Academics

• Areas of Study
• Course Information
• Certificates
• Joint Degrees
• Clinics
• Academic Policies

JD/MBA (Business)

The objective of this program is to combine into four years of study the three-year JD program offered by the School of Law and the two-year MBA program offered by the School of Business. This program is designed to offer the student an opportunity to train in the convergent fields of law and business management, particularly those intending to engage in corporate law practice, or to enter business using law training as background.

Given the symbiotic relationship between business and law, it is not surprising to find individuals with legal backgrounds in many top business positions. Responsible corporate managers can rarely make any significant business decisions without awareness of the possible legal implications. Conversely, lawyers who advise corporate management must have an awareness of the business implications of their legal advice. There is always strong demand for those with the skills and understanding of the interwoven aspects of both business and law.

For more information, contact Melanie Wilson, law school, (785) 864-0359, mdwilson@ku.edu; or Dee Steinle, business school, (785) 864-3844, dsteinle@ku.edu.

Admissions Requirements

To be admitted to the combined JD/MBA program, a student must meet the requirements and be accepted into both the School of Law and the School of Business prior to entering the joint program. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) are required for all applicants to the JD/MBA program. Students new to both programs must complete the first year of the Law School curriculum before entering into the MBA curriculum. A current Law School student must declare the intention of entering into the joint program prior to completing two full semesters in the J.D. curriculum. The academic committee may grant exceptions to this requirement in individual cases. A current MBA student must enter the joint program prior to completing two full semesters in the MBA curriculum. Such student will not receive Law School credit for business courses taken before commencing classes in the Law School.

Diplomas will be awarded concurrently by each school following the completion of requirements for the joint degree program.

The joint JD/MBA program is open to those who have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and whose undergraduate academic record indicates that the applicant has the capacity to complete the law and business program. All students in the combined program must complete a minimum of 40 credit hours of graduate coursework in business. The School of Business follows the Graduate School regulation in requiring a 3.0 cumulative grade point average for all coursework counted toward a master's degree. The School of Law requires a 2.0 cumulative grade point average for all coursework counted toward the J.D. degree.

Typical Program Format	Law School	Business School	Total
First Year	29	0	29
Second Year	0	34	34
Third Year	24*	6	30
Fourth Year	23	0	23
Total Credit Earned	76	40	116
Law Credit Allowed	-	12	12
Business Credit Allowed	14	-	14
Total Credit Allowed	-	-	26
Total Credit Required	90	52	142

*Must include Professional Responsibility.

Degree Requirements

Credit Hours Required:	For JD	For MBA
Law courses required of all JD candidates	37-38	0
Law courses required of all joint degree candidates	21	12
Business courses required of joint degree candidates	14	40
Elective courses	17-18	-
Minimum Credit Hours Required	90	52

J.D. Requirements
All candidates for the J.D. must complete the following required courses:

First Year	Upper Class
Law 804 Civil Procedure (4) Law 806 Intro. to Constitutional Law (4) Law 809 Contracts (4) Law 814 Criminal Law (4) Law 820 Lawyering Skills I (2) Law 821 Lawyering Skills II (3) Law 826 Property (4) Law 831 Torts I (4)	Law 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions (3) OR Law 874 Commercial Law: Payment Systems (3) AND Law 908 Evidence (3) Law 972 Professional Responsibility (2)

In addition to all JD/MBA program course requirements, students must satisfy the upper-class writing requirement and the Professional Skills Requirement in the School of Law. Please refer to the current School of Law Catalog for details.

Law Courses Required of All Joint Degree Candidates
Federal Income Taxation (3) Taxation of Business Enterprises (3) Business Associations I (3) Business Associations II (3) Commercial Law: Payment Systems (3)
And Two of the Following Courses
Administrative Law (3) Advanced International Trade Law (3) Agriculture Law (3) Antitrust Law (3) Bankruptcy (3) Business Planning Seminar (3) Capital Raising by Privately Held Business Firms (3) Commercial Arbitration (3) Copyright Law & Digital Works (3) Employment Discrimination Law (3) Employment Law (3) Environmental Law Survey (3) Estate Planning: Principles (3) Estate Planning: Practice (3)	Federal Tax Procedure (2-3) Government Control of Land Development (2-3) Insurance (3) Intellectual Property (3-4) International Commerce and Investment (3) International Economic Law and Development (3) International Trade Law (3) Labor Law (3-4) Land Transactions (3) Product Liability (3) Regulation of Air & Water Pollution (3) Regulation of Toxic Substances & Hazardous Waste (2-3) Securities Regulation (3) Taxation of Mergers & Acquisitions (3)

For a Total of at Least	21 Credits

NOTE: If a student elects any two classes listed above with combined credit of 5 hours, the total number of required law credit hours is reduced to 20 and the number of elective law credit hours is increased to 12.

MBA Requirements

Foundation Courses (required of all students) - 21 Credit Hours
ACCT 701 Financial Accounting (2) BE 701 Managerial Economics (2) DSCI 701 Statistical Decision Making (2) FIN 701 Financial Management (2) MKTG 701 Marketing Management (2) MGMT 701 Organizational Behavior (2)	MGMT 704 Strategic Management (2) IBUS 701 International Business (2) BUS 706 Professional Development Skills I (1) BUS 707 Professional Development Skills II (1) MGMT 807 Ethical Decision-Making in Business (2)
Environmental Core Classes - 2 Credit Hours (one of the following)
BE 702 Global Economic Environment of Business (2)	BLAW 701 Introduction to the Legal Environment of Business (2)
Breadth Courses - 6 Credit Hours (three of the following)
ACCT 702 Managerial Accounting (2) DSCI 702 Operations Management (2)	IST 701 Managerial Information Systems (2) MGMT 702 Human Resources Management (2)

Total Core	28 Credits

Electives	12 Credits

TOTAL	40