<p>the difference – a joint degree program is one already set up by the school to allow a student to get two degrees – its a program already in place. the concurrent degree opportunities are described as –
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<p>i would just caution you to question carefully just how difficult it would be to pursue these degrees concurrently. each separately would be quite an undertaking – trying to do them concurrently, with the burden on the student to make the arrangements for the coordination of the degrees and coursework could be quite burdensome. the fact that they say that some students have done this in the past doesn’t mean its easily done and i am not saying that with determination you would not be able to – just be sure you understand ahead of time just what will be involved.</p>
<p>I actually did realize that, and apologize for using the wrong terminology. I think it’s certainly do-able, and I really have been a really good student (my undergrad GPA is not really a reflection of ability), but I think you’re right…the question becomes would the benefits outweigh the cost. I think it would, but only if I committed to practicing law for at least a little while. </p>
<p>I suspect that at the end of the day it isn’t really going to matter much. I have a similar post up at top-law-schools.com and they are extremely skeptical that my application to HLS would even be given faint consideration. The Yale program you’ve mentioned does sound interesting, but I’m not sure if I want to move my family from Missouri to Cambridge, then to New Haven, then somewhere else to work. I made this post largely out of curiosity, and I think what I’ve taken from it is that I should concentrate my energy mainly on applying to HGSE (grad school of ed). Unfortunatley there is absoutely nothing I can do about my undergrad GPA now, and despite any amount of prestigious work I’m able to do in the present, it appears that HLS is very much a numbers game, and my numbers aren’t really good enough which is certainly understandable.</p>
<p>^^ this is very true. However, many concurrent degrees allow you to cut down some time on the total time it might take to earn the degree. For instance, the Ed.M degree can be cut down by a semester if planned correctly (I am personally interested in this and have done some research on it).</p>
<p>I just wanted to add, for anyone who may find this post later, that Penn and Columbia both have excellent grad schools of education (Columbia’s is ranked higher than Harvard’s) and excellent law school and both schools have a ton of joint/concurrent degree options.</p>
and i am not saying that with determination you would not be able to – just be sure you understand ahead of time just what will be involved.</p>