Law and Public and International Affairs, JD/MPIA

Return to: School of Law

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) provide rigorous, integrated training for students preparing for a professional career that combines law and public and international affairs. Increasingly, lawyers in the public and nonprofit private sectors work in managerial and policy-making capacities for which legal training alone does not prepare them. At the same time, legal considerations influence the work of public managers and planners more than ever, although most have had no exposure to legal training.

Students in the joint degree program gain a broadened knowledge base and a cross-disciplinary approach to solving problems involving the intersection of law, policy, and management. They develop marketable professional skills that are usually acquired through single-degree programs. Professionals trained in both law and public and international affairs enjoy expanded career opportunities.

This program is unique because of the range of master’s degree options. The MPA degree offers three fields of study, including urban and Regional Affairs majors, Public and Nonprofit Management, and Policy Research and Analysis. Students in the MPIA degree program pursue majors in Global Political Economy or Security and Intelligence Studies. Students interested in international development choose two significant fields: Development Planning and Environmental Sustainability or Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society.