Juris Doctor and Public Administration Double-Degree (JD + MPA)
We’ve partnered with the Faculty of Law to offer our JD+MPA program. You’ll study law and public administration while you work on your thesis. You’ll also get hands-on experience through our public administration work terms. You'll graduate a public administration specialist who’s certified to practice law in all provinces except Quebec.
| Expected length | Project or thesis | Course-based |
|---|---|---|
| 4 years | Yes | No |
Quick facts
- Program options:
- Master's
- Study options:
- Full-time study
- Program delivery:
- On-campus
- Dynamic learning:
- Other: Mandatory co-op (MPA)
Find a supervisor
You are not required to find a supervisor before applying to our programs. We recommend that you list three potential supervisors in your letter of intent.
Astrid Brousselle
Professor Evaluation approaches and methods, Planetary Health, theory-based evaluation, ecological transition, public health, health system analysis, collaborative/participative/community based approaches, qualitative methods
David Castle
Professor Science, technology and innovation policy , Open science and research data
Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe (she/her)
Assistant Professor and Academic Undergraduate Advisor Environmental justice, Public engagement, Critical policy studies, Climate emergencies and displacement, States of emergency, Interpretive research and arts-based methods, Community development, Indigenous community engagement and governance
Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly (he/his)
Professor & Jean Monnet Chair Border studies: border disputes, border security, border management, management of cross border regions; European Union: regional and urban policies, immigration and border security policies; Canada - United States border policies
Evert Lindquist
Professor Public sector and public service reform, Designing and implementing policy interventions, Digital and collaborative governance, Horizontal governance and administration to support policy interventions, Organizing for policy and administrative innovation, Role and influence of think tanks in policy networks, Competing values in public sector leadership and reform
Heather Castleden
Professor, Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health Transformative governance; Planetary health; Decolonizing energy; Decolonizing the academy; Climate justice; Social justice; Environmental racism; Health equity; Indigenous-settler relations; Research ethics, relationality, and accountability; Community-based participatory research
J. Barton (Bart) Cunningham
Professor Human resource issues, Leadership, Organizational behaviour and change, Insight problem solving, Stress and mental health, Action learning and research
Jason Hicks
Assistant Professor Occupational Regulation, Public Policy, Labour Economics, Economic History
Katya Rhodes
Assistant Professor Multi-attribute climate policy analysis, Political economy of climate policy, Pro-environmental behaviour, Survey-based methods, Energy-economy modelling, Comparative climate policy
Robert Lapper, KC
Lam Chair in Law and Public Policy and Graduate Advisor Justice system policy and reform, Access to Justice, Indigenous law and legal issues, Technology and design in law and policy
Tamara Krawchenko
Assistant Professor Comparative public policy; regional development; sustainability transitions
Walter Lepore
Assistant Professor Organizational analysis and design, Organizational performance assessment, Program and policy monitoring and evaluation, Strategic planning, Transparency, accountability, corruption and conflict of interests in the public sector, Public sector reforms, Mixed methods research, Experimental research designs, Community-based participatory research, Capacity development in participatory research, Community-university research partnerships, Community development
Show me program details
Providing you accurate admission requirements, application deadlines, tuition fee estimates and scholarships depends on your situation. Tell us about yourself:
Your program details
Application deadlines
September – apply by January 31
September – apply by December 15
Admission requirements
- Completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an institution recognized by UVic.
- Equivalent of a minimum B+ (6.0 G.P.A.) average in the final two years of your degree.
If your first language is not English you must provide proof of language proficiency. Learn more about language requirements, including what exemptions and tests are allowed.
Review our general admission requirements for more information.
Program specific requirements
As part of your application to the double-degree program, you must:
- Apply separately to both the Juris Doctor (JD) program in the Faculty of Law and the on-campus Master of Public Administration program in the School of Public Administration.
- Indicate on both applications that you are applying for the double degree program. You must be accepted by both the School of Public Administration and the Faculty of Law to be admitted into the double degree program.
As part of your MPA application, you must submit:
- Academic/professional references: At least two academic assessment reports from academic referees, who may also submit a letter to accompany the assessment and strengthen the application. If it has been more than five years since you last attended a post-secondary institution, you may include three professional references from work-related supervisors in place of academic referees. Professional references will be required to submit a letter only and will not be asked to submit an assessment report. Please note that applicants will indicate the name and email address of their referees and the Graduate Admissions office will contact them with instructions for how to provide their reference.
- Official copies of all post-secondary transcripts.
- A letter of intent describing why you are seeking an MPA and how the degree relates to your career plans, personal values and goals,
- A professional résumé.
- If you do not have a Canadian undergraduate degree, you will need to write and submit your official GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) scores.
As part of your JD application, you must submit:
- Your Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score (written no later than the January test date).
- A personal statement in two parts. Please make sure your first and last name are included. Your personal statement, especially Part B, in conjunction with academic performance, LSAT score and any other information pertinent to the criteria for specific awards will be used to determine entrance scholarship recipients.
- In Part A, write a personal essay under 750 words, telling the admissions committee why you want to join the UVic Law community. Explain why you believe that your life experiences, background and personal attributes show a strong match between you and the community of students that UVic Law seeks to build.
- In Part B, in bullet point format only, list any other activities or achievements that you want the admissions committee to know about. This could include your academic achievements, employment experiences, extra-curricular activities, community involvement, or other life experiences or personal attributes not already in your application.
- Note: If you have participated in a graduate degree program, please list those achievements in either Part A or B of your personal statement.
- A transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended (including exchange and study abroad transcripts).
- Completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an institution recognized by UVic.
- Equivalent of a minimum B+ (6.0 G.P.A.) average in the final two years of your degree.
If your first language is not English you must provide proof of language proficiency. Learn more about language requirements, including what exemptions and tests are allowed.
Review our general admission requirements for more information.
Program specific requirements
As part of your application to the double-degree program, you must:
- Apply separately to both the Juris Doctor (JD) program in the Faculty of Law and the on-campus Master of Public Administration program in the School of Public Administration.
- Indicate on both applications that you are applying for the double degree program. You must be accepted by both the School of Public Administration and the Faculty of Law to be admitted into the double degree program.
As part of your MPA application, you must submit:
- Academic/professional references: At least two academic assessment reports from academic referees, who may also submit a letter to accompany the assessment and strengthen the application. If it has been more than five years since you last attended a post-secondary institution, you may include three professional references from work-related supervisors in place of academic referees. Professional references will be required to submit a letter only and will not be asked to submit an assessment report. Please note that applicants will indicate the name and email address of their referees and the Graduate Admissions office will contact them with instructions for how to provide their reference.
- Official copies of all post-secondary transcripts.
- A letter of intent describing why you are seeking an MPA and how the degree relates to your career plans, personal values and goals,
- A professional résumé.
- If you do not have a Canadian undergraduate degree, you will need to write and submit your official GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) scores.
As part of your JD application, you must submit:
- Your Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score (written no later than the January test date).
- A personal statement in two parts. Please make sure your first and last name are included. Your personal statement, especially Part B, in conjunction with academic performance, LSAT score and any other information pertinent to the criteria for specific awards will be used to determine entrance scholarship recipients.
- In Part A, write a personal essay under 750 words, telling the admissions committee why you want to join the UVic Law community. Explain why you believe that your life experiences, background and personal attributes show a strong match between you and the community of students that UVic Law seeks to build.
- In Part B, in bullet point format only, list any other activities or achievements that you want the admissions committee to know about. This could include your academic achievements, employment experiences, extra-curricular activities, community involvement, or other life experiences or personal attributes not already in your application.
- Note: If you have participated in a graduate degree program, please list those achievements in either Part A or B of your personal statement.
- A transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended (including exchange and study abroad transcripts).
Completion requirements
View the minimum course requirements for this program.
View the minimum course requirements for this program.
Funding & aid
Tuition & fees
Estimated minimum program cost*
* Based on an average program length. For a per term fee breakdown view the tuition fee estimator.
Estimated values determined by the tuition fee estimator shall not be binding to the University of Victoria.
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