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Dual Degree JD/MHSA

Joint Degree Program in Health Policy and Management and Law

The JD/MHSA dual degree program combines into four years of full-time study the Juris Doctor (JD) Program offered by the School of Law and the Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) Program offered by the Department of Population Health in the School of Medicine. The JD/MHSA joint degree program is designed to offer students who plan to practice health law or health services management a thorough academic grounding in both disciplines.

The complexity of current national debates on health care suggests that an important relationship exists between health administration and the law. It is therefore not surprising to find individuals with law degrees holding managerial and executive positions in health care organizations or an increasing number of attorneys specializing in health care law. Lawyers who counsel health care executives must have a broad knowledge of the health care field to serve their clients well. Career opportunities for individuals with training in the law and health administration are available in a variety of settings including law firms, health services delivery organizations, insurance and managed care organizations, and government.

Admissions Requirements

To be admitted to the dual JD/MHSA Program, an applicant must hold an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, complete the admission processes and meet the admission requirements for both the School of Law and the MHSA Program, and be admitted by both the School of Law and the MHSA Program no later than the end of the first year of study in either program. Prior academic achievement should indicate a high likelihood that an applicant has the capacity to complete the curricula in law and health services administration. Full-time study is required for the dual JD/MHSA Program.

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the only standardized test required for an applicant to the dual degree program. An applicant or student who is interested in entering the dual degree program should discuss his or her plans with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Law and the MHSA Program Student Services Manager in the Department of Population Health as early as possible. No student may enter the dual degree program after completing more than the equivalent of two semesters of full-time enrollment in either the JD or MHSA curriculum.

Degree Requirements

To receive the JD/MHSA, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 123 credit hours. Of these, at least 80 credit hours must be from courses offered by the School of Law and 43 must be from the MHSA Program. Students in the degree program should note that while the School of Law requires a 2.0 grade point average in JD coursework to remain in good standing and for graduation, the MHSA Program follows the Graduate School regulation requiring a 3.0 cumulative grade point average for coursework that is counted toward the MHSA portion of the dual degree. In planning their enrollments, students should inform themselves of course prerequisites and plan their course schedules accordingly.

JD Requirements

All candidates for the JD degree must complete the following required courses.

First-Year  Upper-Class

LAW 804: Civil Procedure (4)
LAW 806: Intro. to Constitutional Law (4)   LAW 809: Contracts (4)
LAW 814: Criminal Law (4)
LAW 820: Lawyering Skills I (2)
LAW 821: Lawyering Skills II (3)
LAW 826: Property (4)
LAW 831: Torts I (4)

Three courses from among the following:

Law 837: Contracts II/ UCC Sales (3)
Law 845: Jurisdiction (3)
Law 865: Business Associations I (3)
Law 873: Commercial Law: Secured
Transactions (3)
Law 878: Criminal Procedure (3)
Law 881: Conflict of Laws (3)
Law 892: Business Organizations (4)
Law 909: Family Law (3)
Law 996: Trusts and Estates (4)

and
Law 908: Evidence (3)
Law 972: Professional Responsibility (2-3)

Students must complete all required first-year courses (29 credit hours) during their first year of Law School enrollment. In addition to these course requirements, the School of Law has an upper-class writing intensive requirements, an experiential requirement, a minimum grade point average requirement, a residence requirement, and a time limit for completion of the degree. Please refer to the current School of Law catalog for details.

In addition to the 43 credit hours of coursework (described above) required of all law students, students in the dual JD/MHSA degree program must complete the following coursework:

LAW 850: Administrative Law (3) AND
LAW 919: Healthcare Financing & Regulation (2) OR
LAW 920: Health Law and Policy(3)

Two of the following three courses:

LAW 903: Employment Discrimination Law (3)
LAW 925: Employment Law (3)
LAW 939: Labor Law (4)

Two of the following courses:

LAW 860: Alternative Dispute Resolution (2-3)
LAW 901: Elder Law Field Placement Program (3)
LAW 921: Food and Drug Law (3)
LAW 926: Insurance (3)
LAW 899: Elder Law Seminar (2)

LAW 931: Introduction to Elder Law (2)
LAW 955: Legislative Simulation and Study (3)
LAW 976: Public Policy Practicum (3)

All courses must be taken as Law School courses from Law School faculty, except that on a showing of extreme hardship the Law School Academic Committee may grant a waiver of this requirement. The Academic Committee shall also have the authority to make changes or substitutions to this list upon showing of changed circumstances, such as changes in the fundamental nature of a course or the discontinuance of a course.

Students choose other Law School courses to complete the remaining hours necessary to reach the total of 80 hours of law school credit needed for the dual degree.

MHSA Requirements

Students entering the MHSA program must have completed a 3 credit hour course in statistics, with a grade of B or better in each prior to matriculation. This coursework must be completed in an accredited college or university. Applicants should consult the Student Services Manager to determine if the coursework they have taken or plan to take fulfills this requirement.

The following 43 credit hours of coursework is required for the MHSA portion of the dual degree.

GROUP I:  All of these courses (27 credit hours):

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
HP&M 810 The Healthcare System
3
HP&M 819 Research for Healthcare Leaders
3
HP&M 822 Healthcare Economics
3
HP&M 825 Financial Concepts in Healthcare Management
3
HP&M 830 Healthcare Management
3
HP&M 846 Health Information Technology Management
3
HP&M 850 Introduction to Operations
3
HP&M 858 Organizational Behavior in Healthcare
3
HP&M 860 Internship
1
HP&M 861 Capstone Seminar
2

 

GROUP II Options: 16 Credit Hours:

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
HP&M 827 Financial Applications in Healthcare Management
3
HP&M 832 Governance and Health Law
2
HP&M 833 Ethics
2

HP&M 837

Health Policy
3

HP&M 840

Organizational Foundations for Leading Change OR HP&M 830
3
HP&M 848 Designing Healthcare Organizations
2
HP&M 852 Strategic Marketing
2
HP&M 853 Strategic Management
2
HP&M 854 Human Resources and Workforce Development
3
BIOS 704 Principles of Statistics in Public Health
3
HP&M Elective
3

Waivers, substitutions, and all other degree requirements are governed by Department and Graduate School policies. Students should consult the Student Services Manager, if they have questions about MHSA degree requirements.

The following scheduling of MHSA courses is recommended for years two, three, and four in the JD/MHSA Program, with year one devoted to Law School coursework.

Fall Two

HP&M 810: The Health Care System (3)
HP&M 858: Organizational Behavior in Healthcare (3)
Group II Course

Spring Two

HP&M 822: Health Care Economics (3)
HP&M 850: Introduction to Operations (3)
Group II Course

Fall Three

HP&M 825: Financial Concepts in Health Management (3)
Group II Course

Spring Three

HP&M 846: Health Information Technology Management (3)
Group II Course

Summer Three

HP&M 860: Internship (1)
Optional: Group II Course (HP&M 852)

Fall Four

HP&M 819: Research for Health Care Leaders (3)
Group II Course

Spring Four

HP&M 830: Health Care Management (3)
HP&M 861: Capstone Seminar
Group II Course 

Typical Program Format
  Law
School
Dept. of
HP&M
Total
First Year
29
0
29
Second Year
17
17
34
Third Year
17
13
30
Fourth Year
17
13
30
Total Credit Earned
80
43
123
For more information, please contact:

Nichole Evans
MHSA Program Manager
Department of Population Health
University of Kansas Medical Center
5001 Student Center, MS 3044
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
913.588.1934; nevans2@kumc.edu

Elizabeth A. Kronk Warner
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
School of Law
University of Kansas
406 Green Hall
1535 W. 15th St.
Lawrence, Kansas 66045
785-864-1139;  elizabeth.kronk@ku.edu

School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
Population Health
Mail Stop 1008
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-2775
Fax: 913-588-2780