Message from the Director

Minnesota is training experts in the legal, ethical, and policy problems posed by health, the sciences, and the environment in the 21st century. Our students are becoming leaders in areas such as managed care and health policy, intellectual property issues in biotechnology, and environmental law and policy. Students in the Program are able to obtain a JD together with an MS, PhD, MD, or MPH in less time and with more academic support and potentially more financial support than if they pursued the two degrees separately. The Program presents 3 lecture series, an annual conference, and an annual symposium to draw scholars in these fields to campus. Students are also able to take advantage of close relationships we are building between the Program and practicing attorneys, policymakers, and business people.

The Joint Degree Program shares office space, staff, and resources with the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences. The Consortium, founded in 2000, links leading University centers working on law and values in health, the life sciences, and the environment. The Consortium co-sponsors the Joint Degree Program's annual conference and lecture series. The Consortium also assists in hiring key faculty crossing disciplinary lines; supports curricular innovation on the societal implications of the life sciences; offers grants to faculty, graduate and professional students, and programs to support innovative cross-disciplinary work; works with governmental, community, and industry partners on these interdisciplinary problems; and links this entire community through electronic and hard-copy resources.

Over 400 faculty members drawn from the University of Minnesota's Law School, Graduate School, Medical School, School of Public Health, College of Biological Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural & Natural Resources Science, Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs, and Center for Bioethics are all active in the Joint Degree Program. This wide range of faculty members and areas of study reflect the University's commitment to interdisciplinary research, including the study of human genetics and genomics; microbial, plant, and animal genomics; neuroscience; developmental biology; environmental and health policy; the analysis of technology; molecular and neuropharmacology; health law; and bioethics.

To train students dually in law and the life sciences, the Joint Degree Program offers more than 20 degree combinations. Plus, on a case-by-case basis, ad hoc degree combinations may be arranged such as a JD/MS in Computer Science and a JD/MS in Water Resources Science.

New degree combinations are also being introduced to the program. The Joint Degree Program will soon add a JD/MHA combination in Healthcare Administration. For more information on the MHA, visit www.sph.umn.edu/education/mha/home.html. Students pursuing Graduate School degrees have the option of completing graduate minors in Bioethics, Bioinformatics or Human Genetics. A Concentration in Health Law & Bioethics is also available.

The Joint Degree Program is pleased to offer the following degree combinations:

a JD in Law
http://www.law.umn.edu
612-625-3487
in combination with the following.

a JD with an MS or PhD in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology & Genetics
http://mcdbg.umn.edu/
612-624-7470

for those interested in environmental studies:

a JD with an MS or PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
http://www.cbs.umn.edu/eeb/graduateprogram/
612-625-5700

a JD with an MS or PhD in Conservation Biology
http://www.consbio.umn.edu
612-624-7751

a JD with an MS, PhD, or MPH in Environmental Health
http://www1.umn.edu/eoh
612-626-0900

a JD with an MS or PhD in Natural Resource Science and Management
http://www.nrsm.umn.edu
612-624-2748

for those interested in medicine & health policy:

a JD with an MD in Medicine
http://www.meded.umn.edu/
612-624-8101

a JD with an MS or PhD in Health Services Research, Policy & Administration
http://www.sph.umn.edu/education/hsrp/home.html
612-624-9432

a JD with an MPH in Public Health Administration & Policy
http://www.sph.umn.edu/education/phap/home.html
612-624-8818

a JD with an MPH in Epidemiology
http://www.sph.umn.edu/education/epi/home.html
612-626-8802

a JD with an MPH in Maternal and Child Health
http://www.sph.umn.edu/education/mch/home.html
612-626-8802

a JD with an MPH in Community Health Education
http://www.epi.umn.edu/
612-626-8802

for those interested in science, technology & environmental policy:

a JD with an MS in Science, Technology & Environmental Policy
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/academics/gradprograms/ms/
612-626-7229

for those interested in drug research & development:

a JD with an MS or PhD in Pharmacology
http://www.pharmacology.med.umn.edu
612-625-2685

Students must apply to the Law School and School of Public Health (for the MPH), Graduate School (for the MS or PhD) or Medical School (for the MD) and be admitted by both units. A student already enrolled in one can apply to the other. For more information on applying and access to the forms, go to applying. For Law School applications and information, you may also call 612-625-3487. For Graduate School applications and information, call the individual Graduate Program, as listed above. You may also wish to call the Graduate School at 612-625-3014. For School of Public Health applications and information, call 612-626-3500 or the individual programs as listed above.