Juris Doctor/MBA Joint Degree

Set Yourself Apart in Law & Business

Our JD-MBA Program gives you the tools to become successful, whether you want to pursue a law career with a solid foundation in management or, you aspire to be a business leader with legal expertise.  Our program enables you to follow the career path of your choice and provides you with a skill set and professional networks that truly differentiates you from others.

You can choose to begin your study in either the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University or in the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business.

  • For full-time JD students, the first year of study in the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University is taken solely in the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.
  • The remainder of the programs may be taken jointly in both schools.
  • Candidates must begin their study in the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University prior to substantially completing the requirements for the master's degree.

Credit Requirements

  • 17 credit hours of course work are permitted per semester.
  • Full-time day law students must be enrolled in ten or more credit hours of law classes in the fall and spring semesters.
  • Part-time evening law students must be enrolled in eight or more credit hours of law classes in the fall and spring semesters.
  • Courses from one program that are counted toward the other program will be applied to the student's transcript as advanced standing credits.  Advanced standing credits are not calculated into the student's GPA.
  • Applicable courses will be applied to each degree as long as a passing grade has been earned.
  • Students must also fulfill all other JD degree requirements including the Upper Level Writing, Experiential Learning and Cultural Competency requirements.

How to Apply

Students may begin their study in either the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University or the School of Business. However, students must apply and be accepted to both programs of study. A competitive LSAT score (typically in the 50th percentile or better) can be used in lieu of the GMAT or GRE. Students may be required to take the GMAT or GRE if their LSAT score is not deemed competitive.

Current JD students must receive approval from the School of Law Academic Status Committee prior to matriculating into the joint degree program.  The Petition for Joint Degree form should be completed and sent to the current Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Tuition Information

While the student is enrolled in both the JD and MBA programs, the JD program will take priority and the Law tuition rate will apply to any term during which the student is enrolled in Law courses. During any term when the student is enrolled in only MBA courses, the Graduate Business tuition rate will apply.

Curricula Details

Juris Doctor

Course Credits
Civil Procedure and Drafting I 3
Civil Procedure II 2
Contracts I & II 6
Criminal Law 3
Legal Research & Writing I and II 5
Property I & II 6
Torts I & II 5
Business Associations 3
Constitutional Law I & II 5
Criminal Procedure: The Police Function 3
Evidence 3
Professional Responsibility 3
Sales 2
Electives* 38

*Students may also need to take Advanced Legal Reasoning (2 cr) and/or Core/Applied Competencies I and II (6 cr), depending on their class rank following the first year.

9 JD elective credits can be fulfilled by completing the following School of Business courses:

  • ACCT 515: Accounting for Decision Makers (3 cr)
  • FINC 530: Finance for Managers (3 cr)
  • BUBA 510: Analytics for Managerial Decision Making (3 cr)

MBA - Master of Business Administration

Course Credits
Accounting for Decision Makers 3
Analytics for Managerial Decision Making 3
Finance for Managers 3
Business Foundations: Ethics, Sustainability, Law** 3
Marketing in the Digital Age 3
Strategic Management Capstone 3
Electives 6
Certificate*** 9

**This course is replaced by taking the following School of Law courses:

  • Business Associations (3 cr)
  • Professional Responsibility (3 cr)

***Students may use the following School of Law courses to satisfy the certificate course requirement for the M.B.A., but students would not earn a Business certificate along with their degree.

  • Property I (3 cr)
  • Contracts I (3 cr)
  • Contracts II (3 cr)

Program Type

Major, Dual Degree

Degree

Master's, Doctorate

School

Palumbo-Donahue School of BusinessThomas R. Kline School of Law

Duration

Varies

Required Credit Hours

99-108

Modality

In-Person
Hyflex

Learning Outcomes

A. Knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law

A.1. Fundamentals & Bar Exam: Remember and explain the black-letter law in the core doctrinal areas.

A.2. Legal Policy: Recognize the law's theoretical frameworks and trace their influence and the influence of extra-legal factors (e.g., politics, history, culture, etc.) on the development of substantive doctrine.

A.3. Legal System: Explain and differentiate among key conceptual categories of law and understand the hierarchy of authority.

A.4. Practical Knowledge Development: Integrate information from multiple sources (e.g., opinions, statutes, regulations, rules, scholarly analysis) to identify operative legal rules, principles and concepts.

A.5. Specialty Areas: Remember and explain the black-letter law in the substantive and procedural law on specialized topics.

B. Legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, and written and oral communication in the legal context

B.1. Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiating: Investigate and analyze facts to achieve a client's objectives or otherwise solve a legal problem and recommend a solution.

B.2. Legal Analysis and Reasoning: Critically read the applicable authority, including identifying the key rules within each authority; synthesize the relevant rules into an analytical framework, identifying which rules the court is most likely to apply, and apply the rules to the relevant facts.

B.3. Legal Research: Create and execute an effective, efficient legal research strategy to conduct legal research with the appropriate use of sources and technology.

B.4. Problem Solving: Develop systems and procedures for effectively working with other people and to ensure that time, effort, and resources are allocated efficiently in a legal practice.

B.5. Written and Oral Communication: Draft legal and non-legal documents in the manner expected of a competent new lawyer and communicate orally in a manner appropriate for the audience and purpose.

C. Exercise of proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system

C.1. Cultural Competence: Work with others of diverse backgrounds and understand the importance of building an inclusive community characterized by interdependence, dignity, equality, compassion, and respect.

C.2. Diligence: Demonstrate a strong work ethic, engage in productive time management, understand the principles of timely project submittal, and be punctual and respectful.

C.3. Leadership: Exemplify servant leadership through ethical conflict resolution and emotionally intelligent engagement in teambuilding, collaboration, and cooperation.

C.4. Pro Bono: Possess knowledge and understanding of the lawyer's professional and civic responsibility to advance the mission of community service.

C.5. Professional Integrity: Uphold a strong sense of honor and conduct affairs with honesty, dignity, and care, while treating others with civility, fairness, and respect.

D. Other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession

D.1. Judgement: Recognize the importance of relevant non-legal considerations when advising clients regarding available outcomes and avenues, such as moral, emotional, economic, social, and political considerations.

D.2. Respect for Others: Practice in a diverse society and world by engaging competently with persons from a variety of backgrounds and holding a variety of views.

D.3. Reflection and Self-Evaluation: Develop an ability to critically evaluate the performance of self and others when performing legal tasks including recognizing, evaluating, and understanding one's own roles in resolving ethical dilemmas.

D.4. Self-Care: Seek and use resources when necessary to address personal challenges including managing workload and stress; recognize common causes of lawyer misconduct and be aware of sources of support for lawyers.