Joint Programs in Law & Public Health

Thomas Jefferson University and Widener School of Law offer two joint degree programs – Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health (JD/MPH) and Master of Jurisprudence/Master of Public Health (MJ/MPH) – designed to provide the knowledge and skills required to thrive in health law practice, advocacy, and policy. Both degree programs benefit a wide range of population health, healthcare and legal professionals, including nurses, policy makers, nursing home administrators, paralegals, government employees and private-practice lawyers and litigators.

• Jefferson’s Master of Public Health (MPH) is a competency-based degree program accredited through the Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH).
• The Widener University School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
• Nine (9) credits earned as part of Widener’s JD or MJ may be applied to Jefferson’s MPH; and  credits earned as part of Jefferson’s MPH may be applied to Widener’s JD program (up to nine (9) credits) or MJ program (up  to five (5)  credits).
• The Capstone project required for both degrees can be done as a joint project.
• The public health Clerkship is a 120-hour community experience with a public health-related organization. It may focus on a health law or health policy issue and can be completed locally, elsewhere in the United States, or abroad.

• Behavioral and social sciences
• Biostatistics
• Epidemiology
• Environmental health sciences
• Health policy, management and advocacy

• Introduction to Health Law
• Health Law I
• Health Law II
• Seminar in Public Health Law
• Seminar in Bioethics
  

• It is recommended that students apply first to Widener University School of Law and, upon acceptance, then apply to Thomas Jefferson University.
  • Typically, students complete one or two years of their legal education at Widener prior to beginning their MPH program.
• Admission to the joint program is determined independently, and students must meet the admissions criteria that pertain to each school.  Application considerations include:
  
  
  • Earned baccalaureate degree
  • LSAT (JD/MPH) or GRE (MJ/MPH)
  • Competency in basic statistics (recommended)
  • Previous professional or volunteer experience in a community health setting
• Eligible candidates will be invited for an interview at Jefferson.

For more information, contact the Widener Law Admissions Office at (302) 477-2162
(lawadmissions@mail.widener.edu), or contact the JSPH office at (215) 503-0174.