JD/MPP Dual-Degree Program
Overview of JD/MPP Dual Degree
The study of both public policy and law provides a powerful foundation for those interested in a career involving public service. It equips practitioners to work in multiple venues, including the courtroom, on a wide variety of problems.
Students will learn to analyze complex social and regulatory problems, design effective solutions to these problems, work as an advocacy in variety of settings (legislative, judicial, or executive), and use the tools of law in the creation, implementation and enforcement of government policies. Graduates will be prepared to work in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocacy and lobbying positions, as well as private sector firms.
Application Requirements
Applicants for the dual JD/MPP degree must apply separately for admission to both the Master of Public Policy Program and to the School of Law, indicating their intent to pursue a dual degree. Applicants only need to submit the LSAT test scores, not GRE scores.
Law school students who have completed their first year of law studies may be granted admission to the MPP program upon submission of a completed application, official transcripts from all postsecondary schools, and a letter of good standing from the Law School.
Degree Requirements
To complete the JD/MPP program, students must take 65 Law School credit hours plus 24 Master of Public Policy credit hours for a total of 89 credit hours. JD/MPP dual degree students can complete all requirements in three years with careful planning. Students will have two advisors for the dual degree program: one person from the Law School and one person from the Masters in Public Policy program. Each will assist in identifying courses in their respective programs appropriate for a student's interests.
Dual-degree students will spend their first year as full-time law school students. They will take one 3-credit MPP course in the spring semester. Starting in their second year, students can take up to two courses in the MPP program per semester. A public service externship will be completed in either the summer following the first or second year. The Law School's foundational course requirements and skills and experiential course requirements will be taken in the second and third years, concurrent with several MPP courses.
Students will take the following five required Masters of Public Policy courses:
- Statistical Analysis for Public Policy I
- Policy Design and Analysis
- The Public Policy Process
- Public Budgeting and Finance
- Economic Analysis in Public Policy
- Three other MPP electives are required.
A typical progression of JD/MPP students is laid out below. Course credit hours are in parentheses.
Suggested JD/MPP Dual Degree Course Plan
| First year Fall | First year Spring |
|---|---|
| Civil Procedure (4) | Constitutional Law (4) |
| Property (4) | Contracts (4) |
| Torts (4) | Criminal Law (3) |
| Legal Writing (2) | Legal Writing (2) |
| Public Budgeting and Finance (3) OR MPP elective (3) | |
| Law Credits: 14 | Law Credits: 13 |
| MPP Credits: 0 | MPP Credits: 3 |
| Second year Fall | Second year Spring | Second year Summer |
|---|---|---|
| Law school core foundational (3–4) |
Law school core foundational (3–4) |
Law School Externship (2) |
| Law school core foundational (3–4) |
Law school core foundational (3–4) |
|
| Skills or Experiential Course (2) |
Skills or Experiential Course (2) |
|
| Advocacy (2) | MPP elective (3) OR Public Budgeting and Finance (3) |
|
| Public Policy Process (3) |
||
| Statistical Analysis for Public Policy (3) |
||
| Law Credits: 10 | Law Credits: 10 | Law Credits: 2 |
| MPP Credits: 6 | MPP Credits: 3 | MPP Credits: 0 |
| Third year Fall | Third year Spring |
|---|---|
| Law school elective (3–4) |
Law school elective (3–4) |
| Law school elective (3–4) |
Law school elective (3–4) |
| Policy Analysis and Design (3) |
Economic Analysis for Public Policy (3) |
| MPP elective (3) | MPP elective (3) |
| Law Credits: 8 | Law Credits: 8 |
| MPP Credits: 6 | MPP Credits: 6 |
The Law School highly recommends that students enroll in the following core foundational courses as soon as practical in their law studies:
The Law School also requires one skills and one experiential course to be completed prior to graduation. These classes include:
The JD and MPP degrees normally will be awarded simultaneously upon successful completion of each respective degree's requirements.
More information:
For more information on the JD/MPP degree program, please contact:
School of Law
Mary Bird
Phone: 312.915.7661
mbird1@luc.edu
Master of Public Policy Program
MUAPP Program Coordinator
Phone: 773.508.3404
muapp@luc.edu
