Florida Coastal School of Law and Jacksonville University officials plan to announce this afternoon they will work together to enable students to simultaneously obtain a dual juris doctor in law and master of public policy degree.
JU said the agreement is the first of its kind in Florida.
The two institutions also will enter into a course agreement to enable JU master of public policy students to take policy-oriented courses at Coastal Law.
Coastal Law Dean Peter Goplerud and JU President Kerry Romesburg will sign the agreements at a 2:30 p.m. ceremony at JU.
Classes for JU’s master of public policy degree programs will begin in August.
Students will be able to complete the joint degree in four years. If pursued separately, both degrees would take five years to complete.
“This collaboration will better enable both institutions to attract students from a broader geographical area, and it advances our mutual goal of developing leaders of communities and organizations of tomorrow,” said Rick Mullaney, the JU Public Policy Institute founding director, in a news release.
“This JD/MPP program offers an unparalleled combination of legal and public policy education not found anywhere else in the state of Florida,” said Terri Davlantes, Coastal Law vice president of strategy and general counsel, in the release.
Coastal Law is an independent and private and institution that received full ABA accreditation in August 2002. For more information, visit www.fcsl.edu.
The JU Public Policy Institute was established in January to prepare students for leadership opportunities in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. The JU Master of Public Policy includes four graduate degrees: an MPP degree and three dual degree programs, the MPP-Juris Doctor, MPP-Master of Business Administration and MPP-Marine Science. For more information, visit www.JU.edu/ppi.