Albers School of Business and Economics and the School of Law

Albers School of Business and Economics
Joseph M. Phillips, PhD, Dean
Jeffrey P. Millard, Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs

School of Law
Annette Clark, MD, JD, Dean
Paul Holland, JD, LL.M, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Donna Claxton Deming, JD, Associate Dean for Student Affairs

Business and Law Joint Degree Program

The Seattle University business and law joint degree program is designed to allow students interested in obtaining both the JD and a graduate degree in business to complete the degrees in less time than if the two degrees were obtained independently outside the program. Full-time students are able to complete the two degrees in less time because, through the program, specified courses taken at the School of Law may count toward the graduate business degree and specified courses taken in the Albers School of Business and Economics may count toward the JD degree. The joint degree program is also available to part-time students.¹

Program of Study

The Seattle University business and law joint degree program allows students to choose either to spend their first year in the Albers School of Business and Economics or in the School of Law. Once a student chooses, the full first year must be spent in that school. In the last three years (or more) students may take courses in both the business and law schools. The Albers School of Business and Economics operates on a quarter system and the School of Law operates on a semester system. Therefore, specific schedules must be carefully coordinated with and approved by the School of Law associate dean and the Albers director of graduate programs.

Admission Requirements for the Joint Degree Program

Students must be admitted separately to both the School of Law and the Albers School of Business and Economics, and should consult this Graduate Catalog for the specific admissions requirements for each school. Students may be admitted to both schools before starting in the joint program; alternatively, graduate business school students may seek admission to the JD program during their first year; law students may seek admission to the MBA program during their first or second year. In any case, students will be expected to meet the respective school’s admissions deadlines for the coming year. Prospective applicants should note that the admissions requirements for the MBA and MSF programs include a current résumé reflecting continuous full-time work experience in business. Work experience requirement will be waived for joint degree students who have completed the first year of law at Seattle University.

Length of Program

The minimum length of time required to complete the joint degree program is four years for full-time students. The length of time required for completion of the joint degree program will be longer if the student is part-time and/or if the student must complete fundamental business classes for the graduate business degree.

Credit Requirements

Students in the School of Law are required to complete 90 semester credits for the JD degree. The number of quarter credits required to complete the graduate business degree varies, depending upon which of the four degrees the student wishes to obtain in combination with the JD degree. In the joint degree program, students can satisfy the requirements for each degree by using a specified number of crossover credits chosen from a list of approved courses in each school. Of the 90 semester credits required for the JD degree, 12 semester credits can be satisfied by 18 quarter credits chosen from a list of specified graduate business degree courses (listed below).² Of the 54 quarter credits required for the Professional MBA degree, 12 quarter credits can be satisfied by 8 semester credits chosen from a list of specified JD degree courses (listed below).³ Of the 45 quarter credits required for the MSF, or 46 for the MPAC degrees, 9 quarter credits can be satisfied by 6 semester credits chosen from the list of specified law courses. Joint degree program students must complete all required courses for both the JD degree and the graduate business degree.

Additional Information

Additional Information for Joint Degree Programs:

The American Bar Association, one of the accrediting agencies for law schools, requires that the JD degree be completed within a maximum of seven years.
One quarter credit is the equivalent of .67 semester credits. A three-quarter credit crossover business course could, for example, be used to satisfy two-semester credits for the JD degree.
One semester credit is the equivalent of 1.5 quarter credits. A four-semester credit crossover law course could, for example, be used to satisfy six-quarter credits for the graduate business degree.