The worlds of management and law have become inextricably intertwined. To accommodate students contemplating a career where business and law overlap, the Law School and the Hankamer School of Business offer a dual degree program that leads to the simultaneous award of a Juris Doctor (JD) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. While the JD program trains students to recognize and analyze legal issues, the MBA program instructs students in management of business enterprises. The JD/MBA program strives to improve the effectiveness of both business managers and legal counsel for business entities by training each to understand the role of the other and the importance of their respective contributions to the successful operation of a business. JD/MBA students should consider pursuing a concentrated course of study at the Law School in Business Transactions or Business Litigation.

Students interested in a career requiring complementary skills in both law and business may complete the JD and MBA degrees concurrently. Law courses substitute for electives in the MBA curriculum described in this catalog, and business courses substitute for twelve quarter hours (one quarter) in the JD curriculum. Completing the combined program effectively “saves” one semester and one quarter of study. Students should consult with advisors in both the Law School and Business School to determine the best sequence of courses.

Admissions Requirements

Students are required to make regular application for admission to, and be accepted by, both the Law School and the Graduate School.  All applicants must take the applicable entrance exam for each school. Applicants or students interested in pursuing a dual degree must consult with the Law School Associate Dean at their earliest convenience and prior to beginning study on the MBA portion of the dual degree. Students can consult with Scot Sanders, Assistant Director, Graduate Enrollment for information about MBA application and requirements.

Requirements for the Dual Law (JD) / Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Candidates must complete the requirements for the Law (JD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees as shown below. 

A cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a GPA of at least 2.0 in the required courses for the JD, is required for completion of these two degrees. Since both degrees are awarded simultaneously, all requirements in both schools must be completed in order to receive either degree.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Law (JD) Required Hours		126 quarter hrs.
114 quarter hrs. completed for JD
12 qtr. hrs. reduced for dual JD/MBA students 1
Business Administration (MBA) Required Hours		53 semester hrs.
37-38 semester hrs. completed for MBA
15-16 semester hrs. reduced for JD/MBA students 2
Hours required by both programs		126 quarter hrs. + 53 semester hrs.
- reduction for dual JD/MBA students 1, 2, 3		-12 quarter hrs. - 15-16 semester hrs.
= Total Hours Taken by Dual JD/MBA		114 quarter hrs. + 37-38 semester hrs.

¹

Dual JD/MBA students' 12 quarter hrs. reduction is applied to the typically required 48 hrs. of law electives, resulting in 36 hrs. of law electives required.

²

Dual JD/MBA students' 15-16 quarter hrs. reduction is applied as follows:

• electives waived (12 hrs.)
• internship waived (1 hr.)
• choose between waiving either:
  • BUS 5111 and BUS 5112 (2 hrs.)
  • BUS 5390 (3 hrs.)

³

Individual courses cannot be shared directly between the JD and MBA due to differences in credit hour type (quarter vs. semester); however, reductions in credit hours are made for students enrolled in the dual program, as shown in the table and notes above.