Dual degrees are offered in conjunction with many other schools and departments at UNC and Duke. Students must be admitted to both schools, and students can only be given credit toward the Juris Doctor degree for course work taken after the student has matriculated in the UNC School of Law.
The
law school recommends that dual-degree students remain apprised of the
requirements for each degree they are pursuing. The law school makes every
effort to maintain timely information relating to dual degrees, but because
other schools and departments manage their own curricula and requirements, it
is possible that information below could change. Check the other school or
department’s website relating to the dual degree for additional information.
J.D./Master of Arts in Sports Administration (M.S.A.)
The combined Juris Doctor and Master of Arts in Sports Administration degrees may be earned through the UNC School of Law and the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. Admission to the School of Law, the Graduate School, and the Department of Exercise and Sport Science must be gained independently.
A candidate must successfully complete the combination of 86 credit hours in law, of which six may come from graduate programs outside the law school (including three from Exercise and Sport Science), and 30 credit hours, including three from the law school, and an internship in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. Students must spend the first two years of the program enrolled at the School of Law.
Law Faculty Advisor: Lissa Broome
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J.D./Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Program Design
The M.B.A./J.D. dual degree program will consist of a minimum of four academic years of full-time study requiring students to complete a minimum of 63 credit hours through UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School for the M.B.A. and a minimum of 74 credit hours through UNC School of Law for the J.D.
M.B.A. dual degree students are eligible to receive a maximum of 12 credit hours of elective credits towards their M.B.A. degree requirements from courses completed within the J.D. Program. J.D. dual degree students are eligible to receive a maximum of 12 elective credit hours towards their J.D. degree requirements from courses completed within the M.B.A. Program.
Core curriculum and degree requirements are established by each respective program.
Students are required to spend one entire academic year of full-time enrollment in each program, completing the first year core curriculum of each program in its entirety, and then may pursue two years of joint study (year three and four) completing remaining graduation requirements across both programs. Students may also elect to complete two full years of study within the J.D. program before matriculating into the M.B.A. Program. All dual degree students are required to be enrolled in a minimum of one elective course per semester, per degree program, during the fourth year of study.
Application
Separate applications are required for each degree program and each degree program is responsible for setting its own admission standards and requirements. Applicants should apply to each dual degree program concurrently though individual applications may be submitted by students currently enrolled in either the M.B.A. or J.D. programs.
Students seeking the M.B.A./J.D. dual degree must be successfully admitted to each program and admitted students may receive either a one-year admission deferment (a two-year deferment is available for students electing two consecutive years of full-time study in the J.D. program) within one program so they may begin their course of study in the other program.
LawFaculty Advisor: Thomas Hazen
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J.D./Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Concurrent Degree Program
Students interested in pursuing a specialized career in health law or in a more intensive and supervised program of course work related to medicine and health care may apply for the combined degrees of J.D. and Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in the School of Public Health.
The Gillings School of Global Public Health Master of Public Health is a 42-credit graduate professional degree program. The School of Law Juris Doctor is an 86-credit graduate degree program. A typical plan of study allows students to earn a JD and an MPH in four years. Students typically complete two years of coursework in the JD program, the third year of coursework in the MPH program, and the fourth year completing degree requirements for both degree programs, integrating and synthesizing their competencies.
Applications and Admissions
Students must apply to and be accepted by both programs individually before beginning in the dual degree program. Students should apply to both academic programs at the same time or apply to the second program no later than during their first year of the first program. Admission to one program does not guarantee that admission will be granted to the other program. While students in the dual degree program with the JD typically choose the Health Behavior, Health Equity, Health Policy, Global Health, Leadership in Practice, or Maternal, Child and Family Health concentrations of the MPH, students can apply to other MPH concentrations after consultation with their Law Faculty Advisors, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Carolina Law, and the Associate Director, Residential MPH.
Learn more about the JD-MPH Dual Degree Plans of Study.
Law Faculty Advisors: Joan Krause and Richard Saver
Associate Director, Residential MPH: Karla Townley-Tilson
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J.D./Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
The combined J.D. and Master of Public Administration degrees may be earned in four years of class work and an additional three months of internship by enrollment in the joint degree program of the UNC School of Law and the UNC Master of Public Administration program. Admission to the law school and the M.P.A. program must be gained independently.
A total of 86 semester hours is required for the J.D., including up to nine hours of coursework drawn from the M.P.A. curriculum. A total of 45 semester hours is required for the M.P.A., including up to 12 hours from the J.D. curriculum. Both degrees can be completed in a total of 110 semester hours, with prior approval of a joint degree plan of study.
Law Faculty Advisor: Rick Su
J.D./Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) (with Duke University)
The combined J.D. and Master of Public Policy degrees may be earned in four years by enrollment in the joint program of the UNC School of Law school and the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Admission to each school must be gained independently. Students may apply to both schools at the outset. If accepted to both programs, students generally begin at Duke (where they complete the first year) and defer entrance to the law school (where they take their first year after completing the first year of public policy courses at Duke).
Students may also apply to Duke during their first year of law school (and would then take their first full year of course work at Duke following their completion of the first law school year at UNC). The third and fourth years are spent primarily in the law school, with one additional public policy elective course and a six-hour thesis requirement (Master’s Project) to be completed at Duke during this period.
A candidate must successfully complete a combination of 74 semester hours in the law school and 39 semester hours in the school of public policy. All degree requirements from both schools must be completed before the degrees are awarded.
Information about the Joint Degree
More information, Duke website
Duke MPP Admissions Inquiries,e-mail contact
Law Faculty Advisor: Jonas Monast
J.D./Master of Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.)
The combined J.D. and Master of City and Regional Planning degrees may be earned in four years, including one summer session, by enrollment in the joint program of the UNC School of Law and the Department of City and Regional Planning. Admission to each school must be gained independently.
All of the prescribed first-year curriculum of the law school must be taken as a unit, and certain planning courses are required. The remainder of the curriculum is completely elective, subject to the approval of a joint faculty committee from both schools. A candidate must successfully complete the combination of 74 semester hours in the law school and 36 semester hours in the Department of City and Regional Planning. All degree requirements from both schools must be completed before the degrees are awarded.
Law Faculty Advisor: Jonas Monast
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J.D./Master of Science in Library Science or Master of Science in Information Science (M.S.L.S.) (M.S.I.S.)
The combined J.D. and Master of Science in Library Science or Master of Science in Information Science degrees may be earned at the UNC School of Law and the School of Information and Library Science. Admission to the law school and the School of Information and Library Science must be gained independently. The combined degrees require 113 credit hours over four years of study. All degree requirements from both schools must be completed before the degrees are awarded.
Law Faculty Advisor: Anne Klinefelter
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J.D./Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)
The combined J.D. and Master of Social Work degrees may be earned at the UNC School of Law and the School of Social Work. Admission to the law school and the M.S.W. program must be gained independently. A candidate for the joint degree must successfully complete the combination of 74 hours in the law school and 50 hours in the school of social work. Field work is an essential component of the course of study leading to the M.S.W. All degree requirements from both schools must be completed before the degrees are awarded.
Law Faculty Advisor: Thomas Kelley
J.D./Master of Arts in Mass Communication (M.A.M.C.)
The J.D. and Master of Arts in Mass Communication (M.A.M.C.) degrees may be earned at the UNC School of Law and the School of Media and Journalism in a dual degree program specializing in media law and policy. Admission to the law school and the M.A.M.C. program in the School of Media and Journalism must be gained independently. Admitted students typically complete the required first-year law school curriculum during the first year of the dual degree program. Dual degree students must complete the required 86 credit hours for the J.D. degree, of which up to 12 hours may be drawn from approved courses in the M.A.M.C. curriculum. Dual degree students also must complete the required 39 credit hours for the M.A.M.C. degree, of which up to 12 credit hours may be drawn from approved courses in the J.D. curriculum. This allows J.D./M.A.M.C. students to complete the dual degree program with 101 credit hours over approximately four years depending on the individual student’s progress and program of study. All degree requirements from both schools must be completed before the degrees are awarded, and dual degree students must apply for concurrent graduation for both degrees the same semester. Students who do not maintain dual degree status may need to take additional coursework if they pursue either degree separately after being admitted to the dual degree program.
Law Faculty Advisor: David S. Ardia
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J.D./Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mass Communication
The J.D. and Doctor of Philosophy in Mass Communication degrees may be earned at the UNC School of Law and the School of Media and Journalism in a dual degree program specializing in media law and policy. Admission to the law school and the Ph.D. in Mass Communication program in the School of Media and Journalism must be gained independently in order to be admitted to the J.D./Ph.D. in Mass Communication dual degree program. Admitted students typically complete the required first-year law school curriculum during the first year of the dual degree program. Dual degree students must complete the required 86 credit hours for the J.D. degree, of which up to 12 hours may be drawn from approved courses in the Ph.D. in Mass Communication curriculum. Dual degree students also must complete the required 54 credit hours for the Ph.D. in Mass Communication degree, of which up to 12 credit hours may be drawn from approved courses in the J.D. curriculum. This allows J.D./Ph.D. in Mass Communication students to complete the dual degree program with 116 credit hours over approximately five years depending on the individual student’s progress and program of study. All degree requirements from both schools must be completed before the degrees are awarded, and dual degree students must apply for concurrent graduation for both degrees the same semester. Students who do not maintain dual degree status may need to take additional coursework if they pursue either degree separately after being admitted to the dual degree program.
Law Faculty Advisor: David S. Ardia
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