NPL/Juris Doctor (JD) (NPL/JD) Program
The Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership/Juris Doctor (NPL/JD) is a joint program sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania Law School (Penn Law) and the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) at the University of Pennsylvania. The NPL/JD prepares students who aspire to assume positions of leadership in law and nonprofits. Students leave the program with the skills needed to transform nonprofits, social enterprises, and international NGOs. Additionally, the program’s graduates learn how to use new thinking and innovative approaches to address long-term challenges across the social impact sector enabling them to be change-makers in their organizations and ultimately to lead social change. Students build a foundation in leadership, philanthropy/fundraising, and social innovation which complements their legal work.
Degree Completion Requirements
In order for a student to receive both degrees, they must complete the independent degree requirements of each program.
For Law:
- Law students must complete a minimum of 86 credits, 54 hours of which must be advanced credit completed in the second and third years of law study. Students in the joint program must first complete the required 32 credits of 1L curriculum, without taking any NPL courses. In their second (2L) and third (3L) years, they may apply 12 credits (four courses) from the NPL Program toward the 54-credit requirement, reducing their credit requirement to 42 credits of law courses. These four courses are the total number of non-law courses that a JD student can take for law credit in other departments of the University without exceptional permissions and tuition assessment. Law students enrolled in the joint program are not eligible to participate in Study Abroad Programs.
- Joint degree students must also satisfy the Penn Law requirements of its Public Interest Center’s Pro Bono Program and fulfill their senior writing and professional responsibility requirements.
For NPL:
- NPL students are required to complete a minimum of ten course units (CUs), including at least four NPL core CUs, four NPL elective CUs, a maximum of two Penn electives, and a Leadership Practicum. Joint Degree students may apply up to four courses from the Law Program towards NPL (two will be considered as Penn Electives for the NPL program; two should be nonprofit or social impact focused and will require approval from the Administrative Director of the NPL Program).
- Joint Degree students will be required to take four CU of NPL core courses.
- Joint Degree students will be required to take two CU of NPL electives from the lists of NPL core courses or NPL electives.
- Joint Degree students’ pro bono, clinic, or externship work will count as the NPL Practicum as long as it has a social impact focus.
Leadership Practicum
The Leadership Practicum is an integral part of the experiential learning for all NPL students, which builds upon core competencies and principles of leadership developed in the classroom. It consists of:
- a supervised mentoring and leadership development experience with either an executive director or senior level leader at a local, national, or international social impact organization;
- a partnership with the goal of understanding the organization and providing student support on various levels that can include strategic planning, succession planning, branding or marketing, development and philanthropy, or other targeted projects; and
- a commitment of a minimum of 250 hours of practicum time with the sponsoring organization (virtually, hybrid, or fully in-person) during the academic year beginning in September and ending in April.
Program Sequencing
The joint degree is best earned when Year 1 is spent at the Law School, completing the standard and required 1L curriculum. Years 2 and 3 are spent in residence at the Law School but taking courses in both SP2 and Law.
There may be an opportunity for students to complete NPL course work in the Spring Semester of the 1L year (in lieu of the Law School’s 1L “general elective”) and during the summer between Years 1 and 2.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Students pay tuition to Penn Law. However, students will be responsible for tuition for courses taken in Social Policy & Practice over and above the four courses that are countable toward the JD degree. If summer courses are arranged, students will pay tuition directly to SP2 for those courses.
Financial aid decisions are made independently by each school, but with consultation as necessary to fairly steward University resources.
Scheduling Courses
Students register for courses in each program in that program’s registration period and according to that program’s registration rules and procedures.
Students must be aware of the differences in these procedures and it is recommended that they meet with the Registrar in both schools:
- The registration periods for the Law School and SP2 may differ.
- Students register for Law courses through the Law School’s standard registration system.
- Students register for NPL courses through the SP2 registration system.
Each student is expected to coordinate registration in both Schools and it is highly recommended that students reach out to their Advisor at NPL and the Associate Director of Cross-Disciplinary Programs at the Law School for guidance.
The timing and location of course scheduling must also be considered so that students are best able to attend all classes.
Issues Particular to the Program
Students in the joint degree program may have particular career interests and goals. They are encouraged to meet individually with Kathryn Deans-Schaub, Associate Director for Cross-Disciplinary Careers and Employer Outreach at the Law School and with their academic advisor at SP2 or the SP2 Career Advisor at the Office of Career Services.
Contact Us
Sue Perls, MS
Interim Director, MS in Nonprofit Leadership
215 573 2390
infonpl@sp2.upenn.edu
Renee Post
Director of Admissions, Law School
rpost@upenn.edu
For currently enrolled students:
Amanda S. Aronoff
Associate Director of Cross-Disciplinary Programs at Penn Law
aramanda@law.upenn.edu
