Jonathan Lozano ’12 doubles up with J.D. and graduate education degree

Jon Lozano '12 at Penn State Capital Day 2011 in Harrisburg, PA.

With the competitive job market today, Penn State Law student Jonathan Lozano ’12 was looking for a way to increase his attractiveness to prospective employers. So he is pursuing a joint J.D./Master’s of Education in College Student Affairs.

“When I graduated from undergrad, there were two different options that I really wanted to pursue. One was a law degree, and the other was a student affairs higher education degree,” said Lozano. At that time, Penn State Law hadn’t formalized the joint J.D./M.Ed. degree, so Lozano enrolled in the J.D. program. “After some reflection, I realized that there a lot of ways that you can utilize a legal background in a university environment in dealing with students. That was right around the time that the Law School announced the dual program, so I applied and was accepted,” Lozano said.

“I have enjoyed the program immensely. The two degrees complement each other really well. The student affairs program is very outcome oriented, and the J.D. program helps me be analytical in looking at processes that go into various higher education decisions,” he explained. “I always joke that I come to a lot of the same conclusions as my colleagues in the different programs, but the reasons by which I come to those conclusions are usually radically different.”

Not an easy road

Kenny Tatum, assistant dean for career planning and development at Penn State Law, said that depending on the position, graduates with dual degrees may get an edge. "Law school itself is demanding. Successfully completing a dual degree takes a lot of time, effort, and determination, so it can be impressive to prospective employers.”

“In terms of the economy right now, I think that the dual degrees help you focus on what you really want to be able to do career wise after graduation. There are all kinds of different ways that you can combine skill sets to make yourself more marketable whether you want to practice law or you want to go into a particular industry,” said Lozano.

Students who want to pursue joint degrees need to be highly motivated because the process can be all-consuming and exhausting, says Lozano. “You’re doing twice as much as the average graduate student. I really don’t have time for many activities outside my role as president of the Student Graduate Council.”

The Program

To successfully earn the joint degree, Lozano must complete 88 law credits and 44 education credits. Twelve credits of the education degree count towards his J.D. degree and nine credits of the J.D. count towards the master’s degree.

During his first year of enrollment, Lozano took all law classes. His second year, he took all law classes except for one education class each semester. His third year he took all education classes and one law class a semester. During his fourth and final year, Lozano will take the remainder of his law classes in the fall and education classes in the spring.

After graduation, Lozano hopes put his joint degree to use working with students in a university setting. “At this point, I am leaning towards assessment roles within university student services structures. My law education has really enhanced my critical thinking skills in order to try to find new ways to apply different theories to get those outcomes,” Lozano explained. “I am able to look at the learning outcomes, see where we should be, assess our current learning process, and propose a plan that will enable the students to get to these outcomes.”

Currently twenty-four Penn State Law students are pursuing various joint degrees with other University colleges and departments, including the School of International Affairs. For more information on the joint degrees offered, visit http://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/academics/joint_degrees.