Iowa State University

Iowa State University

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of Political Science

Got a question or comment?
Contact us at 515-294-7256 or polsci@iastate.edu
FAX: 515-294-1003

James McCormick
Chair
Department of Political Science
503 Ross Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011

Alex Tuckness
Director
Public Policy and Administration Program
Graduate Education
503 Ross Hall
515-294-8910

Dana Schumacher
Academic Advisor
557 Ross


Juris Doctorate and MA in Political Science
 
The Drake Law School and the Department of Political Science, Iowa State University are co-sponsors of the Juris Doctorate-Master of Arts degree. This degree combines courses at both Iowa State University and the Drake Law School and follows much the same requirements as a double degree. However, the student must have full admission to both schools.

The increasing attention being focused on the solution of social problems by State and Federal governments has created a need for persons with advanced training in both law and political science. The Drake Law School and the ISU Department of Political Science jointly administer a JD-MA program to provide an opportunity for students at the Drake Law School to achieve, concurrently, a J.D. degree in law and a M.A. degree in political science, and for graduate students in political science at Iowa State University to achieve a degree in law.

Successful completion of this program will enable students at Drake Law School to receive both a J.D. and a M.A. degree within a three-year period, while graduate students in political science at Iowa State University will be able to transfer a substantial number of hours to the Drake Law School toward the fulfillment of the J.D. requirements in a similar amount of time.

In summary, the program is as follows: (1) Drake Law School students will be permitted to transfer credits for specified law courses to Iowa State University, up to a maximum of 10 semester hours, of which 8 semester hours will be acceptable for minor graduate credit toward the completion of the M.A. degree at Iowa State University (a minimum of 22 graduate credits must be earned at Iowa State University for all Master's degree programs); (2) Iowa State University graduate students will be authorized to transfer a maximum of 9 semester hours of specified political science courses to the Drake Law School toward the completion of the J.D. degree.
 
Admission Requirements

Applicants for the combined J.D.-M.A. (Political Science) program need to meet the entrance requirements of, and be admitted to, both the Drake Law School and the Iowa State University Graduate College.

  1. Drake Law School: Admission requirements to the Law School include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with acceptable undergraduate scholastic achievement, and an acceptable score on the Law School Admission Test. For a complete discussion of the Law School admission requirements, please refer to the current Drake Law School catalog.
  2. Iowa State University: A graduate student in Political Science at Iowa State University must have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university, and normally must rank in the top half of his or her graduating class. (See the current Iowa State University Graduate College Catalog and the requirements elsewhere in this handbook). Normally, students are expected to submit Graduate Record Examination scores, but results from the Law School Admissions Test also are acceptable.

Prerequisite to major graduate work in the Department is normally the completion of at least 12 semester credits in political science. Students entering the Master of Arts program in political science should have completed one year of a foreign language, which is the equivalent of 8 semester hours. A course in basic statistics (equivalent of Statistics 101) is also expected. Otherwise, the deficiency may be remedied by passing equivalent courses, for which no graduate credit will be received.
 
Financial Information

  1. Drake University
    Information about tuition may be found in the current Drake Law School catalog. For information concerning scholarships, financial aid, and housing accommodations, write to the Office of Admissions, Drake University Law School, Des Moines, IA 50311; telephone 1-800-44-DRAKE, ext. 2782, or (515) 271-2782.
Iowa State University
Information regarding graduate fees may be obtained in the current Graduate Catalog. Eligibility for resident fees is decided by the Director of Admissions. For further information concerning fees and housing, see the ISU Graduate Catalog. Write to the Chair, Political Science Department, 503 Ross Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 for information regarding teaching and research assistantships.

Tuition and graduate fees are assessed separately by each institution. Taking courses at both Drake and Iowa State in the same academic term requires payment to each institution. This applies to both full-time and part-time enrollment.
 
Curriculum

Both the Drake Law School and the Department of Political Science at Iowa State University have specific courses, hours, and grade requirements which must be met before the respective degrees will be awarded. In brief, the J.D. degree requires the successful completion of 90 semester hours; the M.A. degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours for the thesis option. A minimum of 22 graduate credits must be earned at Iowa State University for all Master's degree programs.

If you are interested in further information concerning the details of this J.D.-M.A. program, please contact the persons listed at the end of this brochure.
 
ISU Courses Eligible for Transfer to Drake Law School

Iowa State University graduate students in political science may transfer a maximum of 9 semester hours to the Drake Law School from the following list of courses, all of which must have been taken for graduate (500-level) credit when there is the option of taking a dual-listed course at either the undergraduate or graduate level. A number of "experimental" courses, designated in the Schedule of Classes by an "X" suffix, are offered annually; many of these also may be counted for graduate credit. In addition, completion of requirements for the M.A. degree usually includes Statistics 401 (Statistical Methods for Research Workers - 4 credits); this course also may be acceptable for transfer credit. No more than 6 credit hours of 400-numbered Political Science courses may be counted toward the completion of the M.A. degree.

343 Latin American Government and Politics (3)
406 Public Opinion, Voting Behavior, and Elections (3)
410 Iowa Government and Politics (3)
417 Campaign Rhetoric (also Speech Communication 417) (3)
421 Constitutional Freedoms (3)
430 Development of Political Thought: Classical Through Early Contract Theory (3)
451 International Politics of Asia (3)
453 International Organizations (3)
470 Public Choice (also Economics 470) (3)
482 Environmental Politics and Policies (3)
502 Political Analysis (3)
510 State Government and Politics (3)
512 Urban Politics and Administration (3)
513 Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations (3)
531 Development of Political Thought: Modern & Contemporary Political Thought (3)
544 Comparative Public Policy (3)
547 Political Leadership and Elites (3)
552 Comparative Foreign Policy (3)
559 International Relations Theory (3)
560 American Political Institutions (3)
570 Politics and Management of Nonprofit Organizations (3)
571 Organizational Theory in the Public Sector (3)
572 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3)
573 Public Personnel Administration (3)
574 Methods of Policy and Program Evaluation (3)
575 Management in the Public Sector (3)
577 Government Business, and Society (3)
580 Ethics and Public Policy (3)
581 International Political Economy (3)
     
590A Special Topics: American Political Institutions (2-5)
590B Special Topics: Public Law (2-5)
590C Special Topics: Political Theory and Methodology (2-5)
590D Special Topics: Comparative Government (2-5)
590E Special Topics: International Relations (2-5)
590F Special Topics: Political Parties and Policy Formation (2-5)
590G Special Topics: Public Administration and Public Policy (2-5)
610A-G Graduate Seminars (check semester class schedules for availability) (3)
699 Thesis Research Varies
 
Drake Law School Courses Eligible for Transfer to ISU

103 Race and Constitution
104 Death Penalty
160 Constitutional Law I
161 Constitutional Law II
172 Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility
216 Juvenile Law
218 Natural Resources Law
231 Environmental Protection and Control
233 Land Use Control
234 Legislation
238 State and Local Public Finance
240 Advanced Problems in Constitutional Law
243 Employment Discrimination
247 Conflicts of Laws
250 Labor Law I
251 Remedies for Error in Criminal Cases
258 Creative Constitutional Thinking
262 Antitrust
266 Administrative Law
278 Public International Law
279 International Law
316 Law and Religion
322 International Agriculture and Food
351 Labor Law II
Note: Other Drake Law School and ISU Political Science Department courses may be acceptable for transfer credit. These courses need to be defined by, and acceptable to, both parties in each individual case.
 
Grades

For specific grades information see the current ISU and Drake catalogs. In general, M.A. candidates in political science at ISU must maintain, and graduate with, no less than a "B" (3.0) average; at the Drake Law School, graduation requires a "C" (2.0) cumulative average. However, for the purposes of meeting the requirements of this program, "C" grades and above may be transferred from the Drake Law School to ISU, and will be evaluated as a "Pass." Similarly, the Drake Law School will accept credit for classes at ISU in which the candidate receives a grade of "B" or better, but the grade received at ISU will not be used to compute the grade point average for the J.D.
 
Drake University Law School Guidelines and Policies for Joint Degree Programs

I. INTRODUCTION

The Drake University Law School maintains several programs leading to joint degrees. These guidelines and policies govern admission, operation and completion requirements for those programs.
The joint degree programs subject to these guidelines and policies are the following:

  1. JD/MBA with the College of Business and Public Administration, Drake University.
  2. JD/MPA with the College of Business and Public Administration, Drake University.
  3. JD/MA in Political Science with the Department of Political Science, Iowa State University.
  4. JD/MA in Agricultural Economics with the Department of Economics, Iowa State University.
  5. JD/MSW with the School of Social Work, The University of Iowa.

The Law School also has a joint degree program with the College of Pharmacy and Natural Sciences at Drake University. The joint degree program leading to a JD/Pharm D. shall not be subject to the rules and regulations in these Guidelines and Policies.
 
II. STATEMENT OF PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES OF JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMS

The joint degree programs are based on the idea that there are synergistic educational effects from the studying, concurrently and in a disciplined manner, law and another field of academic inquiry. Therefore, the joint degree programs are designed to advance the intellectual, academic and professional relationships between law and other disciplines. These programs reflect an institutional belief that law and legal institutions greatly influence, and, reciprocally, are greatly influenced by, other social, political and economic forces and institutions.

The joint degree programs also recognize that legal training is important to many occupational callings and professional aspirations, including, among others, business, government, economics and political science. Increasingly, our graduates are selecting careers in business, politics, and government and believe that the joint training and education in law and another area of study have materially advanced their career objectives. Further, a solid training in business, political science, public administration and other disciplines can make the lawyer more competent and confident in the practice of law.

III. PROCEDURES

A. Admissions

  1. Each student must separately apply to the Drake University Law School and to the department or college from which is sought another degree. Each college or department shall establish and administer its own admission policies, student policies and procedures and curricular requirements, and each may require a separate admission fee and official transcript from the joint degree student.
  2. It is contemplated that every joint degree student shall be admitted to both the Law School and the other discipline simultaneously; and that every joint degree student shall refrain, during his or her first year of law study, from taking any courses in another college or department. Following the completion of his or her first year of law study, joint degree students shall begin to concurrently work toward their law degree and other degree.
  3. Students with advanced standing in another college or department shall be admitted to the joint degree program only under the following circumstances:
    a. Where such student has not completed more than one-half of the total course work toward their graduate degree required by the other college or department; provided that a prospective law student who shall have completed more than one-half of the total course work toward their graduate degree in another college or department may elect to take additional courses in the other program so that at least one-half of their cross-disciplinary work was performed during their law school studies; or
     
    b. Where any student has been simultaneously admitted to both the Law School and another college or department, and such student has received a fellowship or assistantship from another college or department which requires that he or she study and teach full time during the first year in another college or department; or

    c. Where such student successfully petitions the Curriculum Committee of the Law School for permission to join the joint degree program notwithstanding the student’s failure to satisfy the foregoing requirements.

B. Credits and Course Requirements in the Law School

  1. Each joint degree student may receive up to 9 hours of ungraded credit in the Law School for approved course work in another college or department.
  2. The course work taken in another college or department for credit in the Law School shall be determined by the Joint Degree Advisor in the Law School, in cooperation with the student.
  3. No student may receive credit in the Law School for any course taken in another department or college prior to his or her matriculation in Law School, except where such student was admitted to the joint degree program with advanced standing pursuant to section A. 3 (b) above.
  4. Each joint degree student must meet every semester with the Joint Degree Advisor in the Law School, and shall meet regularly with his or her advisor in another college or department according to regulations or requirements imposed in such other institution.
  5. Grades earned in other colleges or departments shall not be computed in grade point averages for law studies and credit in the Law School shall not be granted for course work taken in another college or department unless the student earns a grade of “B” or better.

C. Completion of Joint Degree Program

  1. It is contemplated that students shall earn their joint degrees concurrently and that students shall be awarded their degrees at the same time. However, a student may complete his or her studies in another discipline during the summer following graduation from law school, where the student gives assurances to the Joint Degree Advisor in the Law School that such course work will be completed during the summer session and where the student has six or less hours of course work remaining in the other department or college.
  2. At the completion of the joint degree studies, a student will earn two degrees; one from the Law School and another from a college or department participating in the joint degree program.
  3. Where a student fails to complete a joint degree program, he or she is eligible to apply up to six hours of course work taken at another college or department pursuant to the Interdisciplinary Option available in the Law School. Otherwise, joint degree students may not enroll in and receive academic credit for course work taken in another college or department pursuant to the Interdisciplinary Option.

Approved by action of the Law School Faculty on May 7, 1992, as amended on September 19, 1996.