Program Overview

Joint Degree with Law School (MPP/JD)

The University of Chicago's Harris Public Policy and the Law School offer a joint degree program, allowing students to earn both a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a Doctor of Law (JD) degree. This program is ideal for students who want to understand the regulatory and legal issues related to public policy in a comprehensive course of study.

Program Details

• The joint MPP/JD program can be completed in four years.
• Students typically start their first two years at the Law School.
• The program structure is as follows:
  • Year 1: Law School
  • Year 2: Law School
  • Year 3: Harris Public Policy
  • Year 4: Split residency, one quarter at Harris and two quarters at the Law School

Curriculum

• At Harris Public Policy:
  • Students take the six required core courses, plus eight electives for a total of 14 courses (1400 units of credit).
  • Ten of the 14 courses must be public policy (PPHA) courses.
  • The Harris core courses provide a foundation in critical analysis, including:
    • Analytical Politics I
    • Analytical Politics II
    • Statistics Sequence I
    • Statistics Sequence II
    • Microeconomics Sequence I
    • Microeconomics Sequence II
• At the Law School:
  • Students must successfully complete 105 credit hours, plus residency/registration requirements.
  • Students may apply one academic quarter of up to four 100-unit courses taken within Harris toward the hours required to obtain their law degree.

Other Requirements

• Students who wish to participate in this program must complete the separate admissions processes to both the Harris and the Law School.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.7 for all courses, based on a 4.0 scale, for all courses used toward the MPP degree
• A grade of C- or better for the 6 core courses
• Completion of the math requirement
• Completion of a practical experience requirement
• No more than 2 reading/research, independent study, or internship courses
• No more than 1 course taken Pass/Fail (core courses cannot be taken pass/fail)

Tuition & Financial Aid

• Each division determines tuition charges for the quarters in which students are in residency with either division.
• Tuition rates can be found at the Bursar’s website.
• Harris scholarships for joint degree students are awarded only when in residence at Harris, and Harris scholarships for MPP/JD students are pro-rated based on the modified degree requirements from a standard MPP student.

Admissions Process

• Interested applicants will need to apply and be admitted to both the Harris MPP and the Law School JD program to pursue the joint degree.
• Students already admitted to the Harris may apply during their first year to the Law School; those admitted to the Law School may apply during their first or second year to Harris.
• Admissions decisions for each side of the joint degree are made independently of one another.