COMPLETION OF COURSEWORK

Master's and Ph.D. in Judicial Studies

To obtain the Master of Judicial Studies degree, a student must complete a total of 32 credits, which is comprised of 26 coursework credits and six thesis credits. A student has up to six years to complete the master's program, but it is designed so it can be completed in three to four years. To complete the program in three years, a student must be able to spend a total of at least 12 weeks on the UNR campus during two consecutive years for completion of the UNR requirements. There is also time required for completion of NJC or NCJFCJ courses, depending upon course schedules and the qualifications of a candidate for retroactive credit. Please see the JS advisor listed below for “Retroactive Credit by Examination” eligibility. Coursework for the Trial Court Judges major also requires completion of NJC resident-session courses, for a total of 14 credits. This includes the General Jurisdiction or the Special Court Jurisdiction: Advanced course and specified one-week courses, including Judicial Writing.

To accommodate the trial schedules of students, the program is designed to provide considerable flexibility as well as maximum use of time spent on campus. Students may take day courses from UNR, which are two weeks in length, the NJC or the NCJFCJ, which are typically one week in length, concurrently with the UNR four-week evening course.

Considerable effort has gone into making maximum use of the relatively short time students will spend on campus. Students should expect to spend non-classroom time reading or preparing for end-of-course examinations or projects, both before and after course attendance. The completion of the thesis requirement will be accomplished outside of classes. To receive course credit, students should expect to attend each course in its entirety and schedule travel plans accordingly.

To obtain the Ph.D., a student must complete an additional 49 credits beyond the Master's, consisting of 24 coursework credits, one comprehensive exam credit, and 24 dissertation credits.

University of Nevada, Reno, JSP Advisor
Denise Schaar-Buis, MJM, Program Officer
(775) 784-6270 or Fax: (775) 784-6273
www.judicialstudies.unr.edu