Programs
Indianapolis Campus
Master of Public Affairs Joint Degree Programs
Master of Public Affairs–Doctor of Jurisprudence
The combined M.P.A.–J.D. program enables the student to take a sequence of courses leading to the attainment of both degrees.
Application and Admission
The student must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education and must apply to both the School of Law— Indianapolis and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. If the applicant is admitted to only one school, the applicant is permitted to attend that school and is required to meet the graduation requirements of that school. It is preferred that the student apply to both schools simultaneously for the combined M.P.A.–J.D. program. It is possible, however, for a person already enrolled in the School of Law to apply for admission to the School of Public and Environmental Affairs up to the end of the second year of law study. It is also possible for a student enrolled in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs to seek admission to the School of Law up to the end of the first year of the M.P.A. course of study.
Academic Standing
Grade point averages in the School of Law—Indianapolis and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs are computed separately. To continue in the program, the student must meet the academic standards in each school. A student failing in one school but meeting academic standards in the other may complete work for the degree in the school in which the student is able to meet the academic standards. Such completion must be according to the same conditions (credit hours, residency, etc.) required of regular (noncombination) degree candidates. Students are eligible for honors in each school based on the criteria of each school.
School Residency
Students in the joint M.P.A.–J.D. program should enroll in courses through the School of Law—Indianapolis in the first year of the program and through the School of Public and Environmental Affairs in the second year of the program. In the third and fourth years, or until the program is completed, students should enroll through the school in which the majority of their credit hours reside in each enrollment period.
Program Requirements
(118 credit hours)
Master of Public Affairs Requirements
(34 credit hours) Students are required to complete 34 credit hours of SPEA courses distributed among the M.P.A. core and a specialization.
Required Courses (12 credit hours)
| SPEA-V 502 | Public Management or SPEA-V 525 Management in the Nonprofit Sector |
(3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 506 | Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 517 | Public Management Economics | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 540 | Law and Public Affairs | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 560 | Public Finance and Budgeting or SPEA-V 526 Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations |
(3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 598 | Governing and Leading in a Global Society | (3 cr.) |
| SPEA-V 600 | Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs | (3 cr.) |
Specialization (12 credit hours)
The student chooses a field of specialization and develops a program of specialization courses in consultation with the SPEA program advisor.
Research Paper (1 credit hours)
SPEA-V 590 Research in Public Affairs, a required research paper, is written during the final year of the program.
Doctor of Jurisprudence Requirements
(84 credit hours) Students are required to complete 84 credit hours of law courses and satisfy all requirements for the degree Doctor of Jurisprudence.