JD/MBA (Business)
The JD/MBA joint degree program at the University of Kansas combines the three-year J.D. program offered by the School of Law and the two-year MBA program offered by the School of Business into four years of study.
The program offers students the opportunity to train in the convergent fields of law and business management. The program is especially beneficial for students pursuing corporate law practice or planning to enter business using law training as a background.
The JD/MBA joint degree program takes four years to complete: three years of J.D. curriculum and one year of MBA curriculum. Students will take a break from their J.D. curriculum and join an MBA cohort for one full year.
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 significant business decisions without awareness of the possible legal implications. Lawyers who advise corporate management must have an awareness of the business implications of their legal advice. There is a strong demand for those with the skills and understanding of the interwoven aspects of business and law.
Contacts for prospective law students:
- KU Law Office of Admissions, 785-864-4378 or admitlaw@ku.edu
- Dee Steinle, business school, 785-864-7596 or dsteinle@ku.edu
Contacts for current students:
- Associate Dean Leah Terranova, law school
- Dee Steinle, business school, 785-864-7596 or dsteinle@ku.edu
JD/MBA Program Information
Learn more about admission requirements, degree requirements and the typical program format for the JD/MBA joint degree program using the tabs below.
Students must conclude their joint degree program enrolled in courses offered in the law school. In all cases, students must receive their joint degrees concurrently.
Admission 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. For admission to the law program, students must take either the LSAT or the GRE exam. No admission test is required for admission to the MBA program, although only applicants with a GMAT score will be considered for scholarship for business school credits.
Students new to both programs must complete the first year of the School of Law curriculum before entering into the MBA curriculum. A current School of Law 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 students will not receive Law School credit for business courses taken before commencing classes in the School of Law.
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 41 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.
Degree Requirements
Total Credit Hours
| Credit Hours Required: | For JD | For MBA |
|---|---|---|
| Law courses required for all JD candidates | 43 | 0 |
| Law courses required for all joint degree candidates | 21 | 9 |
| Business courses required of joint degree candidates | 14 | 32 |
| Elective courses | - | - |
| Minimum credit hours required | 90 | 41 |
J.D. Requirements
The following law courses are required for all J.D. candidates. Learn more about J.D. Program Degree Requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| First-Year Courses | |
| LAW 804 Civil Procedure | 4 |
| LAW 806 Introduction 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 |
| Upper-Level Courses | |
| LAW 972 Professional Responsibility must be completed by the time a student finishes 60 hours. | 2 |
| 3 courses from among the following: | |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| LAW 881 Conflict of Laws | 3 |
| LAW 878 Criminal Procedure: Investigation | 3 |
| LAW 908 Evidence | 3 |
| LAW 909 Family Law | 3 |
| LAW 845 Jurisdiction | 3 |
| LAW 996 Trusts and Estates | 4 |
| In addition to all the JD/MBA program course requirements, students must satisfy the law school's Upper-Level Writing Intensive Course Requirements and the Experiential Course Requirements. | |
JD/MBA Joint Degree Candidate Requirements
The following table outlines courses that are required specifically for JD/MBA joint degree candidates.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| Law courses required of all JD/MBA joint degree candidates | |
| LAW 913 Federal Income Taxation | 3 |
| LAW 855 Taxation of Business Enterprises | 3 |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| And 3 of the following courses: | |
| LAW 850 Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAW 864 Advanced International Trade Law | 3 |
| LAW 863 Antitrust Law | 3 |
| LAW 889 Bankruptcy | 3 |
| LAW 868 Business Planning Seminar | 3 |
| LAW 872 Commercial Arbitration | 3 |
| LAW 869 Contract Drafting | 3 |
| LAW 888 Copyright Law in a Digital Age | 3 |
| LAW 930 Corporate Finance | 3 |
| LAW 828 Deals | 2 |
| LAW 835 Due Diligence in Business Transactions | 2 |
| LAW 925 Employment Law | 3 |
| LAW 905 Environmental Law | 3 |
| LAW 906 Estate Planning: Principles | 3 |
| LAW 907 Estate Planning: Practice | 3 |
| LAW 915 Federal Tax Procedure | 2 |
| LAW 968 Intellectual Property | 4 |
| LAW 945 International Commerce and Investment | 3 |
| LAW 944 International Trade Law | 3 |
| LAW 939 Labor Law | 4 |
| LAW 947 Mergers and Acquisitions | 2 |
| LAW 971 Product Liability | 3 |
| LAW 986 Securities Regulation | 3 |
| For a total of at least: 21 credits | |
MBA Requirements
The following table outlines MBA course requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| Semester 1 - Fall | |
| BSAN 810 Statistics and Decision Tools | 3 |
| BE 810 Managerial Economics | 3 |
| ACCT 810 Accounting | 3 |
| MKTG 810 Marketing Management | 3 |
| SCM 820 Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| BUS 810 Kansas Small Business Projects | 1 |
| BUS 801 Professional Skills | 0.5 |
| Total credits: 16.5 | |
| Semester 2 - Spring | |
| MGMT 810 Managing People | 3 |
| IBUS 820 International Business | 3 |
| BSAN 820 Business Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 810 Financial Management | 3 |
| BUS 810 Kansas Small Business Project | 3 |
| BUS 801 Professional Skills Development | 0.5 |
| Total credits: 15.5 | |
| TOTAL CREDITS: 32 | |
Typical Program Format
The following table outlines the typical program format for students completing the JD/MBA joint degree program.
| Law School | Business School | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Year | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Second Year | 0 | 32 | 32 |
| Third Year | 24* | 0 | 24 |
| Fourth Year | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Total Credit Earned | 76 | 32 | 108 |
| Law Credit Allowed | - | 9 | 9 |
| Business Credit Allowed | 14 | - | 14 |
| Total Credit Allowed | - | - | - |
| Total Credit Required | 90 | 41 | 131 |
| *Must include Professional Responsibility. | |||
Admission 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. For admission to the law program, students must take either the LSAT or the GRE exam. No admission test is required for admission to the MBA program, although only applicants with a GMAT score will be considered for scholarship for business school credits.
Students new to both programs must complete the first year of the School of Law curriculum before entering into the MBA curriculum. A current School of Law 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 students will not receive Law School credit for business courses taken before commencing classes in the School of Law.
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 41 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.
Degree Requirements
Total Credit Hours
| Credit Hours Required: | For JD | For MBA |
|---|---|---|
| Law courses required for all JD candidates | 43 | 0 |
| Law courses required for all joint degree candidates | 21 | 9 |
| Business courses required of joint degree candidates | 14 | 32 |
| Elective courses | - | - |
| Minimum credit hours required | 90 | 41 |
J.D. Requirements
The following law courses are required for all J.D. candidates. Learn more about J.D. Program Degree Requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| First-Year Courses | |
| LAW 804 Civil Procedure | 4 |
| LAW 806 Introduction 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 |
| Upper-Level Courses | |
| LAW 972 Professional Responsibility must be completed by the time a student finishes 60 hours. | 2 |
| 3 courses from among the following: | |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| LAW 881 Conflict of Laws | 3 |
| LAW 878 Criminal Procedure: Investigation | 3 |
| LAW 908 Evidence | 3 |
| LAW 909 Family Law | 3 |
| LAW 845 Jurisdiction | 3 |
| LAW 996 Trusts and Estates | 4 |
| In addition to all the JD/MBA program course requirements, students must satisfy the law school's Upper-Level Writing Intensive Course Requirements and the Experiential Course Requirements. | |
JD/MBA Joint Degree Candidate Requirements
The following table outlines courses that are required specifically for JD/MBA joint degree candidates.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| Law courses required of all JD/MBA joint degree candidates | |
| LAW 913 Federal Income Taxation | 3 |
| LAW 855 Taxation of Business Enterprises | 3 |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| And 3 of the following courses: | |
| LAW 850 Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAW 864 Advanced International Trade Law | 3 |
| LAW 863 Antitrust Law | 3 |
| LAW 889 Bankruptcy | 3 |
| LAW 868 Business Planning Seminar | 3 |
| LAW 872 Commercial Arbitration | 3 |
| LAW 869 Contract Drafting | 3 |
| LAW 888 Copyright Law in a Digital Age | 3 |
| LAW 930 Corporate Finance | 3 |
| LAW 828 Deals | 2 |
| LAW 835 Due Diligence in Business Transactions | 2 |
| LAW 925 Employment Law | 3 |
| LAW 905 Environmental Law | 3 |
| LAW 906 Estate Planning: Principles | 3 |
| LAW 907 Estate Planning: Practice | 3 |
| LAW 915 Federal Tax Procedure | 2 |
| LAW 968 Intellectual Property | 4 |
| LAW 945 International Commerce and Investment | 3 |
| LAW 944 International Trade Law | 3 |
| LAW 939 Labor Law | 4 |
| LAW 947 Mergers and Acquisitions | 2 |
| LAW 971 Product Liability | 3 |
| LAW 986 Securities Regulation | 3 |
| For a total of at least: 21 credits | |
MBA Requirements
The following table outlines MBA course requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| Semester 1 - Fall | |
| BSAN 810 Statistics and Decision Tools | 3 |
| BE 810 Managerial Economics | 3 |
| ACCT 810 Accounting | 3 |
| MKTG 810 Marketing Management | 3 |
| SCM 820 Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| BUS 810 Kansas Small Business Projects | 1 |
| BUS 801 Professional Skills | 0.5 |
| Total credits: 16.5 | |
| Semester 2 - Spring | |
| MGMT 810 Managing People | 3 |
| IBUS 820 International Business | 3 |
| BSAN 820 Business Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 810 Financial Management | 3 |
| BUS 810 Kansas Small Business Project | 3 |
| BUS 801 Professional Skills Development | 0.5 |
| Total credits: 15.5 | |
| TOTAL CREDITS: 32 | |
Typical Program Format
The following table outlines the typical program format for students completing the JD/MBA joint degree program.
| Law School | Business School | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Year | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Second Year | 0 | 32 | 32 |
| Third Year | 24* | 0 | 24 |
| Fourth Year | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Total Credit Earned | 76 | 32 | 108 |
| Law Credit Allowed | - | 9 | 9 |
| Business Credit Allowed | 14 | - | 14 |
| Total Credit Allowed | - | - | - |
| Total Credit Required | 90 | 41 | 131 |
| *Must include Professional Responsibility. | |||