J.D. / M.P.P. Degree Program

Application

• Apply and be admitted to each program. (Admission to one program will not affect admission to the other.)
• Apply to the Law School by March 1.
• Apply to the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy by February 15.

If you're initially accepted to both schools, you can start your program at either, but you need to make the choice and tell both schools about it by May 15. Do that by contacting each school's Associate Dean or Director of Admissions.

You can also decide to apply for a joint degree after you've become a law student. If you're accepted into the other program, then contact the Law School's Associate Dean of Administration and the other program's Director of Admission by May 15.

Contact us

Plan of Study

• Start at either program – in the first year of law, you’ll only take courses at the Law School.  If you start at the Policy Program, you’ll only take policy courses.
• You will take a combination of law and policy courses in your final two years.
• Regardless of where you are taking classes, you’ll always retain the rights of a student at each school.

Degree Requirements

• Earn 75 law credits.
  • You may not apply non-law credit hours to your law degree.
  • 65 of your credits for graduation must be in William & Mary Law School courses graded by a letter grade (ie, A, B, C).
• Complete the first- and second-year course requirements.
• Satisfy the Major Paper Requirement.
• Earn a minimum cumulative law GPA of 2.0.
• Comply with all M.P.P. requirements:
  • 36 Policy hours
  • All other degree requirements
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Tuition and Fees

• Pay tuition and fees at the Law School rate for three years.
• Pay tuition and fees at the Graduate Arts & Sciences rate for one year – typically the year when predominantly taking M.P.P. courses.

Financial Assistance

• If you’re eligible, you can be considered for available scholarship funds at either school. 
• J.D./M.P.P. students may be eligible for a Bolin Fellowship.
• If you’re eligible, you can receive up to three years of Law School-administered aid. 
• If you receive Law School scholarship funds or aid, they are not available during the year you’re paying tuition to the other program.
• Educational loan applications are processed by the Office of Student Financial Aid.