Under an arrangement between the Wake Forest University School of Law and School of Business, students may pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree while completing their final year of the Juris Doctor (JD). This arrangement offers students the opportunity to complete a stand-alone three-year JD and a stand-alone two-year MBA in four years (plus one summer). Students admitted to both degree programs will have a broader range of learning and networking opportunities. In addition, graduates with both degrees — because of their understanding of both law and business — will have additional flexibility in making career choices.
Students must notify the law school of their intention to pursue a dual degree before undertaking the program by completing the Notice of Intention to Pursue a Dual Degree Form.
Pursuant to each school’s normal process for evaluating transfer credits, the law school will accept up to 15 credits of approved MBA course work as transfer credits toward the JD degree, and the business school will accept up to 9 credits of approved JD course work as transfer elective credits toward the MBA degree.
Graduation from both schools will happen, except in special circumstances, after completing four years of course work.
The typical sequence of study, with anticipated opportunities for law internships and employment, is as follows:
Students interested in earning each degree must apply separately to the law school and to the business school, and be accepted by each school. Application for admission to the MBA program may be made at any time before the student’s 3L year.
Tuition for each degree is charged separately by each school – except for the third “shared” year when the student is enrolled part-time in the law school and full-time in the business school for evening sessions 1 and 2. During this "shared" year, students will be charged JD tuition, less any applicable law scholarship, with the two schools sharing net tuition. Otherwise, concurrent-degrees students will be charged JD tuition (less any law scholarship) during their 1L and 2L years, and MBA tuition (less any business school scholarship) during their evening sessions 3, 4 and 5.
The JD degree requires completion of 90 hours of law course work including the degree requirements prescribed by the law school for graduation, up to 15 of which can be earned as transfer credits for relevant MBA courses. Transferred MBA credits will appear on the student’s JD transcript as pass/fail courses.
Requirements for the MBA degree (as well as information regarding evening MBA sessions, schedule, curriculum, and contact information) may be found on the business school’s website. Law students must complete standardized testing required for the business school if they are planning to pursue both the JD and MBA degrees.
Students will have a law faculty advisor to help guide them through the law school’s curriculum, as well as making decisions on law internships, law employment during the fourth academic year, and studying for the bar exam. The law faculty advisor will make recommendations on the transfer of MBA credits to the law school’s academic dean, who must approve the transfer. Students will meet with their law faculty advisor at least once during each semester.
Learn more about the MBA program »