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
The 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 can 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 three years of the JD and one 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 five years. See a possible course timeline below.
First Year - JD
Second Year - MPH
Foundational and concentration-required courses
- CHB 501 Study of Health Behavior (3 cr.)
- EEH 501 Introduction to Epidemiology (Fall, 4 cr.) OR EEH 500 Principles of Epidemiology (Spring, 3 cr.)
- EEH 530 Introduction to Health Care Organization* (3 cr.)
- EEH 536 Health Policy in the United States* (3 cr.)
- EEH 590 Public Health Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation (2 cr.)
- STA 527 Statistical Analysis I (4 cr.)
* May qualify as shared credits between JD and MPH.
Remaining foundational and concentration-required courses
- CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice (2 cr.)
- EEH 501 Introduction to Epidemiology (Fall, 4 cr.) OR EEH 500 Principles of Epidemiology (Spring, 3 cr.)
- EEH 532 Financial Management for Public Health Practitioners (3 cr.)
- EEH 538 Introduction to Health Economics* (3 cr.)
- EEH 550 Environmental Health (3 cr.)
Complete 4 elective courses in any year, any semester. Some courses taken during JD years may also qualify as MPH electives.
Health services administration elective course options (3 cr. each)*
Field training experience (may be shared with a future JD practice experience)
EEH 544 Field Training (3 cr.)*
Integrative project
EEH 630 Integrative Project (3 cr.)
* May qualify as shared credits between JD and 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 the concentration directors before applying in regards to completing courses in both schools so that they are accepted towards the combined degree.
Academic Calendar
Questions? Contact Us
Program Contact
Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health
270 Farber Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214
Email: sphhp-eeh@buffalo.edu
