Public Policy and Juris Doctor Dual Degree (M.P.P./J.D.)

The Public Policy and Juris Doctor (MPP/JD) Dual Degree program will provide you with a deep understanding of how legal and public policy issues relate and will equip you with the critical skills and knowledge required to tackle a broad range of complex public policy challenges and make a difference in the contemporary world of law and public policy.

Students start this dual degree program in the fall at the UNH Franklin Pierce Law School and complete at least one year of their Juris Doctor curriculum (Juris Doctor: Residential (J.D.) Program or Juris Doctor: Daniel Webster Scholar Honors (J.D.) Program) prior to starting their MPP program. Students complete their year of MPP coursework at the Carsey School of Public Policy in their second or third year of the MPP/JD Dual Degree program before returning to the UNH Franklin Pierce Law School to complete their JD coursework. In just three and one half years, students will graduate with two highly marketable and sought-after degrees.

Program Delivery & Location:  Academic courses for the JD program are offered in person on the UNH Franklin Pierce Law School campus in Concord, NH. Academic courses for the MPP program are offered in person on the UNH Durham, NH, campus with a portion of the MPP experiential learning taking place offsite: Washington, DC, for the Colloquium and at the Policy Internship site location (or at the site of their Legal Residency).

SAMPLE MPP/JD Dual Degree Academic Plan:

Notes:

¹

In general, the PPOL 998 Policy Internship is credit-bearing, supervised by a faculty member who will provide the academic structure to parallel the applied experience. In some cases, earning academic credit from a policy internship may not be possible including a UNH Franklin Pierce Law School Legal Residency; however, in such cases the experience still fulfills the MPP Internship requirement (PPOL 998A). If the Internship is not taken for credit (PPOL 998A), students are required to take an additional MPP-Approved elective course. It is highly recommended that students consult with their MPP Graduate Academic Advisor to determine the best path for the student.

²

Students choose two (2) elective courses from either the MPP Strategy and Communication Track or the MPP Policy Analysis Track list of courses.

³

The three (3) JD Elective courses chosen for this MPP/JD Dual Degree should have a policy-relevant component to the curriculum. Discussion with your MPP Graduate Academic Advisor should inform this choice.

Dual Degree Requirements

Students enrolled in the Master in Public Policy and Juris Doctor (MPP/JD) Dual Degree program are required to earn a minimum of 104 credits to successfully complete the dual degree which confers both an MPP degree and a JD degree. If both degrees are pursued separately, students are required to take a total of 125 Credits:  85 Credits for the JD degree and 40 Credits for the MPP degree. With the MPP/JD Dual Degree, the UNH Franklin Pierce Law School accepts up to 12 credits of approved MPP courses and the Carsey School of Public Policy accepts up to 9 credits of approved JD courses, reducing the total required credits to 104 and time to complete the two degrees to three and one half years, a savings of one year. It is highly recommended that students meet with their Graduate Academic Advisors from both programs prior to starting their Dual Degree to insure they have a clear understanding of each program's prerequisites, degree requirements, course schedules, and to determine the best time to take their MPP coursework. 

Students are required to start their first year of the MPP/JD Dual Degree program in the fall at the UNH Franklin Pierce Law School and complete at least one year of their Juris Doctor curriculum (Juris Doctor: Residential (J.D.) Program or Juris Doctor: Daniel Webster Scholar Honors (J.D.) Program) prior to starting their MPP program.

Students complete their year of MPP coursework at the Carsey School of Public Policy in their second or third year of the MPP/JD Dual Degree program with guidance from their JD Academic Advisor. Students are advised to have taken an introductory level economics class prior to starting their MPP program such as a “principles of economics” course (macro or micro). 

JD Degree Requirements

Juris Doctor: Residential (J.D.)
Juris Doctor: Daniel Webster Scholar Honors (J.D.)

MPP Degree Requirements

(includes JD elective course credit):

¹

In general, the PPOL 998 Policy Internship is credit-bearing, supervised by a faculty member who will provide the academic structure to parallel the applied experience. In some cases, earning academic credit from a policy internship may not be possible including a UNH Franklin Pierce Law School Legal Residency; however, in such cases the experience still fulfills the MPP Internship requirement (PPOL 998A). If the Internship is not taken for credit (PPOL 998A), students are required to take an additional MPP-Approved elective course. It is highly recommended that students consult with their MPP Graduate Academic Advisor to determine the best path for the student.

²

Students choose two (2) elective courses from either the MPP Strategy and Communication Track or the MPP Policy Analysis Track list of courses.

³

JD Elective courses chosen for this MPP/JD Dual Degree should have a policy-relevant component to the curriculum. Discussion with your MPP Graduate Academic Advisor should inform this choice.
 

• Apply basic methods of policy development and analysis to design and evaluate public policy
• Demonstrate competency in public speaking and writing related to public policy
• Demonstrate competency in strategic and tactical skills for achieving policy objectives
• Utilize data and research to inform policy design and advocacy
• Understand policy profession norms and ethics
• Apply critical thinking skills to address policy-relevant questions
• Legal analysis and reasoning: Graduates will be able to identify, comprehend, and apply the relevant substantive and procedural laws to solve a legal issue, informed by an understanding of the diversity of viewpoints on and contexts for any issue.
• Written and oral communication: Graduates will be able to present material effectively in these formats for both objective analytical and advocacy purposes across a range of settings, including in the courtroom.
• Professionalism: Graduates will be able to act in an ethical, respectful, and self-aware manner with all other stakeholders, including clients, employers, and the court.
• Legal research: Graduates will be able to navigate and assess relevant legal authorities using appropriate tools.
• Public service: Graduates will be able to contribute productively to strengthening the justice system, with a sensitivity toward the needs of people facing societal barriers.
• Problem solving: Graduates will be able to engage in focused and pragmatic collaboration toward goals.
• Client counseling and management: Graduates will be able to provide trustworthy and responsive action upon clients’ matters.
• Factual investigation and analysis: Graduates will be able to implement a strategic plan for information-gathering, which includes the ability to iterate on the plan as needed, and evaluate the results of the information obtained.

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Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

• Fall:  August 1
• Spring: December 15 (Deadline extended to January 3 for Spring 2025)
• Summer: N/A
• Special: N/A

Application Fee: Application fee waived for MPP/JD applicants

Campus: JD offered in Concord and MPP offered in Durham

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

• Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
• Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Test Scores: LSAT Required

Applicants to the dual degree program should submit their LSAT scores (have them sent from the Law School).

For general information about test scores required for admission into our programs please visit our Test Scores webpage.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions:

This should be a clear, concise statement of the applicant’s relevant past experiences, including academics, research, and/or work experience. The statement should also include an expression of interests and an explanation of the student’s goals in pursuing a master's degree.

Statements must be included with your submitted application.

Resume

Resume is optional but recommended.

Additional Department Requirements:

In addition to the three letters of recommendation a complete application will include a statement of support from UNH Law. Current UNH Law students must request a statement of support from Lauren Berger (Lauren.Berger@law.unh.edu), the UNH Law Assistant Dean for Students. Ask to have the letter sent directly to you as you will need to upload it below to submit your application. For new students you may upload a copy of your admit offer letter in lieu of a formal statement of support.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

Applicants may be asked to interview either in person or by conference call with the program director and/or the graduate program coordinator. Applicants are highly encouraged to contact the MPP program office for information on applying. Please visit the UNH School of Law Dual Degree webpage for MPP/JD Dual Degree Guidelines. Admission to the JD/MPP program requires pre-stipulation of a B (3.0) grade point average at the end of the first JD year. 

Additional Details for International Applicants

All prospective international students are strongly recommended to submit a pre-application on the graduate school website prior to applying to the program, please see the International Applicants Instructions page for additional requirements. TOEFL scores are required if English is not your first language.