Academics

Joint Degree Program

You can pursue two graduate degrees through our partnerships with other professional schools at the University of Pittsburgh and with one foreign university. This approach reduces the number of credits you need for both degrees and helps shorten your time to graduation.

How To Apply

To apply to a joint degree program, you must apply separately to GSPIA and to the partner school. Admissions decisions are made independently. If you are admitted to both programs, you may pursue the joint degree. You may apply to both degrees simultaneously. Students who are already enrolled in a partner program may apply to GSPIA before completing their first 24 credits in the partner school. Students who are already enrolled at GSPIA may apply to a partner school before completing their first 24 credits.

Eligibility and Requirements

Only full-time students are eligible to enroll in a joint degree program. Joint-degree students must complete a total of 36 GSPIA credits and must be actively enrolled at GSPIA for at least three terms. In general, students in a joint master's program (MBA, MPH, MSIS, or MSW) enroll for three terms in GSPIA and three terms in the partner school for a total of three years of study. Students enrolled in the joint JD program spend three terms in GSPIA and five terms in Pitt Law School for a total of four years of study.

Master of Public Administration, Master of Public and International Affairs, and Master of International Development students may apply to our joint degree programs unless otherwise noted. PhD students are not eligible to pursue joint degrees, and MPPM students are not eligible for joint degrees with the exception of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

Juris Doctor

Combine the study of law and policy to prepare to work in the judicial or executive branches of government, international law firms, or in public and nonprofit agencies at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Master of Business Administration

Prepare for a career in international finance, government financial regulation, or multinational corporations with this joint degree with University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business. This program is for MPIA and MID students only.

Master of Public Health

Prepare to be a leader in public health policy and to learn how health is linked to social, political, and economic problems at home and abroad with this joint degree with University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Master of Social Work

Prepare for service in urban nonprofit and government organizations, to shape community development policy, and to advocate for human rights worldwide with this joint degree with University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Study health policy and the science behind it to prepare for a career at medical relief agencies, nonprofits, and government authorities battling health issues worldwide.

Master of Science in Information Science

Prepare for a career in the public or nonprofit sector by combining the study of public and information technology management with this joint degree with University of Pittsburgh School of Information Science.

Master of Public Policy and Management/Doctor of Nursing Practice

Combining GSPIA's MPPM program with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Pitt's School of Nursing will enable you to acquire professional training as a health care executive leader while also gaining the public and nonprofit management skills to help you to succeed. This program is for MPPM students only. It may be pursued on-campus or online, full-time or part-time.

Master of Science in Quantitative Economics

Data analytics has rapidly established itself as a core competency across virtually all facets of society. This is particularly true in the policy space, where practitioners and advocates alike have adopted a new-found focus on “evidence-based” approaches. Data analytics are at the core of these approaches and drive demand for students who understand both policy and analytics.

At Pitt, you can pursue two graduate degrees simultaneously through the joint Master of Quantitative Economics/Master of Public Administration program between the Department of Economics and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. This streamlined, 2 ½ years joint degree program is built for students seeking training in public policy, public administration, and data analytics. It is ideally suited for students looking to enter mid-career positions as policy/data analysts in both the public and private sectors.

Students complete all of the typical requirements for the MQE program. Students will also complete all the required GSPIA MPA coursework, except for 3 quantitative courses whose content is replaced by the quantitative training in the MQE classes. Joint degree students also have the number of required MPA elective courses reduced by one relative to the normal MPA degree. Finally, joint degree students will be able to choose whether to do their capstone project through the MQE program or through the MPA program.

Kobe University Joint Degrees

Combine your GSPIA degree with a Master of International Affairs, Master of Laws, Master of Economics, or Master of Political Science to prepare for a career in service internationally. Classes are taught in English.