Juris Doctor / Master Public Policy (JD/MPP)

The Juris Doctor and Master of Public Policy (JD/MPP) degree program is a joint program between the School of Public Policy and the Caruso School of Law. It is designed to strengthen and perfect the preparation of those whose successful leadership depends on a fuller understanding and a stronger skill set for addressing issues of public policy in the practice of law or in the interface between the private business sector and an increasingly complex government presence. Reflecting a Christian commitment to subsidiary and grass-roots problem solving within community, the program addresses the management of nonprofit associations and foundations, understanding that at times, they may depend heavily on a carefully tended relationship with government or may be expected to provide social services on behalf of the government.

The Pepperdine program is unique in recognizing the growing importance of the intermediary institutions between the federal government and the individual as well as the critical role of local, regional, and state government. It further acknowledges the need for domestic and global business to appreciate more fully the implications of public policy both in the United States and other regions and how to manage those policies.

The Caruso School of Law program is well established and well regarded, blending substantial professional training in both legal substance and method with value-based and theoretical inquiry. The School of Public Policy program draws deeply on our nation's ethical and historic roots. Both programs aspire to train leaders of high competence and insight, who can digest and articulate complex legal and public policy materials in order to both shape and apply public policy in a free society. As the Caruso School of Law anchors students in a comprehensive understanding of public and private law, the School of Public Policy further develops the related analytic skills of political economics as well as the managerial skills of organization development and strategy.

Curriculum

The joint JD/MPP degree program requires a total of 130 units: 48 units of the public policy curriculum and 78 units of law courses. It thus permits the student to complete in four years what would ordinarily require five years if undertaken separately.