Public Affairs (JD/MPA)
Students completing the following course of study will be eligible to receive the JD degree from the School of Law and the MPA degree from the Harry S Truman School of Government and Public Affairs. This course of study may be completed in four years.
Normally, students require three years to complete the requirements for the JD degree and two years to complete the requirements for the MPA degree.
Application Procedure
Applicants to the Dual Degree Program must submit formal applications for admission to the School of Law and to the Harry S Truman School of Government and Public Affairs accompanied by a statement requesting permission to pursue the Dual Degree Program.
Students must meet the requirements for admission to both programs. Contact the Truman School and the School of Law for further information on admissions requirements.
Both applications and the request must normally be submitted before a student has substantially completed the requirements of either program. However, petitions requesting admission to the Dual Degree Program from students at more advanced stages in either program will be considered.
Degree Requirement Summary
The program outlined here meets requirements for the JD degree with 83 law credit hours, and 6 elective credit hours in public affairs, for a total of 89 credit hours. Requirements for the MPA degree are met with 21 credit hours of core courses, and 15 credit hours in elective and specialization courses (which include the 6 hours of Law electives).
Curriculum
The curriculum has been designed so that law and essentials in economics are addressed, followed by specialized courses in the upper levels. Students in the dual-degree program normally will spend their first year at the law school taking the traditional first-year law school curriculum. During the remainder of the program, students will take courses both in the School of Law and the Truman School of Public Affairs.
School of Law Required Courses
89 hours required for graduation
1st Year
5010, 5015 Civil Procedure (5)
5020, 5025 Contracts (6)
5035 Criminal Law (4)
5040 Property I (3)
5070 Torts (4)
5080 Legal Research and Writing (3)
5085 Advocacy and Research (3)
5095 Lawyering (2)
2nd Year
5220 Constitutional Law (4)
5260 Evidence (4)
2nd or 3rd Year
5045 Property II (3)
5240 Criminal Procedure (3)
5280 Professional Responsibility (3)
Law electives – 36 credits
Public Affairs electives – 6 credits (at level 7000 or higher)
*Students who are dismissed and readmitted or who otherwise are placed on probation at the end of the fall semester will be required to take Legal Reasoning, a course designed to assist students in meeting the graduation requirements. Those students in Legal Reasoning will not take Advocacy & Research until their second year.
Recommended Law School Electives
Of the 89 hours required for graduation, at least 83 hours of credit must be law school credit, including 47 hours of required course work. Six credit hours in elective courses at the Truman School of Public Affairs will be counted toward the 89 total hours required for graduation.
Public Affairs Program of Study
36 hours required for graduation
Required Courses (21 Credits)
PUB_AF 8110: Public and Nonprofit Management (3)
PUB_AF 8170: Public Policy Processes and Strategies (3)
PUB_AF 8180: Research Methods and Inquiry in Public Affairs I (3)
PUB_AF 8181: Research Methods and Inquiry in Public Affairs II (3)
PUB_AF 8210: Public Service and Democracy (3)
PUB_AF 8211: Capstone (3)
PUB_AF 8280: Internship (3) (with approval, LAW 5570 can substitute for PUB_AF 8280)
Law School Electives (3-6 credit hours)
Public Affairs Specialization Courses (9-12 )
Consult with your faculty mentor and academic advisor to select an additional 9 hours of public affairs electives to craft the course of study best suited to your career goals.
Public Management Focused Electives
PUB_AF 7340: Regional and Economic Development Policy (3)
PUB_AF 8150: Collaborative Governance (3)
PUB_AF 8160: Organizational Dynamics and Leadership (3)
PUB_AF 8190: Analysis for Public Affairs (3)
PUB_AF 8510: Public Budgeting and Taxation (3)
PUB_AF 7540: Local Government Management (3)
PUB_AF 8530: Strategic Management of Public Service Organizations (3)
PUB_AF 8520: Human Resource Management and Development in the Public and Nonprofit Sector (3)
Nonprofit Management Focused Electives
PUB_AF 8150: Collaborative Governance (3)
PUB_AF 7710: The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (3)
PUB_AF 8720: Budgeting and Financial Management in the Nonprofit Sector (3)
PUB_AF 8830: Grant Writing (3)
PUB_AF 8530: Strategic Management of Public Service Organizations (3)
PUB_AF 8520: Human Resource Management and Development in the Public and Nonprofit Sector (3)
Public Policy Focused Electives
PUB_AF 8190: Economic Analysis for Public Affairs (3)
PUB_AF 8420: Public Program Evaluation (3. Prerequisite: PUB_AF 8181)
PUB_AF 8430: Public Policy Analysis (3)
PUB_AF 7340: Regional and Economic Development Policy (3)
PUB_AF 8510: Public Budgeting and Taxation (3)
Policy
The School of Law cannot award credit for any class taken before matriculation at the School of Law. Dual degree candidates must, therefore, enroll at the School of Law before taking the 6 credits of Public Affairs courses to be counted toward the JD degree.
As soon as possible, students should file a Statement of Intention to pursue the JD/MPA Dual Degree Program with the Associate Dean of the Law School and the Director of Graduate Studies, Truman School of Public Affairs. The Statement of Intention may be a short letter simply stating the intention to pursue a dual degree. Students who have not submitted a Statement of Intention may not be considered Dual Degree candidates eligible to receive the benefits of the course of study outlined in these pages.
A Statement of Intention ceases to be effective when the student no longer intends to pursue the Dual Degree course of study. If a student wishes to withdraw from the Dual Degree Program, he or she should notify both the Associate Dean at the School of Law and the Director of Graduate Studies, Truman School of Public Affairs. Dual degree candidates who subsequently decide to pursue only the MPA or the JD degree must complete the degree program in its entirety and subject to the same rules and requirements as students not pursuing a dual degree.
Law students who receive credit under the dual degree program for taking Public Affairs courses may not receive credit for taking other classes outside the School of Law.
Student honors and class ranks at the School of Law will be computed on classes enrolled in as law courses and any cross-listed Law/Public Affairs course enrolled in as a law course.
The listing of courses does not constitute a binding commitment that the courses will be offered during the student’s course of study or that the graduation requirements will remain unchanged.
Students in the dual-degree program are subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to all students at the School of Law and the Truman School of Public Affairs.