JD/Master of Public Policy
In collaboration with the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke Law School offers the opportunity to pursue a JD/Master of Public Policy dual degree. Candidates apply separately to the Law School and the Sanford School and receive independent admission decisions.
Students admitted to the JD/MPP program complete both degrees in four years. Some choose to spend their first year at the law school, and their second year at the Sanford School, and take classes from both during their third and fourth years. Others reverse the order of the first two years of study, beginning at the Sanford School and then completing the first year of law school.
Master of Public Policy
Duke's MPP program combines a rigorous core curriculum with a wide variety of electives and real-world projects. Students may concentrate in global policy, social policy, or health policy. The program also includes applied consulting projects with outside clients on a variety of real-world policy problems, a summer internship, and a substantial research-based master's project.
Public Policy at Duke Law
Duke Law offers a variety of resources for students interested in the policy aspects of the legal profession.
Submit a JD application to the Law School and indicate your intention to apply for the dual degree on that form. Concurrently, submit your application to the Sanford School of Public Policy for the MPP. Follow their directions to indicate that you are also applying to the Law School.
It is also possible to matriculate into one degree program at Duke and apply to the other during the first year of study.
Each school will complete its normal application review process, and you will receive separate decisions for each degree. These processes run on different timelines, so you are not guaranteed to receive the decisions at the same time.
If you are admitted to both degrees, you may choose where to begin your studies at Duke. Please be sure to notify the schools of your decision so that they can manage their classes appropriately.
In collaboration with the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke Law School offers the opportunity to pursue a JD/Master of Public Policy dual degree. Candidates apply separately to the Law School and the Sanford School and receive independent admission decisions.
Students admitted to the JD/MPP program complete both degrees in four years. Some choose to spend their first year at the law school, and their second year at the Sanford School, and take classes from both during their third and fourth years. Others reverse the order of the first two years of study, beginning at the Sanford School and then completing the first year of law school.
Master of Public Policy
Duke's MPP program combines a rigorous core curriculum with a wide variety of electives and real-world projects. Students may concentrate in global policy, social policy, or health policy. The program also includes applied consulting projects with outside clients on a variety of real-world policy problems, a summer internship, and a substantial research-based master's project.
Public Policy at Duke Law
Duke Law offers a variety of resources for students interested in the policy aspects of the legal profession.
Submit a JD application to the Law School and indicate your intention to apply for the dual degree on that form. Concurrently, submit your application to the Sanford School of Public Policy for the MPP. Follow their directions to indicate that you are also applying to the Law School.
It is also possible to matriculate into one degree program at Duke and apply to the other during the first year of study.
Each school will complete its normal application review process, and you will receive separate decisions for each degree. These processes run on different timelines, so you are not guaranteed to receive the decisions at the same time.
If you are admitted to both degrees, you may choose where to begin your studies at Duke. Please be sure to notify the schools of your decision so that they can manage their classes appropriately.
"Everyone at Duke Law, from the professors to the staff in the admissions office, is committed to helping students pursue all of their interests. They appreciate students who are trained to approach problems from different disciplines and with expertise in areas outside of the law, and they do everything they can to make sure Duke Law is full of students who fit that description. My JD and MPP studies fit together seamlessly, both in terms of logistics and content. Everything I learned in the MPP program, from statistical analysis to in-depth studies of particular policy areas such as education, complemented my JD studies. Outside the classroom, there were plenty of opportunities to organize events and engage in research that bridged the two programs."
–Sarah Campbell '09 JD/MPP