The University of Pittsburgh School of Law, the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, and Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business offer joint degree programs in Law and Business. This unique opportunity addresses the interaction of Law and Business in our society.
Students may combine a JD with a Master in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business or Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business. The JD/MBA program enables students to receive integrated training in Law and Business while reducing the time ordinarily necessary to earn the two degrees from five to four years.
Curriculum & Requirements
JD/MBA program students complete the joint degree in eight, nine, or ten semesters. During the first four semesters of the program, students must enroll full-time for one year at Pitt Law and one year at the appropriate School of Business. Students can enroll at Pitt Law or a School of Business for the program's first year. Students enroll in courses at both schools during the program's third and fourth years, subject to availability and each school's respective upper-level requirements. To graduate from Pitt Law, students in the JD/MBA program must have five semesters of full-time enrollment (minimum of 10 credits per semester) at the Law School (rather than the six that are usually required).
Pitt Law
Details about the first-year program at Pitt Law can be found on the First-Year Curriculum page. View the complete listing of Pitt Law's graduation requirements.
Katz School of Business
To graduate with a JD/Katz MBA degree, students must acquire 76 credits from Pitt Law and 33 credits from Katz. This means that, after a year at Pitt Law and a year at Katz, a student must typically acquire at least 43 additional credits from the School of Law and 3 credits from Katz to graduate with a JD/MBA.
Tepper School of Business
To graduate with a JD/Tepper MBA degree, students must acquire 88 credits from Pitt Law and 64 credits (or 192 units) from Tepper. However, completing the MBA degree entitles the student to 15 credits of advanced standing at Pitt Law, resulting in an actual total of 73 credits, and completing the JD degree entitles the student to 10 credits (or 30 units) at Tepper, resulting in an actual total of 54 credits (or 162 units). This means that, after a year at Pitt Law and a year at Tepper, a student must acquire at least 40 additional credits from Pitt Law and 22 credits (or 66 units) in electives from Tepper to graduate with a JD/MBA.
Application Instructions
All JD/MBA candidates must complete the joint degree program application and be admitted separately to Pitt Law and either Katz or Tepper. Pitt Law's application deadline is May 1. All applicants must submit an LSAT score per the application guidelines.
Katz's application deadline is in early March, and Tepper's is in late April; all applicants to either School of Business must submit a GMAT score per the application guidelines.
After a student has been admitted to each school individually, a joint admissions committee decides on admission to the Joint Degree Program. Admission to the JD/MBA program is granted before attending the School of Law and Katz/Tepper or during the first year of study at the School of Law.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Students may apply for financial aid from the school they attend full-time. Deadlines for loans and scholarships may differ between schools; students have various loan and scholarship options for the School of Law.
All JD/MBA program students pay tuition based on a formula. During the first year at the School of Law, students pay full tuition at the then-current School of Law rate. During the first year at the appropriate School of Business, students pay full tuition at the then-current School of Business rate. For the remaining semesters, students pay tuition equal to the sum of (1) 85% of the then-current School of Law rate and (2) 42.5% of the then-current School of Business rate; students who receive permission to graduate early still must pay this amount.
It is strongly recommended that students consult with financial aid officers at the School of Law and the appropriate business school before enrolling in the JD/MBA program.