Joint Degree Programs

Through Pace's joint degree programs, a student may earn a JD while working on a second advanced degree. By enrolling in a joint degree program, a full-time student may complete both degrees within four years, instead of the five years of study required when each degree is pursued separately. Part-time students can complete a joint degree program in as few as six years.

If you are interested in obtaining a joint degree, you must apply separately – and be admitted – to both Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and the relevant joint degree partner school. Full-time students must submit applications no later than during their fourth semester at Elisabeth Haub School of Law; part-time students must apply no later than during their fifth semester.

 

JD/LLM in Environmental Law

Pace Law students in good standing are eligible to apply for admission to the LLM program in their sixth semester in the full-time JD program (in the eighth for evening students), by submitting an abbreviated application.

On completion of the JD and admission to the LLM program, the Pace joint degree candidate will be given credit for up to twelve credits of environmental law courses successfully completed while in the JD program. A student would then be able to obtain the LLM in only one year of part-time study, or as little as one semester of full-time study.

Non-Pace Law students desiring to participate in the joint degree program may apply to enter Pace for their third year (or final year for evening students) beginning in the fall term. These students will be considered visitors and non-matriculated at Pace Law School for their third or final year and will receive their JD from their home institutions. These students will be expected to complete approximately twelve credits of environmental law courses while at Pace Law School, and officially apply to the LLM program in their sixth semester as full-time JD students (in their eighth for evening students) by submitting an abbreviated application.

On completion of the JD, non-matriculated students will be given credit for up to twelve credits of real estate courses taken in the Pace JD program toward the LLM. A student would then be able to obtain the LLM in only one year of part-time study or one semester of full-time study.

JD/Master of Environmental Management (With Yale School of the Environment (YSE))

The MEM degree from Yale University prepares students to address ecological and social systems with greater scientific understanding and context. This degree is designed for those interested in environmental policy and analysis, stewardship, education, consulting, or management in connection with natural resources and environmental issues. Pace anticipates that students participating in the JD/MEM program will obtain an Advanced Certificate in Environmental Law.

Degree Requirements
Candidates for the JD/MEM must earn a total of 124 credits, 88 from Pace Law School and 36 from the Yale School of the Environment (YSE). Twelve credits from Yale can be applied toward graduation from Pace. Twelve credits from Pace can be applied toward graduation from Yale.

When to Apply
Pace Law students can apply before law school or during the fall semester of either their first or second year.

Tuition
While attending Pace Law full time, students pay normal tuition at Pace.  While attending Yale full time, students pay normal tuition at Yale.  In the event that a student cross registers for courses in both schools during the same semester, students pay a prorated tuition at each school.

Requirements for Admission

Each school individually admits students in accordance with its own criteria.  Find additional information on how to apply to YSE here.

JD/MBA (With Pace University Lubin School of Business)

The MBA program at the Lubin School of Business has a proven track record of training students to handle the many challenges of today’s business environment. By entering the joint JD/MBA program, you benefit from a closely integrated course of study in both law and business administration. With the help of an adviser, you define your career objectives and design a course of study that meets your individual requirements.

JD/MBA Requirements
A typical candidate for the JD/MBA joint degree must complete a total of 129 credits, 80 from the Law School  and 49 from the Lubin School of Business. The total number of credits required in the Lubin School varies based on the student's previous coursework.

JD/MPA (With Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Public Administration)

The JD/MPA degree is designed to broaden your career opportunities in law, government, public interest organizations, health care, and related fields. Integrating theory and practice. The MPA program enhances your knowledge of the institutional, social, legal, and economic contexts in which administrators and managers in the government, health care, and nonprofit sectors operate.

Degree Requirements
Candidates for the JD/MPA joint degree must complete a total of 127 credits, 88 from the Law School and 39 within the Pace Graduate Center’s Department of Public Administration.

JD/MS in Environmental Policy (With Bard College - Center for Environmental Policy)

Thanks to its innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum, Bard’s MS in Environmental Policy quickly fosters students’ abilities to create feasible and effective environmental policies. Facilitating the use of best practices at local, regional, national, and international levels, the Center helps to promote greater understanding among scientists, economists, lawyers, ethicists, and policy-makers.

Degree Requirements
Students in the JD/MS program must earn a total of 132 credits, 88 credits from Pace Law School and 44 credits from Bard. Twelve credits from Bard can be applied towards a JD from from Pace. The Pace-Bard program also requires at least four years in residence, with two and a half years spent at Pace and one and a half years at Bard. Students must also complete an internship that fulfills the degree requirements of both schools.

Timing/When to Apply
First-year law students at Pace can apply to the dual degree, and if accepted, commence their MS degree at Bard in year two, and then return to Pace for three more semesters. All students return to Bard in the spring of the fourth year to complete final courses and a master’s thesis. The internship requirement for Bard CEP may be fulfilled through completion of a previously approved Pace internship, externship, or clinic program that has an environmental focus. 

JD/BA or JD/BS (With Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences)***

Pace University undergraduate students enrolled in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences who wish to obtain the JD may do so while completing their bachelor's degree. The combined degree allows Dyson undergraduate students to enroll in Pace Law during their senior year and complete both degrees within six years rather than seven. This is called the 3+3 program and is not open to students who are already enrolled in Pace’s JD program.

In order to be eligible to participate, a minimum of 96 undergraduate credits are required, including undergraduate core requirements as well as all required courses in the major field of study. Students apply to the Bachelors program at Dyson and later apply separately to Pace Law by January 1st of their junior year at Pace University. Successful applicants must meet the academic and character and fitness requirements for admission to the Law School.  It is recommended that prospective 3+3 students take the LSAT by June of their Sophomore year or December of their Junior year. For further information on the LSAT, including dates for upcoming exams and registration information, please see here.

For a break down of these requirements, please see below:

Three Years Undergraduate – Complete Core Requirements and Major Requirements

Three Years of Law School – Complete Law School Requirements.  After the successful completion of law school, a student will receive their undergraduate degree as well as their law degree.

List of Majors Eligible to Participate in the 3+3 Program:

  • BA in Biology & JD in Law
  • BA in Communications & JD in Law
  • BA in Criminal Justice & JD in Law
  • BA in Environmental Studies & JD in Law
  • BA in History & JD in Law
  • BA in Political Science & JD in Law
  • BA in Philosophy & Religious Studies & JD in Law
  • BA in Writing and Rhetoric and JD in Law
  • BS in Criminal Justice

All applicants are required to meet the academic and character and fitness standards for admission to the Law School. A minimum LSAT score and cumulative UGPA equal to or greater than the median of the prior year class is required to be considered for admission into the program. It is recommended that prospective 3+3 students take the LSAT by June of their Sophomore year or December of their Junior year. Applications to the JD portion of the program should be made by January 1 of their Junior year.  For further information on the LSAT, including dates for upcoming exams and registration information, please see here.

For additional information about the program, please contact the Pre-Law Advisors on your campus as noted below:

New York City:

 

Pleasantville Campus:

To arrange a personal visit to the Law School including a tour with a student mentor and sitting in on a first-year class, please contact the Office of Admissions at (914) 422-4210. For access to the 3+3 auditing form for students admitted to the program, please see here.

BBA/JD (With Pace University Lubin School of Business)

The Lubin School of Business and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law offer a combined program of study in business with a graduate degree in law. The aim of the program is to provide students with the opportunity to acquire an undergraduate education in general business, marketing, management or finance and a law degree in various fields of practice in six years. You save time and money by getting two degrees together!

The 3 + 3 year program is an accelerated course of study in which qualified students complete between 102 and 105 undergraduate credits toward a degree and complete the remainder of the 128 credit undergraduate program in the law school. Upon satisfactory completion of the required course of study, candidates are awarded both BBA and JD degrees. The JD portion of the program is coordinated by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains and the BBA portion at the Pleasantville Campus for all BBA concentrations except accounting.

Having a solid understanding of business prior to attending law school leads to a potentially strong career. The connection between the legal profession and business is strong as businesses hire legal counsel both within their organizations and as outside advisers. Knowledge of business operations and processes helps students define their law school objectives and course of study. Students seeking legal careers working with corporations, non-profits and governments benefit from learning the language and operations of business. The accelerated program prepares you for a law career faster and Haub Law offers a number of business specialties.

Admission

Applicants must meet the independent admission requirements of each school in order to be admitted to the combined program. Students should begin study in the Lubin School of Business and apply to the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in their junior year. Students may apply to the law school after earning 96 credits in the undergraduate program. If admitted, they would then enroll as a first year student at the law school campus in replacement of their senior year.

Students may only be admitted to the BBA/JD with a minimum high school average of 85 and an SAT score of 1100. While enrolled at Pace, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and obtain a final cumulative GPA of at least 3.2. Students who are not admitted to the law school would still have to complete 128 credits (except for General Business majors who complete 120 credits) to earn an undergraduate degree in business from Pace University. Pace University will waive application fees for 3+3 candidates applying to law school, but students must meet all admissions requirements. Applicants should have an LSAT score of at least 153 (75th percentile) and a 3.2 or higher GPA in the undergraduate program. Students may require an interview and letters of recommendation.

Lubin students interested in the program should contact their adviser to obtain counseling from the Law School Admissions Office and apply directly to the law school through the Law School Admission Council.

Course of Study

The combined degree program enables a full-time student to complete the requirements for both degrees in six years rather than the seven years required if each degree is pursued separately. For a typical candidate in the combined degree program a total of 190-193 credits is required: 88 from the School of Law and 102-105 from the Lubin School of Business.

The following BBA programs are eligible for law school admission: finance, general business, international management, arts and entertainment management,business management, entrepreneurship, hospitality and tourism management, human resources management, advertising and integrated marketing communications,digital marketing, global marketing management, sports marketing.

Pace Law JD candidates with an interest in Business Law can select from more than 35 elective courses, ranging from Banking Law to Mergers and Acquisitions. Students have opportunities to learn through hands-on experiences including corporate law externships and our Investor Rights Clinic, where they pursue securities arbitration. Pace Law's centralized location allows students to network within the New York Metropolitan area's business and legal communities.

Tracks Within Business Law Path to Practice

Depending on a student's particular area of interest, a student may choose one (but not both) of two tracks within the Business Law Path to Practice: (a) Corporate; or (b) Financial Compliance.

Investor Rights Clinic

Under faculty supervision, student interns at the Investor Rights Clinic (formerly the Securities Arbitration Clinic) handle securities arbitrations and mediations before Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Dispute Resolution on behalf of small investors. Students perform client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation, claim evaluation, legal research, preparation of legal memoranda, and may conduct an arbitration or mediation, or negotiate a settlement.

Food and Beverage Law Clinic

The Haub Food and Beverage Law Clinic is the first in the country entirely dedicated to providing direct, transactional legal services to food and beverage clients. Under faculty supervision, law students in the Clinic represent farmers, food and beverage entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations. The Clinic's legal services help clients expand access to local, healthy food in underserved communities, start or expand mission-driven business ventures, steward the preservation and transitioning of farmland for future generations of farmers, and implement innovative and sustainable production, processing, and distribution practices.

Student Advisement

Students admitted to the BBA/JD program are assigned advisers in each school to help them in the selection of courses and definition of their career objectives. The reciprocal recognition of courses by each school is essential to the combined program. Please contact your adviser for more information about the combined 3+3 BBA/JD program.

BA/JD (With John Jay College)

John Jay College and Haub Law have agreed to a 3 + 3 partnership which allows students to obtain a bachelor’s degree and a J.D. degree in six years, instead of seven. Through this program, a select number of students will complete their bachelor’s degree in 3 years and then immediately move on to Pace to obtain their J.D.

Read more about the eligibility requirements and program components. 

BA/JD (With The College of Saint Rose)

BA/JD or BS/JD (With New Jersey Institute of Technology)

***Note: the BA/JD or BS/JD joint degree program is not open to students
who are already enrolled in Haub Law School’s JD program