JD/MA in Urban & Public Affairs Dual Degree

With a Master of Arts in Urban and Public Affairs from the USF College of Arts and Sciences and a Juris Doctor from the USF School of Law, graduates are uniquely prepared to be effective and ethical leaders in urban and public policy and community organizing. This four-year program is designed to prepare law school graduates with the knowledge and hands-on experience of applied urban research and community engagement and organizing. A comprehensive background in urban history, political dynamics, and sociology is combined with tools for community-based research, policy design, policy analysis, and implementation.

The dual degree program leverages the advantages of USF’s location in one of the most dynamic urban environments in the United States. It provides students with the opportunity to build their legal and research careers through immersion experiences in San Francisco and other Bay Area cities.

The dual degree program provides a cost and time savings of more than a year. Students may begin their course of study in either program.

JD/MA In Urban and Public Affairs Curriculum

To receive the JD/MUPA dual degrees, students must earn at least 87 law units (including 50 units in required core law courses) plus 36 MUPA units. MUPA units equal 9 units in required MUPA core courses plus 15 units in elective MUPA courses (including 3 units of law externship or legal clinic and 3 units of law upper level research and writing) plus 12 units from approved law school electives).

Law School to MUPA Pathway

1. The legal externship in an appropriate public agency or organization or legal clinic may be used to simultaneously earn law units and satisfy the Urban and Public Affairs three-unit internship requirement with joint approval of Law and Urban and Public Affairs faculty.
2. The law Upper Level Legal Research and Writing Requirement will satisfy the Urban and Public Affairs Masters Capstone Project requirement with joint approval of Law and Urban and Public Affairs faculty.
3. The concurrent degrees will be awarded after the conclusion of all required courses, presuming normal progress, after the completion of the fourth year of the program

MUPA TO LAW SCHOOL PATHWAY

1. The legal externship in an appropriate public agency or organization (or legal clinic) may be used to simultaneously earn law units and satisfy the Urban and Public Affairs three unit internship requirement with joint approval of Law and Urban and Public Affairs faculty.
2. The law Upper Level Legal Research and Writing Requirement will satisfy the Urban and Public Affairs Masters Capstone Project requirement with joint approval of Law and Urban Public Affairs faculty.
3. The dual degrees will be awarded after the conclusion of all required courses, presuming normal progress, after the completion of the fourth year of the program.