To enhance the educational opportunities of its graduate students, the MacMillan Center collaborates with four of Yale’s professional schools—the Law School, the School of Management, the School of the Environment, and the School of Public Health. Together, they have developed joint-degree programs that offer a strong connection between two demanding courses of study while also fulfilling the requirements of each separate school.
A joint degree enables graduating students to receive an M.A. and the equivalent degree from the Yale professional school, i.e., J.D., M.B.A., M.F., M.E.M., or M.P.H. Each joint program leads to the simultaneous award of two graduate professional degrees, and students can earn the two degrees simultaneously in less time than if they were pursued sequentially. The joint degrees provide an integrated education that combines two powerful programs and complements both, while protecting the integrity of each. While graduates of two-year M.A. programs do well upon graduation, it is interesting to note that joint-degree graduates have been exceptionally successful in the job market.
With the exception of the joint M.A./J.D. program, which requires four years, completion of all course requirements takes three years. Typically, candidates spend the first year in one program and the second year in the partner program. During the third and final year of study, students register in one program each term. Joint-degree students are advised by a committee composed of the appropriate director of graduate studies (DGS) and a faculty member of the relevant professional school to guide them in this process.
Candidates must apply and be admitted separately to each school, i.e., each school makes its decision independently. It is highly recommended that students apply to and enter a joint-degree program from the outset, although it is possible to apply to the second program once matriculated at Yale.
For details about the requirements for a specific joint degree, please contact the appropriate DGS at the MacMillan Center and at the relevant professional school. Application materials must be requested from both the Admissions Office of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Admissions Office of the relevant professional school.