Academic Programs

Masters in Business Administration

The advantage to the joint degree program is that a student may take fewer semester or quarter hours toward both the JD and MBA or a reduced course load. The double-counting of credits occurs only when the student graduates simultaneously from both Colleges in the same semester/quarter. Students may not complete requirements in one program earlier than in the other program.

Generally, a Juris Doctor student must complete 86 semester hours to graduate. Under the joint degree program, the JD degree may be earned by taking at least 76 semester hours in the College of Law. The College of Law will accept up to10 semester hours for work completed in the Graduate School of Business toward the JD degree. However, all of those hours must be earned after the student completes 31 law credits with a 3.00 GPA and after acceptance into the joint degree program.

Generally, the MBA student must complete 72 quarter hours to receive the degree. Under the joint degree program, the student would take at least 56 quarter hours. The Graduate School of Business will accept up to 16 quarter hours of credit for work completed in the College of Law.

With a few exceptions, College of Law courses are worth three semester hours. Most Graduate School of Business courses are worth four quarter hours. A joint degree student may not receive credit for courses in either of the two Colleges that create a redundancy in course work.

Sample Curriculum

On average, a full-time law student will complete the JD/MBA in three and one-half to four years. A part-time law student will complete the program in four-and-one-half to five years. The sample curriculum assumes that a student is full-time. Full-time students are eligible to apply after they complete 28 credits with a minimum law GPA of 3.00. Part-time students are eligible to apply after they complete three semesters with at least 25 credits with a minimum law GPA of 3.00.

First Year
The full-time student must complete 28 semester hours of core College of Law coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.00. After the first year, the full-time student applies for admission to the joint degree program.

Second Year
The full-time student enrolls in 18 semester hours (6 courses) in the College of Law during the academic year and 24 quarter hours (6 courses) in the Graduate School of Business. Students must take the not-for-credit Professional Presentation Practicum in the Graduate School of Business.

Third Year
The student enrolls in 18 semester hours (6 courses) in the College of Law and 24 quarter hours (6 courses) in the Graduate School of Business. In the third or fourth year, the student must complete Legal Profession and a Senior Seminar in the College of Law.

Fourth Year
The student enrolls in 12 semester hours (4 courses) in the College of Law and 8 quarter hours (2 courses) in the Graduate School of Business. The student would be eligible to graduate in December or May of the fourth year.

In addition to the core requirements, specific courses are required for the various MBA concentrations, which are listed below:

Please refer to the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business Bulletin for complete course descriptions and program requirements for each of the above concentrations. For more information, call 312/362-5286 or visit the web site at http://www.kellstadt.depaul.edu.

Graduation Information

The joint degree candidate must complete all MBA requirements in November at the end of the fall quarter and all law requirements in December at the end of the fall semester to be eligible for a December degree award. Students who plan to graduate in four years must complete their MBA coursework in March by the end of the winter quarter and their law requirements in May to be eligible for a May degree award. If not, they will have to graduate in July and cannot be certified for admission to the Bar.