Joint Degree with URI

One of the benefits of choosing Roger Williams University School of Law is the opportunity to earn a JD at the law school and a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. 

Students earn the degrees in 3 ½ years through sharing of selected credits. Joint degree students enhance their legal education with additional courses at URI on economic, social science, international, and policy considerations, positioning them well to holistically address today’s complex maritime, ocean and coastal legal issues. Graduates of the joint degree program are employed in a variety of positions in the marine and environmental areas. Information on graduate alumni is available at the URI Marine Affairs website.

Students must be accepted into the Master of Marine Affairs Program at the University of Rhode Island independent of the law school admissions process. Students apply for the joint degree program during their second year of law school.  For more information on the joint degree program:

Please note that the application deadline for law students to URI's graduate school is JANUARY 15, NOT the date indicated on the graduate school's website.

For additional information on the joint degree program with URI visit our joint degree programs pages.

Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.