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Admissions Information Georgetown University Public Policy Institute

2011-2012 Handbook

Why pursue a Law Degree and a Public Policy Degree?

Lawyers participate in policymaking by advocating particular positions, drafting legislation and regulations, negotiating compromises, and challenging existing laws through litigation. Effective policymakers also draw on an understanding of economics, policy content and process, statistics, and research methodology. Graduates of the JD/MPP program develop this diverse set of skills and are uniquely suited to shape the nation's social policy.

What are the degree requirements?

JD/MPP students must meet the general requirements for the JD and the MPP. In addition, they must complete three law courses that examine the legal framework within which policy is developed: Constitutional Law II, Administrative Law, and Legislation. Students are also directed to numerous Law Center courses that address policy content and process. The program requires completion of 115* academic credits, 76* credits in law courses and 39 credits in MPP courses. Students must complete the first year of law school as an intact block and traditionally spend the second year completing much of their required public policy course work. The remaining credits are completed in the final two years.

Degrees/certificates awarded	Degree Requirements
JD MPP (Master of Public Policy) Joint Program Certificate	4 year program 115* credit hours (76* in law, 39 in MPP courses). Students who pursued the two degrees independently would complete 85* law credits and 48 MPP credits over five years.
Typical Distribution	Curriculum/Course Requirements
First Year 31* JD credits Second Year 24 MPP Credits Third Year 21 JD Credits 9 MPP Credits Fourth Year 24 JD Credits 6 MPP Credits	31* cr required first-year law curriculum;     21 cr required MPP courses: Introduction to Microtheory; Public Finance; Public Policy Process (or Comparative Policy Process); Public Management (or Comparative Public Management); Ethics Values and Public Policy (or Ethics in a Globalized World); Statistical Methods for Policy Analysis (formerly Quantitative Methods I); and Regression Methods for Policy Analysis (formerly Quantitative Methods II);     9 cr required MPP courses taken taken in the third or fourth year: Advanced Regression & Program Evaluation Methods and a two-semester thesis;     9 cr MPP electives taken in the second, third, and fourth years;     10 cr   required J.D. courses: Administrative Law, Government Processes, or Administrative Law and Regulatory Policy; Constitutional Law II, and Legislation and Statutory Interpretation, Lawmaking: Introduction to Statutory Interpretation, Legislation, Legislative Process, or the Federal Legislation and Administrative Clinic; and     35 cr additional J.D. courses, including Professional Responsibility and the upperclass legal writing requirement, in the upperclass years; J.D. Residency Requirement.

*NOTE: 1 fewer credit is required for students who completed the first year law curriculum prior to 2007-2008.

Revised October 14, 2011 (MC)