Law and Policy, DLP (Primarily Online)

Public servants, executives, and managers operate in an increasingly complex global environment. A doctoral education seeks to provide the policy, analytic, and research skills necessary to advance one’s career.

The Doctor of Law and Policy program is designed for experienced professionals interested in the origins, development, implementation, and analysis of legal and public policy decisions in government and related institutions. The program is designed to prepare students to advance their careers in various fields while focusing their thesis research on a precise law and policy topic.

Students undertake the DLP to understand how public and related institutions formulate and execute policy. Students have an opportunity to develop the ability to interpret and assess the research of others, to acquire skills as researchers, and to communicate their knowledge to a wide range of audiences. Those who successfully complete the degree are equipped to bring their skills and knowledge to senior policy and management positions in government, nonprofit agencies, research organizations, consulting firms, and corporations.

 Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
LWP 6118	Law and Policy Debates: Historical Foundations to Current Controversies	3
LWP 6120	Law and Legal Reasoning 1: Legal Reasoning, Methods, and Research	3
LWP 6121	Law and Legal Reasoning 2: Statutes and Statutory Interpretation	3
LWP 6122	Law and Legal Reasoning 3: The Executive Branch	3
LWP 6401	The Policymaking Process	3
LWP 6403	Global Public Policy	3
LWP 6410	The Economics of Public Policy	3
LWP 6420	Quantitative Methods	3
LWP 6423	Qualitative Methods	3
LWP 6424	Introduction to Research Methods	4
LWP 6450	Public Policy Inquiry and Investigation	3
LWP 6451	Program Evaluation and Policy Implementation	3
LWP 6500	Doctoral Research Design 1: Designing a Research Proposal	4
LWP 6501	Doctoral Research Design 2: Implementation of a Research Design	4
LWP 6502	Doctoral Research Design 3: Practical Implications and Results	4
LWP 6973	Special Topics in Public Policy	3
Registration in the following course is required if the thesis is not completed by the conclusion of the term of registration for LWP 6502:
LWP 7996	Thesis Continuation

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

52 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.000 GPA required