Dual Degree in Law and Public Policy (JD+MPP)

Students entering the Law School must complete the required first-year law curriculum. Students must take one elective course of three or four credit hours during their second semester. All students must complete the following before graduation: at least one international or comparative law course of two or more credit hours, at least one upper-level course with a rigorous writing component, one statutory or regulatory course of three or more credit hours, one course in professional responsibility of two or more credit hours, and two credit hours of experiential learning. Separate courses must be taken to fulfill the upper-level course with a rigorous writing component, the professional responsibility course, and the experiential learning course.

The JD requires a minimum total of 83 credits, earned between Law School courses and courses through the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy which is affiliated with the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. Students must earn at least 71 credits toward the JD through courses taken in the Law School.

Twelve (12) credit hours may be taken from the satisfaction of requirements for the MPP. If you are admitted to the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and choose to pursue the JD/MPP Program, you must notify both the Law School’s Office of Student Records and Office of Student Life.

The MPP requires a total of 48 credit hours, 30 of which must be taken in the Ford School.

MPP students are expected to complete all MPP core courses (26 credits).

Public Policy students are required to complete a ten week (400 hour) summer internship after completing a year of coursework at the Ford School. The internship can be in the public, private, nonprofit, or international sector, and work accomplished during the summer is expected to be policy-focused, challenging, and of significance and value to the sponsoring organization. Work should utilize the concepts and skills learned during the first year of study at the Ford School (e.g. policy analysis, public management, benefit-cost analysis, communication skills, etc.) Students should discuss the specific JD/MPP requirements regarding internship timing and expectations with Graduate Career Services at the Ford School and the Academic and/or Career Services adviser at the Law School.

Eighteen (18) credit hours may be taken from the satisfaction of requirements for the JD.

Applicants must gain separate and independent admission to both the Law School and the Ford School, affiliated with the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, and should contact the admissions office of each school for application and admission information. Students are strongly encouraged to apply to both programs simultaneously or during the first year of their initial degree program. If you are enrolled in a graduate program in another school or department at the University, the Law School will accept a valid GRE, GMAT, or MCAT score in lieu of an LSAT score; otherwise, a valid LSAT score is required.*

Students must satisfy the degree requirements of each school and should consult with advisers in each school for the precise graduation requirements for each degree and for information about course offerings.  Law School courses are not offered in the summer term. Students will not receive credit toward the JD for non-law coursework taken prior to matriculation at the Law School. Students should consult with the adviser at the Ford School concerning credit toward the MPP for Law coursework.

During the third and fourth years of the program, students are permitted to elect courses in both schools. Tuition will be assessed at either the Law School or the Graduate School rate, whichever is higher, when courses toward both degrees are taken in one term.

At the beginning of their final year of study in the combined program, students should consult with their Ford School academic adviser and the Law School’s Office of Student Records regarding forms that need to be completed prior to graduation. 

Also at this time, students should submit a Dual/Joint Degree Election Form for approval from both the Law School and the Ford School of Public Policy. Students may also consult with the Law School’s Office of Student Records if there are any questions regarding completion of this form.

Dual/Joint Degree Election Form

 The combined degree is not open to those who have already earned either the JD or the MPP. Students who are registered in the first year at the Law School or the first year at the Ford School may apply for admission to the dual degree program.

Any JD who enrolls concurrently in another degree program will be awarded the JD degree after completing all of the requirements for the dual, joint, or combined degrees. (As a practical matter, this means that the student will receive the JD degree either after or at the same time as they receive the degree(s) in the other program(s).) This policy will not affect the student’s class year for purposes of the Law School’s commencement ceremony or alumni events, and it will not apply if a student discontinues the other degree program(s). A law student who believes that they will experience some hardship as a result of this policy may petition the Associate Dean for Academic Programming for an exception.

JD courses traditionally have a later grading deadline than other degree programs. On some occasions, this later JD grading deadline may affect a student in their final term if another degree program desires all of the student’s grades prior to the JD grading deadline.