A dual-degree program from the Law School that may be completed while working on a La Follette School Master of Public Affairs (MPA) or Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA) degree. Most La Follette School students finish the dual degree requirements in 4 years.
An education in the intricacies of common law, policy analysis and management provides skills to both make and enforce public policies.
Applying
Separate applications to both the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Law School are required.
To maximize time spent in both programs, it is recommended that matriculated students be admitted to both programs in their first year on campus.
Credits earned within a two-year period preceding the date of admission to law school and earned within six years prior to the date of the J.D. degree may be counted toward satisfaction of the J.D. degree requirements.
Students must be simultaneously enrolled in courses in both the UW Law School and the La Follette School for at least some portion of this six year period.
Requirements
Enrolled students must meet the degree requirements and progression expectations of both programs and are encouraged to seek academic advising from each program every semester.
They will receive 19 credits from 6 core courses worth 3 credits each, in addition to a 1 credit professional development seminar for public affairs. 15 credits from La Follette core courses at an average of B or better will apply to the 90-credit JD degree once the MPA/MIPA has been awarded.
The remaining credit requirements for the La Follette degree are met with elective courses, including six credits from Law School courses included in the 75 Law School credits and in which the student has achieved an average of 77 or higher when the student has completed at least 30 credits in the Law School.
The La Follette School curriculum requires 36 credits. A total of 75 credits is required for the Law curriculum.
Students in the program are expected to complete the majority of core requirements by the end of their second year of studies, so they can focus primarily on their remaining core capstone and electives in their third and fourth years.
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MPA Core Courses (19 cr.)
- Professional Development Workshop focuses on essential skills students must have to be successful in graduate school and in their careers
- Introduction to Statistical Methods for Public Policy Analysis develops competence with analytical tools for studying public affairs.
- Microeconomic Policy Analysis explores how to evaluate the implications of policies for efficiency and equity, and to employ statistical methods for interpreting and presenting quantitative data.
- Introduction to Policy Analysis focuses on defining policy problems, determining goals, designing policy alternatives, and assessing trade-offs to make recommendations.
- Policymaking Process examines the political processes that shape U.S. public policy. (Domestic students)
- International Governance provides students with the substantive framework for studying public affairs in the context of globalization. (International students)
- Introduction to Public Management introduces key theories of how public organizations work, the relationship between democracy and management, and critical public management issues such as accountability and policy implementation.
- Workshop in Public Affairs, the capstone course taken in the final semester, gives students experience working in teams with a faculty supervisor on a real-world policy project. They apply conceptual and analytical tools to issues their clients face in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
MPA Elective Courses (17 cr.)
Recommended Public Affairs courses:
- Administrative Internship
- Program Evaluation
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Health Systems and Policy
- Economics of Healthcare
Note: Electives taken at the Law School to count toward the 17 credits cannot be counting for the required 75 Law School credits.
MIPA Core Courses (19 cr.)
- Professional Development Workshop focuses on essential skills students must have to be successful in graduate school and in their careers
- Introduction to Statistical Methods for Public Policy Analysis develops competence with analytical tools for studying public affairs.
- Microeconomic Policy Analysis explores how to evaluate the implications of policies for efficiency and equity, and to employ statistical methods for interpreting and presenting quantitative data.
- International Governance provides students with the substantive framework for studying public affairs in the context of globalization.
- *Macroeconomic Policy and International Financial Regulation surveys international macroeconomics, with special reference to international monetary policy and international financial market architecture.
- *Trade, Competition, and Governance in a Global Economy provides students with an understanding of international trade theory, rules, politics, and institutions, and the major policy issues facing the global trading system.
- Introduction to Policy Analysis focuses on defining policy problems, determining goals, designing policy alternatives, and assessing trade-offs to make recommendations.
- Workshop in International Public Affairs, the capstone course taken in the final semester, gives students experience working in teams with a faculty supervisor on a real-world policy project. They apply conceptual and analytical tools to issues their clients face in public, private, and nonprofit sectors around the world.
* Students choose one of these
MIPA Elective Courses (17 cr.)
Recommended International Public Affairs courses:
- Administrative Internship
- Advanced Statistics
- Community Economic Analysis
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Global Environmental Governance
- Program Evaluation
Note: Electives taken at the Law School to count toward the 17 credits cannot be counted for the required 75 Law School credits.
Degree plans
A recommended schedule of courses in order to complete both degrees.
Student experiences
Migena Vula, JD-MPA
"I am very much fascinated with both law and public policy — especially the interplay of the two. As such, pursuing the dual degree was an easy choice."
Matthew Hansen, MPA, JD
"Many lawyers look at only the black letter of the law and ignore what implications it has on people’s lives; that wasn’t the type of law I wanted to practice."
Jamey Anderson, MIPA, JD, EAP
"In the La Follette School, I found a program committed in word and deed to supporting students who want to make a career of public service. That made all the difference for me."
Careers
Increasingly, careers in the federal, state, and local governments as well as nonprofit organizations and private sector businesses require an understanding of public administration, policy analysis, and public affairs, as well as law. Many students choose to pursue the dual law and public affairs degree because of their interest in employment in government agencies, government relations law practice, or in other policy-oriented firms and organizations.
Cost
Students in the Law and Public Policy dual degree program pay a blended tution rate. See the Combined Law and Graduate tuition rate under the “Student Career” dropdown menu.
Admissions & Advising Contacts
Law School admissions & advising
Admissions: Christina Bowley, cbowley@wisc.edu
Advising: Angela Nash, angela.nash@wisc.edu
La Follette School graduate admissions & advising
Admissions & advising: Mo O’Connor, mcoconnor@lafollette.wisc.edu