Law and Public Health (JD/MPH)
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Northeastern University’s School of Law and Bouvé College of Health Sciences offer a dual-degree JD/MPH in Urban Health.
Given the worldwide trend toward urbanization, the Master of Public Health Program with a concentration in Urban Health recognizes the growing need for professionals trained to respond to unique public health challenges and opportunities facing urban populations.
The MPH Program brings together interdisciplinary faculty (from the School of Law, School of Business, College of Social Sciences and the Humanities, College of Computer and Information Science, and the College of Health Sciences) with expertise in collaborating with diverse urban populations to provide students with practice-based knowledge, skills, and experience needed to address complex public health problems and advocate for vulnerable populations.
Northeastern offers the nation's premier Cooperative Legal Education Program. All law students must complete four co-ops in different legal settings to graduate; students in the JD/MPH program complete two of their co-ops in a public health setting. Students in the dual degree program also have the opportunity to earn their JD with a concentration in Health Policy & Law.
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Unique Features
- Dual degree students save time and money, compared to students who complete each program separately
- Dual degree students complete 4 semesters of Co-op including two co-ops related to public health
- Curriculum utilizes interdisciplinary NU faculty from the School of Law, School of Business, College of Social Sciences and the Humanities, College of Computer and Information Science, and the College of Health Sciences
- NU School of Law ranked #1 for practical training
- Dual degree students are eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) Exam, the only professional certification specific to the field of public health
Accreditation Description
Northeastern University School of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1969 and admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1970. Since reopening in 1968, we have received wide recognition, both for the success of our innovative program and the leadership of our graduates.
For more information, please contact:
Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
American Bar Association
321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312.988.6738
The MPH in Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Northeastern University does not condone discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, religious creed, genetics, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran or disability status. Moreover, the university will not ignore any form of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment of any member of the Northeastern community. Nor will Northeastern condone any form of retaliatory activity against any person who brings a complaint of discrimination or harassment, or who cooperates in a complaint investigation.
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Program Costs
Requirements
Prospective students first apply to the Northeastern Law School via LSAC, the common application system for law schools. If accepted by the Law School, students interested in enrolling in the JD/MPH dual degree submit a supplementary application to the MPH Program in the Spring semester of their first year that must include the following:
- Personal statement
- One letter of recommendation
Official transcripts, application fees, and official LSAT scores are not required as part of the MPH supplementary application, as it was collected for the LSAC application originally submitted to the Law School.
Admissions Dates
To be admitted to the dual-degree program, students must first be admitted to the Northeastern University School of Law. Students should apply online to the School of Law through LSAC. The supplementary application for the MPH Program students complete in the Spring of their first Law School year is available at: Northeastern's Graduate Programs Apply Yourself (AY) System. The AY application fee and GRE requirements are waived for JD/MPH students. Applications must be submitted by March 1 for those applying to the dual degree program.
Admission to the School of Law does not guarantee admission to the MPH Program. Additional information is available on the MPH Program in Urban Health website.
General Requirements
42 total semester hours required for MPH. Please contact the School of Law for JD Requirements.
Core Requirements
A grade of B- or higher is required in each required course.
Required Core
Practicum
Capstone
Electives
Complete 9 semester hours from the following. In consultation with your faculty advisor, you may complete electives from another discipline:
When it comes to giving students the opportunity to learn by doing, there’s simply no place like Northeastern. Our signature Cooperative Legal Education Program guarantees you a year of full-time work experience. No other law school program comes close — indeed, The National Jurist ranks Northeastern as the #1 law school for practical training.
While other law schools might give students the chance to work over the summer or experience a part-time internship or externship, only Northeastern integrates four quarters of full-time employment into its curriculum, giving you four opportunities to:
- Collaborate full time with working lawyers, contributing to the resolution of actual cases for real clients
- Make an impact in a professional setting just about anywhere in the world, from New York to South Africa
- Try out a variety of work environments and explore diverse areas of the law in depth
The benefits of co-op extend far beyond graduating with an impressive resume. You and your peers will bring lessons learned on co-op into the classroom, creating a vibrant intellectual exchange that builds with each new experience. You may end up accepting a full-time position with one of your co-op employers, as a significant number of our graduates do. Most important, you’ll have the experience to know exactly where you want to go in your career and the confidence and credentials to get there.
Our Faculty
Our faculty represents a wide cross-section of professional practices and in fields ranging from finance to education to biomedical science to management to the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors, and collaborate alongside students to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.
By enrolling in Northeastern, you gain access to a network of more than 245,000 alumni and 3,200+ employer partners, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global NGOs. Our current students and faculty across strategically located regional campuses further foster that lifelong global community of learning and mentoring.
Below is a look at where our Public Health & Public Policy alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.
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Where They Work
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- City of Boston
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health
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What They Do
- Community and Social Services
- Business Development
- Education
- Healthcare Services
- Research
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What They're Skilled At
- Research
- Public Speaking
- Community Outreach
- Public Policy
- Nonprofit Organizations
Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on Linkedin.