JD/MPA SJ Masters in Public Administration

Cincinnati Law has long-been a leader in supporting social justice and human rights thought leadership and action through its institutes and specialized coursework.

The joint JD/MPA SJ in the Public Administration program provides students unique opportunities to engage in rigorous, interdisciplinary and study of law and public administration program that is focused on social justice.

The Master’s in Public Administration program at the University of Cincinnati is a social justice focused program (MPA SJ). Students are able to pursue their passion for public policy and social innovation and prepare themselves to meet the increasing need for leaders in the public sector. In addition to the traditional core competencies, this program centers social justice and equity in all levels of government and nonprofit organizations. The MPA SJ offers students the opportunity to: study with renowned faculty, gain skills necessary to become effective agents for change, learn through interdisciplinary curricula in areas.

In our JD/MPA SJ program, you can earn both degrees over the course of just FOUR years. You will take courses in both programs, develop your own research projects and have the opportunity to put your learning to use in the real world along the way.

Students interested in pursuing the dual degree would need to apply separately and be admitted to both the College of Law and the MPA programs.  Applicants may apply simultaneously to both schools.  The MPA program does not require any test scores for admissions, so students will only need to provide LSAT scores to the Law School.  Alternately, a student could apply to Law School during their first year in the MPA program.  As long as that desire for a dual degree is communicated with advising staff, the MPA program can accommodate the extra courses required in the first MPA year.  In both cases, a student could decide to add the joint degree during their first year of either program, provided they have met the requirements for both programs (i.e., taken the LSAT). Each school’s decision to admit or not to admit is based solely on that school’s selection criteria.  If applicants apply simultaneously to both schools and are admitted to both, a deferment must be requested to one of the two schools.  Alternatively, an applicant may apply only to the College of Law and then apply to the SPIA’s MPA program before the end of their first year of law school.

Your core courses are designed to be completed in your first two years of study. Your last two years, then, remain open to a wide array of courses across the College of Law and the MPA program, allowing you to concentrate on the intersection of their interests in public service and the law while developing an advanced understanding of both fields. Graduates of the joint JD/MPA SJ program will be able to engage in any number of diverse career opportunities, including but not limited to working in local, state, and national governments, nonprofit agencies, grassroots/community-based organizations, among others. Our expert faculty will help you tailor your courses to help you meet your professional and personal goals.

•  Introduction to Public Administration
• Public Budgeting and Finance
• Political & Legal Processes
• Public Sector Management
• Methods of Interpretation in Social Sciences
• Statistics for Political Science I
• Policy Research and Evaluation Methods

• Constitutional Law I & II
• Contracts
• Torts
• Civil Procedure I & II
• Criminal Law
• Property
• Legal Research and Writing/Advocacy

• Policy Design: from Idea to Implementation
• Behavioral Public Administration and Decision-Making
• Pro-seminar in Public Opinion and Public Policy
• Administrative Law
• Nonprofit Law
• Asylum and Refugee Law
• Crimmigration
• Feminist Jurisprudence
• Race and the Law
• Environmental Law I & II

Law students must complete 90 credit hours, with at least 77 credits resulting from classroom work. Joint Degree candidates may finish both degrees in four years by applying a number of credits to both programs. Specifically, Joint Degree students may satisfy 8 law school classroom credit hours through the MA program, so only 82 additional credit hours are required; 69 of those must be classroom hours. In addition to the general credit requirements, law students have an upper-level writing requirement and a seminar requirement.

As a Joint Degree student,  you’ll be able to take advantage of experiential opportunities offered by both the College of Law and the MPA SJ Program.  The joint degree program offers students the unique opportunity to connect with a network of professionals currently working for social justice in the intersection of law, public, and non-profit administration.

Dr. Jenn Dye (lawrgsj@ucmail.uc.edu)

Director, The Nathaniel R. Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice

College of Law

Dr. Kimberley Conger (SPIA-Grad@uc.edu)

Director, Master of Public Administration Program

School of Public and International Affairs

MPA SJ and JD Program on the SPIA webpage (link to: https://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/spia/interested-in-our-programs/graduate-programs/ma-master-of-public-administration-social-justice.html)