Joint Degree Programs

Classroom with students

Whether you study in Carlisle or University Park, Penn State Dickinson Law offers a wide array of joint degree options, allowing you to customize your legal education and graduate with both your J.D. and a master’s or doctoral degree from Penn State.

Students interested in pursuing a joint degree should speak with an academic advisor (in Carlisle, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jeffrey A. Dodge: jad6742@psu.edu, and in University Park, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jud Mathews: jcm41@psu.edu).

J.D./MASTER OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (M.I.A.)

The J.D./M.I.A. offers students an accelerated course of study of law and international affairs, preparing them for a career in international law, international policy and diplomacy, and much more. 

J.D./MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (M.B.A.)

Students pursuing the J.D./M.B.A. may want to focus their M.B.A. studies in one of the tracks of electives listed below:

  • Business Analytics
  • Finance
  • Information Systems
  • Strategic Leadership and Innovation
  • Supply Chain Management

J.D./MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (M.P.A.)

Students pursuing the J.D./M.P.A. may want to focus their M.P.A. studies in one of the concentrations listed below:

  • Nonprofit Management
  • Policy Analysis and Evaluation
  • Public Budgeting and Financial Management
  • State-Local Government and Administration

J.D./MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH (M.P.H.)

The J.D./M.P.H. joint degree offers students an accelerated course of study of law and public health, enabling them to successfully enter the complex and ever-changing fields of public health and health law. Students pursuing this degree will gain advanced knowledge of legal matters relating to public health; use legal tools to solve public health challenges; and train for a career in public health research, policy, and advocacy; health law; or environmental law.

J.D./DOCTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH (DRPH)

The J.D./Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree is offered jointly by Penn State Dickinson Law and Penn State College of Medicine, part of Penn State Health in Hershey, PA. This joint degree offers students an accelerated course of study of law and public health, enabling them to successfully enter the complex and ever-changing fields of public health and health law. Students pursuing this degree will gain advanced knowledge of legal matters relating to public health; use legal tools to solve public health challenges; and train for a career in public health research, policy, and advocacy; health law; or environmental law.

Students will have two academic advisors: one from the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine and one from Penn State Dickinson Law. If interested in pursuing a joint degree, contact the Office of Admissions.

J.D./Master of Arts (M.A.)

Students can pursue a J.D./M.A. in Media Studies through the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

J.D./Education

Through the Penn State College of Education, several joint degrees have been established in the following areas of study: