Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health (JD/MPH) Joint Degree

Joint Degree Programs

Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health (JD/MPH) Joint Degree

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Students with an interest in public health law and policy may choose to pursue a joint JD/MPH degree offered collaboratively by the College of Law and the College of Public Health and Health Professions. Under the joint degree program, a student can obtain both degrees in approximately two semesters less than it would take to obtain them if pursued consecutively.

Click on the links below to learn more about this exciting program.

Program description
Admission criteria and process
Timing of application/admission
Eligible grades
Writing requirement
Program completion requirements
Award of degree
Program withdrawal
Teaching assistantships
Supervisory committee
MPH internship requirement
MPH culminating experience
Sample MPH curriculum
Contact us

Program description

The JD/MPH joint degree program adds about one academic year to the time required to complete the JD degree. The MPH, a 48 credit program, usually takes 2 years to complete. The timeframe is shorter for the joint degree because the two programs share 12 credits of required coursework and up to 15 credits of MPH core courses may be taken online. Students may choose to devote the entire first year of study either to the JD degree or to the MPH degree. During the subsequent 2-3 years, they complete remaining course work, writing, and experiential training for both degrees.

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Admission criteria and process

Candidates for the program must meet the entrance requirements and procedures for admission to both the Juris Doctor and the Master of Public Health degree programs. Both programs must be informed by the student at the time of application to the second program that he/she intends to pursue the joint JD/MPH program. Because the time span from application to admission is more extended in the College of Law than for the Master of Public Health, it is generally recommended that students seek and gain admission to the College of Law first and make the MPH the second program. The joint degree program is not open to students who have already earned either the JD or the MPH degree. Additional information regarding admission to each program may be found at http://www.law.ufl.edu/admissions/ and http://www.mph.ufl.edu/admissions/

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Timing of application/admission

Students are encouraged to announce their intent to seek a joint degree as soon as possible after admission to the first program. Admission to the second program is required no later than the end of the fourth consecutive semester after beginning one degree of the joint degree program. A summer term is counted as half a single semester.

Students admitted to one program but electing to spend the first academic year in the second program under the joint degree program may enter the first program thereafter without once again qualifying for admission so long as they have notified the first program before the end of the first week of the first semester in the joint degree program and are in good academic standing when studies commence in the first program.

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Eligible grades

Master of Public Health courses, which are to be credited toward the J.D. degree, must carry a grade of B or higher but will not be counted in the College of Law grade point average. College of Law courses that are to be credited toward the MPH degree must carry a grade of C or higher but will not be counted in the grade point average for the MPH degree program.

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Writing requirement

Students enrolled in the joint degree program must complete the College of Law’s advanced writing requirement.

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Program completion requirements

A student must satisfy the curriculum requirements for each degree before either degree is awarded. Click here to view the MPH graduation requirements and a full description of the MPH program. (http://mph.ufl.edu/programs/oncampusprograms/master-of-public-health/).

The MPH, a 48-credit program, will allow 12 credits of appropriate law courses to be credited toward both MPH and JD degrees. Reciprocally, law students may receive toward the satisfaction of the JD degree 12-semester credits for courses taken in the graduate curriculum for the MPH degree. Two of these courses, not more than a total of 6 semester credits, will be treated as the two graduate courses ordinarily allowed to be taken outside of the College of Law for credit toward Law School graduation. Students must carry the minimum number of credits required by either college.

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Award of degree

A student enrolled in the joint degree program will not receive either degree until he/she has satisfied all of the requirements for both degrees, or until he/she has satisfied the requirements of one of the degrees as if he/she had not been a joint degree candidate.

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Program withdrawal

Withdrawal from the MPH Program: Students who enroll in the joint degree program but do not complete the program may receive credit toward the College of Law degree under the graduate level course option for a maximum of two courses, not to exceed 6 semester credits, taken from the graduate curriculum of the MPH program of the College of Public Health and Health Professions. Although the grade is not computed in the student’s grade point average, a grade of B or higher must be earned to receive credit hours for the course(s).

Withdrawal from the JD Program: Students who enroll in the joint degree program but do not complete the program may receive credit toward the MPH, not to exceed 6 semester credits, taken from the curriculum of the College of Law. Although the grade is not computed in the student’s grade point average, a grade of C or higher must be earned to receive credit hours for the course(s). These 6 credits will only satisfy the elective credits in the MPH program unless otherwise approved by the MPH program director.

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Teaching assistantships

Students in the joint program are eligible for graduate teaching assistantships and research assistantships in the College of Public Health and Health Professions on the same basis as other graduate students, subject to the guidelines and restrictions set by the MPH Program.

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Supervisory committee

To facilitate student progress in the joint program, the MPH supervisory committee is comprised of one MPH faculty member and one faculty member from the College of Law.

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MPH internship requirement

The concepts presented via coursework are integrated and assimilated through an internship, which provides an opportunity for each student to apply his or her knowledge in a practice setting. A wide range of settings and opportunities may be suitable for an internship. Each internship is individually tailored to assure competence in general MPH and concentration-specific skills and to meet student goals, concentration criteria, and the needs of the agencies involved. The internship is usually completed in the student’s final term in the MPH year, and always includes a special project that serves as the basis for a final oral and written report. The internship and the special project must be approved by the student’s supervisory committee chair.

MPH culminating experience

Students attain a depth in public health knowledge and skills by selecting one core area for their concentrations. They obtain a broad knowledge base of public health issues and perspectives through the MPH core courses and electives. The concepts presented in these courses are integrated and assimilated through the internship, which provides an opportunity for each student to apply his or her knowledge in the real world of public health. Students may engage in many activities during an internship. However, each student must have one special project which serves as the basis for a major paper and a presentation. These final activities of the MPH program are intended to encourage students to understand their projects in the larger context of public health as a cross-disciplinary field and in relation to the competencies expected of all MPH graduates. Student presentations are scheduled on one or two Public Health Days near the end of fall, spring and summer semesters. The written paper and oral presentation constitute a culminating experience for the MPH.

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Sample MPH curriculum

Below is a sample of the MPH curriculum JD students will follow during the year devoted to MPH studies (either year 1 or 2). Most JD students choose Pubic Health Management and Policy for their concentrations, although they are eligible to choose any of the other concentration options. A complete list of the courses required for the JD may be found at http://www.law.ufl.edu/academics/degree-programs/juris-doctor/course-selection

Joint JD/MPH, Public Health Management and Policy Concentration, 48 credits

* F=Fall; S=Spring; ss=Summer. ( ) denote semester offered online.
Class schedules are subject to change each semester. Students should verify course offerings and contact appropriate department for permission to register prior to registration.

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Contact us

Telisha S. Martin, MA, MHSE
Associate Director, MPH Program
College of Public Health & Health Professions
University of Florida
Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone: 352-273-6443 Fax: 352-273-6199
martints@phhp.ufl.edu

Mary Peoples-Sheps, Dr.PH
Associate Dean for Public Health Development and Practice
College of Public Health & Health Professions
University of Florida
Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone: 352-273-6084 Fax: 352-273-6199
mpeoplessheps@phhp.ufl.edu

Kari Mattox, JD
Assistant Dean of Students
Frederic G. Levin College of Law
164 Holland Hall
P.O. Box 117621
Gainesville, FL 32611-7621
Phone: 352-273-0620
Email: mattoxk@law.ufl.edu

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