complete an additional 12 credit hours of coursework consisting of courses in any two of the following four areas of concentration:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
International Trade
LAW 944	International Trade Law	3
LAW 864	Advanced International Trade Law	3
International Commerce
LAW 945	International Commerce and Investment	3
Public International Law
LAW 974	Public International Law	3
Comparative Law
LAW 879	Comparative Law	3
LAW 918	Islamic Law	3

Students may choose courses to complete the remaining hours necessary to reach the total of 81 hours of law school credit needed for the joint degree from any part of the Law School curriculum.

Please refer to the current School of Law Catalog for further details about the requirements for the J.D. portion of the degree.

EALC Requirements

Students in this dual degree program are required to select the East Asian concentration:

*A language course result lower than B may result in a departmental recommendation for probation status. If language coursework performance does not improve after one semester, the student may be recommended for dismissal.

At the completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• Acquire Knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law.
• Develop legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, professional skills, and written and oral communication in the legal context.
• Exercise proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system.
• Demonstrate mastery of relevant knowledge in the target culture, whether pre-modern or modern; and from such knowledge can explain literary, textual, cultural, socio-political, or linguistic topics using appropriate analytic and synthetic strategies.
• Demonstrate mastery of effective communication in academic language.