Dual-Degree: Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration

Program: Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration
Cooperating Institution: University of Connecticut

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is committed to educating students to serve the public interest in the governmental, nonprofit, and private sector arenas. The JD/MPA program provides education and training in the concepts, skills, and techniques of public policy analysis, intergovernmental relations, statistical decision making, public management, financial administration, and human resource management. The program prepares students for careers as executives, policy officials and administrators in federal, state or local government and in nonprofit organizations. It is also extremely beneficial for students who plan to specialize in areas in which a legal background is especially helpful, e.g., labor relations, health administration, environmental protection, intergovernmental relations and city and town government. Those wishing a broad education on law and government as well as those who want a public affairs and law perspective in a specific area of student will find the dual degree program equally appropriate. The program is flexible and individualized to provide each student with the best possible combination of these two disciplines.

Admission Requirements and Course of Study: All students who wish to pursue a dual degree program must first be granted separate admission into both programs. A dual degree enrollment form, approved by each school will also be required. Students in the dual degree program may obtain both degrees in 4 years, compared with five years, if both degrees were pursued separately. Candidates admitted to both schools in the same year will ordinarily take their first year at the School of Law. However, students in their first year of the MPA program may reverse this procedure if they are admitted to the School of Law for the following year. After the first year of law school, students ordinarily spend one year full time in the graduate school. During the third and fourth years, students will divide their time between the School of Law and the Graduate School depending on the students' choices and availability of desired courses. Additionally, all students must comply with the rules regarding credit load limitations. When credits from both programs are combined, without prior approval from the Associate Dean, full time students may not exceed 16 credits and part time students may not exceed 11 credits per semester.

Completion Requirements: In addition to satisfaction of the requirements of both programs of study, dual degree candidates are required to complete these programs concurrently. The final award of transfer credit is contingent upon completion of both programs.

Transfer Agreement: The JD degree program requires completion of 86 credits (including all required first-year courses, a course in Legal Ethics and Responsibility, and an intensive, analytical paper which satisfies a writing requirement). The MPA degree program requires completion of 48 credits (including 26 credits of core courses, 12 credits of concentration courses, a six-credit internship as determined by the Graduate School and successful completion of the capstone preparatory and capstone course). Each school will accept 12 credits from the other as applicable for transfer.

Law Courses Acceptable for Transfer to the MPA Program (12 Credits):

• The Graduate School will accept any course for transfer that is not part of the required curriculum.

MPA Courses Acceptable for Transfer to the JD Program (12 Credits):

• The School of Law will accept any course for transfer that is not part of the core curriculum.

Faculty Advisors

University of Connecticut School of Law
Professor Peter Siegelman
65 Elizabeth Street
Hartford, CT 06105
860/570-5238