Master of Public Policy/Juris Doctor

Applicants must be separately admitted to both the J.D. and MPP programs and must request admission to the joint program. To apply to the College of Law, visit their website here: http://law.gsu.edu/admissions.

1. Submitted Online Application. Online applications must be submitted by the deadline. Paper applications are not available.
2. Application fee: A non-refundable fee of $50 is required for each application. This fee must be paid online by credit card.
3. Goal statement: The goal statement is your means of presenting yourself to the Graduate Admissions Committee. You should submit a short typed statement of personal and professional goals as they relate to the certificate or degree program you are seeking. Most applicants write two typed pages, summarizing their work experience, the reasons they have chosen the program, why they want to attend Georgia State and how the degree fits in with their career goals.
4. Official GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores (Optional): The GRE of the Educational Testing Service is optional. However, the GRE is strongly recommended for any applicant whose undergraduate grade-point-average (UGPA) is below 3.0. If submitting GRE scores, official scores must be reported to institution code 5251 and received by GA State by the application deadline. More information can be found at our Admissions FAQ page or, to schedule the test, at www.gre.org.
5. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) Academic scores (International applicants only): International applicants are required to submit official TOEFL or IELTS Academic scores.
6. Three letters of recommendation: Letters should be submitted through the online application.
7. Upload Transcripts from each post-secondary college/university attended:
   • Upload each transcript to the Academic History section of the online application before submitting your application or upload to your application status page under the Upload Materials section if your application has been submitted.
   • Review requirements for submitting transcripts here.
   • Failure to follow these requirements will delay your application processing.

The joint J.D. and MPP program is compressed of the following courses:

• Required Core Courses (18 credit hours)
• Analytic or Financial Methods Electives (3 credit hours)
• Electives (15 credit hours)
• Internship or Practicum (3 credit hours)

View Curriculum Details

The dual degree program prepares students to meet the growing demands for lawyers with expertise in public policy, policy analysis, and legal analytics. Law professionals and decision makers frequently lack the knowledge and skills needed to interpret the full social, political, economic, and technical dimensions of the policy issues they face. A dual degree offers future lawyers and decision makers public policy and policy analysis skills to better assess policy options and evaluate public programs. This joint degree is especially valuable to Georgia State graduates, given the university’s location in downtown Atlanta and proximity to numerous federal, state and local government agencies and to other private and nonprofit organizations with broad public affairs interests. The credibility of the joint degree nationally is evident through the many elite institutions that offer comparable programs.