Juris Doctor / Master of Arts in Philosophy

This joint degree, offered through Duquesne University's Kline School of Law and McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts, allows you to benefit from rigorous study of philosophy while completing your law degree. Philosophy is widely regarded as among the best majors for students aspiring to a future in law, as it develops analytical acuity, logic, clarity and the incisive ethical reasoning needed by legal professionals. Students with a background in philosophy tend to score well above average on the LSAT and to outperform other students. Candidates may begin in either the Kline School of Law or the McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts. A 15-credit limitation, per semester, is placed on all students in the program except during the first year of legal study, when students are not permitted to take any graduate philosophy courses.

All candidates for admission must be graduates of an accredited college or university before registration at the School of Law.
One letter of recommendation is required for each applicant. Two additional letters may be submitted for consideration. A recommendation should be submitted by a professor familiar with the applicant's academic work. Applicants who have been out of school for some time may submit a letter from an employer. Submitting letters of recommendation from family members or friends is strongly discouraged.
Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the CAS letter of recommendation service.
Personal Statement - A one to two page typed essay must be submitted. There is no required topic, but applicants should view the personal statement as an opportunity to provide the Admissions Committee with more information about themselves beyond their transcripts and LSAT scores.
The Admissions Committee will generally consider a total TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS of 7.5 to be minimally acceptable.
A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.