Joint Degree Program: Law & Public Policy

The JD/MPP Joint Degree Program in Law and Public Policy provides students with an opportunity to master the fundamentals of legal and policy analysis. It provides students with full legal training and a solid understanding of public policy, preparing them for careers in legal academia, government and policymaking.

Upon completion of the graduation requirements of both schools, students of the joint degree program will receive both a JD from the Scalia Law School and an MPP from the Schar School of Policy and Government. Both degrees can be achieved on a full-time basis in approximately four years, instead of the five years that would be required if each degree were pursued sequentially.

Students interested in pursuing the joint degree should begin their studies in the Scalia Law School. The program expects students to complete either the first-year or first-year and a half required coursework in the Law School and apply to the joint program either in the spring of the first year or fall of the second year. If admitted to the joint degree program, students will spend either the entire second year or the spring of the second year and the fall of the third year pursuing the MPP in the Schar School of Policy and Government, and the third or remaining third and fourth years completing the JD plus any remaining MPP coursework.

Application Requirements

Applicants should apply to the joint degree program in either the spring of their first year of law school or the fall of their second year of law school. Applications will consist of the Joint JD/MPP Degree Supplemental Admissions Form, a current resume, and a 500-word statement addressing why the applicant would like to pursue the joint degree. Applications should be sent to the Scalia Law School Admissions Office by June 1 for a fall start in the MPP program or by December 1 for a spring start in the MPP program. Applicants may not receive a decision on their application until the grades for the semester of application have been posted. Joint degree applicants must qualify for admission in the respective programs according to the standards independently established by the Law School and the Schar School of Policy and Government. Those who have already earned either the JD or the MPP are not eligible for the combined degree program.

Upon admission to the joint degree program, students will pay tuition at the Schar School of Policy and Government rate for two semesters beginning with the semester in which they enter the Public Policy program and will pay tuition at the Law School rate for all other work in the law or joint degree program – even if the student is taking additional classes in the Schar School of Policy and Government during the time of that work. Students will have five years from matriculation in the Scalia Law School to complete the JD requirements and six years from matriculation in the Schar School of Policy and Government to complete the MPP requirements.

To apply, complete an application form: JD/MPP Application

For more information on this program, see the JD/MPP Curriculum section of the website.

Contact Information

Law School Admissions Information:

Admissions Office
3301 Fairfax Drive – MS 1G3 Arlington, VA 22201
703-993-8010
Email: lawadmit@gmu.edu
Web Site:
www.law.gmu.edu

Schar School of Policy and Government Admission/Registration Information:

Kristina Bonfiglio, Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions, Schar School of Policy and Government
3351 Fairfax Drive - MS 3B1 Arlington, Virginia 22201
703-993-8099
Email: schar@gmu.edu
Web Site: schar.gmu.edu