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    Center for Law, Justice & Culture
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    Master's in Law, Justice & Culture
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    Master of Arts in Law, Justice & Culture

    Offered On Campus and Online

    This innovative and flexible master's degree in Law, Justice & Culture trains students in critical analysis of law as it operates in relation to society, culture, politics, and power in specific contexts, including the United States as well as other western and non-western legal traditions.

    This program prepares its graduates for careers in research and policy, public agencies, advocacy organizations, private companies, and NGOs, as well as law school and Ph.D. programs.

    • Offered in-person or entirely online 
    • 32 credits at your own pace
    • Designed for working professionals, especially those in law or law-related fields
    • No GRE required

    • Be a part of the thriving Center for Law, Justice & Culture community

      As an interdisciplinary liberal arts program, the master's degree draws on perspectives from African American studies, anthropology, criminology, political science, sociology, history, law, and women's, gender and sexuality studies. The degree is housed within the OHIO Center for Law, Justice & Culture, an interdisciplinary teaching and research center focusing on law in relation to the social and political challenges of the 21st century. The center's faculty are leading researchers with national and global expertise on diverse forms of law in contemporary, historical, and comparative contexts.

      Center for Law, Justice & Culture

    • International Experiences

      The program also offers a nine-day study abroad program to all students, on-campus or online, over spring break focusing on human rights, law and justice in post-conflict Northern Ireland. This study abroad experience includes interactions with former combatants, human rights lawyers, ex-political prisoners, victims associations, and restorative justice practitioners, as well as visits to museums, former prisons, and non-governmental organizations.

      Northern Ireland: Human Rights, Law and Justice

    • Diverse Careers in Law, Justice & Culture

      Forge your unique path with our dynamic program that opens doors to a multitude of opportunities. Whether you're eyeing law school or seeking an alternative route, our graduates have embarked on diverse journeys. Some have championed human rights as legal aid professionals in NGOs, while others evolved from paralegals to esteemed attorneys. Many others stay rooted in their original fields, such as education, journalism, or paralegal work, infused with newfound expertise.

    Why Study Law and Society?

    “Law and society is a vibrant interdisciplinary field,” says  Dr. Haley Duschinski , Professor of Anthropology.

    “As a law and society degree, the new M.A. program draws on the analytic, interpretive, and imaginative tools of the liberal arts to shed light on the moral and political elements on law, and its meaning and significance in our everyday lives,” she says.

    The M.A. program includes core courses focusing on the theoretical traditions of law and society scholarship and the deep integration of theory and methods in this interdisciplinary field, and well as elective courses examining law from different disciplinary perspectives.

    Dr. Haley Duschinski

    Costs and Financial Aid

    Financial Aid: When graduate students take two 4-hour courses per semester, their attendance is considered half-time for financial aid purposes. U.S. citizens and permanent residents have access to federally funded loans through Ohio University's  Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships . The Ohio University school code is 003100.

    Program Faculty

    Headshot of Nicole Kaufman

    Dr. Nicole Kaufman (she/her) Graduate Director of the Center for Law, Justice & Culture and Associate Professor of Sociology
    kaufmann@ohio.edu

    Headshot of Larry Hayman

    Larry Hayman , J.D. (he/him)
    Director of Legal Engagement & Pre-Law Program at the Center for Law, Justice & Culture and Center for Advising, Career and Experiential Learning
    hayman@ohio.edu

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