An advantage of the joint degree program is that a maximum of six courses may be applicable to both degrees. Through the joint M.A. in Public Affairs and Policy/J.D. program, a maximum of three 3- or 4-credit courses within the M.A. curricula may be transferred to be counted toward the J.D. The transfer of three 3- or 4-credit courses from the J.D. curricula will be accepted toward the M.A. All transfers are subject to the approval of the program advisor and must follow curriculum guidelines. The scheduling of the combined study is flexible. The student will spend the first year of study exclusively at Albany Law School. A plan of study for the completion of all requirements in the remaining three years should be worked out with the program advisors of both schools during the first year of study.

Students must meet the admissions standards of both The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy and Albany Law School. Each school will evaluate the application based on its own requirements and standards. No special requirements are imposed on applicants to the joint degree program. Both schools look for a strong undergraduate record. The applicant must score well on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The Graduate Record Exam (GRE), a requirement for M.P.A. admission, will be waived in lieu of the LSAT. Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree. Applications to The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy are accepted and reviewed throughout the year. Completed application forms must be filed with Albany Law School before March 15 of the year of proposed matriculation. Application to the dual program must be made no later than the end of the first year of study at Albany Law School.