The joint juris doctor and master of public health in health policy and management (JD/MPH) program between Pitt Public Health and Pitt’s School of Law provides students with an interdisciplinary curriculum in law and public health, integrating law, health policy, and management. Students prepare to address the legalities, issues and problems affecting personal and public health.
Careers
Recent graduates hold the following positions:
- Health care compliance attorney
- Assistant chief counsel for litigation
- Board of health commissioner
- County, city, or state health official
- Private practice attorney
Recent Essay and Thesis Titles
- Evidence Influences and Patient Autonomy: Utilizing The Ecological Model to Maximize Justice and Autonomous Choice in the Legal Doctrine of Informed Consent
- Political Use of the Prevention and Public Health Fund
- The Somali Bantu Refugee Resettlement Experience and What we Can Learn from it
Competencies
Graduates will be able to:
- Contrast the main components of the organization, financing, and delivery of U.S. health services (private and public)
- Differentiate the legal and ethical bases for formal and informal health care, whether organized, financed, or delivered by public or private organizations
- Evaluate methods of ensuring community and individual health in terms of preparedness, safety, and outcomes of health care
- Assess public and private organizational policies with respect to their development, implementation, and evaluation
- Apply systems thinking and performance improvement concepts to study outcomes and accessibility of care
- Communicate health policy and management issues using appropriate market channels and technologies
- Assess leadership skills for building partnerships
All graduates also achieve the core and cross-cutting competencies for Pitt Public Health MPH students.
Requirements
- 118 credits (15 less than completing programs separately)
- 8 semesters (2 less than completing degrees separately)
- Coursework in health policy and management
- Coursework in public health foundations
- Advanced coursework in health law
- Master’s essay