Nature of the Programs
The Dedman School of Law and the SMU Cox School of Business offer two joint-degree programs: the combined J.D./M.B.A. program (4-year) and the combined J.D./M.B.A. fast track program (3-year). The programs are designed for law practice with a strong business background and for business careers with a strong legal background. Through the J.D./M.B.A. programs, the combined degrees may be obtained in three or four academic years instead of the five academic years required, if pursued separately.
These programs have been established so that individuals may integrate their educational experience in law and business. Since management, personnel and corporate attorneys have their individual considerations and goals, by taking law and business courses simultaneously, the student may achieve an understanding of commercial affairs from two different points of view.
Structure of the Programs - J.D. /M.B.A.
For the combined 4-year J.D./M.B.A. students must satisfactorily complete 75 hours credit for the law portion and 52 hours credit for the MBA portion.
Under the structure of J.D./M.B.A. program, the Dedman School of Law will award 12 hours of academic credit toward the J.D. degree (87 hours) for satisfactory completion of the academic requirements of the M.B.A. program. Similarly, the Cox School of Business will award up to 12 hours of academic credit toward the M.B.A. degree for satisfactory completion of the academic requirements of the J.D. program.
Structure of the Program – Fast Track J.D./M.B.A.
The 3-year joint J.D./M.B.A. degree program is made possible by the Fast Track MBA Program at the Cox School of Business. The 113 credit hour program is comprised of 75 credit hours of Dedman Law classes and 52 credit hours of Cox Business classes, with 16 of these credit hours being satisfied by choosing any combination of pre-approved business-related law school courses.
This combined degree program is aimed at the very motivated and able student who starts with a solid grounding in business concepts, and seeks advanced training in business and a professional legal education in a time- and cost-effective manner. We expect students in the three-year JD/MBA program to pursue careers in the legal field, broadly understood.
While students could begin the program with the intensive summer term at the Cox School of Business, most students will begin the program with the full-time first-year law courses, and then take the intensive Cox School summer courses, which consist of MBA core classes taken by students in the existing one-year MBA program. In the second and third years, students will take a combination of law and business classes.
This highly selective dual-degree program is designed for:
- Candidates with a Business, Economics, or quantitative undergraduate degree
- Candidates seeking a law profession only
- Candidates not seeking a concentration within the business curriculum
Other Requirements
Except as modified by the above, a student in either program must meet all the requirements of both schools for admission, performance, graduation, etc. Students enrolled in either joint degree program also must complete all noncredit-bearing requirements of the programs.
To be admitted to the J.D./M.B.A. program, law students must apply before beginning their law studies or during their first year of law school. Admission applications should be made to both schools, with the selection that they are for the combined J.D./M.B.A. program. Students who wish to pursue the joint program after starting their first year of law school for the J.D./M.B.A. must obtain permission from the Dedman School of Law’s assistant dean for student affairs and then should consult with the M.B.A. Admissions Office.
Law School applications should be submitted using the LSAC Application Service. M.B.A. applications should be submitted through the Cox School of Business Admission’s website.