Law (J.D.)/Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
The J.D./M.P.A. program offers students an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of legislation, rules, and judicial decisions to prepare for careers in administration, government, nonprofit management, and public policy.
Enrollment in the J.D./M.P.A. joint-degree program enables a student to obtain a J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and a Master of Public Administration degree from Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business in approximately three and a half to four years of full-time study or five to six years of part-time study.
This program is particularly valuable for administrators whose work is guided and circumscribed by a web of legislation, rules, and judicial decisions, including persons interested in city management, labor and personnel work, police administration, and public policy.
The M.P.A. program’s unique position in a business school provides students with opportunities to learn best practices management and policy analysis and implementation to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations around the globe.
Program Overview
The J.D./M.P.A. joint-degree program is particularly valuable for administrators whose work is guided and circumscribed by a web of legislation, rules, and judicial decisions, including persons interested in city management, labor and personnel work, police administration, and public policy analysis and implementation.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the J.D./M.P.A. joint-degree program can work in a variety of roles, including:
- Consultant
- Education administrator
- Federal, state, and local government attorney
- Health care administrator
- Human resources administrator
- Lobbyist
- Nonprofit attorney
- Public policy analyst
- Think tank analyst, fellow, or researcher
Joint-degree program students may apply up to up to 12 credits of M.P.A. coursework taken at Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business toward the requirements for the J.D. degree. No credit may be applied toward the J.D. degree for courses completed prior to the commencement of law studies. Students should work with their Stuart graduate academic adviser on their program of study and for information about applying certain J.D. courses toward the M.P.A. degree.
Note: The Academic Catalog (use the “View Details” link below) will be updated soon with the program’s current name. All curriculum details and requirements shown remain the same.
Candidates for the J.D./M.P.A. program must apply to and be accepted by each program separately, and complete a Registration as a J.D./M.P.A. Student Form in the Office of the Registrar. Admissions information for the J.D. program is available from the Chicago-Kent Office of Admissions and for the M.P.A. program from Stuart School of Business. Students may apply to the M.P.A. program after beginning the J.D. program, but must be enrolled concurrently in both programs for one or more terms to receive the benefits of the joint degree.
Stuart Scholarships
Students pursuing the Stuart School of Business Master of Public Administration degree are eligible to apply for the M.P.A. Scholarship, a 35 percent tuition scholarship (subject to a maximum award over the course of one master’s degree). Learn more about Stuart scholarships.