Law Degree for Engineers
Some enterprising individuals choose to enter law school after earning an engineering degree, while others students earn bachelor's degrees in engineering and then enroll in dual-degree programs to earn engineering master's degrees and law degrees at the same time.
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Applications
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Applicants must meet minimum undergraduate grade point averages that vary from school to school. Some schools with dual-degree programs require separate applications to the law and engineering departments. The dual-degree programs may set different minimum grade point averages for each degree.
Prerequisites
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Most schools offering a dual-degree program require students to have engineering work experience or an undergraduate engineering degree, but there are exceptions. The University of Notre Dame allows students with computer science degrees to participate in its law and engineering dual-degree program.
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Courses
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The curriculum in law degree programs varies greatly. Some programs offer online and evening classes. Typical classes include constitutional law and criminal law.
Degrees
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Degrees for law include a juris doctorate, which qualifies graduates to take the state bar exam. Other degree options include a master's degree in law and a juridical science doctorate. Many dual degree programs allow students to earn master's degrees in engineering and juris doctorates in law in about 3 to 6 years.
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References
- American Bar Association: ABA Section Intellectual Property Law
- Western New England College: Six-Year Biomedical Engineering/Law Program
- SLS Home: Law and Electrical Engineering
- University of Notre Dame The Graduate School: Engineering and Law Dual Degree
- Education-Portal.com: Types of Law Degrees and Legal Studies Degrees
Resources
- Photo Credit student image by Stanislav Komogorov from Fotolia.com