The School of Natural Resources & Environment (SNRE) and the University of Michigan Law School offer a dual degree program, allowing interested students the opportunity to study concurrently for the Juris Doctor (JD) and the Master of Science (MS) in Natural Resources degrees. The goal of this program is to encourage more effective integration of knowledge of natural resources and environmental problems with the methodology and skills of the lawyer. The program is designed so that all requirements for both degrees can be completed in four years.

Career options for program graduates are quite varied. Among the alumni, one has served as an attorney for the U.S. Department of the Interior, supervising the implementation of natural resource laws and regulations; another has been a member of the legal staff of a large power company; and a third has served as director of a major state environmental action council. The dual JD/MS program might also be attractive to students interested in the practice of law for corporate clients who are engaged in the use of natural resources, and to students who foresee careers in trial practice in which use of expert witnesses in the fields of ecology and natural resources may be necessary.

J.D. Requirements

Students entering the Law School must complete the required first-year law curriculum.

Students admitted to the Law School prior to May 2005 are required to earn a minimum of 80 credits toward their J.D. degree, at least 64 of which must be earned in regularly scheduled Law School courses.

Students admitted to the Law School in May 2005 or later must earn a minimum of 82 credits toward the J.D., at least 64 of which must be earned in regularly scheduled Law School courses.

Nine (9) credit hours may be taken from the requirements towards the M.S. degree.

M.S. Requirements

Students admitted to SNRE during the Fall 2006 or after must complete 42 credit hours along with either a Master’s opus (project, thesis or practicum) or faculty approved course work. The 42 credits hours consists of:

• SNRE Core Courses – 10 credits
• Field of Study Core Courses 3-8 credits
• Analytics 4-7 credits
• Opus 6 credits (or faculty approved course work 6-8 credits)
• Electives 12-15 credits

Up to 9 of the 42 required credits hours may be earned for appropriate environmental law courses taken in the Law School