JD/MSCJS
The JD/MSCJS degree program is designed to serve the needs of professionals who must be conversant with legal principles and techniques as they work both within and beyond the boundaries of the crime and justice system. Problem-solving in the areas of crime, justice and social policy create the need for specialized training in both law and the social sciences as well as the interconnection between the two. As the complexity of human problems encourages more flexible, sensitive and multi-faceted responses to conflict and social problems, education that bridges the traditionally distinctive fields of crime and justice and law becomes increasingly valuable.

Admission Requirements
Candidates for the JD/MSCJS program must meet the admission criteria for both the MS in Crime and Justice Studies, as determined by the College of Arts and Sciences, and the JD, as determined by the Law School. The LSAT is required by the University Law School. The JD/MSCJS program is open to both Day and Evening Division students. There is no limit to the number of qualified students admitted to the joint program. The Law School requires candidates for admission to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and to have taken the LSAT by February of the year of application. Applications must be submitted to the Law School by March 1. For further information, contact the Graduate Admissions Office, Suffolk University, 8 Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02108-2770, (617) 573-8302 or Suffolk University Law School Admissions Office, 120 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, (617) 573-8144.

Accreditation
Suffolk University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The Law School is an accredited member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Curriculum Requirements
The curriculum requirements for the JD/MSCJS program are determined by the respective schools. The JD/MSCJS degrees will be granted upon completion of 104 semester hours of work. Of this number, 80 semester hours must be completed in the Law School and 24 hours in the College of Arts and Sciences MSCJS curriculum. Specific programs and course selections are arranged through the Associate Dean’s office in the Law School and the Office of the Director of the MSCJS program.

All summer credits applied to the final semester of the joint degree program have been determined based on the semester credits of each individual program so as not to permit students to enroll in fewer than two credits in the final semester.

All joint degree candidates are subject to II (G) of the Rules and Regulations limiting credit for ungraded activities to two credits per semester. Any student who is not in good academic standing is disqualified from the joint degree programs. Law School Regulation VII (E) states that a joint degree candidate, who is academically deficient (as defined in the Law School regulations) within the Law School curriculum, shall be disqualified from the joint degree.

Program Requirements JD/MSCJS Joint Degree
Application to the joint degree program may be made before entering Suffolk University, during the first year of full-time study in the MSCJS program or during the first or second year of study in the Law School. The following tracks correspond to the three possible points of entry: first year MSCJS; first year Law School; second year Law School.

JD/MSCJS Curriculum

Track I

First Year

Fall Semester

CJ 681 Crime and Communities 

CJ 701 Seminar in Crime and Justice

CJ 702 Research Methods in Crime and Justice Studies

One course from an approved list of courses in a specialized area of Crime and Justice Studies

Spring Semester

CJ 688 Restorative Justice

CJ 709 Crime and Justice Studies Quantitative Analysis

CJ 708 Ethical Issues in the Criminal Justice Professions

One course from an approved list of courses in a specialized area of Crime and Justice Studies.

Second Year

Fall Semester

2040 AD Contracts

2050 AD Torts

2060 AD Property

2080 AD Criminal Law

1000 AD Legal Practice Skills

Spring Semester

2040 AD Contracts

2060 AD Property

2070 AD Civil Procedure

2090 AD Constitutional Law

1000 AD Legal Practice Skills

Third Year

Fall Semester

2140 AD Professional Responsibility may be taken at any time during the second or third year of Law School.

At the end of the first year of Law School, students must complete at least three courses chosen from a Base Menu as specified by the Law School.

Fourth Year

Fall Semester

Electives in Law Students are encouraged to concentrate in specific areas relevant to their interest in crime and justice by selecting classes and clinics/internships from available offerings. Evening students who have not completed their MSCJS requirements may elect to enroll in one of the Internships or Practica in Crime and Justice Studies (CJ 783, 784, 785) to obtain direct experience in the field.

Spring Semester

Electives in Law

Track II
Track II of the JD/MSCJS program is substantially the same as Track I except that the first- and second-year curricula are reversed. This track is for first-year law students entering the joint degree program.

Track III
This track is for second-year law students entering the joint degree program. During years three and four, these students will take both law and MSCJS courses.