I am a senior undergraduate at university studying computer science, and there is a strong emphasis on morality in all of my courses, so I have become more interested in studying law because of the ethical discussions that should occur for the future of utilizing computing devices for human causes. For practical purposes, my plan requires that I complete my B.S. in CS, and seek an Master of Science in Computer Science program. However, I think that finding a joint MS in CS / Juris Doctor program is a good idea. I saw Stanford and DePaul offer it, but I have not found any other college or university offering this combination. Are there any others in the United States?
Why would you want the MS in CS? I think and undergraduate degree in CS and a law degree would give you plenty of what you need to emphasize that area of law. I wouldn’t waste the time on the masters.
I think that specializing at the graduate level is the right path, so an MS in CS is my primary goal in education.
I guess the question is…why?
If you want to be a lawyer that specializes in cybersecurity or ethical issues in AI development or some other CS-related topic, your undergrad background in CS and a JD will be enough to do that.
If you want to be a computer programmer who is aware of the ethical implications inherent in developing computer programs, get a master’s in CS and take some classes in ethics. Or get a master’s in human-computer interaction/design. Or, at the very most, get a master’s in CS and a master’s in ethics (you can usually complete the latter in just one year). But you don’t need a JD unless you want to be a lawyer.
But to answer your question, here are some other programs that are similar:
Penn has two: a JD/MS in information technology and a JD/MS in engineering (https://www.law.upenn.edu/crossdisciplinary/jd-engineering/)
University of Chicago: http://www.law.uchicago.edu/students/jointdegree
Syracuse: http://coursecatalog.syr.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=4&poid=1533&returnto=344
UIUC: https://www.law.illinois.edu/academics/joint-degrees
UCI: http://www.law.uci.edu/academics/interdisciplinary-studies/concurrent-degrees.html
Other universities may offer it, but just aren’t very explicit about it. A lot of universities let you do flexible concurrent degrees in almost any arts & sciences department at the same time as a JD. What I would do is visit the websites of the law schools you’re interested in (keep them top 15-25) and then look at their website on concurrent degrees. FOr example, I just checked out [Harvard’s page on concurrent degrees](http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/academics/degree-programs/special-programs/concurrent-degrees/) and they have this policy; you can arrange a concurrent JD/MS program with any department and even with other nearby universities like MIT. (However, this program only allows you to complete the degrees concurrently; it doesn’t reduce your courseload or the time to degree. In other words, it’ll still probably take you 4.5-5 years to finish the two together, you’ll just be able to do them at the same time.)
I don’t necessarily think getting a concurrent degree is the best idea, especially in a field like law, where the rank of your law school is really important. If you could get into the program at Penn or Chicago or Stanford, for example, that could be a good idea. Or if you didn’t care about length and could arrange a concurrent program at Harvard, that could work too. But it’s better to find a good fit school for you (especially law school-wise) and go there, and then complete the MS in CS somewhere else - either before or after - because where you go to law school is so important on the market.