Through a curriculum spanning two world-leading institutions and faculties, students expand their views and approaches to research and memoranda, study the reciprocal relationship between the legal system and business, and gain skills and savvy to serve as key leaders and advisers.
The joint-degree program in law and business prepares graduates for successful careers in business, in law, or in the increasingly complex global environments that straddle both fields. The joint JD/MBA Program is an offering of the University of Chicago Law School and Chicago Booth.
Brice Lipman: 00:004
Hi, I'm Brice Lipman, I work at Kirkland & Ellis in Houston as an associate attorney. In addition to going to Booth, I also went to the law school and did the joint JD/MBA Program at the University of Chicago. When I was at the investment firm before attending graduate school, I saw that so many issues have business and legal components intertwined. And so I thought if I could get that education at a school like the University of Chicago, I would take it 100 percent. My job currently is we advise energy, oil, and gas companies on transactions. There's a lot of data that needs to be analyzed, so from a legal perspective, you have to analyze how the numbers flow through their contracts and whether that makes sense for our client to buy that company based on that data. From a business perspective, you have to understand whether the transaction makes sense in the marketplace.
Brice Lipman: 00:48
We're a critical component of that here at Kirkland, and I definitely use that part of my Booth education every day. Houston is really the energy capital of the world. It's constantly changing. It's fast-moving, so I think the ability to adapt quickly and adapt to an understanding of data quickly is critical. For Booth alumni here, it's great because we are all participating in that in different facets. We all interact and are able to kind of trade understanding of the industry based on where we're seeing things in our different perspectives, and that's why you see so many Booth alumni who are so successful in Houston and in the energy industry worldwide.
The accelerated program is intended to take three years to complete. During that time, students can leverage the vast resources and flexibility of both programs to attain a course balance to meet their needs and goals. Students navigate the program by taking 1400 units of required Booth coursework (+LEAD) and 105 credit hours of required coursework at UChicago Law.
Below is a model schedule, showing how students can pursue the accelerated structure.
| Year |
Academic Year | Summer Term |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Three quarters of Law Courses (+ Leadership Module) | Internship | Two Booth Courses |
| Year 2 | Three quarters of Booth and Law Courses (+ Leadership Module) | Second Internship |
| Year 3 | Three quarters of Law Courses | Graduate - Begin Full-Time Position |
“Through my MBA courses, I’m learning how my future clients approach problems, how they implement solutions, and how I can fill the gaps with a legal toolkit. I've always seen law and business as closely intertwined. Well-crafted contracts give parties the trust they need to transact. Without the law, business can’t move forward.”
—Dane Christensen, Current JD/MBA Student
Leadership is a core aspect of the JD/MBA experience. The integration of program resources and experiential learning helps students create personalized plans to guide their continued development while in the program and beyond.
All first-year UChicago Law students participate in the Kapnick Leadership Development Initiative, which builds on leadership styles and effectiveness within team dynamics and gives students the tools to respond to the legal profession's unique challenges and environments. Students' increased self-awareness improves their abilities to motivate teams and organizations, build relationships, and influence outcomes.
Then, at Booth, students continue building their skill sets through our LEAD course. The course is designed to further enhance students’ interpersonal effectiveness by providing them with an opportunity to benchmark themselves with respect to critical aspects of leadership—working in teams, influencing others, conflict management, interpersonal communication, presentation skills, etc.
UChicago Law offers an unparalleled curriculum that starts with a legal foundation in the concepts of statutory interpretation, judicial decision-making, and legal research and expands into an interdisciplinary exploration of how law intersects with business, economics, political science, philosophy, and beyond. UChicago Law students also represent real clients in legal proceedings in 14 different legal clinics, including the Corporate Lab and Innovation Clinic. Learn more about UChicago Law's curriculum.
Chicago Booth's curriculum provides a firm grounding in core principles and a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving and the study of business. Our curriculum ensures that you’ll learn to evaluate problems and opportunities through the fundamentals and analytical frameworks that underlie business—accounting, economics, psychology, sociology, and statistics. Understanding these core academic principles will enable you to transcend business trends and thrive in any situation. Learn more about Booth’s curriculum.
The JD/MBA program immerses you into a global community of influential leaders, faculty, and industry experts. The alumni networks of Booth and UChicago Law span more than 66,000 alumni in industries, firms, and countries around the world.
As a JD/MBA student, you also tap into the diverse backgrounds and experiences of 590+ Chicago Booth peers and 180+ UChicago Law students. Competitions, student groups, and organizations play a vital role in shaping the University of Chicago experience and fostering these connections. In addition to the JD/MBA Association, students can participate in more than 80 student groups at Chicago Booth and more than 60 organizations at UChicago Law. Groups span a wide variety of topics, including professional, social, regional and special interests.
UChicago Law and Chicago Booth are two of the leading graduate programs in terms of career support and overall graduating student employment outcomes. Both programs take a highly personalized approach and offer dedicated resources like career coaching, career development and recruitment programming, comprehensive job market insights, and annual job postings.
The UChicago campus and broader city of Chicago are interconnected in a way that not only serves as an unparalleled training ground, but also provides an amazing backdrop to your JD/MBA experience.
| Title | City | Location | Date |
|---|
There is a single tuition for the JD/MBA three-year program. The following annual costs are for three quarters (nine months).
| Tuition | $105,000 |
| Student Services Fee* | $1,248 |
| Lifetime Credentials Fee* | $75 |
| Health Insurance* | $4,566 |
| Administrative Service Fee* | $2,600 (second year only) |
| Books | $1,785 |
| Room and Board | $17,280 |
| Personal | $3,150 |
| Transportation | $2,655 |
| Computer Allowance | $1,300 (first year only) |
| Total | $139,659 |
Applicants interested in the JD/MBA are encouraged to apply through our centralized, joint-application process, which will be available this summer. If you are a current UChicago Law student, you will need to apply during your first year of law school.
Admissions interviews are by invitation only and all admissions decisions will be released by the Round 2 notification date. For questions regarding the admissions process, please view our frequently asked questions or contact jdmba@uchicago.edu.
The 2020-2021 Joint JD/MBA application will be opening soon.
| Round | Submission Deadline | Decision Notification |
|---|---|---|
| One | September 24, 2020 11:59 p.m. CST | December 3, 2020 |
| Two | January 12, 2021 11:59 p.m. CST | March 18, 2021 |
Candidates interested in the three-year JD/MBA must complete the joint application. Applicants must also create an account with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), submit the JD/MBA Form through LSAC, and submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Yes. Interested applicants will need to complete Chicago Booth's application.
No. Based on the structure of the three-year program, applicants cannot apply for the joint JD/MBA program during their second year at UChicago Law.
No. Based on the structure of the three-year program, applicants cannot apply to the joint JD/MBA program during their first year at Booth.
Yes. Applicants interested in the four-year program apply separately and must submit one application to UChicago Law and one application to Booth.
Yes. Applicants who are not admitted to the JD/MBA Program may elect to be considered for admission to either UChicago Law or Booth by answering “yes” to the question in the Acknowledgements section of the JD/MBA application.
Yes. Although admission is granted for the upcoming school year, the Admissions Committees will consider deferring admission when necessary.
Applicants must submit either a GRE or GMAT score for admission to the JD/MBA program. Applicants can also submit an LSAT score, but only in addition to a GRE or GMAT score. We do not require an LSAT score, but if one exists you are required to provide it. All LSAT scores will be automatically submitted through the CAS Report. Please submit all scores earned within the last five years.
Yes. Applicants must create an LSAC account, register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), purchase a Law School Report, and complete the University of Chicago Law School JD/MBA Form. Applicants must submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts through the CAS.
Once the application becomes available, and up until the application deadline, applicants that fit the criteria below can request a JD/MBA application fee waiver.
Yes. While most candidates applying to Booth have five years of full-time, post-undergraduate work experience and the majority of candidates applying to UChicago Law have one to two years of full-time, post-undergraduate work experience, we welcome your interest at an earlier stage in your career.
Yes. Applicants invited to interview will interview with both UChicago Law and Booth after the application deadline. UChicago Law interviews will be conducted via Skype. Booth interviews will be conducted in person. Interviews will be by invitation only.
Each jurisdiction has its own Character and Fitness requirements for applicants seeking a license to practice law in its jurisdiction. To determine the requirements for the jurisdiction in which you intend to seek admission, contact the jurisdiction. The National Conference of Bar Examiners has contact information for each jurisdiction.
The JD/MBA Admissions Committee will review the files using the same holistic review processes used at UChicago Law and Booth. A joint admissions decision will be made and communicated via email.
The application deadline is typically in early January. Check back this summer for details.
No. Applicants to the three-year JD/MBA program cannot apply Early Decision.
No. Three-year JD/MBA applications will only be considered during Round Two of the MBA admissions cycle.
Decisions are typically released in March.
All admissions decisions are communicated via email.
Applicants can review their application status in the online application.
Unofficial transcripts must be submitted through the submission requirement within the online application, as well as through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Yes. JD/MBA students are eligible to be considered for all relevant merit-based scholarships and fellowships from Booth and UChicago Law.
There will be a single tuition for the JD/MBA three-year program; for details, see the tuition table on this page. Additional tuition and fees would accrue for students taking longer than scheduled to complete the two degrees.
The accelerated program is intended to take three years, by completing 1400 units of required Booth coursework (+LEAD) and 105 credits of required coursework at UChicago Law. During that time, students can leverage the vast resources and flexibility of both programs to meet their needs and goals.
Three-year JD/MBA applicants begin at UChicago Law and complete their entire first year of study exclusively in UChicago Law.
Students navigate the program by taking 1400 units of required Booth coursework (+ LEAD) and 105 credit hours of required coursework at UChicago Law.
For those interested in the accelerated structure, below is a sample schedule, where a student might complete his or her first year at UChicago Law, second year at Booth, and final year at UChicago Law.
| Academic Year | Summer Term | |
|---|---|---|
| Year One | Three quarters of law courses (+Leadership course) | Internship | Two Booth courses |
| Year Two |
Three quarters of Booth courses (+Leadership course) | Second internship |
| Year Three | Three quarters of law courses | Graduate | Begin full-time position |
Yes. JD/MBA students may still participate in the clinical programs available at UChicago Law in their third year. Read more about the UChicago Law Clinics.
Yes. JD/MBA students will participate in the Kapnick Leadership Program at UChicago Law prior to starting their first year of law school and complete LEAD prior to their second year of study.
Yes, JD/MBA students can participate in the three student-edited journals at UChicago Law.
JD/MBA students will typically complete internships during both the first and second summers. Students will also typically complete two Booth courses over the first summer.
Yes. JD/MBA students have access to the unparalleled expertise of the career services departments at UChicago Law and Booth.
