What university did Erika Kirk attend and what degrees did she earn?

Checked on January 23, 2026
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Executive summary

Erika Kirk completed graduate-education">undergraduate work at Arizona State University, earning a double bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations [1] [2] [3] [4]. She later pursued graduate legal education at Liberty University, where multiple outlets report she earned a juris master (J.M. or Juris Master) in American legal studies; reporting diverges about whether additional doctoral credentials were completed or remain in progress [2] [4] [5] [6].

1. Early college path and the Arizona State University bachelor’s degrees

Erika Kirk’s undergraduate record, as reported across mainstream and biographical outlets, centers on Arizona State University: several profiles state she “completed her undergraduate studies at Arizona State University, double majoring in political science and international relations,” a fact repeated in encyclopedic and regional reports [1] [2] [3]. Background pieces note she initially played NCAA women’s basketball at Regis University in Denver before transferring and finishing her bachelor’s work, which explains why some accounts also reference Regis as part of her collegiate trajectory [7] [4]. Those combined notes establish ASU as the institution that awarded her undergraduate degrees in political science and international relations [1] [2] [3].

2. Graduate legal study at Liberty University: juris master in American legal studies

Multiple reputable outlets report that Kirk pursued and completed graduate legal study at Liberty University in Virginia, earning a juris master (often described as a Juris Master in American legal studies or a master’s in legal studies) from Liberty University School of Law [2] [4] [3] [8]. Regional reporting and Kirk’s own professional biography corroborate that Liberty was the site of her law-related graduate degree, with profiles specifying the field as American legal studies or legal studies more broadly [6] [9] [10]. A personal site tied to Kirk also lists a Juris Master in American Legal Studies among her qualifications [11].

3. Doctoral claims and the limits of available reporting

After the Liberty credential, reporting diverges on doctoral-level study. Several outlets cite Kirk’s own site or statements saying she is “currently pursuing a doctorate in Biblical studies” or a doctorate in Christian leadership, which appears in some profiles as “in progress” rather than completed [6] [9] [11]. By contrast, a later profile in People reports she earned a doctorate of education in Christian leadership at Liberty University—language that implies completion rather than candidacy [5]. The record therefore shows two lines of reporting: one set (including her site and regional outlets) describing doctoral work as ongoing, and at least one national outlet reporting a completed doctorate; the sources do not present consistent documentary proof publicly available in the reporting provided here to reconcile those accounts [11] [5] [6].

4. How to read the evidence and the confident answer

Weighing the sources: the strongest consensus across independent outlets supports that Erika Kirk earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and international relations from Arizona State University and later earned a juris master / master’s in American legal studies from Liberty University [1] [2] [3] [4]. On doctoral credentials, reporting is mixed—some outlets and her personal site describe doctoral study as ongoing, while at least one profile states a doctorate was awarded—so the public record in the supplied reporting does not uniformly confirm completion of a specific doctoral degree [6] [9] [11] [5]. Therefore, the direct and well-supported answer is: undergraduate degrees from Arizona State University (double major in political science and international relations) and a graduate juris master/master’s in American legal studies from Liberty University; claims about a completed doctorate are present in some reporting but are not consistently documented across the sources provided [1] [2] [3] [4] [11] [5].

Want to dive deeper?
What is a Juris Master (J.M.) degree and how does it differ from a J.D. or LL.M.?
Which public records or university registrars can confirm completion of Erika Kirk’s doctoral studies at Liberty University?
How have different news outlets reported Erika Kirk’s educational background and where do their accounts diverge?