The School of Law and the School of Public Health have combined to offer students the ability to receive both a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Health Policy and Management (PHPM) in four years. Law is one of the most powerful public health tools, making this a potent degree combination. Laws shape cities, neighborhoods and individual behavior. Whether it is chronic disease, harmful consumer products, disease outbreaks, environmental pollution, traumatic injury or structural discrimination, law can be a solution to the various factors harming the health of populations or, alternatively, contribute to those harms. Students will learn how laws simultaneously empower governments to respond to public health threats to promote the common good and place limitations on those powers to preserve individual liberties. Students will also explore how the law shapes individual and organizational behavior in ways that impact population health and well-being.

In this combined JD/MPH program, students follow a semi-structured curriculum, to be able to complete all of the requirements for both degrees (which normally requires a combined five years) in this shortened time frame. Students must satisfy the requirements of both degree programs; however, students are permitted to have up to 15 credit hours (from qualifying courses) count toward both degrees. The MPH practicum course may also qualify as a JD experiential learning opportunity (e.g., a clinic or externship) and vice-versa, if the subject is sufficiently aligned with each degree’s requirements.

Students in this program will finish the first two years of the law curriculum at the School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas before completing an accelerated MPH program at the School of Public Health on main campus in College Station, Texas during the third year. The final year of the combined program is flexible depending on a student’s choice of electives and course scheduling. 

Master of Public Health in Health and Policy Management

Juris Doctor

Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management

Program Requirements

• Student's Advisory Committee
• Degree Plan
• Credit Requirements
• Limitations on Credits and Coursework
• Final Examination

Student's Advisory Committee

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

After receiving admission to graduate studies, students will consult with the graduate program concerning selection of a chair and members (if applicable) for an advisory committee representative of the student’s field(s) of study and research.

A non-thesis option Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management student’s advisory committee will consist of no fewer than one member, where the chair must be from the student’s major department. Typically, this will be an assigned faculty advisor. If at any point of the student’s time in pursuit of the degree the assigned advisor is no longer available, the department will assign a new advisor and require a comprehensive advisory session to ensure the student is making progress according to degree program requirements.

This program does not offer a thesis option.

Only members of the Graduate Committee Faculty located on Texas A&M University campuses may serve as chair of a student’s advisory committee. Other members of the Graduate Committee Faculty – including those located off-campus or outside the university (if permitted by program, department, and college/school policy) – may serve as a co-chair or member, but not as chair.

The advisory committee as a group – and as individual members – are responsible for advising students on academic matters. These duties include the responsibility for approving a student’s proposed degree plan; research proposal (if applicable); thesis, dissertation, or record of study (if applicable); and conducting examinations (if required). The advisory committee members’ approval of a degree plan indicates their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing a student’s entire academic program and for initiating all academic actions concerning a student. Additionally, in cases of academic deficiency, the advisory committee is responsible for initiating recommendations to the academic unit and the Graduate and Professional School.

The chair of an advisory committee, who usually has immediate supervision of a student’s degree program, has the responsibility for calling meetings at any time considered desirable.

If the chair of a student’s advisory committee is unavailable for an extended period of time in any academic period during which the student is involved in activities relating to an internship, thesis, or professional paper – and is registered for courses such as 684 (Professional Internship), 691 (Research), 692 (Professional Study) or 693 (Professional Study) – the Department Head or interdisciplinary degree Program Chair (if applicable) may appoint an alternate advisory committee chair during the interim period.

If a student’s advisory committee chair is on an approved leave of absence – and the student wants the chair to continue to serve in this role – a written request must be submitted by the Department Head, or interdisciplinary degree Program Chair (if applicable), to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School,  for the faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence to be allowed to continue serving as chair of the advisory committee – without a co-chair – for up to one year. The request must confirm that the faculty member is able to engage in the required duties as chair during the leave of absence. Extensions beyond the one-year period (if necessary) may be granted with additional approval of the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.

If a student’s advisory committee chair voluntarily separates from the university, and the student is nearing completion of the degree, the chair may continue to serve in this role – at the student’s request – for up to one year. Two options are available:

1. The chair may continue, with a co-chair, without additional approval by the Graduate and Professional School. The student must select a current member of the Graduate Committee Faculty – from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site – to serve as co-chair of the advisory committee.
2. The chair may continue, without a co-chair, with approval by the Graduate and Professional School. A written request must be submitted through the Graduate Committee Faculty Office to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School by the Department Head or interdisciplinary degree Program Chair to allow the faculty member to continue as chair, without a co-chair, of the advisory committee.

For both options, extensions beyond the one-year period (if necessary) may be granted with approval of the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.

Although individual members may be replaced by petition for valid reasons, all members of a student’s advisory committee cannot resign en masse.

Degree Plan

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Upon commencement of graduate studies, an advisory committee will evaluate the student’s previous education and outline a program of study and/or research topics(s) based upon the student’s degree objectives. Graduate students, in consultation with the advisory committee, will then develop a degree plan which includes those courses to be applied toward a particular degree and formally establish the advisory committee. 

The degree plan must be created, submitted, and approved through the online Document Processing Submission System (DPSS). The degree plan must be submitted prior to the deadline imposed by the student’s college or school and approved by the Graduate and Professional School no later than 90 days prior to the last day for completion of a Final Examination. Students must select the appropriate program option(s) when submitting a proposed degree plan.

Coursework included on the degree plan is subject to the requirements and restrictions detailed in the Credit Requirements and Limitations on Credits and Coursework sections in each degree program page, or as required by the student’s advisory committee and/or academic unit. Coursework included on the degree plan may not satisfy requirements for more than one degree, except for approved combination degree programs.

Changes to an approved degree plan, if deemed necessary by the advisory committee, may be made through a petition to the Graduate and Professional School. No changes can be made to a degree plan once a student’s Final Examination Request or Final Examination Exemption Request is approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Degree program time limits apply to courses listed on a degree plan. For additional information, students should check the Time Limits section under Additional Requirements.

Credit Requirements

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

All graduate students must complete sufficient semester credit hours to satisfy their degree requirements.

A minimum of 45 semester credit hours of approved coursework is required for the non-thesis option Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management.

Coursework may be completed in one or a combination of academic units. Ordinarily, students will devote the major portion of their time on work in one or two closely related fields of study; but other work may be required in supporting areas of interest.

To demonstrate integration and application of subject matter learned and the development of written and oral communication skills, a student will be required to take SOPH 680 as part of the culminating experience requirement to graduate. Concentration and elective courses vary among the core disciplines and will be addressed during advising and creation of the degree plan. Electives may be taken upon approval/advice from the student’s assigned advisor and will be listed by rubric, section, and description in the degree plan.

Limitations on Credits and Coursework

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs​

Credit hour requirements for all graduate degrees at Texas A&M University are subject to the following limitations:

1. To receive a graduate degree, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. These limitations also apply to joint degree programs.
2. Transfer credits may be used to meet the credit hour requirements under the following limitations:
   1. The maximum number of credit hours which may be considered for transfer credit is the greater of 12 credit hours or one-third (1/3) of the total hours of a degree plan.
   2. Graduate and/or upper-level undergraduate courses (400-level only) taken in residence at an accredited United States or international institution (recognized by the Office of Admissions), with a final grade of B or greater, may be considered for transfer credit if – at the time the courses were completed – the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution.
   3. An official transcript from the institution at which the transfer coursework was taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. Coursework credit submitted for transfer from any institution must be shown in semester credit hours or equated to semester credit hours.
   4. Up to 1 hour of credit may be obtained for each five-day week of coursework for graduate courses of three weeks’ duration or less taken at other institutions. Each week of coursework must include at least 15 contact hours.
   5. Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA.
   6. Coursework in which no formal grades were given, or in which grades other than A or B were earned (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.), is not accepted for transfer credit.
   7. Courses completed at Texas A&M University and appearing on the degree plan with grades of D, F or U may not be absolved by transfer work.
   8. Except for officially approved cooperative doctoral programs, credit for thesis or dissertation research – or the equivalent – is not transferrable.
   9. Courses used toward a degree at another institution may not be applied for transferred graduate credit.
   10. Courses used toward a certificate, but not applied to an awarded degree, may be considered for transfer. If the course to be transferred was taken for a certificate or prior to the conferral of a degree at the transfer institution, a letter from the registrar at that institution stating that the course was not applied for credit toward the degree must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.
   11. Credit for internship coursework in any form, or taken by extension, is not transferable.
   12. Courses for which transfer credits are sought must be approved by the student’s advisory committee and the Graduate and Professional School.
   13. A student who has earned 12 credit hours of graduate credit in residence at Texas A&M University may be authorized to transfer courses in excess of the limits upon the advice of the advisory committee and with the approval of the Graduate and Professional School.
3. The maximum number of credit hours taken in post-baccalaureate non-degree (G6) classification at Texas A&M University which may be considered for application to the degree plan is 12.
4. Only grades of A, B, C and S are acceptable for graduate credit.
5. Graduate courses on a degree plan may not be taken on an S/U basis except for 681 (Seminar), 684 (Professional Internship), 690 (Theory of Research), 691 (Research), 692 (Professional Study), 693 (Professional Study), 695 (Frontiers in Research), 697 (Methods), 791 (Doctoral Capstone) or SOPH 680 (Public Health Capstone).
6. Approval to enroll in any professional course should be obtained from the Department Head or interdisciplinary degree Program Chair (if applicable) in which the course will be offered before including such a course on a degree plan.
7. No more than 50 percent of the non-research coursework required for an in-person degree program may be completed through distance education courses.
8. No graduate credit may be obtained by continuing education, correspondence study, extension, or for any course of fewer than three weeks duration.

Some academic units may have additional or more restrictive requirements.

The foregoing limitations apply to all graduate programs. Exceptions will be permitted only in unusual cases, when petitioned through the student’s advisory committee, and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Non-Thesis Option Students

Credit hour requirements for no-thesis master’s degrees are subject to the following additional limitations:

1. A student pursuing a non-thesis option master’s degree may not enroll in 691 (Research) courses for any reason.
2. A maximum of 12 credit hours may be used, in any combination of the following, on a non-thesis master’s degree plan:
   1. No more than 4 credit hours in any combination of the following:
      1. no more than 2 credit hours of 681 (Seminar),
      2. no more than 4 credit hours of 684 (Professional Internship), and
      3. no more than 3 credit hours of 685 (Directed Studies).
   2. No more than 8 credit hours in any combination of the following:
      1. no more than 4 credit hours 684 (Professional Internship),
      2. no more than 3 credit hours of 685 (Directed Studies), and
      3. no more than 8 credit hours of 691 (Research), if permitted.
   3. No more than 3 credit hours of 690 (Theory of Research).
   4. No more than 3 credit hours of 695 (Frontiers in Research).
3. Certain zero-credit courses may be allowed on a non-thesis master’s degree plan:
   1. A zero-credit 681 (Seminar), 684 (Professional Internship), or 685 (Directed Studies) course may be used.
   2. Other courses – including 691 (Research) hours, if permitted – are not eligible for zero credit.
4. A maximum of 9 credit hours of advanced undergraduate courses (300- or 400-level only) may be considered for application to a master’s degree plan.

Exceptions will be permitted only in unusual cases, when petitioned through the student’s advisory committee, and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Exceptions

The foregoing limitations apply to all master’s degrees, except for the following approved exceptions for the Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management:

1. The maximum number of credit hours which may be considered for transfer credit is 9 credit hours.
2. A maximum of 12 credit hours may be used, in any combination of the following, on a non-thesis master’s degree plan:
   1. No more than 2 credit hours of 681 (Seminar).
   2. No more than 8 credit hours of 684 (Professional Internship).
   3. No more than 9 credit hours of 685 (Directed Studies).
   4. No more than 3 credit hours of 690 (Theory of Research).
   5. No more than 3 credit hours of 695 (Frontiers in Research).
3. Undergraduate courses may not be considered for application to a master’s degree plan.

All other exceptions will be permitted only in unusual cases, when petitioned by the student’s advisory committee, and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Final Examination

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

For non-thesis option students, a Final Examination is not required for the Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management.

Juris Doctor

The JD degree is conferred on students who satisfactorily complete a minimum of 90 credit hours with a cumulative grade point of 2.33 or better. In addition, each student must complete an upper-level rigorous writing requirement, a six-hour experiential requirement, and a 30-hour pro bono requirement. Students must complete their degree requirements within 72 months of starting law school.

Below is the degree plan for the combination program.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Semester Credit Hours
LAW 7001	Legal Analysis, Research and Writing I	3
LAW 7005	Civil Procedure	4
LAW 7042	Torts	4
LAW 7110	Professional Identity	.5
LAW 7418	Legislation and Regulation	3
	Semester Credit Hours	14.5
Spring
LAW 7002	Legal Analysis, Research and Writing II	3
LAW 7007	Alternative Dispute Resolution Survey	1
LAW 7017	Contracts	4
LAW 7021	Criminal Law	3
LAW 7032	Property	4
LAW 7110	Professional Identity	.5
	Semester Credit Hours	15.5
Second Year
LAW 7010	Constitutional Law	4
LAW 7091	Professional Responsibility	3
LAW 7318	Health Law	3
Upper level electives 1,2,3		20
	Semester Credit Hours	30
Third Year
Fall
SOPH 601	Foundational Topics in Health Behavior	3
SOPH 602	Foundational Topics in Health Policy and Management	3
SOPH 603	Foundational Topics in Epidemiology	3
PHPM 605	Introduction to Health Policy and Management	3
PHPM 633	Health Law and Ethics	3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring
PHPM 614	Strategic Planning and Marketing	3
PHPM 623	Health Care Financial Management I	3
PHPM 643	Health Policy Analysis	3
PHPM 661	Introduction to Health Economics	3
PHPM 684	Practicum 3	3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Fourth Year
SOPH 680	Public Health Capstone	3
Upper level electives 1,2,3		27
	Semester Credit Hours	30
	Total Semester Credit Hours	120

¹

Students must successfully complete a minimum of six credit hours in one or more upper-level experiential courses. As part of the six credit hours, the student must successfully complete an approved externship or a clinic that involves advising or representing one or more actual clients or serving as a third-party neutral. An experiential course must be a simulation course, a law clinic, or a field placement.

²

One LARW III course is required.

³

Courses satisfying learning objectives for both degrees can count toward the completion of both degrees provided that students earn at least 30 MPH semester credit hours that are not "double counted toward the completion of the JD degree. The initial list of courses that will count towards both the JD degree and the MPH degree include LAW 7042, LAW 7418, LAW 7318, LAW 7321, LAW 7600, LAW 7793, LAW 7782, LAW 7835 and other LAW electives with MPH Advisor approval; PHPM 633, (PHPM 637 or PHPM 625), PHPM 640, PHPM 643, PHPM 654, PHPM 684 (if it satisfies JD requirements for practice experience).

The program includes a total of 135 hours which up to 15 hours may be applied toward both the Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management (face-to-face or online) and the Juris Doctor.

Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management

Additional Requirements

• Continuous Registration
• Residence
• Scholastic Requirements
• Professional Internship or Practicum
• Foreign Languages
• Time Limits
• Graduation

Continuous Registration

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Students in master's degree programs must satisfy Continuous Registration Requirements until completion of all degree requirements. Students in degree programs requiring a thesis who have completed all coursework on an approved degree plan – other than 684 (Professional Internship), 691/791 (Research) or 692 (Professional Study) – are required to maintain continuous registration until completion of all requirements for a degree. Registration for zero-credit courses does not satisfy the Continuous Registration Requirement. For more information, please see Continuous Registration Requirements under the Registration and Academic Status tab on the Academic Expectations and Program Requirements page in the Graduate and Professional Catalog.

Residence

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

There is no Residence Requirement for the Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management.

Scholastic Requirements

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Students in graduate degree programs must maintain good academic standing and meet minimum university scholastic requirements throughout the duration of their graduate studies. Academic units may have additional or higher requirements. For more information, please see the Scholastic Requirements section under the Academic Expectations tab on the Academic Expectations and Program Requirements page in the Graduate and Professional Catalog.

Professional Internship or Practicum

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Professional internship or practicum requirements for graduate programs at Texas A&M University are administered and monitored by the individual academic units overseeing graduate studies.

Students in the MPH are required to fulfill a practicum requirement. Specific course names and numbers by department are PHEB 684, PHEO 684, PHPM 684 and HBEH 684. Instructions on submission and successful completion of the practicum are posted on the School of Public Health practicum website as well as with the department’s practicum coordinator. Students are to work specifically with their department practicum coordinator on meeting this curriculum course requirement. Students must be in good academic standing, have completed all core public health courses, or be enrolled concurrently in no more than one core course at the time they enroll in the 684 course, and have no registration or university blocks related to enrollment.

Students should contact their graduate program office regarding any professional internship or practicum requirements.

Foreign Languages

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Foreign language requirements for graduate programs are administered and monitored by the individual academic units overseeing graduate studies.

For the Master of Public Health degree, a foreign language is not required.

Time Limits

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

All requirements for master’s degree programs must be completed within a period of seven consecutive calendar years for the degree to be granted.

A course will be considered valid until seven (7) years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Students in non-thesis option master’s degree programs must complete all other degree requirements within one (1) year of the semester in which a Final Examination (if required) was taken. Failure to do so will result in the degree not being awarded.

For more information, please see the Time Limits section under the Degree Requirements tab on the Academic Expectations and Program Requirements page in the Graduate and Professional Catalog.

Graduation

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Candidates for an advanced degree who expect to complete their work at the end of a given semester may apply for graduation. For more information, please see the Graduation section under the Degree Requirements tab on the Academic Expectations and Program Requirements page in the Graduate and Professional Catalog.