Juris Doctor/Master of Information (JD/MI) combined program

About the JD/MI program

The Juris Doctor/Master of Information (JD/MI) combined program:

  • Is for students who want to combine graduate studies in information with a law degree
  • Is offered jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto
  • Allows a student to complete two graduate degree programs within a reduced time frame of four years, rather than five years, if they were to be taken separately

At the completion of the four-year integrated program, the successful candidate is awarded both the Juris Doctor and the Master of Information degrees.

Program requirements

  1. In 1st year, students complete the following courses (or any courses that may be substituted in the future) currently in place at the Faculty of Information.
  2. In 2nd year, students complete all first year courses in place at the Faculty of Law.
  3. Years 1 and 2 may be taken in reverse order.
  4. In the 3rd and 4th years of the program, with the approval of the Director of the Combined Program, students must complete a combination of courses totaling at least:
    • 45 credits in the Faculty of Law AND
    • 6 half courses at the 2000 level in the Faculty of Information
    • JD/MI students may NOT take both INF2133: Legal Literature and Librarianship and LAW307– Advanced Legal Research, Analysis & Writing, due to the potential similarities between the courses, unless written permission has been granted by the Director of the Combined Program
  5. Students may not take any courses for credit outside the Faculties of Law and Information unless they have advance written permission of the Director of the Combined Program.
  6. Students must obtain at least a B standing upon completion of the 1st year in Law, and at least a B+ standing upon completion of the 1st year in Information, to be eligible to continue in the program.

Course selection deadlines

Notwithstanding the iSchool’s course selection process, students must meet the Faculty of Law’s course selection deadline.

Students must submit their 3rd and 4th year proposed course selections to the Director of the Combined Program, before the applicable course selection deadlines in each year, in each Faculty.  Any changes must also be approved by the Director.

Tuition

1st & 2nd years:
Students pay either the JD program or the MI program tuition, as the case may be.       

3rd  & 4th years:
Students pay the JD program tuition.

Grading

JD/MI students are graded according to the scheme in force at the time at whichever Faculty teaches the course(s). For example, Faculty of Law courses will be graded according to that faculty’s grading scheme; iSchool courses will be graded according to the iSchool grading scheme.