Law School teams with Asian universities to award executive master’s degrees

The East China University of Political Science and Law and the University of Wisconsin Law School are working together to offer a program to award executive master’s degrees in law.

The program is designed to allow students to obtain the University of Wisconsin’s LLM — Legal Institutions degree with only one semester of physical presence in the U.S., with the balance of the degree requirements satisfied in Shanghai.

When the program is fully operational, beginning in September 2011, students enrolled will study for one semester in Madison in the university’s LLM — Legal Institutions program, then complete their studies through course work in Shanghai on the East China University campus.

The courses in Shanghai for the joint master’s program will be taught by professors and lecturers from the UW Law School and East China University of Political Science and Law, often in an intensive format or through Internet videoconferences.

The program in China complements similar ones established by the UW Law School with Thammasat University in Bangkok and Doshisha University in Kyoto.

The executive master’s degree program at Thammasat University began in late spring of 2010 with courses taught by Law School dean Ken Davis, professor and senior director of the East Asian Legal Studies Center Charles Irish, and professor Jason Yackee.

The program at Doshisha University began in August with a class taught by UW Law School professor Nina Camic. Professor Keith Findley is expected to teach at Doshisha in the executive master’s program early in 2011.

“Based on our experience in Bangkok and Kyoto and the enthusiasm that is building in Shanghai, I expect that the executive master’s in law program will give the University of Wisconsin an even more substantial presence in three fascinating regions in Asia,” says Irish. “It also should contribute importantly to the university’s diversity and its commitment to global education.”

The Law School’s East Asian Legal Studies Center has principal responsibility for administering all three programs.