Assessing What a JD/MBA Degree Can Mean For You Career

With more students than ever considering the joint JD/MBA degree, MBA Podcaster and Law School Podcaster take you behind-the-scenes at some of the top schools offering these dual degree programs, for our upcoming show, “Deciding Whether To Pursue a JD/MBA: When It Makes Sense To Go ‘Two-for-One.’” In our previous post, we looked at some of the details for gaining admission to different JD/MBA programs and then featured some perspective on these programs from the deans and faculty members responsible for building and establishing the JD/MBA program at Penn Law/Wharton and Northwestern Law /Kellogg.

The upcoming show will also help you evaluate the impact a joint degree might have on your career goals. While there’s no doubt that a student pursuing the joint degree will have less opportunity to go in depth academically on either side of the JD/MBA degree, our experts advise to look carefully at your career goals to determine whether the long-term investment makes sense.

For that perspective, Host Althea Legaspi spoke with Pamela Mittman, Assistant Dean of Career Services and Student Activities, New York University Stern School of Business. Dean Mittman says that holders of the joint degree “are viewed by employers as ‘extremely bright,’ [they]‘have a unique background’ with an ‘enhanced network,’ and that the joint degree can afford more flexibility in securing employment during a down business cycle.” Mittman explains that “those [from a recent graduating class] that might not have pursued business opportunities, were able to continue with their legal focus.”

Wendy Siegel, Director of Recruitment and Marketing, New York University School of Law, Office of Career Services confirmed that JD/MBA graduates have wide-ranging career opportunities for legal employment as well. Siegel notes that joint degree holders pursue careers in real estate, hedge funds, entertainment, and some go straight through to law firms, and consulting firms.” And while she says they don’t necessarily need to do a JD/MBA to pursue these opportunities, ‘[w]e consider them a ‘double threat.’”

John Amer, Client Partner at Korn Ferry International confirms that that those holding a joint JD/MBA are very marketable, especially during economic downturns, where “it's about increasing one’s options, flexibility, and marketability.”

Finally, we hear from two JD/MBA graduates, Blair Ciesel, Recruiter at International Consulting Firm; JD/MBA Graduate from Northwestern University Law School/Kellogg School of Management and Rob Neal, Executive Director of Tournament Golf Foundation; JD/MBA Graduate from Emory University to hear how their joint degree impacted their careers.

Stay tuned for the full show, coming next week!

(Updated: Listen to the completed show here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/JD-MBA.asp?iEpisode=86)