J.D./M.A.G.E.S. degree candidates must satisfactorily complete course requirements for both the J.D. and M.A.G.E.S. degrees. In addition to the J.D. and M.A.G.E.S. degrees, a Joint Program Certificate will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of the program. Students matriculating in Fall 2021 or later undertake a four-year course of study comprising a minimum of 109 academic credits (76 credits of Law Center courses and 33 credits of M.A.G.E.S. work, with 9 credits of J.D. coursework counted toward the M.A.G.E.S. degree and 9 credits of M.A.G.E.S. coursework counted toward the J.D.). Candidates for this joint degree must meet the graduation requirements and satisfy the academic standards of both programs, including demonstrating relevant foreign language ability through successful completion of the M.A.G.E.S. written and oral language examinations, and successfully completing the oral examination of the M.A.G.E.S. Program  (for more information about J.D. requirements, see the Juris Doctor Program chapter of the Georgetown Law Student Handbook of Academic Policies).

Curriculum Outline

• 30 credits of required first year law program (typically taken in the first or second years of the joint program);
• 15 credits of required M.A.G.E.S. coursework (typically taken in the first or second year of the joint program);
• 46 credits in further law courses in the third and fourth years, including:
  • a course in professional responsibility;
  • the upperclass writing requirement;
  • 6 credits of experiential coursework (1 credit may be earned in the optional first-year Week One simulation course);
  • For students matriculating in Fall 2022 or later, a course that teaches students to think critically about the law’s claim to neutrality and the law’s differential effects on subordinated groups, including those identified by race, gender, indigeneity, and class;
  • International Law I: Introduction to International Law (may be taken as a J.D. first-year elective); and
  • 13 credits in further international law courses, of which at least 9 credits should complement the student’s area concentration (these courses may also satisfy the upperclass writing requirement or experiential credit requirement).
• 18 credits of additional M.A.G.E.S. coursework, including the M.A.G.E.S. Seminar; and
• M.A.G.E.S. foreign language written and oral examinations.

A student can begin the joint program in either the J.D. program or the M.A.G.E.S. program, but must complete one year exclusively in each. In the third and fourth years, students may take courses at both programs concurrently. Students considering participating in the Law Center’s Global Law Scholars Program (GLS) are advised to begin with their M.A.G.E.S. studies in order to complete the upperclass GLS seminars with their cohort. Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2021 should speak with their M.A.G.E.S. advisor regarding additional credit and language requirements.