What Is the Environment, Sustainability and Law Degree?
The SEAS and Michigan Law School dual degree lets students pursue the MS in Environment and Sustainability and JD at the same time. The program is meant to connect environmental and sustainability knowledge with the methods and skills of legal practice.
Who Should Apply?
This program is a fit for students who want to combine legal training with environmental and natural resources expertise. It is especially relevant for applicants who want to work on environmental problems through law and policy.
What Will You Study?
Students complete the full JD curriculum plus SEAS requirements, while taking approved cross-counted courses where allowed. The law curriculum includes first-year required courses and additional graduation requirements such as an international or comparative law course, a writing-intensive upper-level course, a statutory or regulatory course, a professional responsibility course, and experiential learning. At SEAS, students complete core, specialization core, analytics and capstone requirements, with up to 9 credits from appropriate environmental law coursework in the Law School counting toward the MS. Twelve credit hours may be taken from the MS program to satisfy JD credit requirements.
How Long Does It Take—and How Does It Work?
The program is designed so you can complete both degrees in four years. The JD requires a minimum of 83 credits total across the Law School and SEAS, with at least 71 credits earned through Law School courses. The MS requires 42 credit hours, including at least 25 EAS-specific credits. The program allows selected credits to count toward both degrees.
Where Do Graduates Work?
Graduates may work in environmental law, public-sector regulatory work, corporate legal work involving natural resources, or litigation roles involving environmental experts.
How Does This Compare to Getting the Degrees Separately?
The dual degree is structured to integrate the two programs rather than taking each separately. It is designed to be completed in four years. Some credits can be shared across the JD and MS, including up to 12 credit hours counted toward the JD from MS-related requirements and up to 9 credits from environmental law courses toward the MS. That makes it a more efficient path than completing each degree independently.
Signature Experiences at SEAS + Michigan Law
SEAS students learn through hands-on, real-world work that turns research into impact. A hallmark of the SEAS experience is the master’s project model, which brings students into collaboration with clients, communities, and SEAS centers and initiatives to solve pressing environmental challenges. Many students also complete place-based work in Michigan and beyond, making the most of SEAS’ field opportunities and strong professional network.
How to Apply
Applicants must gain separate and independent admission to both the Law School and SEAS. The combined degree is not open to students who already earned either the JD or the MS. Students who are already in the first or second year of the Law School, or the first year of the SEAS program, may apply for admission to the dual degree. At the beginning of the final year, students should coordinate with the SEAS Registrar and the Law School Office of Student Records and submit a Dual/Joint Degree Election Form for approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many credits can double count?
Up to 12 credit hours may count from the MS toward the JD, and up to 9 environmental law credits may count toward the MS.
Can I apply if I already started at one school?
Yes. Students in the first or second year of Law School, or the first year of SEAS, may apply to the dual degree.
What test scores are accepted?
A valid LSAT score is usually required, but students already enrolled in another University of Michigan graduate program may use a GRE, GMAT or MCAT score instead.