Joint JD/MPA Degree Program

I. Admission Requirements

Prospective students must apply separately for the JD/MPA program. These students must also meet separate admission standards in both the School of Law and the Department of Public Administration. Applicants for this track must complete both the GRE and the LSAT examinations.

II. Program Requirements

The Juris Doctor degree is granted after completion of a minimum of 88 semester hours of both required and elective law school courses. To obtain the MPA, the dual degree candidate must complete a minimum of 27-33 semester hours of graduate courses, with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Students must also successfully submit a digital Student Learning Portfolio of developmental experiences, as well as successfully present a Student Learning Portfolio to a panel of MPA faculty members. Law students can use 12 hours of MPA coursework toward the 88 needed to complete the JD.

MPA students who did not complete an American Government course at the undergraduate level must complete PADG 5050 The American Governmental System during their first or second semester of MPA coursework. Students who have not completed an undergraduate course in Statistics must do so prior to enrollment in PADG 5600 Quantitative Analysis and Program Evaluation. Otherwise, the MPA program has no prerequisite courses.

In the first two years of the program, students are required to enroll for one full year of study at the Law School and for one full year of study in the MPA Program; either can come first. In the third and fourth years of the program, joint degree students are enrolled in and take courses at both programs. Both programs have their own requirements for these upper level years.

Law Courses - 76 hours

LAW 7010 - Contracts I (3)

LAW 7111 - Contracts II (2)

LAW 7031 - Civil Procedure I (2)

LAW 7130 - Civil Procedure II (3)

LAW 7080 - Criminal Law (3)

LAW 7000 - Critical Thinking (1)

LAW 7050 - Property I (3)

LAW 7051 - Property II (2)

LAW 7040 - Torts I (3)

LAW 7041 - Torts II (2)

LAW 7121 - Legal Reasoning and Analysis (3)

LAW 7122 - Legal Research and Persuasion (3)

LAW 8000 - Appellate Advocacy (2)

LAW Practice Oriented Writing (2)

LAW 9290 - Professional Responsibility (2)

LAW 9020 - Administrative Law I (3)

LAW 8030 - Constitutional Law I (3)

LAW 8130 - Constitutional Law II (3)

LAW 8020 - Decedents’ Estates I (3)

LAW 8010 - Evidence (3)

LAW 8050 - Taxation (3)

LAW 9569 - NC Distinctions (3)

LAW 9030 - Sales and Secured Transactions (4)

Writing Seminar/Course (2-3 hours)

Electives (8-9 hours)

Public Administration - 27-33 hours

PADG 5130 - Principles of Public Management (3)
PADG 5500 - Administrative Organization Theory and Behavior (3)
PADG 5360 - Economic Consequences of Policy Analysis (3)
PADG 5300 - Personnel Administration and Management (3)
PADG 5140 - Public Finance and Budgeting (3)
PADG 5600 - Quantitative Analysis (3)
PADG 5670 - Administrative Leadership and Ethics (3)
PADG 5400 - Public Policy Formation (3)
PADG 5610 - Research Method in Public Administration (3)
PADG 5800 - Internship in Public Administration I (3) ** or
PADG 5820 - Internship in Public Administration II (3) **
Mastery Case Studies***

NOTES:

* If Administrative Law (LAW 9020) is not offered by the School of Law, joint degree students must successfully complete Administrative Law (PADG 5420 ), offered by the Department of Public Administration.

** Joint degree students must successfully complete 6 credits of internship, externship, or clinical course work. PADG 5800 Internship in Public Administration I or PADG 5820 Internship in Public Administration II , or any credits of Law School externship or clinical course work may be used to satisfy this requirement.

*** Comprehensive, end of program, exam.

III. Exit Requirements

Students must satisfy academic requirements in both programs. Grades earned in courses of one program will not be included in the GPA calculations of the other program. Students will be expected to complete all MPA and Law School exams at times they are scheduled; exception are the sole discretion of each school, in accordance with their respective policies.

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