Joint Degrees
Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration
The Juris Doctor (J.D.)/Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) joint degree program (J.D./M.P.A. Program or Program) offers graduate students the opportunity to earn two graduate degrees evidencing the completion of the curriculum for the J.D. degree from the College of Law and the M.P.A. degree from the College of Languages, Literature and Social Sciences, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, in an accelerated period of study (generally four years). The Program is designed for students who wish to be effective in administrative and regulatory positions in public and in private, non-profit organizations. In appropriate cases, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration may require a student to take additional prerequisite courses in order to qualify for the M.P.A. Degree.
Description of the Curriculum
The J.D./M.P.A. Program leads to the awarding of two degrees. The J.D. degree is awarded by the College of Law and the M.P.A. degree is awarded by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.
Juris Doctor Degree: The College of Law requires the successful completion of 89 credit hours for the J.D. degree. Students in the J.D./M.P.A. Program may apply up to 12 credit hours of M.P.A. courses toward satisfaction of the 89-hour requirement. In order for an M.P.A. course to qualify for credit toward the J.D. degree, the student must earn a grade of B (3.0) or better.
The following M.P.A. courses qualify for credit toward the J.D. degree:
PSC 5250 Intergovernmental Relations
PSC 5280 Legislative Process
PSC 5360 Ethics in Public Policy and Administration
PSC 5430 Public Personnel Administration
PSC 5440 Budgeting and Financial Administration
PSC 5470 Public Organization Theory
PSC 5720 International Organizations
PSC 6420 Quantitative Methods in Decision Making
PSC 6430 Seminar in Public Policy Theory and Analysis
ECON 5230 Poverty and Income Distribution
ECON 5240 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ECON 5250 Labor Economics
ECON 5660 Public Finance Economics
GEPL 5530 Principles of Urban Planning
GEPL 5550 Community Economic Development Planning
On written application by the student, and for good cause shown, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Law may substitute another M.P.A. course for one on the approved list.
Masters of Public Administration Degree: In order to be eligible for the M.P.A. degree from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, a student must complete at least 12 graduate-level courses (36 credit hours), including at least five courses open only to graduate students, of which three must be at the 6000-level, with an overall grade point average of at least 3.0. A student must complete any prerequisite courses, all required courses, and the M.P.A.’s experiential learning requirement.
Students in the J.D./M.P.A. Program may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved upper-level courses in the College of Law toward the completion of the 36 credit hours required for the M.P.A. degree. In order for a College of Law course to qualify for credit toward the M.P.A. degree, the student must earn a C (2.0) or better in a graded course, and a “Pass” or better in an ungraded course.
The following College of Law courses qualify for credit toward the M.P.A. degree:
LAWG 9010 Business Associations
LAWG 9030 Administrative Law
LAWI 9040 Civil and Political Rights
LAWI 9170 Conflict of Laws
LAWI 9300 Employment Discrimination
LAWI 9330 Environmental Law
LAWI 9310 Employment Law
LAWI 9370 Family Law
LAWI 9380 Federal Courts and Federal Rights
LAWI 9390 Natural Resources Law
LAWI 9490 Juvenile Law
LAWI 9510 Labor Law
LAWI 9520 Health Care Finance
LAWI 9610 Health Care Regulation
LAWI 9680 State and Local Government Law and Taxation
LAWI 9800 Securities Regulation
LAWI 9820 Land Use Law
LAWI 9930 Water Law
LAWN 9040 Mediation and Settlement
LAWN 9050 Negotiation and Settlement
LAWN 9090 Alternative Dispute Resolution
LAWP 9000 Public Sector Labor Law Seminar
In addition, the Director of the M.P.A. Program in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration may grant appropriate credit toward the M.P.A. degree on a case-by-case basis for a student’s participation in the College of Law’s Public Service Externship, and for College of Law seminars and independent and honors research.
On written application by the student, and for good cause shown, the Director of the M.P.A. Program in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration may substitute another upper-level College of Law course for one on the approved list.
Administrative Arrangements
The J.D./M.P.A. Program is jointly administered by the College of Law and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. Both colleges shall coordinate and monitor any changes that could lead to an adjustment in the integrated curriculum.
Admissions
A student must apply and be admitted to the College of Law and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration separately. A student’s LSAT score will be accepted by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration in lieu of a GRE score. Each college’s decision to admit or not to admit is based solely on that college’s selection criteria. Additionally, if a student is enrolled in both colleges in any semester, the highest tuition rate will apply to all credit hours taken.
Advising
The College of Law, and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration with the College of Graduate Studies, will provide academic advising to students in the J.D./M.P.A. Program.
Awarding of Degrees and Credit
A student enrolled in the J.D./M.P.A. Program will not receive either the J.D. or M.P.A. degree until all work required for both degrees has been completed. A student who withdraws from the Program and remains in either the College of Law or the Department of Political Science and Public Administration shall receive only so much credit for work in the other college as the Dean may authorize under the rules of that college. In addition, degrees must be awarded within time limits established by the College of Law, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and the College of Graduate Studies.
Under American Bar Association guidelines, courses in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration must be taken after a student’s initial enrollment in the College of Law to be eligible for credit toward the J.D. degree.
For more information, please contact:
College of Law
Kenneth Kilbert
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Law
419.530.5597
Kenneth.Kilbert@utoledo.edu
Department of Political Science and Public Administration
Lynn W. Bachelor
M.P.A. Program Director
419.530.6194
Lynn.bachelor@utoledo.edu
The College of Law recommends that joint-degree students remain apprised of the requirements for each degree they are pursuing. While the College of Law makes every effort to maintain timely information relating to the joint degree programs, because other colleges manage their own curricula and requirements, it is possible that information on this site could be out of date. Please check the other college’s website relating to the joint degree for additional information.