Juris Doctorate and Master of Arts in Social Gerontology Joint Degree Program

Transcription

1 A. Purpose Juris Doctorate and Master of Arts in Social Gerontology Joint Degree Program The Juris Doctorate and Master of Arts in Social Gerontology joint degree program ( J.D./M.A. ) is designed for law students who desire to develop a unique expertise and knowledge in the field of elder law, or who are considering an administrative position in the area of gerontology and seek to bring a legal perspective to their administrative work. The J.D/M.A. joint degree program is effective beginning in the fall of B. Eligibility for Admission A new student must apply independently for admission to both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law and the Department of Gerontology through Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The student must indicate that he or she is applying for admission to the J.D./M.A. joint degree program. The student must comply with the application requirements of both the College and the Department. If the student is admitted by both the College and the Department, then the student is automatically admitted to the joint degree program. A student who already is enrolled in the J.D. degree program at the College of Law may apply for admission to the joint degree program provided the student has a cumulative grade point average of at least and has not completed more than three semesters as a full-time J.D. student at the College of Law. To apply for admission to the joint degree program, the student must comply with the application requirements of the Department and indicate the student is applying for admission to the joint degree program. If admitted by the Department, the student automatically is admitted to the joint degree program. A student who already is enrolled in the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree program through the Department of Gerontology may apply for admission to the joint degree program provided the student has a cumulative grade point average of at least a B and has not completed more than 18 hours of courses toward the M.A. degree. To apply for admission, the student must comply with the application requirements of the College of Law and indicate the student is applying for admission to the joint degree program. If admitted by the College, the student automatically is admitted to the joint degree program. A student may not receive J.D. degree credit for any courses taken at the College of Law prior to admission to the College of Law. Once a student is admitted to the joint degree program, the student will be assigned an advisor from the College of Law and from the Department of Gerontology to advise the student on course selection and the requirements for completion of the joint degree program.

2 C. Degree Requirements The College of Law normally requires 93 credit hours for the J.D. degree. The Department of Gerontology normally requires 36 hours for the M.A. degree. A joint degree student will receive both J.D. and M.A. credit for nine hours of law courses (Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Wills & Trusts) and nine hours of gerontology courses (Applied Social Gerontology, Psychology of Adult Development & Aging, and Programs & Services for the Elderly). A joint degree program student must complete the required first-year curriculum at the College of Law and the upper division courses required of all J.D. degree-seeking students. In addition, a joint degree student must complete the following additional law courses: Law Courses Required for Joint Degree Students Elder Law (3 hours) Wills & Trusts (3 hours) Individual Income Tax (4 hours) (prerequisite for Estate Planning) Estate Planning (3 hours) One of the following three courses: Law & Medicine, Law of Patient & Provider, or Bioethics (3 hours) A joint degree program student must complete the following courses in the Department of Gerontology: Gerontology Courses Required for Joint Degree Students Applied Social Gerontology (3 hours) Psychology of Adult Development & Aging (3 hours) Programs & Services for the Elderly (3 hours) Practicum (3 hours) Graduate Seminar in Statistical Applications (3 hours) Dying, Death and Grieving (3 hours) Structural Equation Modeling (3 hours)* or Health Aspects of Aging (3 hours) ** * not required for non-thesis option ** can be substituted for the Structural Equation Modeling course for those pursuing a non-thesis option A joint degree program student who elects the thesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree must complete an additional six graduate hours of thesis coursework pursuant to the requirements of the Department of Gerontology. A joint degree program student who elects the non-thesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree may substitute Health Aspects of Aging for Structural Equation Modeling. A student who pursues the non-

3 thesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree must complete an additional six graduate hours of coursework pursuant to the requirements of the Department of Gerontology for the nonthesis option. Students completing the non-thesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree will be required to complete a written comprehensive examination through the Department of Gerontology. Members of the student s assigned committee will be responsible for writing and evaluating the content. The examination is evaluated as a high pass, pass or fail. D. Recommended Law Courses Joint degree program students are encouraged to take as electives one or more of the following law courses that are recommended, but are not required, for students in the J.D./M.A. in Gerontology joint degree program. These recommended law courses are: Administrative Law; Employee Benefits Law; Employment Discrimination; Family Law; Health Care Finance; Insurance Law; and Mental Health Law. E. Coursework Sequence A student in the joint degree program successfully must complete the first-year curriculum at the College of Law beginning in the fall semester of the academic year for which the student is admitted before taking any gerontology courses. After successfully completing the first-year curriculum at the College of Law, the student may take both law and gerontology courses in any sequence, subject to the rules of the College of Law and the Department of Gerontology. F. Academic Eligibility A student in the joint degree program must maintain a cumulative grade point average of in courses taken in the College of Law and must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least a B in courses taken in the Department of Gerontology. A student who fails to satisfy either requirement will not be allowed to continue in the joint degree program and cannot apply for readmission to the joint degree program. A student who has failed to satisfy the above minimum grade point average requirements may continue to pursue a J.D. degree and a M.A. degree, but must meet the normal requirements for each degree independently as established pursuant to the rules for granting degrees of the College of Law and the Department of Gerontology. A student must receive a grade of at least a B in Applied Social Gerontology, Psychology of Adult Development & Aging and Programs & Services for the Elderly in order to receive College of Law credit for those courses toward the J.D. degree. G. Conferral of Degrees A student enrolled in the joint degree program will be awarded the J.D. and M.A. degrees simultaneously upon the completion of the requirements for both degrees. A student must file a

4 separate application for each degree. The student s official law school transcript will indicate that the student successfully has completed the Juris Doctorate and Master of Arts in Social Gerontology joint degree program. If a student withdraws from the joint degree program and elects to pursue only one of the two degrees, the student must satisfy all of the normal requirements for the degree that the student elects to pursue.

5 Juris Doctorate and Graduate Certificate in Gerontology Joint Program A. Purpose The Juris Doctorate and Graduate Certificate in Gerontology joint program ( J.D./Graduate Gerontology Certificate ) is designed for law students who desire a broader perspective on the social, psychological and health issues that confront the elderly and the social programs and services that are available to support the needs of the elderly population. The J.D/Graduate Gerontology Certificate joint program is effective beginning in the fall of B. Eligibility for Admission A new student must apply independently for admission to both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law and the Department of Gerontology through Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The student must indicate that he or she is applying for admission to the J.D./Graduate Gerontology Certificate joint program. The student must comply with the application requirements of both the College and the Department. If the student is admitted by both the College and the Department, then the student is automatically admitted to the joint program. A student who already is enrolled in the J.D. degree program at the College of Law may apply for admission to the joint program provided the student has a cumulative grade point average of at least and has not completed more than three semesters as a full-time J.D. student at the College of Law. To apply for admission to the joint program, the student must comply with the application requirements of the Department and indicate the student is applying for admission to the joint program. If admitted by the Department, the student automatically is admitted to the joint program. A student who already is enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology program through the Department (but who has not yet completed the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology) may apply for admission to the joint program provided that the student has a cumulative grade point average of at least a B and has not completed more than 12 hours of coursework toward the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. To apply for admission, students must comply with the application requirements of the College of Law and indicate the student is applying for admission to the joint program. If admitted by the College, the student is automatically admitted to the joint program. A student may not receive J.D. degree credit for any courses taken at the College of Law prior to admission to the College of Law. Once a student is admitted to the joint program, the student will be assigned an advisor from the College of Law and from the Department of Gerontology to advise the student on course selection and the requirements for completion of the joint program.

6 C. Degree Requirements The College of Law normally requires 93 credit hours for the J.D. degree. The Department of Gerontology normally requires 18 hours for the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. A student in the joint program will receive both J.D. and Graduate Certificate credit for nine hours of gerontology courses (Social Gerontology, Psychology of Adult Development & Aging, and Programs & Services for the Elderly). A joint program student must complete the required first-year curriculum at the College of Law and the upper division courses required of all J.D. degree-seeking students. In addition, a joint program student must complete the following additional law courses: Law Courses Required for Joint Program Students Elder Law (3 hours) Wills & Trusts (3 hours) Individual Income Tax (4 hours) (prerequisite for Estate Planning) Estate Planning (3 hours) One of the following three courses: Law & Medicine, Law of Patient & Provider, or Bioethics (3 hours each) A student in the joint program must complete the following courses in the Department of Gerontology: Gerontology Courses Required for Joint Program Students Applied Social Gerontology (3 hours) Psychology of Adult Development & Aging (3 hours) Programs & Services for the Elderly (3 hours) Practicum (3 hours) Dying, Death and Grieving (3 hours) Health Aspects of Aging (3 hours) D. Recommended Law Courses Joint program students are encouraged to take as electives one or more of the following courses that are recommended, but not required, for students in the J.D./Graduate Gerontology Certificate joint program. Those recommended law courses are: Administrative Law; Employee Benefits Law; Employment Discrimination; Family Law; Health Care Finance; Insurance Law; and Mental Health Law.

7 E. Coursework Sequence A student in the joint program successfully must complete the first-year curriculum at the College of Law beginning in the fall semester of the academic year for which the student is admitted before taking any graduate gerontology courses. After successfully completing the first-year curriculum at the College of Law, the student may take both law and gerontology courses in any sequence, subject to the rules of the College of Law and the Department of Gerontology. F. Academic Eligibility A student in the joint program must maintain a cumulative grade point average of in courses taken in the College of Law and must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least a B in courses taken in the Department of Gerontology. A student who fails to satisfy either requirement will not be allowed to continue in the joint program and cannot apply for readmission to the joint program. A student who has failed to satisfy the above minimum grade point average requirements may continue to pursue a J.D. degree and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology separately, but independently must meet the normal requirements for the J.D. degree and the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology as established pursuant to the rules of the College of Law and the Department of Gerontology. A joint program student must receive a grade of at least a B in Applied Social Gerontology, Psychology of Adult Development & Aging and Programs & Services for the Elderly in order to receive College of Law credit for those courses toward the J.D. degree. G. Conferral of Degree & Certificate A student enrolled in the joint program will be awarded the J.D. degree and the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology simultaneously upon the completion of the joint program requirements. A student must file a separate application for both the J.D. degree and the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. The student s official law school transcript will indicate that the student successfully has completed the Juris Doctorate and Graduate Certificate in Gerontology joint program. If a student withdraws from the joint program and elects to pursue only the J.D. degree or the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, the student must satisfy all of the normal requirements for the degree or certificate the student elects to pursue.

8 Master of Legal Studies and Master of Arts in Social Gerontology Joint Degree Program A. Purpose The Master of Legal Studies and Master of Arts in Social Gerontology joint degree program ( M.L.S./M.A.) is designed for gerontology professionals who are not interested in practicing law, but who are interested in developing a deeper understanding of the law s impact on the elderly population. The M.L.S./M.A. joint degree program is effective beginning in the fall of B. Eligibility for Admission A new student must apply independently for admission to the M.L.S. degree program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law and the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree program at the Department of Gerontology through Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The student must indicate that he or she is applying for admission to the M.L.S./M.A. joint degree program. The student must comply with the application requirements of both the College of Law (which include application to UNL Graduate Studies) and the Department of Gerontology. If the student is admitted by both the College and the Department, then the student is automatically admitted to the joint degree program. A student who already is enrolled in the M.L.S. degree program at the College of Law may apply for admission to the joint degree program provided the student has not completed more than 15 hours at the College of Law. To apply for admission, the student must comply with the application requirements of the Department and indicate the student is applying for admission to the joint degree program. If admitted by the Department, the student automatically is admitted to the joint degree program. A student who already is enrolled in the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree program through the Department of Gerontology may apply for admission to the joint degree program provided that the student has a cumulative grade point average of at least a B in courses taken in the Department of Gerontology and has not completed more than 18 hours of courses toward the M.A. degree. To apply for admission, the student must comply with the application requirements of the College of Law (which include application to UNL Graduate Studies) and indicate the student is applying for admission to the joint degree program. If admitted by the College, the student automatically is admitted to the joint degree program. A student may not receive M.L.S. degree credit for any courses taken at the College of Law prior to admission to the M.L.S. degree program at the College of Law.

9 Once a student is admitted to the joint degree program, the student will be assigned an advisor from the College of Law and from the Department of Gerontology to advise the student on course selection and the requirements for completion of the joint degree program. C. Degree Requirements The College of Law normally requires 33 credit hours for the M.L.S. degree. The Department of Gerontology normally requires 36 hours for the M.A. degree. A joint degree program student will receive both M.L.S. and M.A. credit for nine hours of law courses (Elder Law, Wills & Trusts, and one of the following: Law & Medicine, Law of Patient & Provider, or Bioethics). A M.L.S./M.A. joint degree program student must complete a total of 33 credit hours of courses at the College of Law. These 33 hours consist of 12 hours of elective courses and 21 hours of required courses. The required courses are: Law Courses Required for M.L.S. Joint Degree Students Torts (6 hours) First Semester Property (3 hours) Legal Research & Writing/MLS (3 hours) Elder Law (3 hours) Wills & Trusts (3 hours) One of the following three courses: Law & Medicine, Law of Patient & Provider, or Bioethics (3 hours) For the 12 hours of elective courses, a M.L.S. degree-seeking student may not take any courses in lawyering skills such as Advocacy in Mediation, Appellate Advocacy, Client Counseling, Mediation, Negotiation, Pretrial Litigation and Trial Advocacy. In addition, a M.L.S. degree-seeking student may not take more than two seminars or independent study courses at the College of Law. Finally, a M.L.S. degree-seeking student may not take more than 12 hours of courses that are part of the first-year curriculum (excluding Legal Research & Writing) without prior approval. The first-year curriculum courses are: Civil Procedure; Contracts; Criminal Law; Property; and Torts. A joint degree program student must complete the following courses in the Department of Gerontology: Gerontology Courses Required for Joint Degree Students Applied Social Gerontology (3 hours) Programs & Services for the Elderly (3 hours) Practicum (3 hours) Graduate Seminar in Statistical Applications (3 hours)

10 Dying, Death and Grieving (3 hours) Structural Equation Modeling (3 hours)* or Health Aspects of Aging (3 hours) ** *not required for non-thesis option ** can be substituted for the Structural Equation Modeling course for those pursuing a non-thesis option One of the following two courses: Psychology of Adult Development & Aging (3 hours) (listed at UNL as GERO 446/846) or Seminar on Aging and Human Behavior (3 hours) (listed at UNO as GERO 9460). Students may take both of these courses but only one course will be counted toward the M.A. degree requirements. In order to receive the M.L.S. degree, the student must pass a final oral examination given by three members of the College of Law faculty. The examination is given near the end of the semester in which the conferral of the M.L.S. degree is expected. A joint degree program student who elects the thesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree must complete an additional six graduate hours of thesis coursework pursuant to the requirements of the Department of Gerontology. A joint degree program student who elects the non-thesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree may substitute Health Aspects of Aging for Structural Equation Modeling. A student who pursues the nonthesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree must complete an additional six graduate hours of coursework pursuant to the requirements of the Department of Gerontology for the nonthesis option. Students completing the non-thesis option for the M.A. in Social Gerontology degree will be required to complete a written comprehensive examination through the Department of Gerontology. Members of the student s assigned committee will be responsible for writing and evaluating the content. The examination is evaluated as a high pass, pass or fail. D. Recommended Law Courses Joint degree program students are encouraged to take as electives one or more of the following courses that are recommended, but are not required, for students in the M.L.S./M.A. joint degree program. These recommended courses are: Administrative Law; Employee Benefits Law; Employment Discrimination; Family Law; Health Care Finance; Insurance Law and Mental Health Law. E. Coursework Sequence Legal Research & Writing/MLS is offered each fall and must be among the first 9 credit hours that a student takes. Torts is a 6 credit hour course that spans both the fall and spring semester and must normally be taken during the student s first year in the program. First Semester Property is offered each fall and must be taken before Wills & Trusts. F. Academic Eligibility

11 A M.L.S. student must receive a grade of C or better (on the College of Law grading scale) in each course the student takes at the College of Law. Although receiving a grade below a C in a particular course will not render a student ineligible to continue, the course(s) in which the student receives a grade below a C will not count toward the required 33 credit hours necessary to obtain the M.L.S. degree. A student who fails to receive a grade of C in Legal Research & Writing or in Torts will be allowed to repeat the course once. If the student fails to achieve a grade of C in the repeated course, the student will be dismissed from the M.L.S. degree program and will not be allowed to continue in the joint degree program. Once dismissed for failure to obtain the requisite minimum grades, the student cannot apply for readmission to the program. In addition, a student will be dismissed from the M.L.S. degree program and the joint degree program if the student either fails six credit hours at the College of Law or has less than a C average at the end of the semester or summer session in which the total number of law credit hours in which the student has received a grade first totals at least 33 credit hours. The M.L.S. student s cumulative grade point average at the College of Law shall be computed at the conclusion of the semester or summer session in which the number of credit hours for which the student has taken and received a grade totals at least 18 hours. If the student s cumulative grade point average at the College of Law is less than 4.500, the student shall be placed on probation. A student in the joint degree program must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least a B in courses taken in the Department of Gerontology. A student who fails to do so will be dismissed from the joint degree program and cannot apply for readmission to the program. A student who has been dismissed from the joint degree program may continue to pursue either or both degrees separately, assuming the student is remains eligible for the degree being pursued. The student independently must meet the normal requirements for each degree that the student elects to pursue. G. Conferral of Degrees A student enrolled in the joint degree program will be awarded the M.L.S. and M.A. degrees simultaneously upon the completion of the requirements for both degrees. A student must file a separate application for each degree. The student s official law school transcript will indicate that the student successfully has completed the Master of Legal Studies and Master of Arts in Social Gerontology joint degree program. If a student withdraws from the joint degree program and elects to pursue only the M.L.S. degree or the M.A. degree, the student must satisfy all of the normal requirements for the degree that the student elects to pursue.