J.D./M.P.H. in Law and Public Health

BU Law and the BU School of Public Health (BUSPH) offer a dual degree program that reflects the interrelationship between the legal system and the delivery of health-care services. BU Law's strong program in health law complements the BUSPH curriculum, which explores the nature and context of public health programs and the organizational, behavioral, legal and bureaucratic constraints they face. BUSPH is the only public health school in the country today to offer a concentration in the field. Successful candidates receive the J.D. degree followed by the M.P.H.—a three-and-a-half to four-year sequence that otherwise would take at least one-and-a-half more years.

To earn the M.P.H. degree, students complete 48 credit hours, consisting of six core courses, four concentration courses and four approved courses accepted from the School of Law that are relevant to public health.

Core Courses
  • Biostatistics
  • Epidemiology
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Health Policy and Management
  • Environmental Health
  • Either Public Health Law or BU Law's Health Law Course plus Legal Strategies to Reduce Health Risks
Concentrations
  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics
  • Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights
  • Environmental Health
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Health Policy and Management
  • International Health
  • Maternal and Child Health
A typical J.D./M.P.H. program is as follows:
  • Year 1: First-year LAW program
  • Year 2: Each semester, three or more BU Law courses; one SPH course *; SPH Practicum requirement
  • Year 3: Each semester, three or more BU Law courses; one SPH course*
  • End of Year 3: J.D. awarded
  • Year 4, Fall semester: Four SPH courses.

    * In some semesters, students need to take 2 SPH courses if they wish to finish in seven semesters. The M.P.H. program may be expedited if SPH courses are taken during the summer session.