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Degree Programs

JD-MPH

JD-MPH Joint Degree

The joint Juris Doctor and Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management (JD-MPH) program between the Robert H. McKinney School of Law and the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health provides students with an interdisciplinary curriculum in law and health policy and management. Students are trained to address the legalities, issues and problems affecting personal and public health.  
Individuals must independently apply and be accepted into both the McKinney School of Law JD program and the School of Public Health MPH program.  Once students have been accepted into this joint degree program, they should meet with their academic advisors to plan the course sequencing.  The program includes 82 credit hours in Law courses and 45 credit hours in MPH courses.  Nine hours of courses count for both the JD and MPH.
*39 MPH credit hours are required to fulfill your MPH degree. To get to a total of 45 credit hours as stated above, 6 credits are taken from your completed electives in the JD program. These 6 legal elective credits are not in addition to your required 82 legal credits. See below for more on electives.

Competencies

Graduates will be able to:

  • Discuss the policy process for improving the health status of populations.
  • Apply principles of strategic planning and organizational development to public health agencies.
  • Demonstrate communication and leadership skills required for building community and organizational capacity.
  • Apply the principles of budgeting, management and performance evaluation in organizational and community initiatives.
  • Understand the overarching policy arguments that influence the provision of health care, its financing, and the regulation of health care actors.
  • Build upon an existing base of legal knowledge (e.g., contract law, torts, and administrative law) & skills (writing and analysis) to succeed in a health law career.
  • Comprehend the complex relationships among health care stakeholders and the legal, ethical, and political constraints that apply to those relationships.
  • Understand the complex interaction of federal and state (statutory, regulatory and case-based) laws that defines health law.
  • Appreciate that health law is a rapidly changing area of law and requires considerable effort to remain current and advise shifting sets of stakeholders.

Master of Public Health Curriculum

Public Health Core Courses

Take all four courses for 12 credits

  • PBHL-P 510: Intro to Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PBHL-P 511: Comprehensive Methods and Applications in Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3 credit hours)
  • PBHL-P 513: Planning, Evaluation and Management (3 credit hours)
  • PBHL-P 512: Communication and Leadership (3 credit hours)

Health Policy and Management Concentration Courses

Take all six courses for 18 credits

  • PBHL-H 611 Policy Design, Implementation & Management (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 616 Leading Public Health Service Organizations (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 619 Financial Management for Public Health Organizations (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 628 Healthcare Information Systems (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 641 Public Health Ethics (3 credits)
  • PBHL-H 658 Research Concepts in Health Policy and Management (3 credits)

Electives

Select nine credits from either list below, 3 credits must be from MPH list

Public Health Courses

  • MPH - A640 Public Health Applications of GIS (3 cr.)
  • MPH - E601 Advanced Epidemiology (3 cr.)
  • MPH - H613 Public Health and Emergency Preparedness (3 credits)
  • MPH - H644 Health Impact Assessment (3 cr.)
  • MPH - H624 Developing Strategic Capabilities (3 cr.)
  • MPH - H657 Cost Effectiveness, Decision Making & Program Evaluation (3 credits)
  • MPH - H670 Grant Proposal and Administration for Public Health (3 cr.)
  • MPH - H670 Law, Poverty and Population Health (3 cr.)
  • MPH - S614 Program Planning in Public Health (3 credits)
  • Other Elective on Campus with Prior Approval from Faculty Advisor (3 credits)

JD Courses 

  • LAW - D700 Seminar in Public Health Law (1– 3 credits)
  • LAW - D802 Hospital Legal Department Externship
  • LAW - D/N808 Disability Clinic (1-2 credits)
  • LAW - D/N808 Health and Human Rights Clinic (1-4 credits)
  • LAW - D888 Food and Drug Law (3 credits)
  • LAW - N686 Neuroscience and the Law (2 credits)
  • LAW - N824 Law and Medical Malpractice (2 or 3 credits)
  • LAW - N838 Bioethics and Law (2 or 3 credits)
  • LAW - N851 Insurance Law (2 credits)
  • LAW - N859 Business and Legal Aspects of Health Care Organizations (2 credits)
  • LAW - N866 Antitrust and the Health Care Industry (2 credits)
  • LAW - N874 Psychiatry and the Law (2 credits)
  • LAW - N888 Food and Drug Law (2 credits)
  • Additional Electives on Approved Online Elective List

Practical Experience

Take both courses for six credits

  • MPH - H602 Internship in Health Policy and Management (3 credits)
  • MPH - H705 Health Policy and Management Final Concentration Project (3 credits)

Practical Experience courses require authorization before registering.

Elective can be taken any time during course of study. Some elective courses are available during the summer.

Elective must be on the approved MPH Electives List or you must receive approval from advisor. If elective is offered through another school you must obtain authorization from school or department that is offering course in order to register.

In order to receive registration authorization for H602 and H705, you must receive approval from your MPH Advisor, Agency Preceptor and the MPH Program manager as well as complete the Internship or Project Agreement form.

Doctor of Jurisprudence Curriculum

JD/MPH students pursuing the JD program should contact Brittany Kelly, Associate Director of the Hall Center for Law and Health at bjglaze@iu.edu for advising.

Admissions

Students may start the MPH program in either the Fall or Spring semester. The application deadlines are:

To Begin In The Fall
  • U.S Application Deadline: July 1
  • International Application Deadline: April 1

To Begin In The Spring
  • U.S Application Deadline: November 1
  • International Application Deadline: September 15

Admission Criteria

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college.
  • Official GRE scores, if cumulative undergraduate GPA from all universities attended is below 3.0.
  • Minimum of one year of undergraduate mathematics (e.g. algebra, statistics, or finite math).
  • Competent written and oral communication skills.
  • Students meeting these requirements are not guaranteed admission. Other admission factors include references, work experience, the personal statement, and personal interview (if applicable).

MPH applications and supplemental materials must be submitted to SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service). SOPHAS is meant to facilitate the collection of common application materials and general information. For more information and frequently asked questions please visit sophas.org. In addition to the SOPHAS application all applicants will be required to complete a short application to the IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) Online Graduate And Professional Admissions Application system at the link provided within the SOPHAS application.

Admission Requirements

  1. Personal Statement
  2. Resume
  3. Transcripts
  4. Recommendations
  5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) 

Applicants who have earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of below a 3.0 are required to submit official scores from the GRE taken within the past 5 years. International applicants whose undergraduate work was completed at institutions outside of the U.S. or Canada are required to submit scores from the GRE regardless of cumulative GPA. The cumulative undergraduate GPA is calculated using all undergraduate grades earned from all colleges and universities attended. The GRE is not required of applicants who have a graduate or professional degree from a U.S. or Canadian college or university. The following exams can be substituted for the GRE: DAT, ECFMG, LSAT, OAT, GMAT, MCAT, or USMLE (steps one and two).

International Applicants

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

The Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health requires applicants whose native language is not English or whose academic study was done exclusively at non-English speaking institutions to prove English proficiency by providing either official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. Scores must be under two years old.

  

 Updated March 3, 2021