JD/MBA Programming
By pursuing the two degrees concurrently, eligible students can earn both degrees in less time than it would take to earn them serially.
About the Program
Lawyers provide legal services that require an understanding of business principles, and moreover, need business skills to start and manage law practices. UC Law SF offers a rich array of business courses to all JD candidates as part of the regular law school curriculum. However, some students may wish to obtain an MBA in addition to the JD.
UC Law SF has formal concurrent degree agreements with three business schools: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, UC Davis Graduate School of Management, and Presidio Graduate School. Qualified students who independently gain admission to any one of these schools either at the same time that they are admitted to UC Law SF or during their 1L or 2L years may be eligible to earn the JD and MBA concurrently, subject to UC Law SF’s regulations summarized below. In addition, students can create their own concurrent degree programs with business schools other than Haas, UC Davis GSM or Presidio, by obtaining the approval of the Assistant Dean of Students; if a student-designed program is approved and is designated as a concurrent degree program for that student, then the student can transfer up to 12 pre-approved units from the business school as counting toward the JD.
Learn more about JD/MBA programming by watching this video presentation.
How to Apply
Prospective students who want to learn more about concurrent degree options should contact the UC Law SF Admissions Office. Current students who know they would like to concurrently obtain their JD and MBA degrees should contact Professor Abe Cable, who coordinates JD/MBA programming, by emailing him directly at cablea@uclawsf.edu.
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
UC Law SF has had a concurrent degree arrangement with UC Berkeley Haas School of Business (“Haas”) since 1976. Pursuant to this arrangement, eligible students can earn a JD from UC Law SF and an MBA from Haas in just four years, rather than the five years it would normally take to earn the two degrees sequentially.
The JD degree program at UC Law SF is normally a six-semester (three-year) program. The MBA degree program at Haas is normally a four-semester (two-year) degree program. Students earning the two degrees concurrently may earn the JD from UC Law SF in five semesters and the MBA from Haas in three semesters, reducing the overall time needed to obtain both degrees by one year’s worth of credits. For UC Law SF students, the reduction in the number of units required to obtain the JD results from the recognition of specific, pre-approved classes taken at Haas as counting toward the JD, up to a maximum of 12 units.
To concurrently obtain a JD from UC Law SF and an MBA from Haas, students must be accepted to each institution under its separate admissions procedures. Visit the Haas admissions page for more information regarding applying at the Business School. Applications may be made to UC Law SF and to Haas at the same time, or after being admitted to either one of the two institutions. To be eligible to participate in the concurrent degree arrangement with Haas, current UC Law SF students must be admitted to Haas by no later than the end of their 2L year. To earn both degrees concurrently, students must complete 117 units total, 43 in business and 74 in law, which equates to five semesters at UC Law SF and three semesters at Haas. Additional requirements applicable to all JD/MBA concurrent degree programs are summarized below.
UC Davis Graduate School of Management
Students may earn degrees concurrently at UC Law SF and UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM) in as few as four years.
The JD degree program at UC Law SF is normally a six-semester (three-year) program. The MBA degree program at GSM is normally a six-quarter, two-year program. Students earning the two degrees concurrently may earn the JD from UC Law SF in five semesters and the MBA from GSM in five quarters, reducing the overall time needed to obtain both degrees by roughly one calendar year. To allow students to earn the two degrees in as few as four years, the two schools accept some of each other’s credits for the degree requirements, subject to each institution’s separate policies with regards to the acceptance of credits taken at another educational institution. The respective Deans (including the UC Law SF Assistant Dean of Students) determine which courses will be credited toward both degrees.
Year One
Fall Semester – College of Law first year curriculum
Spring Semester – College of Law first year curriculum
Year Two
Fall Semester – College of Law second year curriculum
Spring Semester – College of Law second year curriculum
Year Three
Fall Quarter – ACT, Accounting, Microeconomics, Statistics
Winter Quarter – Finance, Marketing, Strategy, Elective
Spring Quarter – Operations, Organizational Behavior, Elective, Elective
Year Four
Fall Semester – College of Law third year curriculum
Winter Quarter – 440* or Elective, Elective, Elective, Elective
Spring Quarter – 440* or Elective, Elective, Elective, Elective
To concurrently obtain a JD from UC Law SF and an MBA from the UC Davis GSM, students must be accepted to each institution under its separate admissions procedures. For information regarding GSM admissions, visit the UC Davis GSM Admissions Page. Applications may be made to each institution at the same time, or after a student is admitted to either one of the two institutions. To be eligible to participate in the concurrent degree arrangement with GSM, current UC Law SF students must be admitted to GSM by no later than the end of their 2L year. Additional requirements applicable to all JD/MBA concurrent degree programs are summarized below.
Presidio Graduate School
UC Law SF and Presidio Graduate School have charted a path for students interested in concurrently earning JD and MBA degrees focused specifically on the social, environmental and economic impact of business and law.
Additional requirements applicable to all JD/MBA concurrent degree programs are summarized below.
Presidio Graduate School’s MBA in Sustainable Management integrates social and environmental topics and discussions into every course. This degree positions graduates as thought leaders in a competitive market by diving deep into the relationship between sustainability and business. This concurrent degree program allows students to earn the UC Law SF JD and the Presidio Graduate School MBA in less time than completing both degrees separately.
To concurrently obtain a JD from UC Law SF and an MBA from Presidio Graduate School, students must be accepted to each institution under its separate admissions procedures. This option is ideal for students who are currently in their 1L year at UC Law SF and recognize the value of obtaining a sustainability focused MBA.
Additional Requirements Applicable to All Concurrent Degree Arrangements
Students concurrently pursuing JD and MBA degrees must meet each degree-conferring institution’s separate requirements for continued enrollment and for a degree. Each student is individually responsible for meeting those requirements, including by obtaining the necessary pre-approvals for credit transfers and sequencing graduation requirements to ensure timely completion of both degrees. In addition, once accepted, to be eligible to continue with the concurrent degree arrangement, UC Law SF students must successfully complete the 1L curriculum with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, complete the Request for Approval Form from the Registrar’s Office, and receive approval of a study plan from the Dean of Students. Only credits from an MBA program that are pre-approved pursuant to this process may be applied toward the JD. Concurrent degree candidates typically carry a higher-than-usual credit load and typically front-load graduation requirements to avoid problems in the final semester. In addition, a student’s ability to sit for the bar exam may be delayed until both the JD and the MBA are earned. Finally, students concurrently enrolled in multiple degree programs must be cognizant of requirements that students earn the JD in a maximum of eight semesters and five years. For more information, please see Academic Regulations 2301-2304.
Opportunities to Earn Course Credit at Business Schools Other than Haas and Presidio
Even in the absence of a concurrent degree arrangement, and pursuant to UC Law SF’s Academic Regulations, students may apply up to six credits earned at a business school toward the JD degree, if specified conditions are met. Please see Academic Regulations and Other Rules Applicable to Students (2013-2014) (“Academic Regulations”), Section VII (“Credit for Work at Other Schools”), including Regulation 2213. This means that students may be able to obtain credit for some business school course work, even if the course is taken at a business school other than Haas or Presidio, and even if the coursework is not taken as a student-created concurrent degree program.
After the JD: Obtaining a Business Degree
After graduation, students may independently obtain additional advanced degrees from business schools, including business schools with which UC Law SF maintains informal relationships to facilitate admission of our current students or alumni. UC Law SF has fostered and continues to foster informal relationships with domestic and international business schools that may be attractive to UC Law SF alumni. For more information about these opportunities, please contact Professor Cable at cablea@uclawsf.edu.
The Chip W. Robertson ’98 MBA Access Fund
The Chip W. Robertson ’98 MBA Access Fund makes funds available to UC Law SF to support current UC Law SF students applying for and admitted to degree programs at UCLA Anderson School of Management (“Anderson”) or UC Berkeley Haas School of Business (“Haas”). Monies in the fund will help offset the cost of GRE or GMAT preparation courses for current students who apply to Anderson or Haas; funds will be available, too, to pay up to $2,000 per year to students who matriculate at Anderson.To receive funds offsetting GRE or GMAT preparation course costs, students who apply for admission to Anderson’s or Haas’s MBA programs should submit the following to the Provost & Academic Dean:
1. Documentation showing the GRE or GMAT expense;
2. Documentation of the application fee paid to either Anderson or Haas.
The Provost & Academic Dean will make reimbursement decisions at the end of each academic year.