Joint Degree in Law + Public Health
Earn your law and public health graduate degrees in an accelerated period of study, generally four years for highly-motivated students. This joint degree is designed for law students who seek an interdisciplinary perspective in shaping public health compliance, legislation, and policy. The program equips future health lawyers with a more robust understanding of the health science behind issues in health law and policy. You will learn to consider health issues not merely from an individual perspective, but by embracing an understanding of health as a population issue open to legal intervention.
Admissions
The program is jointly administered by the College of Law and the College of Health and Human Services' Master of Public Health Program. You must apply and be admitted separately to each college. Academic advising is provided by each college in collaboration with the College of Graduate Studies. The decision to admit or not to admit is based solely on each college's selection criteria. The College of Health and Human Services will accept your GRE or LSAT score.
Tuition & Scholarships
If you enroll in both colleges in any semester, the highest tuition rate will apply to all credit hours taken. We encourage you to explore how a joint degree may impact your financial aid or scholarships. College of Law scholarship funds cannot be used to cover coursework outside of the law school.
Integrated Curriculum
Juris Doctor
The College of Law requires the successful completion of 89 credit hours to earn your J.D. degree. You may apply up to 12 credit hours completed in the Master of Public Health Program toward this requirement. For an M.P.H. course to qualify for credit toward your JD degree, you must earn a grade of B (3.0) or better. Under American Bar Association guidelines, M.P.H. courses must be taken after enrollment in the College of Law to be eligible for credit toward your J.D. degree.
Master of Public Health
You may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved, upper-level courses in the College of Law toward requirements for your M.P.H. degree. You must also complete a Capstone Seminar and Scholarly Project. For a law course to qualify for credit toward your M.P.H. degree, you must earn a C (2.0) or better. Review credit requirements from the current UToledo graduate catalog for the Master of Public Health Program within the College of Health and Human Services.
Awarding of Degrees
You will not receive a J.D. or M.P.H. degree until you complete all the work required for both degrees. If you withdraw from the joint degree program and remain in either the College of Law or the Master of Public Health Program, you shall only receive credit for work in the other college as the Dean authorizes under the rules of that college. Degrees must be awarded within time limits established by the participating colleges.
Contacts
Shelley Cavalieri
College of Law
Professor of Law and J.D./M.P.H. Program Advisor
419.530.2871
Shelley.Cavalieri@utoledo.edu
Geoffrey Rapp
College of Law
Sr. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
419.530.4107
Geoffrey.Rapp@utoledo.edu
Dr. Joseph A. Dake
Public Health
Chair, School of Population Health
419.530.2767
Joseph.Dake@utoledo.edu
NOTE: The College of Law recommends that you remain apprised of academic requirements for each degree you pursue. While we make every effort to maintain timely information relating to joint degree programs, because other colleges manage their curricula and requirements, it is possible that information on this site could be out of date. For additional information, please review the other college's website.