J.D.-M.B.A. Program

The Law School offers a joint program with the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, in which the student may obtain both the M.B.A. and the J.D. degree in four years instead of the five that would be required if each were undertaken separately.

Administration of the Program The program is administered by faculty advisors from the Law and Darden School faculties, as designated by the respective deans.

Admission to the Program A student who wishes to be admitted into the joint program must secure separate admission to both the Darden School of Business and the School of Law through the normal admissions process. In both cases, the student is held to the same standards as any other applicant, and candidacy for the joint program is not considered at this stage. Application to one school may be made either prior to entrance or while a first-year student at the other. No students are admitted to the joint program after completing the first year of either Law or Darden. Students who have been admitted to both schools and who wish to undertake the joint program should notify the registrar of each school and apply to the faculty advisors for permission to do so. Admission requires approval of both the Law and Darden faculty advisors. M.B.A. Admissions | J.D. Admissions

Curriculum The program takes four years to complete. It consists of the complete first-year program of each school, followed by two years of course work taken from the curricula of the two schools and, in appropriate cases, from other graduate offerings at the University. Students who have been admitted to the program may elect whether they want to start in the School of Law or the Darden School, and in any event must spend their first year in full-time residence in either the Darden School or the School of Law. The second year is spent in the other school, again in full-time residence and, in effect, as regular first-year students.

During the third and fourth years, students must complete the required/elective curricula of both schools. At the conclusion of the fourth year, students who have earned a minimum of 70 credits and six residency semesters in the School of Law and a minimum of 52.5 credits in the Darden School will be awarded both the M.B.A. and J.D. degrees.

Change of Status At any point in the program, the student may terminate plans for a joint degree and continue toward a single degree at either school. The student must then satisfy the normal requirements of the school elected, which may include credit for some of the work done in the other school, as determined by the appropriate officials of the school in question.

Financial Aid Financial aid will be available during the first two years by application to the school at which the student is a resident. The Darden School will provide for the third year with the Law School providing aid in the fourth year.

Tuition and Fees During the first two years of the program, students are treated for these purposes as regularly matriculated students at the school in which they are in residence. The student pays Law School tuition and fees while in residence at the School of Law, and Darden School tuition and fees while in residence at that school. During the third and fourth years, the students pay the higher of the tuitions of the two schools, plus the required fees, plus the special fees exacted by both schools.

Extracurricular Activities The students are eligible to participate in the extracurricular activities of both schools to the extent that their time permits. Students should be particularly alert to the possibility of over-commitment, however.

Grading Standards In the first two years of the joint J.D.-M.B.A program, while enrolled exclusively in either the School of Law or the Darden School, students are required to meet the grading standards of the school in which they are enrolled. In the final two years, when enrolled in both schools, students are required to meet the session and cumulative grading standards of each school independently to remain in good standing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact the Law School faculty advisors, Professors Edmund W. Kitch and Paul G. Mahoney.
   

Juris Doctor (J.D.) | Master of Laws (LL.M.) | Doctor of Judicial Science (S.J.D.)
Master of Laws in the Judicial Process (LL.M.) | Joint Degree Programs