Wharton, Law will offer joint degree

and Paula Odysseos A new joint degree program between the Wharton School of Business and the Law School will allow undergraduates to graduate from both Wharton and the Law School within six years. Participants in the program would receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Wharton, and then a Juris Doctor degree from the Law School. Beginning this fall, Wharton juniors can apply to submatriculate into the Law School in the fall term of their senior year, even if they have not yet received their undergraduate degree, according to Wharton Undergraduate Dean Richard Herring. Students who are accepted will devote their senior year to the Law School curriculum. Herring explained that this will enable undergraduates to adjust to the intense atmosphere of the first-year Law program. After their first year in the Law School, students will have two years to complete the necessary courses for both their undergraduate Wharton degree and their Law degree. "We're excited about the program because nearly 20 percent of Wharton undergraduates go on to get a law degree within five years of graduating," Herring said. Law School Assistant Dean for Admissions Denise McGarry noted that Wharton's pre-professional focus makes it an ideal partner for a joint program. Traditionally, the Law School has pursued joint degree programs only with other graduate and professional schools, McGarry said. Law School Associate Dean Michael Fitts explained that this is a pilot program, which may eventually extend to other University undergraduate schools. He added that this program coincides with both the Law School's strategic plan and the University's Agenda for Excellence, advocating inter-disciplinary cooperation. Current Wharton juniors can apply to the joint program next semester. The deadline is March 1 and students are required to take the Law School Admissions Test by February. In addition, applicants are encouraged to take Legal Studies 101 and at least one upper-level Legal Studies class during their first three years as an undergraduate. Law School Admissions Dean Janice Austin explained that Wharton applicants will go through the same process as all other applicants. She added that there is no set number of students who will be admitted to the joint-degree program. Instead, it will depend on the interest in the program and the quality of the applicants. Students who are not accepted to the program are still encouraged to apply to the Law School during their senior year, Austin said. Submatriculants into the joint degree program cannot receive their Law degree until they have fulfilled all of their Wharton requirements. Herring noted that if students complete their undergraduate program by their junior year, they can graduate with their own class. The program will enable some students to save one year's tuition and enter the workforce a year early. "This is an opportunity for Wharton to recruit the very best students," Herring said. "It's an opportunity we can offer that no one else ranked in our tier of business schools can."

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