JD/MBA

This cutting-edge program is offered only by a few law and business schools in the country, and provides the shortest time-to-both-degrees available, while still providing time during each program for internship and other professional preparation outside the classroom.

 

Overview

The University of Kentucky's College of Law and Carol Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics offer you the opportunity to obtain the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and Juris Doctor (JD) degrees in a dual degree program. Because both schools recognize that some aspects of business and law are compatible and interrelated, you can obtain both degrees in three years instead of the four and one-half to five years required if the degrees were pursued separately. As a result, you gain marketable skills and specialized employment opportunities, and you do so in less time and with a smaller financial investment.

To earn the JD and MBA degrees under the dual degree program, you must receive a total of 71 credit hours of work in the College of Law, and either 27 or 38 credit hours of work in the College of Business and Economics, depending upon whether you enroll in the One-year or the Two-year Evening MBA program.

 

Dual Degree Program with One-year MBA

Year 1: 30 credit hours of required Law courses

Year 2: 32 credit hours of MBA courses and eight credit hours of Law courses as follows:  

Dual Degree Program with Two-Year (Evening) MBA

Year 1: 30 credit hours of required Law courses.

Year 2: 12-15 credit hours of required MBA courses, eight hours of required Law courses, and 12-13 additional hours of Law courses as follows:

 

Number	Title	MBA hours	JD hours
Fall Term - MBA Program
ACC 628	Financial/Managerial Accounting	3
ECO 610	Managerial Economics	3
Spring Term - MBA Program
FIN 600	Corporate Financial Policy	3
	MBA Electives*	3-6
JD Program
LAW 851	Business Associations		4
LAW 860	Taxation I		4
	Courses of the student's choice (see "JD Program" in Year 3)		12-13
	TOTAL	12	20-21

 

Year 3: 12-15 credit hours of required MBA courses and 20-21 hours of Law courses: 

Number	Title	MBA hours	JD hours
Fall Term
MKT 600	Marketing Management	3
MGT 610	Global Business Management	3
Spring Term
DIS 651	Quantitative Analysis	3
MGT 699	Business Policy and Strategy (Capstone)	3
	MBA Elective*	0-3
JD Program (if not taken Second Year)
LAW 835	Professional Responsibility		3
	Law writing requirement		2
	Law experiential requirement		6
	Two of the following:  - LAW 836: Law and Economics  - LAW 850: Legal Accounting**  - LAW 855: Corporation Finance Law  - LAW 856: Business Planning**  - LAW 926: International Business Transactions		5-6
LAW 876	Trusts and Estates		4
LAW 882	Secured Transactions		3
LAW 890	Evidence		3
LAW 920	Administrative Law		3
	Law elective(s)		3-4
	TOTAL	27	71

 

*Students may choose one course from the following options:

FIN 645 Corporate Investment and Financial Policy MBA 615 Supply Chain Strategy MBA 616 Supply Chain Operations MBA 624 Entrepreneurship and Management Technology Commercialization​ MGT 612 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution​ MGT 620 Personnel and Industrial Relations​ MGT 690 Strategic Thinking and Analysis MKT 601 Marketing Research MKT 695 Data Analytics LAW 908 Law & Business of Intellectual Property Management Design Thinking Study Abroad in Grenoble, France

** These courses may also be used toward the 6 credits of Law required experiential courses

 

Admissions

If you are interested in the JD/MBA program, you must apply formally and independently to both programs and meet the admission standards of each; however, you should note on all application forms that admission is being sought for the JD/MBA dual degree program. The dual degree program is not suitable for part-time students. If a student is admitted to both Colleges before beginning the Dual Degree program with the one-year MBA, the Summer MBA Term may be completed before the first year of Law study. If you are currently enrolled in the first year of the JD program, you may be considered for admission to the Dual Degree Program. Your application for admission must be submitted to the College of Business and Economics by March 15.

 

Advising

The Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in the College of Business and Economics and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Law serve as an advising team for you, each in their respective schools.

 

Tuition

Tuition is charged at College of Law rates, with a surcharge for each MBA course.

 

Application Process

For the College of Business and Economics, you must meet all application requirements to the College and the Graduate School as specified on the MBA Admissions web page. The MBA Admissions Committee may elect to waive the GMAT/GRE requirement for students accepted/enrolled in the College of Law; however, all scholarships for the MBA program are awarded on the basis of GMAT/GRE test scores; therefore, to be considered for scholarships you must take the GMAT/GRE.

For the College of Law, you need to follow the admissions guidelines as set forth on this web site and in our admissions View Book.

 

Graduation Requirements

Grade Point Average

Grade point average for each program is calculated independently by each college.  You are required to remain in compliance with the academic standards of each College.

 

Granting of JD/MBA Degrees

Upon satisfactory completion of all dual degree program requirements, you will be granted both the JD and MBA degrees.

 

Failure to Complete JD/MBA Requirements

If you are unable to complete the JD requirements, you will have the option of completing the standard MBA program requirements and receiving only the MBA degree. If you are unable to complete the MBA requirements, you may receive up to nine pass-fail credit hours toward the JD degree for your MBA coursework.