School of Public Service
Juris Doctorate and Master of Science in Public Services Management
This degree, offered jointly with DePaul’s College of Law, affords the opportunity to complete both the Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and Master of Science in Public Service Management in three full years of study. Candidates must be admitted independently to both the College of Law and the School of Public Services. To remain in good standing, students must meet the grading standards of both schools.
While completing the requirements for both degrees is challenging, the reward is substantial: our students gain the extraordinary credentials required for careers as advisors to public office holders, as contributors to think tanks, and as government policy makers. Graduate have successful careers in health care administration, public administration, and metropolitan planning and urban affairs.
Admission Requirements
Students must apply separately to the College of Law and to the School of Public Service. The standard policy is for a student to be accepted by and matriculate in the College of Law first; the School of Public Service can admit students but would not matriculate or enroll the students until they complete the requisite number of credits (31) in the College of Law.
Degree Requirements
The M.S. in Public Service requires a total of 52 credit hours. The J.D. requires a total of 86 semester hours.
The School of Public Service will accept a maximum of 16 credit hours (11 semester hours) from the College of Law toward the M.S. degree, thereby reducing the credit requirement to 36 credit hours. The College of Law will accept a maximum of 15 semester hours (22 credit hours) from Public Service, thereby reducing the J.D. credit requirement to 71 semester hours (24 classes after the first year of 10 required classes). The double-counting of credits occurs only when the student completes all requirements in both colleges.
The degrees are posted simultaneously by the university. Students must complete the joint degree requirements before they sit for the bar exam.
American Bar Association Standards
In standard 302-2, the American Bar Association states “Credit for a J.D. degree shall be given for course work taken after the student has matriculated in a law school.” That language has consistently been interpreted to bar any credit taken prior to matriculation in a degree-granting law school program from any source, either another type of college or a pre-admission program. For a joint degree, credit taken in the School of Public Service before the student matriculates in The College of Law cannot count toward the J.D. portion of the joint degree. Credits taken in the JD/MPS program can be applied to the J.D only after a law matriculation. Credit taken prior to admission and enrollment in the College of Law cannot count toward the Juris Doctor, although it may apply to the Public Services portion of the degree.
Sample Curriculum
This sample is based on the assumption that the student is enrolled in the College of Law on a full-time basis.
FIRST YEAR
The student completes all the first-year, required courses in the College of Law.
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
| Civil Procedure 4 | Constitutional Process II 3 |
| Constitutional Process I 3 | Contracts II 3 |
| Contracts I 3 | Criminal Law 3 |
| Torts 4 | Property 4 |
| Legal Writing I 2 | Legal Writing II 3 |
SECOND YEAR
The student enrolls in 21 semester hours (seven courses) in the College of Law over the entire academic year (fall and spring), including Criminal Procedure, which is required in the fall for second-year law students. Also, students complete 20 credit hours (five courses) in the Public Services program. Beginning coursework in Public Services would include, in all cases, the following courses:
- MPS 500 Introduction to Public Service Management
- MPS 501 Cross Sector Analysis
- A finance course (MPS 514, 515, or 541)
THIRD YEAR
The student enrolls in 21 semester hours (seven courses) in the College of Law over the entire academic year (fall and spring) including courses in Legal Profession and a Senior Seminar and 12 credit hours (three courses) in the MPS program concentration.
Descriptions of required and elective SPS courses can be found in the on-line course catalog.