Combined Master of Public Administration/Juris Doctor Degree
Admission Requirements
- Students are required to apply to both the Law School and the School of Graduate Studies and indicate that they wish to be admitted to the joint MPA/JD track. This admission will be determined by the Director of the M.P.A. Program and the Dean of the Law School or their designees.
- Acceptance to the joint program track requires a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or a GPA of 3.25 in the last two academic years.
Sample Curricular Plan
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Year One | Law School | |
| Year Two | Law School w/two MPA courses * | |
| Year Three | Law School w/two MPA courses | |
| Year Four | Seven MPA courses + MPA Capstone | |
| or | ||
| Year One | Eight MPA courses | |
| Year Two | Law School | |
| Year Three | Law School w/two MPA courses * | |
| Year Four | Law School w/one MPA course + MPA Capstone | |
- *
2 MPA course requirements could be met with law courses as cognates.
Nine credits (approved by the Law School) from the MPA Program will count toward the Law Degree. Six of the 36 required credits in the MPA program can be law courses used as a cognate for the MPA degree (with the approval of the department and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies).
The total credits required for each degree will be unchanged. This will save the student one semester and make the program more appealing.
Normally, the joint program will be completed in four years. With summer school classes it may be possible to obtain both degrees even more quickly. Students must be enrolled in the Law School for at least three years; therefore, students wishing to receive both degrees in less than four years should enroll first in the Law School.
Below is a list of Law School courses that can be used as cognates in the MPA program, and MPA courses that can be used as electives in the JD program.
Joint MPA/JD Complementary Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Law | ||
| LAW 150 | 2-3 | |
| LAW 201 | 2-3 | |
| LAW 203 | 2-3 | |
| LAW 206 | 2-4 | |
| LAW 210 | 3-5 | |
| LAW 238 | 3 | |
| LAW 263 | 3 | |
| LAW 277 | 2-3 | |
| LAW 281 | 3 | |
| LAW 289 | 3 | |
| LAW 291 (Poverty Law) | 1-4 | |
| LAW 291 (Civil Rights) | 1-4 | |
| LAW 291 (State Constitutional Law) | 1-4 | |
| Or other courses with the approval of the MPA Director and Graduate Dean | ||
| Political Science and Public Administration | ||
| POLS 502 | Problems in State and Local Governments | 3 |
| POLS 508 | Legislative and Executive Processes | 3 |
| POLS 531 | Foundations of Public Administration | 3 |
| POLS 532 | Public Policy | 3 |
| POLS 535 | Public Organizations | 3 |
| POLS 536 | Public Personnel Administration | 3 |
| POLS 538 | Public Budgeting and Financial Administration | 3 |
| POLS 539 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| Or other courses with the approval of the Dean of the Law School. | ||