McCourt School of Public Policy
McCourt School of Public Policy

MPP/JD

Master in Public Policy/Juris Doctor

The MPP/JD is designed to combine students’ applied interests and training in public policy, with the comprehensive legal training gained through the JD program. The program recognizes that one important career path for attorneys lies in the field of public policymaking and that lawyers who pursue this career path will benefit greatly by an education that includes policy content and process coupled with grounding in research methodology, statistics and economics. Likewise, career professionals in public policy can function more effectively when they have a working understanding of law and legal institutions.

Applicants interested in applying to the MPP/JD program can complete and submit both the MPP and the JD applications to the respective schools simultaneously. However, it is also possible for students in either the MPP or JD program to apply to the other half of the dual program during their first year of enrollment. Please be aware that since admissions decisions are always made independently by the McCourt School and the Law School, enrollment in one program does not guarantee acceptance to the other program. More information about the JD program is available on Georgetown Law’s website .

The dual degree consists of 39-credit hours of public policy coursework and 76-credit hours of law coursework (115 total credit hours) over four years, rather than the five years normally required when completing the degrees separately. Although there is some flexibility in order to accommodate students’ specific professional and academic goals, students attending the McCourt School in year one typically pursue the following course of study:

Typical Course of Study

FIRST YEAR  (24 MPP credits)