Dual-Degree: Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health

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

An understanding of the legal system is increasingly important to health care administrators and policy planners. Policy planners trained initially in law find a sound professional grasp of health care systems and their administration is vital to their own work. The JD/MPH program is designed for students who wish to integrate the study of the legal and health care systems.

Admission Requirements and Course of Study: All students who wish to pursue a dual degree program must be granted separate admission to both programs. Applicants may apply simultaneously to the two schools or, alternatively, students enrolled in the School of Law or Graduate Program in Public Health may apply during their first year of study to the other program. Application to the dual degree program must be made no later than the end of the first year at the School of Law or the Graduate Program in Public Health.

Students in the dual degree program may obtain both degrees in 4 years, compared with the five years that pursuit of separate degrees would require. Candidates admitted to both schools in the same year will ordinarily take their first year at the School of Law, although students in their first year of the MPH 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 public health program. During the third and fourth years, students will divide their time between the School of Law and the Health Center depending on the students' choices and the 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 MPH degree program requires completion of 48 credits (including the practicum and Master’s project). Each school will accept 12 credits from the other as applicable for transfer.

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

• Administrative Law
• Clinic: Administrative Clerkship (Health Law focus)
• Clinic: Health Law
• Environmental Law
• Family Law
• Health and Human Rights
• Health Care Finance
• Health Law
• Law and Public Health
• Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Mental Health Law
• Principles of Insurance
• Special Research Project (Health Law focus)
• Taxation of Non Profit Organizations

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