The Law School and the LBJ School of Public Affairs offer a dual degree program leading to the degrees of Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) and Master of National Security (MNS). The program addresses growing demand in the public and private sectors for professionals with advanced expertise in national security, strong legal reasoning skills, and qualifications for the practice of law.
The program will equip students with strategic, analytical, and policy competencies to address challenges posed by foreign adversaries, terrorism, transnational crime, cyber operations, artificial
intelligence, disinformation, and space-based conflict. Graduates will be prepared to protect institutions, systems, and populations in an era of global instability and to operate at the intersection of policy, intelligence, law, and emerging technologies. This disciplinary integration is particularly well suited to the national security field, where complex legal issues are frequently central and may be adjudicated before international, national, and local authorities.
Program Structure
The program is structured so that students can earn the JD and MNS degrees simultaneously in four years rather than the five years the two degrees would otherwise require. Degrees are awarded when the required course work in both schools is completed. In general, dual degree students progress through the curriculum as follows:
- Year I: Full academic year in either school.
- Year II: Full academic year in the school not attended in Year I, followed by a required summer internship for the MNS program.
- Year III and IV: Course work in both schools, including the preparation of a Master’s Report for the MNS program.
To satisfy the requirements of the program, students must complete a minimum of 36 LBJ School credit hours and 70 credit hours at the School of Law, including all the first-year core courses in each school.
Curriculum Requirements
School of Law
The Law School’s first-year curriculum includes six one-term four-unit substantive law courses: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law I, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, and Torts. One of these six courses will include a writing component, which adds a unit of credit to the course. The rest of the first-year curriculum includes Legal Analysis and Communication (3 units) in the fall, Persuasive Writing and Advocacy (2 units) in the spring, and an optional elective course of 2-3 units in the spring term. The first year program in the law school usually totals 30 units of credit.
The upper-class curriculum includes required advanced courses listed on the Degree Requirements page.
LBJ School
The first-year curriculum in the LBJ School normally consists of required core courses. For more information, see the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs website.
How to Apply
Students must apply to both programs separately and be accepted independently by both. While applicants are encouraged to apply to both programs simultaneously, applicants may also apply for the other program during the student’s first year at whichever program they begin.
Financial Aid
The LBJ School has limited funds for qualified students who merit financial assistance and who can show need by completing the ACT Family Financial Statement. Dual degree program students in law and public affairs may apply to the LBJ School for such assistance in their first full year in the LBJ School.
Advisors
Texas Law
Adam Klein, Senior Lecturer
Director, The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law
adam.klein@law.utexas.edu