Certificate in Law for Penn Doctoral and M.D. Candidates

Certificate of Study in Law for Ph.D., Ed.D., and M.D. Candidates

Legal analysis permeates many of the most important issues facing our society. Just as lawyers benefit from a better understanding of related disciplines, so to do scholars, practitioners, and medical doctors gain from knowledge of the legal issues facing their fields.

To foster this knowledge, Penn Law offers a Certificate of Study in Law for Ph.D., Ed.D., and M.D. candidates. This program will give doctoral and medical students an opportunity to immerse themselves in legal issues in their areas of academic interest, to gain a better understanding about legal approaches and perspectives, and to provide an opportunity to engage in legal research.

Certificate Program Opportunities and Requirements

• Students earn the Certificate by successfully completing four courses in the general area of Law and related issues.
• A minimum of three of these courses are taken at Penn Law; one additional course may be taken at the Law School or may be approved from related courses in any of the University’s graduate and professional schools.
• These courses may be completed at any time during the candidate's doctoral or medical studies.
• Students must achieve at least a grade of B- in all courses counting toward the Certificate.
• The Certificate of Study in Law will be granted by the University of Pennsylvania Law School faculty to doctoral candidates and medical students who successfully complete its requirements.

How to Register

• Students must be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. or Ed.D. program in a graduate department or the M.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Qualified students express their interest by sending an email to Sherita Ragins at sragins@law.upenn.edu. The email should include:
  • Your Name
  • Your Program of Study and Department
  • A brief statement of your interest in studying at Penn Law and an idea of the courses and/or topics you would be interested in exploring (to learn more about course offerings at Penn Law, please visit http://www.law.upenn.edu/registrar/lawcourses.html
• The Associate Dean or his/her designate will meet with interested students to individually tailor a program that meets their academic interests.
• Candidates will be accepted into the Law Certificate program courses according to the generally established procedures for non-Law students studying at the Law School (see http://www.law.upenn.edu/registrar/lawcourses.html ).
• If you have already taken a course or two at Penn Law and wish to enroll in the Certificate Program, the Associate Dean or his/her designate may authorize the consideration of these courses toward your completion of the program. We strongly recommend contacting the Associate Dean before you enroll in Penn Law courses to assure that the courses you select will count towards your Certificate.

Please Note:

• It is expected that many Law courses will have openings for doctoral and medical students in most years. In any given semester, however, doctoral and medical students cannot be assured of available spots in all classes. They will be accepted into any Law courses which have not been fully subscribed by Law matriculants.
• At the successful completion of the program, the Certificate of Study in Law will be granted by the Law faculty.
• Certificate candidates are encouraged to participate in the Penn Law community and to attend events and symposia.