The University of Texas at Austin

Dual Degree Program in Law & Graduate Business Administration

The University of Texas at Austin offers a Dual Degree Program that leads to the simultaneous award of the JD degree by the School of Law and the MBA degree by the Graduate School of Business. Generally, the minimum of four years is required to complete the Dual Degree Program, though many students will find it necessary to enroll for an additional semester or summer session in order to complete all requirements of the Program.

Program Purpose

The Dual Degree Program in law and business is designed to train qualified law and business students for careers in the private or public business sectors and the legal profession. The interaction between law and business is becoming more pervasive and intense, and graduates of the Dual Degree Program may be expected to be involved directly in this interaction.

Program Structure

A student admitted to the Dual Degree Program must complete the first-year program at the School of Law (30 hours) during the first year of the Program and before taking any courses in the Graduate School of Business.

Requirements for Awarding of Dual Degrees

All course requirements of both schools must be met. There are no waivers in the MBA program. No required courses in the School of Law may be waived.

A student must complete a minimum total of 116 semester hours of credit in order to earn the two degrees as follows:

  • 70 hours in the School of Law
  • 28 hours of MBA core courses in the Graduate School of Business
  • 18 hours of MBA elective courses in the Graduate School of Business

Both degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of all requirements of the Dual Degree Program. Therefore, students should arrange their course schedules so that both degree requirements are completed in the same semester. Except for summer term enrollments, after the first-year program at the School of Law is completed, students must enroll in courses in both schools each semester.

Work done in the Graduate School of Business may be credited toward the JD degree and work done in the School of Law may be credited toward the MBA degree only if the student completes all work required in the Dual Degree Program. Students should check with the School of Law on their eligibility to take the bar examination. In general, students in the Dual Degree Program will not be eligible to take the bar examination if they require more than four semester hours of work to complete either part of the Dual Degree Program.

Admission

A student must apply for admission to the School of Law, the Graduate School of Business, and the Dual Degree Program. In most cases, it is advisable to apply for admission to both schools at the same time. The student then enters the MBA program in the fall following the completion of the first year of courses taught in the School of Law. Alternatively a student currently enrolled in the first-year program of the School of Law may apply for admission to the Graduate School of Business and to the Dual Degree Program. The requirements for admission are described below.

A student will not be considered for admission to the Dual Degree Program unless first admitted by both schools. However, admission to both schools does not guarantee admission to the Dual Degree Program. A Dual Degree Committee composed of faculty members from the two schools selects students for admission to the Dual Degree Program and provides advice to students in the Dual Degree Program. A student is required to select a specific field of study and to secure the advance approval of the Dual Degree Committee for the 12 hours of Dual Degree elective credits.

A prospective Dual Degree Program student should make application as follows:

  1. To the School of Law. Information on admission may be obtained from the Admissions Coordinator, The University of Texas at School of Law, 727 E. Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78705. The following steps must be taken:
    • Obtain an application form from the School of Law and return the completed form to the Admissions Coordinator by February 1. The application form is included in the application/bulletin which contains detailed information about the School of Law and the procedures to be followed when applying.
    • Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than December.
    • Register with the Law School Data Assembly (LSDAS) by January 15.
  2. To the Graduate School of Business. Information on admissions may be obtained from the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Business. There is also information on the Business School website. The following steps must be taken:
    • Obtain an application form and a brochure describing admissions policies and program information from the Associate Dean, Graduate School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, by March 1.
    • Submit the application form and other required materials to the Director of Admissions, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, by March 1.
    • Take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and have the results sent to the Director of Admissions, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, prior to March 1.
  3. To the Dual Degree Program. After admission to the School of Law and to the Graduate School of Business, application to the Program shall be made by completing an application form stating in substance that the applicant hereby applies for admission to the Dual Degree Program and giving the additional information required by that form. Please go to https://www.applytexas.org/adappc/commonapp.WBX and complete the application for dual degree programs. Questions regarding this application should be directed to the Graduate Admissions Office at (512) 475-7391.

Registration

Students admitted to the Dual Degree Program will register under the code 7 60516.

Financial Aid

The School of Law and the Graduate School of Business have limited funds for qualified students who merit financial assistance and can show need. Information with respect to such assistance appears in the admissions information for the two schools. In general, funding for the first year may be awarded only through the School of Law, and through either school thereafter.

Faculty Advisors

Please address any questions to the co-chairs of the Dual Degree Program:

  • Professor Ronald J. Mann
    The University of Texas School of Law
    727 East Dean Keeton St.
    Austin, TX 78705-3299
    512/232-1357
  • Professor Mark B. Baker
    Graduate School of Business
    CBA 5.230
    The University of Texas at Austin
    Austin, TX 78712-1175
    512/471-9444