jd phd economics stanford

LAW-JD - Law (JD)

Program overview.

The School of Law courses are listed on the  ExploreCourses  website under the subject codes   LAW  and  LAWGEN .

The School of Law, established in 1893, provides legal education for students fitted by their maturity and academic training to pursue professional study under university methods of instruction. The curriculum leading to the first professional degree in law, the Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), constitutes an adequate preparation for law practice in any English-speaking jurisdiction. Graduate work leading to the degrees of Master of Laws (L.L.M.), Master of the Science of Law (JSM), and Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD), and a non-professional degree, Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.), is also offered. For the entire curriculum, see the  Course Schedule & Description on the Law School  website. Stanford Law School offers joint or dual degree options with other Stanford graduate departments and universities nationwide; see the “Joint and Dual Degrees in Law” below.

The school is on a three-term academic calendar. See the  Academic Calendar on the Law School website for a complete list of academic dates.

See the  Law School  website for further information about admission, programs, curriculum, and faculty.

Joint and Dual Degrees in Law

Formal admission to both the Law School and the other cooperating school or department is required by the established admission standards of each school or department. In addition to the established joint degree programs offered, the school considers requests for a dual program on an individually designed basis. For additional information on Law School joint or dual degree programs, see the  Law School  website. See relevant websites or department sections of this Bulletin for degree requirements.

Graduate School of Business

See the  GSB’s MBA website

J D /MBA Master of Business Administration

JD/PhD Business Administration

School of Earth Sciences

JD/MS Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER)

JD/PhD Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER)

School of Education

JD/MA Education

School of Engineering

JD/MS Bioengineering

JD/PhD Bioengineering

JD/MS Computer Science

JD/MS Electrical Engineering

JD/MS Management Science and Engineering (MS&E)

JD/PhD Management Science and Engineering (MS&E)

School of Humanities and Sciences

JD/Ph.D. Communication

JD/MA Economics

JD/PhD Economics

JD/MA History

JD/PhD History

JD/MA in degree-granting programs in Stanford Global Studies (SGS):

African Studies

East Asian Studies

Latin American Studies

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

JD/MA International Policy

JD/PhD Modern Thought and Literature

JD/PhD Philosophy

JD/PhD Political Science

JD/PhD Psychology

JD/MPP Public Policy

JD/PhD Sociology

JD/MS Symbolic Systems

School of Medicine

JD/MS Health Research and Policy (HRP)

JD/MD Medicine

JD/PhD Neurosciences

Cooperative Programs with Other Universities

Stanford JD students have also pursued degrees at other universities, such as the Harvard Kennedy School, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Princeton Woodrow Wilson School. The approval process for such a cooperative program begins after the student has been admitted independently to both programs. Students may enroll in either a joint degree among schools at Stanford or in a degree from an external university, but a student may not enroll in both a Stanford JDP and a cooperative program with another university.

Courses in Law

Some Law courses have special enrollment instructions and restrictions, but many Law courses are open to qualified graduate students in other departments of Stanford University with instructor consent. Non-law students may not enroll in courses that are part of the required first-year JD curriculum. Stanford non-law students intending to enroll in any course with a LAW subject code must consult the Office of the Law School Registrar in the Stanford Law School Administration Building, room 100, or see the Stanford Law School  Office of the Registrar  website.

Free Form Requisites

Degree requirements.

Refer to the SLS Student Handbook for details about the Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) graduation requirements. 

Overview of Degree Requirements

The requirements for the degree of JD are: 

For students who entered law school before 2019, successful completion of all  first-year required courses plus an additional 82 quarter units of elective coursework (111 total units)

For students who entered law school in 2019 or later, successful completion of all first-year required courses plus an additional 78 quarter units of elective coursework (111 total units)

For students who entered law school in 2016 or later, satisfaction of the experiential learning requirement; 

Satisfaction of the ethics requirement

Satisfaction of the writing requirement

Satisfaction of the learning outcomes requirement

For students who entered law school before 2016, satisfaction of the professional skills instruction requirement

Nine quarters of residency

Timely filing of an application for graduation

Unit Requirement 

Students who entered law school before 2019 must complete all first-year required courses plus an additional 82 approved quarter units of elective coursework to obtain a JD (a total of 111 units). Students who entered law school in 2019 or later must complete all first-year required courses plus an additional 78) approved quarter units of elective coursework to obtain a JD (a total of 111 units). 

During autumn quarter, a first-year student may take only those courses on the required list. 

First-year JD students may take no more than five units of electives in winter quarter, and they must take at least three units but no more than eight units of electives in spring quarter. Elective courses are limited to those within the Law School, except that first-year JD students may take a physical education or a music course each quarter, but it will not count toward residency or graduation.

Course Requirements

1  Stanford Law School Student Handbook

Residency Requirements

To graduate, a JD student must be “in residence” as a law student for at least nine (9) quarters and no more than twelve (12) quarters. For purposes of the JD degree, the term “in residence” means that a student:  

Takes at least nine quarter units of credit that can be counted toward the degree each quarter

By the date all grades for the quarter are due, pass at least eight such units each quarter

Pays full tuition to the law school

Does not work more than 20 hours per week during the term; (See section entitled ‘Limitations on Working’ for more information) 

A student must be in residence during the quarter in which the final degree is conferred or during the quarter immediately preceding the degree conferral

Joint Degree in Law and History (J.D./Ph.D)

Stanford offers two joint degree programs in Law and History: (1) a JD/PhD program and (2) a JD/MA program. Both programs afford substantial savings in time and money as compared with the separate pursuit of each degree.

The programs are designed to provide students interested in the study of law and history with top-level training in each field, as well as in the complex and fascinating intersections between the two. Students have access to the full range of resources on campus—including not only courses, but also conferences, lectures, and workshops—devoted to law and history. For an overview of many law-and-history-related activities on campus, please visit the website for the Stanford Center for Law and History . 

Joint J.D./Ph.D in Law & History

The basic structure of the JD/PhD program is outlined below. The program has been purposefully designed to ensure flexibility that addresses individual student’s needs and interests.

Timing of Applications Interested students must separately apply and receive admission to the Stanford Law School and the History Department. Students are encouraged to begin their course of study by spending the first year in the Stanford Law School (SLS), followed by taking courses from both SLS and History Department. This facilitates a truly integrated, joint program; it also maximizes potential savings in financial cost and time-to-degree. Student, who are already enrolled in SLS or the History Department, may apply for admission to joint degree status in the other unit. If you are interested in this option, please check with History Department’s Student Services Manager.

Applications for the PhD program in History are typically due in early December. By contrast, applications to the Law School’s JD program are accepted on a rolling basis, usually between September 1 and February 1. To be considered as a joint applicant, applicants should submit their law-school application around the same time as your PhD application (and definitely no later than the December deadline for a PhD in History). Applicants must separately apply and obtain admission to the Stanford Law School and the Stanford History Department .

In completing the online Law School Admission Council [LSAC] application form, the applicant will be directed to a set of questions unique to Stanford Law School—including a page inquiring whether they are applying to “Other Stanford Programs.” Please select “History” from the drop-down menu.

The History Department application does not include a separate box to indicate application to Stanford Law School. Instead, the applicant should note in their required “Statement of Purpose” that they are also applying for admission into the Law School’s JD program (or that they are already enrolled in a JD program at SLS and are seeking to pursue a JD/PhD in History).

Course of Study  Joint degree students are encouraged to begin their course of study by spending their first year at Stanford in the SLS, followed by a full year in the History Department. This sequencing is essential to complete the required History PhD colloquia sequence without any disruption. After their first year in SLS, students may choose courses from either program. 

Students, who wish to commence JD/PhD program in the History Department, should discuss their plans in advance with their advisors in the Law School and in the History Department. Such requests are reviewed by both units and are accepted only if there is a compelling justification.

If the student chooses to begin their coursework in the History Department, it is vital that they complete the paperwork required to matriculate at the Law School at the beginning of their very first year of coursework. Otherwise, they may not be able to cross-credit this first-year of history coursework toward their JD degree (as detailed below).

Whichever academic unit that the student begins their JD/PhD program, they must be enrolled full time in the Law School during the first year of their JD studies, and full time in the History Department during the first year of their PhD program.

Joint degree students are expected to take their History PhD oral examinations no later than the spring of their fourth year at Stanford.

Cross-Crediting of Units The Law School requires students to earn 111 units in order to obtain the JD The History Department requires students to earn 135 units to obtain the PhD. This is a combined total of 246 units. But students may save about a year of coursework (or somewhat more) through cross-crediting some of these units.

The Law School cross-credits toward the JD up to 31 units earned in the History Department. The History Department has the flexibility to cross-credit toward the PhD up to 23 units earned in the Law School. The Department makes case-by-case decisions about which courses earned in the Law School it will credit toward the PhD So, if there are courses in the Law School that you believe are relevant to your PhD studies and doctoral dissertation, you should discuss with your doctoral advisor whether these are appropriate for cross-crediting.

Tuition and Financial Aid PhD Students, who are simultaneously accepted to the SLS and the History Department for a JD/PhD program, spend their first year at Stanford as a full-time graduate student in SLS. The Department of History does not fund the JD/PhD student during this first year. After finishing their first year with SLS, the student matriculates in the Department of History as a 1st year PhD student and start receiving their 5-Year Departmental Fellowship, which provides five years of guaranteed funding as described in the Finance Section of this Handbook (pg.75).

For their year in the SLS, JD/PhD students are eligible for the full range of need-based financial aid arrangements made available by the Law School and the University. The funding is awarded on a competitive basis. For more information, please see https://law.stanford.edu/education/degrees/

Applicants are also encouraged to consider applying to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. The deadline for applying to this program is much earlier than the deadline for applying to pursue either the JD or the PhD in History—namely, October 11, 2023 at 1:00pm PST. Joint-degree applicants who choose to submit applications for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program must still submit separate applications to the Law school and the History department (as described above). Details can be found at: https://knight- hennessy.stanford.edu/ . 

Tuition for Students in Multiple Programs Graduate students who are eligible to pursue more than one degree at Stanford, where each program charges a different tuition (other than concurrent enrollment in a coterminal bachelor’s and master’s program), must document a tuition payment agreement by means of the  Tuition Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs

 (see  GAP 5.1 Changes and Additions of Degree Programs ).

The Enrollment Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs is not required if the programs all charge identical amounts of tuition (e.g., MA and PhD programs that are both in the School of Humanities and Sciences).

The student filing this enrollment agreement indicates the degree program to be used for tuition assessment in each quarter and academic year. The student must obtain the necessary signatures from the dean or associate dean representing each graduate or professional school program listed.

Each Joint Degree Program (JDP) has a pre-approved tuition agreement detailing which graduate tuition level is paid at which point in a student’s career (see  GAP 4.9 Joint Degree Programs ). JDP tuition agreements approved for each JDP reside with the Office of the Registrar.  All students enrolled in a JDP must submit the  Tuition Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs to document the tuition agreement and ensure that correct charges are applied each quarter.

J.D. / M.A. Program in Law & History

Timing of Applications Students interested in the joint JD/MA degree program in Law & History must separately apply and receive admission to the Stanford Law School and the History Department. To maximize potential savings in financial cost and time-to-degree, students are encouraged to apply to both the Law School and the History Department either (1) at the same time or (2) during their first year as a law student. Students in their second year of Stanford Law School may also apply to the MA program in History, but they are less likely to be able to complete both degrees in a total of three years and at the cost of their law degree.

Applications for the MA program in History are due in early December. Applications to the Law School’s JD program are accepted on a rolling basis, generally between September 1 and February 1. Applicants must separately apply and obtain admission to the Stanford Law School and the Stanford History Department .

The History Department application does not include a separate box to indicate application to Stanford Law School. Instead, the applicant should note in their required “Statement of Purpose” that they are also applying for admission into the Law School’s JD program (or that they are already enrolled in a JD program in SLS and are seeking to pursue a JD/MA in History).

• Course of Study Students pursuing the joint JD/MA must begin their course of study by spending the first year in the Stanford Law School. Starting in their second year, they will begin to take classes offered by the History Department, as well as by the Law School, and should be able to complete both degrees by the end of the third year. 

Cross-Crediting of Units The Law School requires students to earn 111 units in order to obtain the JD The History Department requires students to earn 45 units to obtain the MA This is a combined total of 156 units.

The Law School cross-credits toward the JD up to 31 units earned in the History Department. The History Department has the flexibility to cross-credit toward the MA up to 10 units earned in the Law School. The Department makes case-by-case decisions about which courses earned in the Law School it will credit toward the MA So, if there are courses in the Law School that you believe are relevant to your MA studies, you should discuss with your History-Department advisor whether these are appropriate for cross-crediting.

Tuition and Financial Aid The Law School requires students to earn 111 units in order to obtain the JD The History Department requires students to earn 45 units to obtain the MA This is a combined total of 156 units.

The Enrollment Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs is not required if the programs all charge identical amounts of tuition (e.g., MA and PhD. programs that are both in the School of Humanities and Sciences).

Further Information

Students have access to the full range of resources on campus, ranging from courses and conferences to lectures and workshops. For an overview of many law-and-history-related activities on campus, please visit the  Stanford Center for Law and History  website.

Please contact Arthur Palmon   (Assistant Director of Student Services).

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Maya Durvasula

Maya Durvasula, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is pursuing a JD-PhD in economics at Stanford Law School and School of Humanities and Sciences. She graduated from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Maya aspires to focus on technology diffusion and distribution in low-income contexts. She studied innovation in healthcare markets at MIT and Stanford. Her research has included projects on HIV testing campaigns in China, household behavior following economic shocks in Indonesia, and historical housing policy in the American South. She has also worked with USAID in India on projects assessing the consequences of banknote demonetization and national tax reform. At Duke, she served as president of the Partnership for Service, editor of the  Duke Political Review,  and was named a Truman Scholar.

Dual and Joint MS Overview

Main navigation.

The dual and joint degree programs enable graduate students to obtain multiple graduate degrees concurrently or consecutively. Students apply to and complete the course requirements for each department separately. 

Dual Degrees

Joint MS&E and Law Degrees

Joint MS&E and Master of Public Policy Degree

In the dual degree program, students obtain two graduate (usually MS) degrees concurrently or consecutively, completing all of the course requirements for each department. A total of 90 units is required to complete two master degrees.

Students doing a PhD degree, may also complete one MS degree (in the same or in a different department) and one PhD minor, without needing to take any additional units.

Admission Students must apply and be admitted to each program separately. Students may apply to only one department initially. After the first quarter at Stanford, students may apply to be admitted to the second department.

Advising Every student has one adviser in each degree program.

Joint MS&E and law degrees

The School of Law and the Department of Management Science and Engineering offer joint degree programs leading to a JD degree and an MS degree in MS&E, or to a JD and PhD in MS&E. These programs are designed for students who wish to prepare for careers in areas relating to both law and to the decision making, policy making and problem-solving knowledge and skills developed in the MS&E program. Students interested in either joint degree program must apply and gain admission separately to the School of Law and the Department of Management Science and Engineering, and, as an additional step, must secure consent from both academic units to pursue degrees in those units as part of a joint degree program. Interest in either joint degree program should be noted on the student’s admission applications and may be considered by the admission committee of each program. Alternatively, an enrolled student in either the Law School or MS&E may apply for admission to the other program and for joint degree status in both academic units after commencing study in either program.

Joint degree students may elect to begin their course of study in either the School of Law or MS&E. Students are assigned to a joint program committee composed of at least one faculty member from Law and one from MS&E. This committee plans the student’s program jointly with the student. Students must be enrolled full-time in the Law School for the first year of law studies, and it is recommended that students devote exclusively one autumn quarter to the MS&E MS program to initiate their MS&E work. After that time, enrollment may be in MS&E or Law, and students may choose courses from either program regardless of where enrolled. A candidate in the joint JD/PhD program should spend a substantial amount of full-time residency in MS&E. Students must satisfy the requirements for both the JD and the MS or PhD degrees as specified in the Stanford Bulletin or by the School of Law. The School of Law may approve courses from MS&E or courses in the student’s MS&E program from outside of the Department of Management Science and Engineering that may count toward the JD degree, and MS&E may approve courses from the School of Law that may count toward the MS or PhD degree in MS&E. In either case, approval may consist of a list applicable to all joint degree students or may be tailored to each individual student’s program. The lists may differ depending on whether the student is pursuing an MS or a PhD in MS&E.

In the case of a JD/MS program, no more than 45 units of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees. In the case of a JD/PhD program, no more than 54 units of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees. In either case, no more than 31 units of courses that originate outside the School of Law may count toward the law degree. To the extent that courses under this joint degree program originate outside the School of Law but count toward the law degree, the law credits permitted under Section 17(1) of the Law School Regulations are reduced on a unit-per-unit basis, but not below zero. The maximum number of Law School credits that may be counted toward the MS in MS&E is the greater of: (a) 18 units in the case of the MS, or (b) the maximum number of hours from courses outside the department that an MS candidate in MS&E is permitted to count toward the applicable degree under general departmental guidelines or under departmental rules that apply in the case of a particular student.

Tuition and financial aid arrangements are normally through the school in which the student is then enrolled.

Joint MS&E and Master of Public Policy degree

MS&E MS students who wish to apply their analytical and management skills to the field of public policy can simultaneously pursue a master's degree in MS&E and a master's degree in Public Policy. The MPP is a two-year degree program, but MS MS&E students who pursue the joint program can earn both degrees in a minimum of two years, depending on prior preparation and elective choices, by counting up to 45 quarter units of course work toward both degrees. After admission to the Department of Management Science and Engineering, incoming or current MS students request that their application file be forwarded to the MPP program director for review.

Students in the joint program normally will spend most of their first year taking MS&E core and concentration courses. The second year is typically devoted to the MPP core, concentration, and practicum. The joint degree requires 90 quarter units.

Tuition for the first year of study is paid at the Graduate Engineering rate, the remaining time at the Graduate rate.

Coordinated JD/PhD Program

Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Coordinated JD/PhD Program is designed for students interested in completing interdisciplinary work at Harvard University and is founded on the belief that students’ legal studies and their arts and sciences graduate studies can be mutually enriched through this pursuit. Students completing the coordinated program receive a JD from Harvard Law School (HLS) and a PhD from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences  (Harvard Griffin GSAS). It is expected that these students will be strong candidates for teaching posts at law schools and in arts and sciences programs, as well as for other positions in law and academia. Prospective students interested in the coordinated program may reach out to  HLS J.D. Admissions  and the  Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Admissions  to learn more. Current and admitted students interested in the coordinated program are encouraged to contact  April Pettit , in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS for questions about the JD program, or  Dan Volchok , Assistant Dean of Student Success at Harvard Griffin GSAS for questions about the PhD programs.

Prospective students must separately apply to and be admitted to both HLS and a Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD program in order to participate in the coordinated JD/PhD program.

• Students enrolled in HLS, but not yet admitted to Harvard Griffin GSAS, must apply to Harvard Griffin GSAS no later than the 2L year, meeting the Harvard Griffin GSAS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
• Students enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS, but not yet admitted to HLS, should apply to HLS no later than the G3 year, meeting the HLS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
• Please see below for details about participation in the coordinated program for Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year.

Once admitted to both schools, students must submit a proposed Plan of Study to the coordinated program no later than October 1 of the academic year following admission to both schools. Students should submit the Plan of Study to April Pettit in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS.

Please note: Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply to and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year at Harvard Griffin GSAS must then separately apply to the coordinated program. The application to the coordinated program should include (1) a statement detailing the way in which the student plans to integrate his or her legal studies with his or her graduate studies including how work done at HLS will inform the dissertation work and vice versa; and (2) a letter of support from the primary Harvard Griffin GSAS advisor; and (3) the Plan of Study.

The JD/PhD committee will review the applications to determine admission to the coordinated program.

Students will be registered in only one School during any given semester/term. Pursuant to ABA rules, students must  complete all requirements for the JD degree within seven years of the date they first enroll in HLS ; they may graduate from HLS before completing the PhD. Students must have satisfactorily completed at least 16 half courses in their Harvard Griffin GSAS department to receive the PhD. Students in the coordinated program will have two primary faculty advisors, one at HLS and one at Harvard Griffin GSAS, who will jointly advise students.

Students will be expected to complete the first-year program, three upper-level fall or spring semesters, and two winter terms at HLS, for a total of five fall and spring semesters and three winter terms. In lieu of the sixth HLS semester generally required of JD students, students in the coordinated program may take a semester at Harvard Griffin GSAS, completing courses or dissertation work pre-approved by HLS, and equivalent to at least 10 HLS credits. This Harvard Griffin GSAS semester may be taken only after a student has matriculated at HLS and completed their entire first year of study there. Students and their faculty advisors will determine the most appropriate sequencing for each student’s course of study, keeping in mind the HLS course, credit, and residency requirements for this program.

Course and Credit Requirements

First-year program.

The first year at HLS consists of (1) Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legislation and Regulation, Property, and Torts; (2) First-year Legal Research and Writing; (3) January Experiential Term; and (4) a spring upper-level elective at HLS of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 classroom credits.

Upper-Level Years

Credit and residency requirements.

Students must earn no fewer than 52 credits beyond the first year, including 36 HLS classroom credits. Classroom credits include those connected to courses, seminars and reading groups, but not writing or clinical credits. The 36 required classroom credits also include the required minimum of two credits to satisfy the Professional Responsibility Requirement and credits from the required winter terms (provided that the course chosen offers classroom credits). Of the remaining 16 required HLS credits, a maximum of ten are earned through courses or tutorials taken in Harvard Griffin GSAS and/or for dissertation writing (see below). Note that students must have their advisor’s approval before engaging in a semester of Harvard Griffin GSAS dissertation writing that is expected to count toward the HLS credit requirements . The remaining six required HLS credits may be earned in classroom, writing or clinical courses.

While at HLS, students must be enrolled in a minimum of ten total credits each semester in HLS or Harvard Griffin GSAS, with no fewer than eight of these being HLS classroom credits toward the requirement of 36 HLS classroom credits.

Winter Term Requirement

Students also must enroll in the HLS winter term two times during their upper-level years in the program. Each of the winter terms must follow a fall term enrollment or precede a spring term enrollment at HLS. Students may register for a course of two or three credits. JD/PhD students will be permitted to spend one of the winter terms in the HLS Winter Writing Program, provided they are engaged in written work for HLS credit according to the rules of that program.

Written Work Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the JD Written Work Requirement. Students are permitted to satisfy the requirement with a portion of their dissertation, provided this work meets HLS standards for written work. However, any portion of the dissertation counted toward the JD Written Work Requirement cannot also be used as part of the 10 HLS-equivalent credits earned during a student’s Harvard Griffin GSAS semester. Further information about the J.D. Written Work Requirement and the Winter Term Writing Program is available from the HLS Registrar’s Office .

Pro Bono Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the  HLS Pro Bono Requirement  of 50 hours of public service.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of two years of full-time study in residence is required for all PhD programs in the Harvard Griffin GSAS. During the period of registration at HLS, coordinated JD/PhD students will have “study-at-another-Harvard-school” status in Harvard Griffin GSAS.

Structure of Academic Work

Students will ordinarily be enrolled for at least four years (8 terms) in Harvard Griffin GSAS. They must complete at least 16 half courses to receive their PhD. Students may cross-register for a limited number of Harvard Griffin GSAS courses during their upper-level terms at HLS. Depending on the Harvard Griffin GSAS department, these courses may count toward the PhD. However, JD/PhD students may count a maximum of 10 credits from Harvard Griffin GSAS coursework or dissertation writing toward the JD. Therefore, students planning to spend a semester enrolled at Harvard Griffin GSAS taking courses or writing the dissertation for which they will earn 10 HLS credits may not also count cross-registered Harvard Griffin GSAS courses toward the JD.

General Examinations

In most departments, once having completed the required coursework, students must pass a general examination or other preliminary or qualifying examinations before undertaking independent research on a dissertation. Normally, when the nature of the field and previous preparation permit, students should pass these examinations by the end of the second year of full-time academic residence.

PhD Dissertation

The student’s dissertation prospectus must be approved by the department. A student who wishes to present as a dissertation a published article, series of articles, book or other document, or a manuscript that has been accepted for publication, must have the approval of the department concerned. In no case, however, may a dissertation be presented that has already been submitted toward another degree, either at Harvard or elsewhere. The Dissertation Acceptance Certificate must be signed by at least three readers approved by the student’s department, two of whom must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). FAS emeriti (including research professors) and faculty members from other schools at Harvard who hold appointments on GSAS degree committees are authorized to sign the Dissertation Acceptance Certificates as FAS members. GSAS strongly recommends that the chair of the dissertation committee be a member of FAS. The third reader may be a member of the HLS faculty.

Requirement of Satisfactory Status

Continuous registration, a satisfactory grade record, and evidence that satisfactory progress is being made toward the degree are required of all candidates for graduate degrees offered by FAS. All students in Harvard Griffin GSAS must be making satisfactory progress in order to be eligible for any type of financial aid and teaching. The following five provisions are the general definition of satisfactory progress during registration in Harvard Griffin GSAS:

• During the first two years of graduate study any student who has completed expected requirements is considered to be making satisfactory progress.
• In each of the first two years, a student must have achieved the minimum grade-point average required by the faculty, a B average. (see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies: Grade and Examination Requirements ).
• By the end of the third year, a student must have passed general examinations or the departmental equivalent.
• By the end of the fourth year, a student must have obtained approval of a dissertation prospectus or its departmental equivalent.
• By the end of the fifth year and each subsequent year during which a student is allowed to register, they must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation.

For more information about satisfactory progress, please see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies .

Other Requirements

Ordinarily, programs will have a language requirement and an expectation of teaching. Students should consult with their Harvard Griffin GSAS departments for more information about these requirements.

There are a number of possible academic schedules for students pursuing both degrees. Three sequences are outlined below, but students may propose alternative sequences. In considering their courses of study, students should be aware that their financial aid packages might be affected at the school in which they defer enrollment.

Year 1: HLS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: HLS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: HLS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: HLS Year 6: 1st term, HLS Year 6: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: HLS Year 2: HLS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Updated Plans of Study

By October 1 each year, current JD/PhD students should submit an updated Plan of Study to April Pettit, in the HLS Office of Academic Affairs.

Other Academic Information

Faculty advising.

Students in the program will have primary faculty advisors at both HLS and at Harvard Griffin GSAS. If possible, HLS faculty advisors should be selected before the completion of the 2L year. The HLS faculty advisor must sign off on any dissertation writing a student expects to use for JD credit. In some Harvard Griffin GSAS departments, the director of graduate studies serves as the faculty advisor during the first two years of study. Faculty advisors will supervise students’ academic work, advise students on their courses of study and on specific classes appropriate for their PhD work, and approve the courses of study for their students on an annual basis. If appropriate, the HLS advisor will be the third reader on the student’s dissertation committee, with at least two readers required to be members of FAS.

Leaving the JD/PhD Program

If a student fails to make adequate progress toward the PhD, the student’s faculty advisors will be permitted to withdraw the student from the program. In such cases, in order to receive the JD degree, a student will still need to meet the graduation and credit requirements for the JD degree.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Harvard law school.

Students must pay five semesters of full tuition. Students will be eligible for HLS financial aid for all semesters during which they pay tuition to HLS. For more information on Financial Aid, visit the Student Financial Services Financial Aid webpage .

Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The minimum financial requirement for the PhD is at least four terms of full tuition followed by two years of reduced tuition and a facilities fee unless the degree is completed in less than four years. The financial aid awarded upon admission to the PhD program is available during those terms in which the student is enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should refer to their notice of financial support provided by their department upon admission to Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should consult with their GSAS departments for more information.

Administrative Information

The HLS Registrar’s Office, the FAS Registrar’s Office, the GSAS Assistant Dean of Student Success, the HLS Associate Director of Academic Affairs, and the appropriate financial aid officers, will coordinate on students’ registration status and updated plans of study.

Housing and Student Life

GSAS and HLS will work together to ensure that the student services offered by both Schools are available to JD/PhD students during all their years in the Coordinated Program, including career and counseling offices, financial aid offices, student centers, and alumni offices. Students in the coordinated program will have email accounts at both schools throughout the program. Disability services and visa requirements will be coordinated on a case-by-case basis by the HLS Dean of Students and Registrar and by the Harvard Griffin GSAS Assistant Dean for Student Success. Students may apply for housing through either School for the years in which they are enrolled for at least one semester/term at both Schools. In all other years, students must apply for housing to the School in which they are enrolled.

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Joint Degree Program with the School of Law (J.D./Ph.D.)

The Department of English and the School of Law offer a joint program leading to a J.D. degree combined with a Ph.D. in English.

This J.D./Ph.D. program is designed to provide an opportunity for students to develop a deep expertise combining study in English with law, providing strong preparation for academic positions in literature departments or law schools as well as outside of academia in the public humanities, law, arts administration, or public policy. 

Admission to the J.D./Ph.D. Program

Students interested in the joint degree program must apply and gain entrance separately to the Law School's J.D. program and the Department of English's Ph.D. program. Students must also gain permission from both academic units to pursue the two degrees as part of a joint degree program. Interest in the joint degree program should be noted on the student's admission applications and may be considered by the admission committee of each program. Alternatively, an enrolled student in either the Law School or the English department may apply for admission to the other program and for joint degree status in both academic units.

Students  are encouraged to begin their course of study by spending the first year in the Law School, followed by a full year in the English department, and then by taking  courses from either academic unit.

Degree Requirements

The Law School approves courses from English that may count toward the J.D. degree, and the English department approves Law School courses that may count toward the Ph.D. in English. Some courses may be approved broadly as countable toward both degrees for all students; other courses may be approved on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the particular student's fields of focus and other courses taken. 

Faculty advisors from each academic unit participate in planning and supervising each student's joint program. Both units assign at least one faculty member to provide advice and supervision related to the joint degree program.

Students must complete 190 quarter units to complete both degrees. Up to 54 units of approved courses may be counted toward both degrees.

The two academic units have agreed to apply the same tuition agreement that operates for other established J.D./Ph.D. Namely, tuition is exclusive to the School of Law during the joint degree student's first year of the law program and is exclusive to the English department's Ph.D. program during all other quarters. Tuition rates within each academic unit for any given quarter match rates that apply to non-joint-degree students at similar stages of their studies in the unit. 

For more information, see the Law School's Degrees and Joint Degrees web site.

Law and Communication

This joint degree program offers students the opportunity to pursue academic, public policy, and private practice careers at the intersection of a variety of cutting edge debates in theory and policy, including: legal and normative First Amendment theories of speech and press; media and communications economy and policy issues; questions of the relationship between citizens and the state, especially regarding mass surveillance and big data; and cultural and normative questions about the implications of the shift to the digital realm. These and other questions are best informed by a blended education that draws on the methodological and substantive traditions of communication, coupled with the doctrinal foundation, legal writing skills, and policy plus clinical training uniquely available through a legal educations. This program embodies the belief that many of the most pressing questions in both communication law and policy can be best answered by the scholars who are able to draw on both traditions, and who would be situated to publish top scholarship, weigh in on policy debates, and potentially represent clients whose legal claims could benefit from the scholars’ expertise.

Course Requirements

Broad pieces of each curriculum are relevant to the other field. The Law School shall approve courses from the Communication program that may count toward the JD degree, and the Communication program shall approve courses from the Law School that may count toward the Ph.D. degree in Communication. In either case, approval may consist of a list applicable to all joint degree students or may be tailored to each individual student’s program.

Note to applicants:  The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards full funding to Stanford graduate students from all disciplines, with additional opportunities for leadership training and collaboration across fields. Joint Degree applicants are encouraged to apply to the  Knight – Hennessy Scholars Program.  Please be aware that the Knight-Hennessy Scholars applications are due in early Autumn one year prior to enrollment. View dates and deadlines: knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/dates-and-deadlines .

Pursuing the joint degree has afforded me opportunities to engage in novel scholarship about free expression at the intersection of law and communication, as well as made it possible for me to help shape the outcome of pressing policy issues, including federal shield legislation and network neutrality.

Morgan Weiland, JD '15, PhD '18

Barbara van Schewick

• M. Elizabeth Magill Professor of Law
• Director, Center for Internet and Society
• Professor, by courtesy, Electrical Engineering

Joint Degree Programs

Students enrolled in or applying to certain degree programs in the Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Sciences, and Law are eligible to apply for Public Policy joint degrees. Applicants should refer to the application instructions for the home program on how to apply as a joint degree candidate in Public Policy. For further information, see the " Joint Degree Programs " section of the Stanford bulletin and the  University Registrar's site .

• Juris Doctor and Master of Public Policy (JD/MPP)
• Juris Doctor and Master of Arts of Public Policy (JD/MA)
• Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Policy (MD/MPP)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Master of Public Policy (PhD/MPP)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Economics and Master of Public Policy (PhD/MPP)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Management Science & Engineering and Master of Public Policy (PhD/MPP)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology and Master of Public Policy (PhD/MPP)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology and Master of Public Policy (PhD/MPP)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Structural Biology and Master of Public Policy (PhD/MPP)
• Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Policy (MBA/MPP)
• Master of Arts in Education: Policy, Organization and Leadership subplan and Master of Public Policy (MA/MPP)
• Master of Arts in International Policy Studies and Master of Public Policy (MA/MPP)
• Master of Science in Management Science & Engineering and Master of Public Policy (MS/MPP)

Public Policy Joint Degree Requirements

• A joint degree is regarded by the University as distinct from either of its component degrees, and requirements for the joint degree differ from the sum of the requirements for the individual degrees.
• Up to a maximum of 45 units, or one year, of the University residency requirement can be credited toward both graduate degree programs (i.e., the joint degree requirements may contain up to 45 units less than the sum of the individual degree unit requirements). For example, a JD/MPP has a four-year residency requirement, one year less than the sum of the requirements for the separate degrees. This recognizes that there is a subject matter overlap between the fields comprising the joint degree.
• The Public Policy Program strives to encourage an intellectual, professional, and social community among its students. For this reason, joint degree students are strongly encouraged to devote one year of full-time study at Stanford entirely to the Public Policy Program, rather than spacing Public Policy courses throughout their graduate careers. For joint degree Ph.D. students, the core requirements of the M.P.P. should be completed over two contiguous years of study, during which students may also be enrolled in courses from their Ph.D. program. Exceptions to this structure must be approved in advance by petition.
• Joint degree students are expected to have and to consult regularly with an academic advisor. The advisor is generally a member of the faculty of both degree programs and must be a member of Academic Council. The program director and staff are available to make advisor recommendations.
• In order to take advantage of the reduced residency requirement, joint MPP students must define their area of concentration from among courses offered in their non-Public Policy program. Students wishing to concentrate in another field should apply for a dual, rather than a joint, MPP degree.

Sociology JD/PhD 

Stanford Law School and the Department of Sociology share more than a common interest in sociolegal scholarship: Both are ranked among the top academic departments in their respective fields. The high quality of both institutions distinguishes Stanford's JD/PhD program from those offered by other universities. Stanford is also the only university where a commitment to fostering sociolegal scholarship has been translated into a truly joint JD/PhD program.

Requirements

Upon admission, students may begin study in either the law school or the department of sociology. Students must complete their first full year of graduate study in one program and their second full year in the other. Thereafter, students may divide their time between programs to suit their individual course of research and graduate training. Students must satisfy the requirements for both the JD and the PhD degrees. Up to 54 quarter units of approved coursework may be counted towards both degrees, but no more than 31 quarter units of courses that originate outside the Law school may count towards the Law degree. The Law degree may be conferred upon completion of applicable law school requirements; it is not necessary to have both degrees conferred simultaneously. Students participating in the joint degree program are not eligible to transfer and receive credit for a master's or another degree towards the Ph.D. Students must complete the equivalent of 183 quarter units to complete both degrees. These provisions dramatically reduce requirements, increase flexibility, and make Stanford's a true joint degree program.

Additional Requirements

In addition to coursework, Students must complete additional requirements for each program.  Complete Sociology PhD requirements and include at least three quarters of Teaching Assistantship, three-quarters of Research Assistantship, and successful completion of a doctoral dissertation.  For additional requirements for the JD degree, see the  Stanford Law Schoo l website.

Students who are accepted into the JD/PhD Program in Law and Sociology will typically pay for only two semesters of law school tuition – a savings of approximately $50,000 (compared, for example, to programs at other top-ranked law schools that require students to pay for five semesters of law school tuition), and will receive nearly a full year of credit toward the law degree from approved sociology coursework. Through a combination of fellowships, research, and teaching assistantships; the Department of Sociology currently provides full tuition, stipends, and funds to support research for six academic years of graduate-level study in sociology to each student admitted to the PhD program. Thus, students admitted to the joint program will generally pay no tuition beyond the first year of law school, and will receive a stipend for six additional years of study in the law school and the sociology department.

Controlling Costs Through Soft Spending Limits: Evidence from the Medicare Therapy Cap

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The University of Chicago The Law School

Coase-sandor institute for law and economics celebrates ten-year milestone.

The Law School’s Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics marked its ten-year anniversary this spring with an event that brought together faculty, students, and community members, as well as guests of honor Richard and Ellen Sandor. The celebration commenced at the Law School with a program featuring several faculty and student guest speakers who shared their insights on the transformative nature of the institute’s support of their research. The celebration continued with a post-event reception at the Sandor residence.

The institute first launched in 2011, as the Institute for Law and Economics, with two main goals: support faculty research in the field and provide a platform for disseminating that research to audiences beyond the legal academy. In 2013, the Sandors made an extraordinary $10 million gift in honor of Richard Sandor’s mentor, Nobel Laureate Ronald Coase. This transformative gift revitalized the institute’s efforts, propelling it to new heights over the last decade.

“We created something that never existed in a law school before, and that is a data analysis laboratory,” said Omri Ben-Shahar, the Leo and Eileen Herzel Distinguished Service Professor of Law and the faculty director of the institute. “We hired research assistants specially trained to help faculty working with large datasets. The lab really created the capacity to support faculty research in law and economics and the demand over time kept growing.”

Another cornerstone initiative of the institute has been the Summer Institute, a two-week-long crash course in law and economics for academics. Over the course of its eight-year run, the Summer Institute hosted 533 participants from 26 different countries, fostering a unique global exchange of ideas in law and economics.

Celebrating ten years of impact

Over the past decade, the Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics has become a hub of scholarly productivity, with 34 UChicago faculty members affiliated, producing a staggering 1,262 publications, including books, book sections, and journal articles. The institute’s Law & Economics Working Paper Series on the Social Science Research Network boasts over 312 working papers with nearly 800,000 downloads.

“Everything we have achieved here as an institute is because of our faculty,” said Ben-Shahar. “Our faculty are the ones writing papers, engaging with scholars from all over the world, presenting workshops, and expanding on the law and economics topics that interest them.”

The institute’s data laboratory also saw a significant growth in tools and the hiring of more researchers with specific expertise in designing empirical studies to help faculty execute their research.

“We are now in an era where a lot of people who are studying law with the tools of social science are using more rigorous methods, and with the advent of AI and machine learning models, all of these tools have an enormous effect and potential in understanding laws,” said Ben-Shahar. “This increased support has increased the production of research—which has led us to focus on finding more audiences for the application of that research, particularly in the global scene where law and economics is still relatively new.”

Zhuang (John) Liu, an associate professor of law at Hong Kong University, who received his PhD from the University of Chicago, was one of the guest speakers at the Coase-Sandor Institute’s ten-year celebration. He shared, via Zoom, the global impact of the institute, explaining how his participation in the summer program as a young scholar a few years go not only changed the trajectory of his academic life, but has since influenced generations of young scholars and students in China.

“The practice of including young scholars and students in the summer program and also in the junior faculty workshop has proven to be immensely successful,” said Liu. “These young scholars trained at Chicago have brought about a wave of innovation and legal research in China. They have pioneered new research areas, which were previously nonexistent in the country. For example, they started using massive judicial decision data to study Chinese law and Chinese judiciary.”

The magnitude of Coase-Sandor’s impact on young scholars was echoed by Ana Vasilj, a JD and Economics PhD candidate, who was another guest speaker at the event. She had recently attended the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) conference in D.C. in January, where she presented her research, thanks to the support of Coase-Sandor.

“I feel like us really young researchers are viewed as a high-risk stock,” said Vasilj. “Very few people are willing to invest in us, so I was struck by how welcoming and enthusiastic the Coase-Sandor Institute was and how supportive they were in me going to present my research at AALS.”

Originally from Croatia, Vasilj came to UChicago from Cambridge University to pursue her master’s degree, which drew her to the Economics PhD, and subsequently, to the JD program. “I see the Law School as a place where you don’t just learn what the law is—you learn to recognize it as a set of logistical tools to achieve policy goals X, Y, and Z” she said.

The Sandors are very happy with the impact that their generous gift has made.

“Ellen and I are absolutely thrilled with the research you are doing,” said Richard Sandor at the ten-year celebration event. “It matches every expectation we had about a free market for ideas. This was the dream. All we wanted to do is to provide resources to students and faculty so they can choose whatever they want to do to advance knowledge and enrich humanity.”

As the institute looks to the future, its legacy of innovation and collaboration promises to help redefine the frontiers of law and economics. Ben-Shahar sees AI and machine learning as playing a key role in breaking these new frontiers.

“The question is, how will law professors who are not trained in computer science or statistics interact with the potential of research on how AI will affect the law?” he said. “We will need to enrich our data lab with trained statisticians, and it will be important to continue to support the collaboration of faculty here with faculty in other departments, especially those in computer science.”

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Back to Class: Pathfinder

A new program opens Stanford GSB to undergraduates for the first time.

April 22, 2024

“They’re learning content and ideas from a fresh start,” Darrell Duffie says of his Pathfinder students. | Elena Zhukova

On a recent afternoon, Darrell Duffie handed the reins of America’s monetary infrastructure to Generation Z. “If you were a policymaker and you had to set the course of the future of the U.S. payment system, what kind of money would you use?” the finance professor asked the 35 Stanford undergraduates seated inside a lecture hall at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “You can’t give a wrong answer,” he assured them. “These are ideas for policy options.”

Back to Class

In this ongoing series, we bring you inside the classroom to experience a memorable Stanford GSB course.

His reassurance was unnecessary. The students jumped right in, confidently discussing the pros and cons of dollar-backed stablecoins, blockchain-based payment systems, and federally issued digital currency. One made the case for sticking with the way things are. “Obviously, there are flaws with our current system,” he noted. “But if I’m the U.S. government, I’m in favor of maintaining the status quo, especially as a policymaker who’s up for reelection.”

This sophisticated discussion kicked off the third week of The Future of Money and Payments , one of the first undergraduate-level courses ever taught at Stanford GSB. It’s part of Pathfinder , a pilot program offering classes to juniors, seniors, and undergraduates in coterminal master’s programs.

Stanford does not offer an undergraduate business major, and Pathfinder isn’t meant as a substitute. Instead, explains Jesper Sørensen , Stanford GSB’s senior associate dean for academic affairs, the goal is to help students with a wide array of academic and professional interests “prepare themselves for what stands at the other side of graduation day.”

“It is heartening to see a group of people who want to make the world a better place,” says Joseph Piotroski. | Elena Zhukova

“That’s where the name Pathfinder came from,” he says. “The idea is to help students explore the world of organizations and markets and management so that they have a clear sense of where it is they might want to go.” The concept originated with Dean Jonathan Levin , who was “very interested in trying to find ways to create more connections between the business school and the rest of the university.”

The program launched last fall with two courses: From Founder to CEO: The Strategic Management of Startups and Established Firms , taught by former Stanford GSB Dean Garth Saloner ; and Finance, Corporations, and Society , taught by finance professor Anat Admati .

The reviews have been positive. “I have enjoyed these classes more than any undergraduate classes thus far,” says Paolo Zocco, an economics major pursuing a coterminal master’s in management science and engineering. He says Saloner’s and Duffie’s courses have sparked his interest in business school.

Ayesha Dhall, a senior majoring in symbolic systems, says the “GSB-style” discussions in Saloner’s course were “a breath of fresh air in comparison to the large undergrad lectures I usually take.” The experience helped her envision her next step: “I realized through this class that success — whether in entrepreneurship or careers in general — is not a straight path from A to B.”

Quote The idea is to help students explore the world of organizations and markets and management so that they have a clear sense of where it is they might want to go. Attribution Jesper Sørensen

While Pathfinder students may not be as well versed in the workings of the business or financial world as MBA students, Duffie says this is not a disadvantage. “They’re learning content and ideas from a fresh start. And so the pace of learning is fast. That’s very rewarding as a teacher. In the course of one class meeting, you feel like a lot was taken in.” He adds that his digitally savvy students are well prepared for a class project in which they make payments on the Ethereum blockchain.

Professor of accounting Joseph Piotroski is teaching the winter quarter’s other Pathfinder course, Triple Bottom Line: Managing Sustainable Value Creation . Like Duffie, he hasn’t watered down his curriculum. He says that introducing high-level material to younger students has been refreshing. “Obviously, I need to make sure that basic concepts and first principles are well understood. With that said, these are Stanford undergrads,” he says. “They’re as sharp as they come.”

In a recent class, Piotroski led students through the finer points of decomposing corporate financial performance, illustrated with real data from Prada, The Gap, and a supermarket chain in Botswana. “I don’t expect you to become experts at financial analysis,” he told the students. “It’s more about understanding the consequences of a company’s business model and identifying the impact of strategic choices taken by its management team.” The course will culminate with teams doing a complete analysis of a company of their choice and then offering strategic recommendations on its financial, environmental, and social performance.

In the spring quarter, Pathfinder will offer courses taught by accounting professor Maureen McNichols and organizational behavior professors Nir Halevy and Amir Goldberg . The program will return in the fall with more courses and sessions designed to draw in students from all corners of campus. “Our hope is that the appeal of Pathfinder will broaden,” Sørensen says.

The program already seems to have connected with its participants’ sense of purpose. “It is heartening to see a group of people who want to make the world a better place,” Piotroski says of his students. “At the end of the day, they’ll have a toolkit that they can apply.”

For media inquiries, visit the Newsroom .

Explore More

Business, government, and society forum looks at new demands on leadership.

Erin Nixon Joins Stanford GSB as Assistant Dean of Admissions

Nia Rose Froome, MBA ’23: Making Local, Fresh Food Available for All

March 10, 2023 Back to Class: Data and Decisions A core course for first-year MBA students takes the mystery out of regression analysis.

September 25, 2023 Back to Class: Organizational Behavior To make good decisions, sometimes you need to override your brain’s autopilot.

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