University of Colorado at Denver

What you'll study

Students complete a total of 101 semester hours to earn both degrees; those without prior public-sector or nonprofit work must also complete a 3-credit internship, raising the total to 104 credits. Up to 12 law credits may be applied as electives toward the 36-credit MPA, and 12 credits from the School of Public Affairs may be applied to the law school's 89-credit JD, producing the cumulative total. No more than 6 semester hours of Independent Study may be applied toward the degrees.

• Required MPA core (21 credits): PUAD 5001 Introduction to Public Administration & Public Service; PUAD 5002 Organizational Management & Behavior; PUAD 5003 Research & Analytic Methods; PUAD 5004 Economics & Public Finance OR PUAD 5503 Public Budgeting & Finance; PUAD 5005 The Policy Process & Democracy; PUAD 5006 Public Service Leadership & Ethics; PUAD 5008 Evidence-Based Decision-Making.
• JD core: Consult your advisor for the law school's required core courses.
• Electives: Four electives at the 5000-level or above, with at least three drawn from the CU Boulder School of Law.
• Internship: PUAD 6910 Internship (3 credits) required for students without at least one year of professional public/nonprofit experience.
• Capstone/thesis: PUAD 5361 MPA Capstone Seminar (3 credits) OR PUAD 6950 Master's Thesis (3–6 credits).

Entry requirements

Prospective students must be admitted separately by both CU Denver School of Public Affairs and CU Boulder School of Law. Application deadlines published on the source are: Fall: August 1; Spring: December 15; Summer: May 1. Students must begin law study by the second year of enrollment and complete the first year of law study exclusively as a full year. Degree requirements include earning at least a B- in each required course applied to the degrees and maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Contact an advisor for detailed sequencing and additional admissions guidance.

Career prospects

The program targets careers that combine legal practice and public administration: public-sector attorneys, senior administrators in government agencies, counsel for public clients, and scholars focused on law and public policy. The curriculum’s blend of law courses, public-administration cores, and practicum options (internship/capstone/thesis) prepares graduates for roles requiring legal expertise applied to policy, budgeting, regulatory compliance, governance, and public-sector leadership.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Funding options are not specified on the program page; applicants should explore scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, and external funding sources through both CU Denver and CU Boulder financial-aid offices, and discuss financial support opportunities with program advisors.