St. Mary’s Law and UTHealth Houston offer JD/Public Health degree

The new JD/MPH program is expected to launch in fall 2025. It will serve students interested in majoring in health law and policy, providing students with a comprehensive understanding and skills in the field.

Public health expertise is in high demand at the federal, state, and local levels. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that public health and health care occupations will grow 13% between 2021 and 2031. The Texas Workforce Commission projects similar job growth in the health care sectors from Texas.

Students in the JD/MPH program will learn to address complex emerging challenges at the intersection of law and public health, such as health care policy, environmental regulation, city and state legislature, and the law of public health.

“The JD/MPH program is an exciting cross-institutional interdisciplinary initiative that will prepare attorneys seeking to impact health policy, including ensuring health outcomes for underserved individuals,” said Patricia Roberts, JD, dean of the law of St. Mary and Charles E. Cantú Distinguished. Professor of law. “This joint degree is consistent with St. Mary’s commitment to educating students to advance the common good.”

The JD/MPH program streamlines earning both degrees, requiring fewer total credit hours than pursuing each independently.

“Health policy and public health law are increasingly important disciplines as new diseases and societal problems emerge while new treatments and technologies are developed,” said Jack Tsai, Ph.D. , regional dean and professor at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in San Francisco. Anthony. “The new program offers a dual education in law and public health that would enable students to become leaders in shaping law, policy and society as a whole. »

Equipped with a skill set encompassing legal analysis, policy advocacy and public health strategy, graduates will be well prepared to make significant contributions to improving health outcomes and advancing health initiatives of social justice.

“Graduates would be well-positioned to develop careers in more specialized careers in health policy, public health law and many other careers in which health and law intersect,” Tsai said.

Prospective students interested in learning more about the JD/MPH between St. Mary’s Law and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health can contact the admissions team at [email protected] or 713-500-9032.