Combined Master of Public Administration/Juris Doctor Degree

Admission Requirements

  1. 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.
  2. 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

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

Law
LAW 1502-3
LAW 2012-3
LAW 2032-3
LAW 2062-4
LAW 2103-5
LAW 2383
LAW 2633
LAW 2772-3
LAW 2813
LAW 2893
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 502Problems in State and Local Governments3
POLS 508Legislative and Executive Processes3
POLS 531Foundations of Public Administration3
POLS 532Public Policy3
POLS 535Public Organizations3
POLS 536Public Personnel Administration3
POLS 538Public Budgeting and Financial Administration3
POLS 539Administrative Law3
Or other courses with the approval of the Dean of the Law School.