Foreign Service, MS and Law, JD (Joint Program)
Modality
On Campus
Program URL
The JD/MSFS dual degree is a four-year, full-time, 115-credit program credits offering courses from the required MSFS curriculum and international law courses. A typical JD/MSFS schedule includes 24 MSFS credits in the first year, 31 JD credits in the second year, and a combination of credits from both programs during the third and fourth years.
Academic Policies
Students in Foreign Service and Law joint program are expected to comply with the polices outlined in the Graduate and Law Center Bulletins.
Program Requirements
The J.D./M.S.F.S. program requires completion of 115 academic credits (76 credits of Law Center courses and 39 credits of M.S.F.S. work, with 9 credits of M.S.F.S. coursework counted towards the J.D. degree and 9 credits of J.D. coursework counted towards the M.S.F.S. degree).
Foreign Service
MSFS students must complete 48 credits, a language proficiency examination, a leadership requirement, and an oral comprehensive examination in order to graduate. Students select one of the following four concentrations to focus their studies: Global Politics and Security, International Development, Global Business, Finance & Security, Science, Technology, and International Affairs, or Self-Designed Concentration.
Required Credits
- Core Courses taken during first year (18 credits)
- Concentration courses (18 credits)
- Elective Courses (12 credits)
Leadership Requirement
The leadership requirement includes a list of curricular and extracurricular leadership training opportunities that enable students to explore and practice their leadership skills before they graduate from the program. This requirement provides students an opportunity to both learn and reflect on the nature of leadership.
The overall Leadership Requirement is composed of two segments – written self-reflection on leadership and practical demonstrations of leadership.
Law
In order to earn a J.D. degree, students must successfully complete the following academic requirements:
- 85 credits, including the upper-class legal writing requirement, a course in Professional Responsibility, a minimum of 6 credits in experiential courses, and a course that teaches students to think critically about the law’s claim to neutrality and the law’s differential effects on subordinated groups.
Required Examinations
Foreign Service
Language Proficiency Examination
Proficiency in English and at least one other language is essential for a successful career in international affairs and thus a requirement for graduation from the MSFS program. The MSFS program assesses language proficiency in the following ways:
- Language Placement Exam
Prior to the start of classes, MSFS students take language placement exams. This exam serves a dual purpose. First, it is used to determine which level of language study they should pursue at Georgetown, if at all. Second, it determines eligibility to sit for the language proficiency exam that takes place later in the academic calendar. Students whose native language is not English may declare English as their proficiency language, or may select a different non-native language for their proficiency requirement. - Language Courses
Students who are advised to take English or other foreign language course(s) before proceeding to the Language Proficiency Exam should enroll for an additional (fifth) course during their first semester. Language courses offered include: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Modern Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Ukrainian. Additional language study in South and Southeast Asian languages are available to MSFS students through a consortium agreement with Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Note: Language courses do not count for course credit toward the MSFS degree; grades received in language courses do not count in determining the student’s GPA.
Either after completing the Language Placement Exam or after taking language courses, each student must pass an Oral Language Proficiency Exam in their second language with a grade of “good” or better. MSFS strongly encourages all students to take and pass the Oral Language Proficiency Exam as soon as possible after enrolling in the program.
Oral Comprehensive Examination
In the spring of the second year, each MSFS student takes a final Oral Examination, given by a panel of three faculty and/or professionals in the field of international affairs. Students are judged on their ability to present material in a well-organized and articulate manner and to apply what they have learned to practical problems in the field of international affairs.