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Dual Degrees and Certificate-Granting Programs

Dual Degrees

Students may apply for dual degrees with other divisions of the University. The student must gain acceptance to each degree program separately. The following dual degrees are the most popular:

  • Business:
  • International Relations: A student may earn both the J.D. and the A.M. degree in International Relations in eleven quarters. 
  • Public Policy: A student may earn a Master of Public Policy degree in conjunction with their J.D. through the Harris School of Public Policy. The program takes four years.
  • Religious Studies:  A student may earn a Master of Divinity degree in conjunction with their J.D. through the Divinity School. The program takes five years.

Learn more about dual degree programs offered with the JD degree.

JD/PhD Scholarships

The University of Chicago Law School has established a scholarship program to support students pursuing a dual JD/PhD at the University of Chicago. Through this program, the Law School will reserve a number of financial aid packages for top JD/PhD candidates. Law scholarships range from a few thousand dollars per year to full-ride scholarships with stipends. JD/PhD scholarships are competitive and the scholarship pool is limited. JD/PhD scholarships are not guaranteed. Funding is not contingent upon obtaining a particular form of employment after graduation. Decisions regarding funding will be made by the JD/PhD Committee after admission and communicated in the financial aid award notification from the Financial Aid Office.  

For additional information about the structure of a JD/PhD, please visit the Dean of Student’s JD/PhD Class Planning and Advising page.

For information on JD/PhD admissions, please contact the Admissions Office, [email protected]. Please note the admissions process for the JD degree and the PhD degree are entirely separate. We also encourage you to reach out directly to the Admissions Department of the PhD program you are interested in to discuss their requirements, deadlines and applications.

For information regarding scholarships and financial aid, please contact our Financial Aid Office at [email protected].

If you are applying for a JD/PhD, we encourage you to apply as early in the admissions cycle as possible to optimize the admissions process. 

Certificate-Granting Programs

Doctoroff Business Leadership Program

In October 2013, the Law School announced the creation of the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program—the first certificate-granting program at the Law School.  The program focuses on preparing law students to advise, run and create business enterprises large and small through training in entity formation, capital structure and finance, intellectual property protection, ethical and regulatory issues, business combinations and sales. 

Up to fifteen students from each class will be selected to participate in the three-year program through a competitive application process.  While in the program, students take a complete business and legal curriculum, including core business law classes taught by Law School faculty and business classes taught by Booth School of Business faculty.  The students will also work in business internships after their 1L year to gain experience, then complete the traditional 2L and post-graduate job searches with strong resumes to find work in their desired fields.  Alumni from the Law School network who have extraordinary leadership experience in business and law serve as mentors to each student in the program.

Students who successfully complete the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program will connect their legal training to the world of business and entrepreneurship, having built critical analytical skills, gained crucial practical experience, and developed important business networks.

Graduate Program in Health Administration and Policy

In addition, the Law School has joined several other professional schools on campus (the Booth School of Business, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, Pritzker School of Medicine and Harris School of Public Policy) and now offers law students an opportunity to earn a Certificate in Health Administration and Policy (GPHAP) or a Certificate in Health Administration and Policy with a Concentration in Global Health, while simultaneously obtaining a J.D. degree.

The GPHAP is a certificate program designed to train and prepare future leaders in health care administration, and it draws together students and faculty from various fields for the purpose of providing students with deep interdisciplinary training in policy, management, finance, and social service delivery.

Students admitted to the program must take four classes (two required and two elective), complete a supervised practicum, and attend three health-related workshops, seminars, lectures, or GPHAP special events offered on campus each quarter and must provide a short synopsis of each event attended. 

Law students interested in the program apply at the beginning of their second year of law school. Learn more about the GPHAP program.