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Georgetown University Public Policy Institute

Admissions Information

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* credit hours, 76* hours in law courses and 39 hours in public policy 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
J.D. M.P.P. (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* hrs required first-year law curriculum;     21 hrs required MPP courses taken during the second or third year: 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 hrs required MPP courses taken taken in the third or fourth year: Advanced Regression & Program Evaluation Methods and a two-semester thesis;     9 hrs MPP electives taken in the second, third, and fourth years;     10 hrs required J.D. courses: Administrative Law, Constitutional Law II, and Legislation and Statutory Interpretation (Administrative Law is not required for students who have completed Government Processes in Curriculum B); and     35 hrs additional J.D. courses, including Professional Responsibility and the legal writing requirement, in 3rd or 4th year.

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

Revised October 28, 2009 (DB)