Are you interested in pursuing an advanced degree in law/government/policy but unsure if you want to take a traditional J.D. path? There are many options for post-grad education beyond going to law school and earning a J.D that can lead to impactful careers in government, public service, advocacy, and more. Below we highlight some common graduate programs to help you explore different pathways that align with your interests and goals.
Master of Public Policy (MPP)
- This degree aims to strengthen knowledge of creating and analyzing policy. They might research statistics, data, economics, and public programs in order to draft policies to achieve certain outcomes. MPPs focus on the design of policy to inform decisions.
- Graduates with an MPP may find careers as policy analysts, government officials, think tank researchers, or legislative aides.
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
- This degree allows students to learn practical skills in public programming and organization. An MPA focuses more on the implementation of policy and its management, emphasizing topics like leadership, budgeting, and contract negotiation.
- Options for careers with an MPA include budget and data analysis, urban planning, city management, and nonprofit work.
Master of Jurisprudence (MJ)
- An MJ is designed for non-lawyers to learn more about legal principles and applications of law. This can be helpful for professionals to have a deeper understanding of legal practices and leverage that in their jobs, even if they don’t practice law.
- Potential careers with this degree are broad. Graduates may work in business, healthcare, human resources, and more.
Master of Arts (MA) and/or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science
- To further explore topics on law, government, and policy, consider pursuing research in political science with higher education. Through this, students can dive deeper into specific research questions in different areas including global policy, international relations, and human rights.
- With an MA or PhD, graduates may work as researchers, professors, political consultants, or analysts.
Dual JD Degree: JD/MPA, JD/MBA, JD/MD, etc.
- Some students may feel compelled to do a joint program to specialize in law surrounding a certain field, like business, education, medicine or policy. A dual program allows people to earn two graduate degrees in less time than it would take to do them separately, and expand their opportunities in specific fields while gaining meaningful expertise.
- Job pathways for those with dual JD degrees may include in-house counsel for certain organizations or agencies, specialized law (e.g. business, healthcare, environmental, public interest), legal consulting, or government work.
