S.J. Quinney College of Law

Juris Doctor/Master of Public Policy (MPP)

The S.J. Quinney College of Law and the College of Social and Behavioral Science Master of Public Policy program have adopted the following program to enable students to pursue both a JD degree and an MPP degree simultaneously.

Reduction in Overall Credit Requirement

The JD/MPP program is based on the assumption that, because there is complementary intellectual benefit from studying law and public policy in a coordinated program, a student enrolled in the dual degree program should be allowed to earn both degrees in less time and with a lower overall credit requirement than if that student enrolled in each school or program independently. Accordingly, students enrolled in the dual degree program may count up to nine credit hours of College of Law classwork toward fulfilling the 40 credit-hour requirements of the MPP degree and may count up to twelve credit hours of MPP classwork toward fulfilling the 88 credit-hour requirements of the JD degree. Upon completion of all requirements of both programs, the student earns two separate degrees, a JD degree awarded by the College of Law and an MPP degree awarded by the College of Social and Behavioral Science.

Because the overall credit requirements for both degrees are reduced by 21 credit hours, a student enrolled in the dual degree program can expect to complete the two degrees in approximately eight semesters of full-time study. However, a student enrolled in the JD/MPP dual Degree Program must complete all JD and all MPP requirements before either degree will be awarded.

Application to the JD/MPP Dual Degree Program

Applicants interested in this program must submit separate admission applications to the College of Law and to the MPP Program. Each program has its own independent admissions standards, and admission to one program does not ensure admission to the other. However, each program will inform the other as soon as it learns that an existing or prospective student has applied for or matriculated in the other respective program.

Applicants interested in pursuing the JD/MPP dual degree are encouraged to apply to both programs at the same time. Nonetheless, a law student may apply to the MPP program (and thus be eligible to earn a dual degree) prior to completion of the first year of law school. As noted in § c. below, a MPP student who enrolls in the law program after matriculating in the MPP program will have limitations imposed on those MPP credit hours that can count towards the law degree.

Completion of First Year at the College of Law as Prerequisite for Law Credit for MPP Courses

The College of Law will not give law credit for a MPP course unless the applicant has first successfully completed the first year at the College of Law. This prerequisite means that applicants who start the dual degree program by doing work in the MPP program before completing the first year of law school must delay taking the specific MPP courses they intend to count towards their nine hours of law credit until after they complete the first year of law school.

Enrollment in the JD/MPP Dual Degree Program and Appointment of Faculty Advisors in Both Programs

A student who has been admitted to both the JD and to the MPP programs and who wishes to pursue the dual degree program opportunity must file a Dual Degree Enrollment Form with the Registrar of each program. Upon filing this form and its being approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs in the College of Law and the MPP Program Director, an Advisor will be appointed in the College of Law. This College of Law advisor and the MPP Program Manager will assist the student in planning an overall program of study that takes advantage of the goals of the dual degree program.

Requirements for Cross-Over Course Credit

To earn academic credit toward a law degree for coursework completed in the MPP program: 1)an MPP course must be pre-approved by the College of Law Advisor or be included in a list of pre-approved courses adopted by the College of Law’s Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and that approval must be indicated on the “Petition for Non-Law School/Dual Degree Credit” Form; 2) the course must be a graduate-level course; and 3) the student must receive a grade of 3.0 (“B”) or higher in the course.

To earn academic credit towards the MPP degree for coursework completed in the College of Law: 1) the course may not be part of the law school’s first year curriculum 2) the student must receive a grade of 2.7 (“B-“) or higher in the course; and 3) the course must address topics directly related to public law or public policy. The student should consult with the MPP Director or MPP Program Manager for approval.

If a student withdraws from either program, only credits completed within the remaining program will count toward that degree, unless those credits are independently approved for credit according to otherwise applicable policies.

Notification to the College of Law Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of Enrollment Only in MPP Courses

A student in the JD/MPP Dual Degree Program who during any semester is enrolled only in MPP courses shall notify the College of Law’s Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of that fact.

Notification to MPP Program Manager of Enrollment Only in College of Law Courses

A student in the JD/MPP Dual Degree Program who during any semester is enrolled only in College of Law courses shall notify the MPP Program Manager of that fact.

MPP Applied Policy Project

The MPP program requires that a student complete an Applied Policy Project. A project completed in a College of Law course may satisfy the MPP requirement if the student’s MPP Advisor determines that the paper meets the following requirements:

• • • The paper written in the law course meets all criteria for an Applied Policy Project set by the MPP program in terms of length and significance;
    • The law school paper receives a grade of “B” or better; and
    • The subject matter of the paper has significance in the fields of both law and public policy.

College of Law Seminar Writing Requirement

The College of Law Seminar Writing Requirement will not be waived for students in the JD/MPP Dual Degree Program. The MPP Applied Policy Project will not satisfy this law school requirement unless it is part of an approved integrated project described below.(However, as noted in § viii. above, in certain instances the College of Law seminar paper maysatisfy the MPP Applied Policy Project.)

Students enrolled in the JD/MPP Dual Degree Program are encouraged to select a seminar at the College of Law that involves subject matter of relevance to public policy, but it is not required.

Integrated Project

Students may meet both the MPP Applied Policy Project and the College of Law Seminar Writing Requirement by completing a single paper which is approved by and supervised jointly by one faculty member in the MPP program and one faculty member in the College of Law. That paper should integrate aspects of law and public policy as relevant to the student’s dual degree program, and must be submitted through enrollment in an approved College of Law seminar.

Completion of Both Programs Required for Award of Each Degree

A student enrolled in the JD/MPP Dual Degree Program, who wishes to count credits taken in one program toward fulfilling the degree in the other program, must complete all requirements of both programs before either degree will be awarded.