The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and the UA Little Rock School of Business offer a concurrent JD/MBA program. The program allows cross-credit for certain specified courses, offering a potential savings of 18 credit hours in the total credit hours otherwise required for both degrees.
The joint JD/MBA degree is advantageous for several reasons. First, it saves you time and money. Second, it gives you flexibility. Having both degrees makes it easier to switch careers from the legal field to the business world, and vice versa. Third, in the business world, your JD will differentiate you from other candidates, because you will understand regulatory frameworks and other legal concepts. In the legal world, you will have the advantage of understanding the client’s business concerns, a necessary predicate to practicing corporate law, and having a business background could help you better understand damages issues that arise in the litigation context. More generally, if you were to choose to open your own practice, having a business background would help you make smart business decisions in managing your office.
By obtaining two professional degrees, you double the number of professors who can recommend you to potential employers, and you double the classmates with whom you can network.
If you are interested in this concurrent degree, we recommend that you visit with both programs before applying. You must apply for admission to and be accepted by both the Bowen Law School and the UA Little Rock Graduate School.
Make an appointment for advising with the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs of the Bowen School of Law. Bring your letter of acceptance into the MBA Program from the UA Little Rock Graduate School with you to that meeting.
After advising is complete, you will sign a Declaration of Intent to Pursue Concurrent Degree Programs. That form must be presented to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Bowen School of Law and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the College of Business, signed by each program’s representatives, and filed with each institution.
