Journalism (Any Major)/Law Degree 3+3 Program
Develop your craft as a writer, editor, and multimedia communicator while getting a head start on a J.D. degree in Drake’s Journalism/Law 3+3 Program.
School of Journalism & Mass Communication | On-Campus
Program Options
From your first year as an SJMC student to your final semester in the Law School, this fast-paced program puts a premium on experience that leads to jobs.
Journalism/Law 3+3 Program
As a student in this six-year program, you’ll complete all the requirements to earn a bachelor’s degree from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication while fulfilling the requirements to earn a J.D. from the Law School.
Careers & Skills
Drake Law School alumni are poised for success. In 2024, 94% of our graduates found positions requiring or preferring a J.D. The average three-year pass rate for the bar exam is 86%—far above the national average.
Graduates of the Journalism/Law 3+3 program can take their careers in several directions: while some pursue positions in media law, others focus on communications, non-profit leadership, and government work.
Opportunities
- Media law
- Journalism
- Government
- Education
- Communications
- Non-profits
- Corporate legal and marketing departments
Skills
- Freedom of speech and press in a global context and in the United States
- Critical thinking and professional skills
- Legal theory with practical experience
- Research skills, honed at our law centers and institutes
- Job-ready skills through internships
- Legal writing
Salary & Growth Outlook
Median salary for lawyers in 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Meet the Faculty
At Drake, you’ll learn from professionals who have made their mark in both the newsroom and the courtroom. Every one of our legal professors has practiced law, and SJMC faculty have similar professional experience as well.
Mark Kende
Director of the Constitutional Law Center; James Madison Chair in Constitutional Law; Professor of Law
Jennifer Wilson
Peggy Fisher and Larry Stelter Chair, Magazine and Brand Media; Associate Professor, Journalism
Outside the Classroom
Practice is at the core of both journalism and law. Drake’s 3+3 program gives you extensive opportunities for hands-on training in both fields. Find yours through internships, service learning, and experience in our legal clinics, Legislative Practice Center, and student publications.
Law Specializations
Focus on one of more than a dozen different fields, including agricultural law, business/corporate law, children and family law, civil litigation, constitutional law, artificial intelligence, and social justice.
Serving the Community and Beyond
Journalism and the law are both a calling. Drake students serve the public interest in many ways, from legal clinics and press freedom initiatives to helping area non-profits learn to tell their stories.
Internships
Defend the First Amendment: Apply for internships in media law, press freedom, and freedom of information offered by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Society of Professional Journalists.
On-Campus Political Organizations
Drake is home to both the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement and Vote Smart, a non-partisan political research organization; students have the chance to work with both.
Campus Media
Student media outlets include The Times-Delphic newspaper, Drake Mag, Drake Political Review, and the Drake Broadcasting System radio station, as well as a pair of law journals: The Drake Law Review and the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law.
Student Organizations
Join student chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and Delta Theta Phi law fraternity, participate on our National Moot Court team, be part of the public relations or ad club, and find many other ways to stay involved.
Take the Next Step
As a student in Drake’s Journalism/Law 3+3 program, you’ll put theory to work while graduating with two degrees in less time. Learn how you can get started.
