JD/MPH in Public Health Administration & Policy: Curriculum

Law School Curriculum

Law School JD degree requirements for students entering Fall 2009 include satisfactory completion of 88 semester credits, and six semesters of full-time enrollment (defined as 12 semester credits or more). First-year students are required to take a core curriculum totaling 30 credits and comprised of the following courses: Beyond that, all courses are elective, except that a student must take a course in Professional Responsibility (3 credits) and Constitutional Law II (3 credits) before graduating. In addition, each student must satisfy a second-year writing requirement (typically by participating in a moot court or serving as a staff member on one of the Law School's law reviews), as well as a third-year writing requirement (typically satisfied by taking a course meeting this requirement, completing an independent research paper meeting this requirement, which may be an MS thesis, Plan B paper, PhD dissertation, or capstone project, or serving as an editor on one of the Law School's law reviews).

To see requirements for students entering in years other than 2009, visit www.law.umn.edu/current/degreerequirements.html.

In addition, all students in the Joint Degree Program in Law, Health & the Life Sciences take a professional seminar. This 1-credit Proseminar is taught cooperatively by faculty involved in the Joint Degree Program, offered on a pass-fail basis, and required each Fall semester that a student is enrolled in the Joint Degree Program.

The mission of Public Health Administration & Policy is to prepare individuals for leadership positions in administration, information and analysis, and/or policy and advocacy in public health, managed care, or other organizations focusing on the health of populations. The major places a strong emphasis on values of advocacy for the public good, health promotion, and disease prevention. Individuals may select among three tracks for skill development within the program consistent with their background and professional goals. The three choices are administration/management, information/analytic skills, or policy/advocacy. Graduates in Public Health Administration & Policy are employed in settings such as health departments, disease prevention and health promotion programs, health systems agencies, managed care systems, community health centers, ambulatory care, and long-term care facilities.

Students pursue a program of 42 credits. Specified courses for all students, Field Experience, and a Master's Project are required. The required Master's Project serves as an opportunity for the student to demonstrate familiarity with the tools of research and scholarship in the field of public health, the ability to work independently, and the ability to present the results of investigation or implementation effectively. The purpose of the required Field Experience is to develop practical skills and competencies in public health administration practice and to provide an opportunity for the student to accumulate public health administration experience that will enhance job competence and/or placement following completion of the program.

As part of the admission application for the major, Public Health Administration & Policy will accept the LSAT in place of the GRE. For additional information about admission requirements, students should consult the School of Public Health website [www.sph.umn.edu].

Combining Curricula

Students in the Joint Degree Program combine their Law and science/health curricula by cross-counting up to 12 Law credits in their science or health program and up to 12 non-law credits in their Law School program. For more details, click on "Cross-Counting Courses" above.

JD/MS or JD/PhD students are eligible for a minor in bioethics, bioinformatics, or human genetics.