USC
University of Southern California
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Dual Degree Programs

Master of Public Administration and Juris Doctor

The dual degree program with the USC Gould School of Law and the School of Policy, Planning, and Development enables qualified students to earn a Juris Doctor/ Master of Public Administration (J.D./M.P.A.) in approximately four years of study.

Some of the topics covered in the Law School are also covered in the program of the School of Policy, Planning, and Development, so some credit toward the law degree may appropriately be given for specified graduate work taken in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development. Similarly, some credit toward the master's degree may appropriately be awarded for certain work completed in the Law School. The goal of the program is to encourage law students to gain a recognized competence in administration, which has a direct relevance for the roles lawyers are asked to play in society.

Students must apply to, and be accepted by, both schools. They may be accepted to a dual degree program at the time of their acceptance to the Law School or at the beginning of their second year of law school. The program requires the completion of the required first year of law school and the fulfillment of a statistics prerequisite, either by passing a proficiency examination or by successfully completing PPD 404x Statistics for Policy, Planning, and Development before beginning work on the M.P.A. To earn the J.D., all students (including dual degree students) must complete 35 numerically graded law units at USC after the first year. The associate dean may make exceptions to this rule for students enrolled in Law School Honors programs.

Credit toward the law degree may not be given for graduate work completed prior to the completion of the first year of law school. The School of Policy, Planning, and Development, on the other hand, may allow some credit toward the M.P.A. for approved work completed prior to the first year of law school.

Students are required to complete 97 units of course work.

Curriculum Requirements
First Year Required Law School courses

Second and Third Year The remaining 39 units of law school courses, 32 additional units of public administration courses. These courses are from the M.P.A. core (PPD 500, PPD 501, PPD 540 and PPD 546) and management competencies (PPD 542 or PPD 557 or PPD 666, PPD 541, PPD 545) and a PPD elective.