JD MPP Dual Degree Program

JD MPP Dual Degree Program

Our JD/MPP joint degree program integrates the legal analysis and doctrine taught in the School of Law with the multidisciplinary approaches to management and policy analysis taught in CUPPA. The JD is accredited by the American Bar Association.

The minimum total semester hours required to earn both degrees is 116, with 28 hours of coursework being shared between the two degrees. Students are required to complete all of the normal requirements for the JD and MPP degrees, subject to the following modifications:

JD policy and regulatory focus requirement: Students must complete at least 6 credit hours of courses selected from the following list, to count toward the elective requirements for the JD degree:

  • JD 420 Real Estate: Natural Resources Law (2 credit hours)
  • JD 426 Real Estate: Environmental Controls and Concerns (2 credit hours)
  • JD 452 Real Estate: Land Use Control and Zoning (2 credit hours)
  • JD 458 Real Estate: Public Finance Law (2 credit hours)
  • JD 498 Administrative Law (3 credit hours)
  • JD 499 Real Estate: Fair Housing and Fair Lending Law (2 credit hours)
  • JD 518 Information Law, Policy, and Privacy (3 credit hours)
  • JD 541 Fair Housing Clinic (3 credit hours)*
  • LAW 445 Environmental Law (3 credit hours)
  • LAW 450 Consumer Law (3 credit hours)
  • LAW 481 Local Government Law (3 credit hours)
  • LAW 482 Education Law and Policy (3 credit hours)
  • LAW 502 Labor Law (3 credit hours)
  • LAW 503 Employment Discrimination (3 credit hours)
  • LAW 504 Disability Law (2 credit hours)
  • TADR 472 Externship: Local Government and Non-Profit Fieldwork (2–3 credit hours)*
  • TADR 492 Clinic: Community Enterprise and Solidarity Economy Law Clinic (3 credit hours)*
  • Other School of Law courses may also count toward this focus requirement with approval in advance from the School of Law’s Vice Dean for Academic Affairs.
    (* indicates clinic or externship courses that require concurrent enrollment in a classroom seminar
    component, which does not count toward this focus requirement.)

MPP specialization requirements: The MPP concentration requirement (8 credit hours) will be reduced by 4 credit hours for students in the joint JD/MPP program. JD/MPP students therefore will satisfy the MPP concentration requirement by completing 4 credit hours of courses subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Shared JD courses: The following courses required for the JD degree, totaling 12 credit hours, will count as elective courses toward the 54 credit hours required for the MPP or MPP degree:

  • JD 405 Contracts I (3 credit hours)
  • JD 411 Civil Procedure I (3 credit hours)
  • JD 414 Constitutional Law I (3 credit hours)
  • JD 424 Constitutional Law II (3 credit hours)

Shared MPP courses: For students in the JD/MPP program, the following courses required for the MPP degree, totaling 16 credit hours, will count as elective courses toward the 90 credit hours required for the JD degree (in lieu of the normal cap of 6 credit hours of approved non-UIC Law courses):

  • PA 401 Foundations of Public Service (4 credit hours)
  • PA 403 Economics for Management and Policy (4 credit hours)
  • PA 506 Public Policy Development and Process (4 credit hours)
  • PA 526 Public Policy Analysis (4 credit hours)

JD MPP Admissions Procedure Heading link

Students must apply to the JD program and the MPP program and be admitted to each separately in order to be considered for the joint degree program, and must be approved by both units for admission into the joint program.

The policies of each program with respect to admission requirements, degree requirements, and other academic requirements are applicable. To be considered for admission to the joint program, students must take the LSAT or GRE, have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, and satisfy other application requirements for each college.

Program Contacts Heading link

College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs: Contact Megan Daly, Academic Advisor, Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics, mdaly3@uic.edu

School of Law: Contact your assigned academic advisor or Ravi Sahota, Academic Advising Coordinator (rsahot1@uic.edu). For information regarding the application process, please contact UIC Law Admissions at law-admissions@uic.edu or (800) 537-4280.