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DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS

The College of Law offers a number of unique interdisciplinary educational opportunities. Dual degree programs with other graduate schools at the university include:

JD/Master of Business Administration

Learn more about the JD/Master of Business Administration dual degree program »

The S.J. Quinney College of Law and the David Eccles School of Business offer a joint degree program in which students may earn the JD and a Master of Business Administration degrees in four years. Recognizing the close relationship between the business and legal communities, the program helps business managers and corporate counsel understand each other’s concerns, constraints, and objectives.

Applicants interested in this program must submit separate admission applications to the College of Law and to the MBA Program. Each program has its own independent admissions standards, and admission to one program does not ensure admission to the other. Students must take the LSAT for the law program and GMAT for the MBA program. Students may enter the joint program:

  • At the time they are initially accepted by both the College of Law and the School of Business, or
  • During the first year of law school, if they are accepted for admission by the School of Business, or
  • During the first year of the MBA program, if they are accepted for admission to the College of Law

Students will not be admitted to the joint program if they have begun their second year of law school or their advanced MBA coursework. Students entering the joint program must take the first year of law school study without enrolling in other courses.

The time required to complete the joint MBA/JD degree is shorter than the time required to complete both programs independently, because required courses in one college fulfill elective requirements in the other college. The College of Law and the School of Business will each accept up to 12 credit hours taken in the other college. All MBA classes used to fulfill the law school’s elective requirements must be advanced classes and must be approved by the College of Law.

A student enrolled in the JD/MBA Joint Degree Program who wishes to count credits taken in one program toward fulfilling the degree in the other program must complete all requirements of both programs before either degree will be awarded. For more information on the MBA program, please visit https://eccles.utah.edu/programs/mba/full-time-mba/curriculum/.

Students will pay College of Law block rate tuition for law school courses and MBA tuition for business school courses. Tuition information is available at http://fbs.admin.utah.edu/income/tuition/.


JD/MPA Dual Degree Program

Learn more about the JD/Master of Public Administration dual degree program »

The S.J. Quinney College of Law and the Department of Political Science have adopted the following program to enable students to pursue both a JD degree and a Master of Public Administration degree simultaneously.

Students enrolled in the joint degree program may count up to 12 credit hours of College of Law class work towards fulfilling the 42 credit-hour requirement of the MPA degree, and may count up to 12 credit hours of MPA class work toward fulfilling the 88 credit-hour requirement of the JD degree. Upon completion of both programs, the student earns two separate degrees — a JD degree awarded by the College of Law and an MPA degree awarded by the Department of Political Science.

Because the overall credit requirements for both degrees are reduced by 24 credit hours, a student enrolled in the joint degree program can expect to complete the two degrees in approximately eight semesters of full-time study. A student enrolled in the JD/MPA Joint Degree Program must complete all JD and all MPA requirements before either degree will be awarded.

Applicants interested in this program must submit separate admission applications to the College of Law and to the MPA Program. Each program has its own independent admissions standards, and admission to one program does not ensure admission to the other. The MPA program will accept LSAT scores in lieu of a GRE score. Please contact the MPA office for more information.

Applicants interested in pursuing the JD/MPA joint degree are encouraged to apply to both programs at the same time. However, a law student may apply to the MPA program (and thus be eligible to earn a joint degree) prior to completion of the first year of law school. An MPA student who enrolls in the law program after matriculating in the MPA program will have limitations imposed on those MPA credit hours that can count toward the law degree. The College of Law will not give law credit for an MPA course unless the applicant has successfully completed the first year at the College of Law.

A student enrolled in the JD/MPA Joint Degree Program who wishes to count credits taken in one program toward fulfilling the degree in the other program must complete all requirements of both programs before either degree will be awarded.

For more information on the MPA program, please visit http://mpa.utah.edu/prospective-students/index.php. Students will pay College of Law tuition for law school courses and regular graduate tuition (resident or non resident) for MPA courses. Tuition information is available at http://fbs.admin.utah.edu/income/tuition/.


JD/MPP Dual Degree Program

Learn more about the JD/Master of Public Policy dual degree program »

The University of Utah Master of Public Policy/Juris Doctor joint degree is designed to combine students’ applied interests and training in public policy with the comprehensive legal training gained through the S.J. Quinney College of Law JD program. Both programs recognize the growing interrelationship between the public and private sectors and the increased need for leaders with a combination of policy-related skills and specializations in analysis, economics and law.

Students can earn both the MPP and JD in a four-year period. Individuals considering a career in policymaking in government, nonprofits, and in the private sector that require professional training in both legal and policy analysis are encouraged to apply. To apply for the joint degree program, students must submit separate admissions applications to the College of Law and the MPP program meeting the requirements for each. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other. Please contact the MPP office for information on their standardized test requirements. Students are encouraged to apply to both programs at the same time, however, a law student may apply to the MPP program during their first year of law school and thus be able to complete the joint degree program. Students are required to satisfy the regular admissions requirements for each program and be accepted into each program.

Students spend their first year in the joint program at the Law School completing the required units of law courses. During the second, third and fourth years, students are able to take law and/or public policy courses. Students may count up to nine credit hours of College of Law class work toward fulfilling the 40 credit-hour requirement of the MPP degree, and may count up to twelve credit hours of MPP class work toward fulfilling the 88 credit-hour requirement of the JD degree. Upon completion of all requirements of both programs, students earn two separate degrees, a JD degree awarded by the College of Law and a MPP degree awarded by the College of Social and Behavioral Science.

The overall credit requirements for both degrees is reduced by 21 credit hours, and students can expect to complete the two degrees in approximately eight semesters of full-time study. Students admitted in the JD/MPP Joint Degree Program must complete all JD and all MPP requirements before either degree will be awarded. For more information on the MPP program, please visit http://mpp.utah.edu/program-options/degree-options/index.php

Students will pay College of Law tuition for law school courses and regular graduate tuition (resident or nonresident) for public policy courses. Tuition information is available at http://fbs.admin.utah.edu/income/tuition/.


JD/MSW Dual Degree Program

Learn more about the JD/Master of Social Work dual degree program »

The JD/MSW program is based on the premise that, because there is complementary intellectual benefit from studying law and social work in a coordinated program, a student enrolled in the joint degree program should be allowed to earn both degrees in less time and with a lower overall credit requirement than a student enrolled in each school or program independently. Accordingly, students enrolled in the joint degree program may count up to 10 credit hours of College of Law course work towards fulfilling the 60 credit-hour requirement of the MSW degree, and may count up to 12 credit hours of MSW course work towards fulfilling the 88 credit-hour requirement of the JD degree. Upon completion of both programs, the student earns two separate degrees, a JD degree awarded by the College of Law and an MSW degree awarded by the College of Social Work.

Because the overall credit requirements for both degrees may be reduced by up to 24 credit hours, a student enrolled in the joint degree program can expect to complete the two degrees in approximately eight semesters of full-time study. However, a student enrolled in the JD/MSW Joint Degree Program must complete all JD and all MSW requirements before either degree will be awarded. For more information, please visit the following link: http://www.law.utah.edu/documents/j-d-m-s-w/.


JD/MCMP Dual Degree Program

Learn more about the JD/Master of City & Metropolitan Planning dual degree program »

The University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and the College of Architecture and Planning offer a dual degree program that enables students to earn Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of City & Metropolitan Planning (MCMP) degrees simultaneously.

This dual degree program takes advantage of complementary intellectual benefits from studying law and city and metropolitan planning in a coordinated program. Students seeking to take advantage of the JD/MCMP program must meet current University of Utah admission standards and be accepted into both the JD and MCMP programs. Specifically, students enrolled in the dual degree program may count up to 12 credit hours of JD class work towards fulfilling the 48 credit-hour requirement of the MCMP degree, and may count up to 12 credit hours of MCMP class work towards fulfilling the 88 credit-hour requirement of the JD degree. Upon completion of both programs, the student earns two separate degrees, a JD degree awarded by the College of Law and an MCMP degree awarded by the College of Architecture + Planning.

Because the overall credit requirements for both degrees are reduced by 24 credit hours, a student enrolled in the dual degree program can expect to complete the two degrees in approximately 8 semesters of full-time study. If a student were to complete the programs independently, it would take 10 semesters of full-time study. Students admitted in the JD/MCMP Joint Degree Program must complete all JD and all MCMP requirements before either degree will be awarded. For more information on the JD-MCMP Program, please visit http://plan.cap.utah.edu/master-of-city-and-metropolitan-planning/.


JD/MRED Dual Degree Program

Learn more about the JD/Master of Real Estate Development dual degree program »

The S.J. Quinney College of Law and the David Eccles School of Business have adopted the following program to enable students to pursue both a JD degree and an MRED degree simultaneously. Recognizing there is complementary intellectual benefit from studying law and real estate in a coordinated program, a student enrolled in the dual degree program should be allowed to earn both degrees in less time and with a lower overall credit requirement than were that student enrolled in each school or program independently. Accordingly, students enrolled in the dual degree program may count up to 12 credit hours of College of Law class work towards fulfilling the 42 credit-hour requirement of the MRED degree, and may count up to 12 credit hours of MRED class work towards fulfilling the 88 credit-hour requirement of the JD degree. Upon completion of both programs, the student earns two separate degrees, a JD degree awarded by the College of Law and an MRED degree awarded by the School of Business.

Applicants interested in pursuing the JD/MRED dual degree are encouraged to apply to both programs at the same time. Nonetheless, a law student may apply to the MRED program (and thus be eligible to earn a dual degree) prior to completion of the first year of law school. However, an MRED student who enrolls in the law program after matriculating in the MRED program will have limitations imposed on those MRED credit hours that can count towards the law degree. For more information on the MRED program and core courses, visit https://eccles.utah.edu/programs/master-of-real-estate-development/academics/degree-requirements/.