Students may enroll in only one joint degree program while enrolled in Law School. Students may not enroll in a concentration if enrolled in a joint degree program.
Students accepted into the J.D./LL.M. program may work toward an LL.M. degree in Taxation while completing their J.D. degree. The J.D./LL.M. program provides students with a broad based and advanced skill set in taxation, which will promote employment opportunities for students interested in a career in Tax Law. J.D./LL.M. students who take Graduate Tax Program (GTP) courses prior to the fall on-campus-interview sessions will enhance their prospects for tax related summer internships or full time offers. In addition, the J.D./LL.M. program offers summer semester evening and online courses, which J.D./LL.M. students can attend without interfering with summer internships or employment.
The J.D. degree is awarded upon the completion of six semesters of full-time study, and the LL.M. degree is awarded when the 24 credit hour requirement for the LL.M. degree is completed. During the regular three years of law school, J.D./LL.M. students may complete the LL.M degree with a combination of GTP courses and approved J.D. Tax courses. Up to 12 credits of the combination of GTP courses and J.D. Tax courses can count both as elective credits toward the J.D. degree, and credits toward the 24 credit hour requirement for the LL.M. degree. The remaining 12 credits from GTP courses will count towards the LL.M. degree only. For the 12 credit hours that double count towards both degrees, the grade from a course will only be counted towards the cumulative GPA for one degree. For example, a student enrolled in the J.D. Introductory Tax course will receive credit for the course on the J.D. and GTP transcripts, but the course grade will only be included in the grade point average of the J.D. transcript. Similarly, a student enrolled in a GTP course will receive credit for the course on the J.D. and GTP transcripts, but the course grade will only be included in the grade point average of the GTP transcript. J.D./LL.M. students must obtain the permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Faculty Director of the Graduate Tax Program to enroll in more than 12 credit hours from GTP courses during the regular three years of law school. Students will need to meet with the Law School Registrar to confirm the additional GTP courses will not negatively impact J.D. requirements or degree completion. Any such credits earned from GTP courses in excess of the 12 credit hour limit will only count toward the GTP degree and GPA, and will be billed as additional GTP tuition.
Students must have a minimum cumulative J.D. GPA of 2.67 as a prerequisite for admission to the LL.M. program, earn a minimum of a B grade in Introduction to Federal Tax, and must request and submit official college transcripts to the Graduate Tax Office. Prospective students are encouraged to meet with the Faculty Director of the Graduate Tax Program prior to applying, and admitted students are expected to meet with the Director of the Graduate Tax Program once a semester to discuss course selection and registration. To optimize the benefits of the program, a J.D. student should consider applying for the joint degree the beginning of the spring semester of the 2L year. Further information is available from the Graduate Tax Office, Room L30 on the Lower Level.
Students accepted into this J.D./LL.M. program receive their J.D. degree from Villanova and their LL.M. in a general or specialized area of international law from either the University of Edinburgh or Leiden Law School in three academic years and approximately three additional months. The students spend the first two years at Villanova, during which time they must successfully complete all first-year courses and upper-division graduation requirements. During the summer of the post-1L year, students may apply for admission into the J.D/LL.M. International Studies program. Admission is competitive, and enrollment is limited. The Director of International Programs makes admission decisions based on a student’s application and academic record (including classwork, grade point average, and professors’ recommendations). To be eligible to participate in the program, students should be within the top third of their class following their 1L year. Students outside the top third may receive a discretionary waiver to participate in the program, provided that the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs determines that their cumulative GPA and rank likely places them on track to become competitive candidates following a third semester of grades. Students with a GPA below 3.0, however, are ineligible to participate or to receive a waiver to participate in the program. Admitted students spend their third year of law study abroad. Students must earn two-thirds of the credits that Villanova requires for graduation prior to studying abroad for their third year.
Awarding of the J.D. and LL.M. degrees is conditioned upon successful completion of all courses at Villanova and all courses and requirements, including successful completion of any thesis or dissertation requirement, at the host law school abroad. That is, the courses successfully completed at the LL.M. host law school may be applied toward the requirements of the Villanova J.D. degree. Because ordinarily it would require four years to earn both credentials separately, the joint degree program may result in an overall cost savings.
Students who participate in the program will be eligible to graduate from Villanova Law with Latin honors based upon their cumulative GPA earned during their two years of study at Villanova Law. That cumulative GPA will be compared with the three-year cumulative GPA of their original graduating class. Students in the J.D./LL.M. program will also be eligible for membership in the Order of the Coif. But students admitted into the J.D./LL.M. program should understand that they will be ineligible for membership on the editorial board of one of Villanova’s law journals or on the Executive Board of the Moot Court Board. But students may, at the discretion of the journals, serve on the staff of the Law School’s journals. Admitted students will complete their LL.M. degree after their original J.D. class cohort graduates from Villanova Law. Nonetheless, admitted students may walk with their class at graduation if they have substantially progressed toward the completion of the LL.M. degree. Please note: due to the variation in schedules between Villanova and the host schools, students will be unable to sit for the July bar examination that follows their J.D. cohort’s graduation date. The following February bar examination is the earliest date they may sit for the bar.
Students who transfer to Villanova Law after completing a year of study at another law school are ineligible to enroll in the J.D./LL.M. International Studies Program.
For more information, please contact the Director of International Programs.
Students accepted into the J.D./M.B.A. Program receive their J.D. degree from the Law School and their M.B.A. degree from the School of Business. The J.D. will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of 6 semesters in residence at the Law School and all J.D. requirements (including credits earned through the M.B.A. program which apply toward the J.D. program). J.D./M.B.A. students must complete the first year of law school in the regular course. After successful completion of the first year, they may begin taking M.B.A. courses while remaining full-time students at the Law School.
J.D./M.B.A. students must take at least 10 credits in every semester (including those M.B.A. courses which count toward the J.D. degree). They may take no more than a combined total of 18 credits counting toward the J.D. degree, considering courses taken in both schools, during any semester. Any student wishing to register for more than 18 credits (including credits earned toward both the J.D. and M.B.A.) must obtain approval from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In no case, however, will a student be permitted to take more than a combined total of 21 credits in any semester.
The Law School will accept 12 credits for courses taken at the School of Business, and the School of Business will accept a maximum of 9 credits taken at the Law School, providing the courses are selected from the list of courses approved for joint credit published by each school. Contact the Director of the Reza Taleghani JD/MBA Program for more information.
Students accepted to the J.D./M.P.A. Program receive their J.D. from the Law School and their M.P.A. from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Twelve Law School credits will count towards the J.D./M.P.A Program and twelve M.P.A. credits will count towards the J.D./M.P.A Program Only students enrolled in the J.D./M.P.A. Program may have twelve credits in each program double counted as described above.
The M.P.A. Director and the School of Law’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs identify the Law and M.P.A. courses that may count in each program. The School of Law will accept the twelve M.P.A credits toward the J.D/M.P.A. Program as long as the students earns a “C” or better.. The School of Law will allow the M.P.A. courses to appear as a Law courses on the transcript, but the grades for those courses will not affect the Law School grade point average (GPA). The Arts and Sciences Graduate Dean will accept twelve Law credits toward the M.P.A.so long as the student earned a “C” or better. The Registrar will list the Law courses as Law courses on the M.P.A. transcript, but the grades will not affect the M.P.A. Program GPA. In short, the Law courses will be treated as “transfer” credits. Students must maintain a 2.75 GPA in the School of Law and a 3.00 GPA in the M.P.A. Program in order to remain in the J.D./M.P.A. Program. Students may complete one of Villanova’s joint graduate programs. For example, students may complete the JD/MBA or the JD/MPA, but not both. While completing the J.D. degree, students must complete at least the twelve M.P.A. credits that will count only in the M.P.A. Program and the twelve M.P.A. credits that will count in both programs. The remaining twelve M.P.A. credits may be taken after completing the J.D. degree. The M.P.A. degree must be completed within the normal timeframe stated by Graduate Studies. Students may not take M.P.A. courses at another institution to complete the degree. If a Law student works an externship approved by the Law School and by the M.P.A. Director, then M.P.A. 8010 will be waived. Otherwise, the student must complete an internship for an additional 3 M.P.A. credits.
A J.D. student enrolled in a joint program who engages in misconduct (whether academic or non-academic) in the non-Law School part of the program will be subject to disciplinary proceedings and possible penalty under the Law School’s policies independent of whether or not action was taken and/or a penalty imposed by the authorities at the other school.
Students involved in joint programs must promptly notify the Office of Academic Affairs in writing if any incidents occur or information develops in the non-Law School part of the program, including while in attendance at partner schools, that relate to character and fitness, as laid out in the policy on Candor and Disclosure under the General Information C tab in this Handbook.