JD MBA Programs

You may have heard about JD MBA Programs in the news. A JD/MBA program is a combined JD (Juris Doctor) degree (Juris Doctor) and MBA (Master of Business Administration). Students who pursue this degree gain knowledge in both law and business. This is particularly useful because, in their efforts to decrease costs and increase efficiency, companies often look for people who can successfully handle both business and legislative tasks.

Those who graduate from one of the many JD MBA programs don’t necessarily have to work in the corporate environment. The qualification will simply increase their versatility and open new doors for their career. For example, a JD/MBA graduate may even consider building a career in politics.

Although there are no comprehensive lists of joint JD/MBA programs, many schools providing education in both business and law are able to offer some form of a joint JD/MBA program for their students.

Joint JD/MBA programs normally last four years, but more and more schools are offering three-year programs these days. Because students tend to spend their summer months working in either business- or law-related internships, four-year programs are able to offer more practical experience. Of course every JD/MBA program varies in its structure, depending on the school that offers it.

Students who attend a four-year JD/MBA program are typically given the choice to begin the first year with either law or business school. Then, in their second year they start taking classes in the other school. In their third and fourth year, students are able to “mix it up” by taking courses from both programs. The tuition costs for such programs can be very high, and be as much as $80.000.

Three-year JD/MBA programs have much lower tuition costs, but they also have their downsides. Because a 3-year JD/MBA program has to merge 2 years of business and 3 years of law school into only 3 years – this means students will have to complete their internships in only one or two summers.

There are also schools that offer online JD/MBA programs. An example of such school is the Golden Gate University in San Francisco. It offers an option for students of law, who are interested in obtaining an MBA, to enroll for an accelerated JD/MBA program. They usually apply for the MBA program during their second or third year of study.

My school, Creighton University, offers a three-year, 112 credit hour JD/MBA program which is well-known in the Midwest.

Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts launched its forty-five month accelerated JD/MBA program in 2000. It not only offers an option of online courses, but provides real-world experience as well. Students must also apply and be accepted in both schools (school of law and school of business). After they are accepted, students follow a predetermined course schedule lasting four years along with the summer internships.

It took some effort, but I’ve been able to compile the most comprehensive list of JD/MBA programs available. It features 133 schools! See below:

It’s worth looking into JD MBA Programs when choosing to pursue an MBA. All in all, a JD/MBA degree is particularly useful for people who are looking to work in a job that requires both business and legal knowledge. These skills come in handy if you seek a career as a company’s legal counsel, entrepreneurship, venture capitalism, labor relations, and others.