Program Overview
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 combination degree program, a student can obtain both degrees in approximately two semesters less than it would take to obtain them if pursued consecutively. 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 to either to the JD degree or to the MPH degree. During the subsequent two to three years, they complete the remaining course work, writing and experiential training for both degrees.
Graduation Requirements
All students in combination MPH programs must meet graduation requirements of the MPH. A student must satisfy the curriculum requirements for each degree before either degree is awarded. 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 six 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.
Click here to view the graduation requirements for the MPH program.
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 combination 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 combination degree program is not open to students who have already earned either the JD or the MPH degree.
Click here to view the admissions criteria for the Juris Doctor through UF College of Law.
Click here to view the admissions criteria for the Master of Public Health through the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions.
Timing of Application/Admission
Students are encouraged to announce their intent to seek a combination 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 combination 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 combination 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 combination degree program and are in good academic standing when studies commence in the first program.
Students should feel free to contact Telisha Martin (martints@phhp.ufl.edu; 352-273-6444) or Brian Mitchell (mitchell@law.ufl.edu; 352-273-0620) if they have questions regarding the MPH/JD degree program.