Health Care Ethics, Ph.D. & J.D. Dual Degree

Students begin their dual degree studies at Saint Louis University School of Law as traditional first-year students. In their second and third years of study, students are primarily law students but take six credits of courses at SLU's Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics. In addition to the six credits in health care ethics, students enroll in a three-credit directed research course cross-listed by both programs. The directed research project is supervised by faculty from both programs and is treated as a traditional law-school-directed research project. Dual-degree students ordinarily graduate with a J.D. in three years of full-time study. It is recommended that they sit for the bar exam in the summer following their graduation. Beginning in the fall following their graduation from the School of Law, all academic work is dedicated to the Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. program recognizes nine credits of law school courses towards the Ph.D. (See details below.) Additionally, students will have completed nine Health Care Ethics classes credits during the J.D. program. Thus, it is expected that students will complete their Ph.D. coursework in two semesters following their J.D. program. Comprehensive exams and the dissertation ordinarily require an additional three semesters.