The Master of Public Health/Juris Doctor dual-degree prepares students to recognize, analyze and address urgent legal, health and socioeconomic issues affecting individuals, communities and societies. Learning law and public health frameworks, MPH/JD students develop a set of skills to bring evidence-based recommendations to policy, judicial opinion and legal representation. Graduates enter careers dedicated to making change in addressing health inequities and disparities.
Students in this dual-degree program earn a Master of Public Health from WashU Public Health and a Juris Doctor from WashU Law.
Three semesters of this program are spent at WashU Public Health. The MPH curriculum utilizes a health equity lens to examine and address the most pressing public health issues. Students develop the ability to understand and utilize complicated data sets, preparing to shape the future of health policy through data-driven decisions.
Five semesters will be spent at WashU Law, where students focus on ethical and effective practices in law and advocacy. Through coursework and clinical opportunities, students prepare to work in a variety of legal areas, including environmental law, labor and employment law, and social justice and legal theory.
Recommended course sequence
There is flexibility in how students sequence the MPH/JD program, and students can begin the program in either school. The first year of classes at WashU Law must be taken in two consecutive semesters, during which students may not take non-law school coursework. The list below includes a sample course of study.
120 credit hours — 43 credit hours at WashU Public Health and 77 credit hours at WashU Law
30 credits across fall, spring and summer semesters. Classes may include:
- Constitutional Law (4 credits)
- Criminal Law (4 credits)
- Clinic Elective (2 credits)
- Legal Practice I and II (4 credits)
- Legal Research Methodologies (1 credit)
- Contracts (4 credits)
32 credits across fall, spring and summer semesters. Classes may include:
- Foundations of Public Health courses (15 credits)
- Cross-Cutting Themes in Public Health (1 credit)
- Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Evidence-Based Programs and Interventions (3 credits)
- MPH Practicum (3 credits)
Students are prime to WashU Public Health in the fall, and prime to WashU Law in the spring.
26 credits across fall and spring semesters. Classes may include:
- Advanced Applied Linear Modeling (3 credits)
- Transdisciplinary Problem Solving in Public Health (3 credits)
- MPH Capstone (2 credits)
- Family Law (3 credits)
- Trusts & Estates (3 credits)
32 credits across fall and spring semesters. Classes may include:
- Health Law (3 credits)
- International Law (3 credits)
- Employment Law (3 credits)
- Clinic Elective (2 credits)
Fieldwork and internship opportunities
MPH students are required to do 360 hours of fieldwork. MPH students select their own practicum sites. MPH/JD students may complete their MPH practica and JD internships at locations such as:
- Planned Parenthood Policy Department
- St. Louis County Department of Public Health
- State of Missouri Public Defender’s Office
- ArchCity Defenders
- St. Louis Board of Aldermen
- Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
Tuition structure
In the fall and spring semesters, tuition and fee charges are based on the division of the student’s primary, full-time enrollment, which varies by semester and is referred to as the student’s prime division.
For three semesters, students are prime to WashU Public Health, assessed tuition according to the Public Health tuition structure, and can receive WashU Public Health scholarships. For five semesters, students are prime to WashU Law, are assessed tuition according to WashU Law’s tuition structure, and can receive WashU Law scholarships.
Apply
Students interested in the MPH/JD dual-degree program must apply to the MPH program through SOPHAS, the centralized application service for public health, and also submit a separate application for the JD program through WashU Law.