J.D./PSM Degree

J.D./PSM Advisor: Jan Boll, Director of Environmental Science & Water Resources Programs, Faculty in Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Overview

The concurrent J.D./PSM degree program offers students an opportunity to combine the study of both scientific and legal aspects of issues related to the environment and natural resources. This program equips students for jobs in which the technical knowledge offered through the Professional Science Masters Program and the professional expertise provided by the College of Law would be beneficial.

Students in the J.D./PSM are concurrently admitted to the College of Law and the PSM Program. Students take courses in the College of Law and the PSM Program, enabling them to earn both the Juris Doctor (“J.D.”) and Professional Science Masters (“PSM”) degrees.

For the PSM portion of the degree, a student selects a degree track (e.g., Sustainability, Water Resources Management) and completes all of the requirements for that degree, including the science curriculum, professional skills courses, internship, elective course, and non-thesis research. A J.D./PSM student also must satisfy the requirements of the College of Law separately, though the concurrent degree program allows some overlap of credits between the two colleges (see View Curriculum for details).

Admission

A student must apply separately and be admitted to both the College of Law and the PSM Program. In addition, the student must be accepted by the College of Law and College of Graduate Studies for admission to the Concurrent Program. A student may apply for admission to the Concurrent Program at any time prior to receipt of either degree. However, we recommend students either (1) obtain admission to both the J.D. and the PSM Programs prior to beginning either program, or (2) apply to the PSM Program and the Concurrent Program during their first year of law school.

Tuition and Fee Policies

Students pay normal tuition and fees to the University of Idaho.

During the first three years of study in the Concurrent Degree Program, students pay the additional law student professional fee but do not pay the PSM student professional fee.

During all subsequent years of study in the Concurrent Degree Program, students pay the additional PSM student professional fee, if any, but do not pay the law student professional fee.

The Law Associate Dean will coordinate with the Registrar to ensure that the law student professional fee is not assessed after the third year of the program.