A number of law schools nationwide now offer joint degrees in healthcare ethics. Providing an opportunity to earn such a dual degree may make Duquesne University School of Law more attractive to prospective students who are interested in pursuing health-related fields of practice and may better qualify our law students for jobs in this expanding field. In addition, the students? required experiences in clinical settings will enrich their appreciation of the various health-related practice areas and the range of legal issues they are likely to face in practice.

Adoption of this proposed Program will be based upon the following principles:

• The School of Law and the Center for Healthcare Ethics of the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts adopt a J.D./M.A. in Health Care Ethics effective July 1, 2009
• Each School shall independently determine admission to its program. Admission to one School shall not guarantee entry to the other school
• Matters of tuition distribution shall be resolved by the administration of the respective schools
• Students in this Program shall receive a degree from each School upon completion of that School?s requirements
• Each School shall determine its graduation requirements
• No student in this Program shall be permitted to take any M.A. courses during the student?s first year (day or evening) of School of Law coursework
• Students in this Program (other than while matriculating as a first-year law student) shall not be permitted to enroll in more than fifteen (15) credit hours of coursework per semester unless approved by the Academic Status Committee of the School of Law
• A student currently enrolled in the M.A. Healthcare Ethics program may apply to the J.D./M.A. Program provided that he or she has not substantially completed the requirements for the M.A. Substantial completion shall be determined by the Academic Status Committee on a case-by-case basis; and
• The Law School will accept up to twelve (12) credits of approved graduate Healthcare Ethics coursework toward the J.D. requirement of 86 credits, provided a student elects not to apply any non-traditional Law School course credits toward the J.D. degree. The Law School will accept nine (9) or ten (10) credit hours of approved graduate Healthcare Ethics coursework in cases where a student elects to apply three (3) or two (2) non-traditional Law School course credits toward the J.D. requirement of 86 credits, respectively.
• The Master?s Degree Program, as part of its required 30 credits of coursework, will accept 10 credits of coursework in the Law School as identified under the category below ?Law School Electives Courses Required for Joint Degree.? Hence, for the Joint Degree, students must complete 20 credits of HCE coursework as listed below under ?Healthcare Ethics Requirements.?