Law and Business
JD/MBA
The Joint JD/MBA Degree Program is designed for students who contemplate a career in law or public service and wish to acquire the skills and background of a general business manager, and for those students who contemplate a career in business management and wish to acquire the skills and capacities of a lawyer. Joint JD/MBA degree students are offered the challenge of synthesizing the problem-solving techniques of a general manager with those of a lawyer.
The Joint JD/MBA Degree Program requires application to, and acceptance for admission by, both the Stanford Law School (SLS) and the Graduate School of Business (GSB). Typically, JD/MBA students apply to and gain acceptance for admission to both programs within the same year. However, it is possible for current JD (or MBA) students, who previously did not apply for the joint degree option, to apply for and pursue the Joint JD/MBA Degree Program. JD students in the third year and MBA students in the second year may not apply for the Joint JD/MBA Degree Program.
Generally, the first year is spent at the SLS followed by the second year at the GSB. Some JD/MBA students reverse that sequence, spending the first year at the GSB and second year at the SLS. During the final five or six quarters, those students take a combination of courses from the SLS and the GSB. Other JD/MBA students complete two years at the SLS followed by one year at the GSB and, during the final two or three quarters, take a combination of courses from the SLS and the GSB. Program requirements and policies applying to a first-year MBA student also apply to a JD/MBA student during the year when the student begins the Autumn Quarter Core Requirements.
JD/PhD
Law and business are intimately relate both academically and in professional practice. The joint degree program provides an opportunity for students to develop deep expertise in both business and law, strong preparation for academic positions related to both fields.
Course Requirements
Broad pieces of each curriculum are relevant to the other field. The Law School shall approve courses from the Graduate School of Business program that may count toward the J.D. degree, and the Graduate School of Business shall approve courses from the Law School that may count toward the Ph.D. degree in Business. In either case, approval may consist of a list applicable to all joint degree students or may be tailored to each individual student’s program.
Note to applicants: The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards full funding to Stanford graduate students from all disciplines, with additional opportunities for leadership training and collaboration across fields. Joint Degree applicants are encouraged to apply to the Knight–Hennessy Scholars Program. Please be aware that the Knight-Hennessy Scholars applications are due in early Autumn one year prior to enrollment. View dates and deadlines: knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/dates-and-deadlines.
My classmates in both law and business schools have exceeded my highest expectations. At Stanford, you find people with a variety of backgrounds, but a common desire to learn from each other, even across disciplines.
Keia Cole, JD/MBA '09
