The Dickinson School of Law (DSL) and the Public Administration (PADM) at Penn State Harrisburg offer a joint degree leading to a Juris Doctor (J.D.), and a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.).
Admissions Requirements
Students must apply to DSL and the M.P.A. program separately and must meet each school's admissions requirements. Students are eligible to start taking classes in the M.P.A. program after successfully completing the first-year curriculum with the law school.
College Specific Admissions Requirements
DSL: We consider each application in its entirety, including academic transcripts, leadership activities, community activities, work experience, personal background, letters of recommendation, personal statement(s), LSAT score(s) and LSAT writing sample. Through consideration, the admissions committee seeks to identify candidates for law study who are academically prepared for the study of law and who will contribute to the promotion of diversity and excellence in the student body and the legal profession. The committee has no computational methods for making decisions. An applicant should have acquired significant oral and written communication skills before entering law school. The following are required of applicants: a completed electronic or paper application form for DSL; the $60 application fee (credit card payment acceptable) or the fee waiver application; the Law School Admissions Service (LSAC) Report, which should include the results from the Law School Admissions Test(s) (LSAT), transcripts from every undergraduate school attended, and letters of recommendation (academic references preferred) submitted via the LSAC LOR service; and finally, a current and complete resume, and the personal statement(s) which may be submitted as attachments with your electronic application or paper application.
PADM.: Students must complete the Graduate School application and the M.P.A. Supplementary Application for Admission in addition to these requirements: a statement of career and educational goals; a successful undergraduate record with a GPA of 3.0 (either as the cumulative GPA or for the last 60 hours of relevant course work); satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or Law School Admission Test (LSAT) if GPA is less than 3.0; three names of references willing to provide recommendations.
All students admitted to the M.P.A. program must show prerequisite course work in statistics and statistical software with a satisfactory grade of C or better. Students without prior course work in statistics must fulfill this prerequisite within two semesters of admission. These credits earned do not count toward the M.P.A. degree.
Application Process
Students must complete the following Penn State applications, along with any other requirements in the College Specific Admissions Requirements section above. These applications may be completed simultaneously.
- Select: Apply Now or Continue Application in Progress
- Select: I am applying to, have been admitted to, or am currently enrolled in, the Penn State Dickinson School of Law and wish to apply to an approved joint degree program.
- Print and complete this application and mail it to the address indicated on the last page of the application.
International Applicants
All international applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English must take the Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) and submit the results of that test with the application for admission. A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test or a score of 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 points on the new Internet-based test with a minimum of 23 points on the new speaking portion; or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum composite score of 6.5 is required for admission.
College Liaisons
The department and faculty liaisons for DSL shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the student advisor shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or such other faculty member(s) as may be designated by the Dean. The liaison for the M.P.A. will be the Program Coordinator of the M.P.A. program at Penn State Harrisburg, School of Public Affairs.
College Prescribed Curriculum
DSL: All students in the J.D. program are required to take the first-year curriculum in DSL. In the second or third year, students must take CORE 934 (Professional Responsibility).
PADM: The M.P.A. degree program requires 36 graduate credits — 18 in Prescribed Core courses, 15 in Electives, and 3 for the Master's Project. Up to 6 credits of 400-level courses may be taken as electives, with the approval of an adviser. In addition, a 9-credit internship is required of students who do not have at least three years of full-time, relevant work experience, which consists of supervisory, managerial, or professional work. The internship is waived for students with this experience before they enter the program or who gain it during the program. All M.P.A. students must prepare a master's paper on a topic chosen to meet their career goals and program requirements.
Inter-program Transfer of Credits
DSL: A maximum of nine (9) credits for M.P.A. coursework may be transferred for credit toward the 88 credits required for the J.D. degree at DSL. Which nine (9) credits will be transferred will be subject to the approval of the Associate Dean at the law school. Students must also obtain a grade satisfactory to the J.D. program in order for the approved courses to be transferable.
PADM: A maximum of nine (9) credits for DSL coursework may be transferred for credit toward the M.P.A. degree. All transfer credits are subject to program approval.
Sequence of Study
The sequence of courses will be determined by the student and their advisors. Students must successfully complete the first-year curriculum with the law school before beginning the M.P.A. program. M.P.A. courses completed prior to the successful completion of the law school first-year-curriculum will not be permitted to count toward the J.D. degree.
Recommended Program of Study and Advising
All students in the program will have two advisors, one from DSL and one from PADM. Periodic interaction between the two advisors will be encouraged. A program of study will be developed for each student, taking into account the fact that some courses at both locations are offered on a rotating or intermittent basis. Many courses are offered every year but some are offered every two or three years.
Tuition
The Dickinson School of Law and Penn State Harrisburg will each charge their own tuition to students in the J.D./M.P.A. program
Financial Aid and Assistantships
Decisions on financial aid and assistantships will be made by each school according to that school's procedures.
Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) course list
