MPH/JD Program

Through this four-year program, you will earn an MPH degree in health services administration and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.

This collaborative program fosters the critical interrelationship between the delivery of health care services, the protection of public health and the legal system. You will be prepared to deal with the complexities of our current legal and health care systems, and to appreciate the expanding sources of conflict between individual and broader community-based health care needs and interests.

Curriculum

Our MPH curriculum provides comprehensive foundational public health knowledge, and practical skills needed to address current and emerging public health problems. You’ll complete a minimum of 43 credits.

The JD curriculum deepens your understanding of the work lawyers do and trains you on ways to approach complex legal problems. You will be equipped to address major problems and transactions from the start of your career. You'll complete 90 credits.

JD/MPH students can share a maximum of 12 credits toward both degrees. Qualifying LAW electives that may be shared with the MPH are:

  • LAW 715: Health Policy in the US (cross-listed as EEH 536)
  • LAW 718: Introduction to Health Care Organization (cross-listed as EEH 530)

Other requests for sharing courses are reviewed and approved by the MPH concentration director based on public health or health administration-related content, public health or population-level integration into the content, and applicability to the concentration.

Public health-relevant law clinics may be shared with the MPH field training requirement for up to 6 credits with approval from the MPH program director.

Course of Study

Complete 3 years of the JD and 1 year of the MPH. We recommend beginning with JD courses in Year 1. Your MPH can be completed any year.

Once accepted into the JD/MPH you must complete the JD within 5 years. See a possible course timeline below.

First Year - JD

Second Year - MPH

Third Year - JD

Fourth Year - JD

How to Apply

You will need to submit separate applications to and be admitted to the School of Law, and the School of Public Health and Health Professions.

Contact our concentration directors before applying in regards to completing courses in both schools so that they are accepted towards the combined degree.

Questions? Contact Us

Contact us at sphhp-eeh@buffalo.edu.