Santa Clara University

Leavey School of Business

Combined Degree Programs

The Leavey School of Business, in partnership with the School of Law, offers two combined degree programs; the J.D./MBA Program and the J.D./MSIS Program.

The Combined Degree Programs are designed to permit students interested in obtaining both the J.D. degree and the MBA or MSIS degree to complete both degrees in less time than if earned independently. This can be accomplished because certain course work taken at the School of Law can be transferred for credit toward the MBA or MSIS degree, and, conversely, certain course work taken at the Leavey School of Business can be transferred toward the J.D. Degree.

The J.D./MBA dual degree prepares students to approach problems from the perspectives of both a business person and a lawyer. Joint degree lawyers will better understand the business problems that give rise to legal problems, such as issues in marketing, personnel policies, or financing. They can do more than simply determine whether a proposed solution is “legal”; joint degree lawyers can design and formulate an effective and imaginative solution that meets legal requirements and permits clients to best achieve their business objectives.

The J.D./MSIS degree allows students to develop a deep technological understanding of the legal issues in the Information Technology industry and to learn how to use technology effectively in a law practice. The joint degree may be especially useful for potential:

  • In-house lawyers for technology companies
  • Lawyers representing computer software and hardware companies in technology license agreements or in litigation
  • Information security lawyers
  • Litigators who plan to develop expertise in complex e-discovery

ADMISSION

To participate in a Combined Degree Program, students must first be admitted to the School of Law. During the first year of the J.D. Program, students apply to the MBA or MSIS Program, following the regular admissions procedures, including taking the GMAT or GRE standardized test. Enrollment in the J.D./MBA Program is limited to full-time students with 45 units or less in the law school, including current enrollment. Students must be in good standing in the Law School to be considered for admission into the MBA or MSIS programs.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE J.D./MBA PROGRAM

Preprogram math requirements must be satisfied prior to enrolling in the program. While enrolled in the program, students must:

  • Satisfy the academic requirements of each school
  • Complete the same number of quarter units of credit (business) and semester units of credit (law) as other recipients of the respective degrees, including all courses required by each school
  • Plan a specific, individualized academic program with, and approved by, both the School of Law J.D./MBA Program advisor and the Leavey School of Business J.D./MBA Program advisor.

COMBINED CURRICULUM

Law School
 General Requirements

  • 86 semester units are required to graduate.
  • Under ABA rules, a student has five years to receive his or her J.D.
  • Students must be enrolled in at least 8 semester units each semester.

Specific J.D./MBA Requirements

  • A student may transfer 12 quarter units from the business school to the law school. Twelve quarter units translate to 8 semester units. Consequently, a J.D./MBA student must take 78 units at the law school. However, the business school units will not transfer over to the law school until the student is within two business school classes of graduating from the business school. MBA units must have a grade of C or better and will transfer to the law transcript as Credit/No Credit grades.
  • The first year is spent exclusively in the School of Law. During the second year, students are required to take primarily business classes. Thereafter, work is taken concurrently in the business school and the law school.

Business School
 General Requirements

  • The SCU MBA curriculum consists of 24 courses (for a total of 70 units) comprising waivable required courses, nonwaivable required courses, and electives.

Specific J.D./MBA Requirements

  • A student may transfer 8 semester units from the law school to the business school. Eight semester units translate to 12 quarter units. Thus, a J.D./MBA student will need to take only 12 units of business school elective courses ratherthan 24 units, in addition to the required courses.

In no event will any such individualized academic program include more than 12 quarter units at the business school for which credit also is obtained at the law school, or more than 8 semester units at the law school for which credit also is obtained at the business school.

Under a typical schedule, students complete the program and receive both degrees in three and one-half or four years.

Note: Students who withdraw from the J.D. Program will not be granted transfer credit toward the MBA degree for courses taken in the School of Law.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE J.D./MSIS PROGRAM

While enrolled in the program, students must:

  • Satisfy the academic requirements of each school
  • Complete the same number of quarter units of credit (business) and semester units of credit (law) as other recipients of the respective degrees, including all courses required by each school
  • Plan a specific, individualized academic program with, and approved by, both the School of Law J.D./MSIS Program advisor and the Leavey School of Business J.D./MSIS Program advisor.

COMBINED CURRICULUM

Law School
 General Requirements

  • 86 units are required to graduate.
  • Under ABA rules, a student has five years to receive his or her J.D.
  • Students must be enrolled in at least 8 semester units each semester.

Specific J.D./MSIS Requirements

  • A student may transfer 12 quarter units from the business school to the law school. Twelve quarter units translate to 8 semester units. Thus, a J.D./MSIS student must take 78 units at the law school. However, the business school units will not transfer over to the law school until the student is within twobusiness school classes of graduating from the business school. MSIS unitsmust have a grade of C or better and will transfer to the law transcript asCredit/No Credit grades.
  • The first year is spent exclusively in the School of Law. During the second year, students are required to take mostly MSIS classes. Thereafter, work is taken concurrently in the business school and the law school.

Business School
 General Requirements

  • The SCU MSIS curriculum consists of 18 courses (for a total of 54 units) comprising waivable required courses, nonwaivable required courses, and electives.

Specific J.D./MSIS Requirements

A student may transfer 8 semester units from the law school to the business school (Approved courses are listed below). Eight semester units translate to 12 quarter units. Thus, a J.D./MSIS student will take 42 units of MSIS courses specified as below:

  1. Preprogram Proficiency (Applicants must have successfully completed one course in each of the following areas)
    • Algebra
    • Statistics
    • A programming language
  2. Core Business Knowledge (3 courses)
    • ACTG 300 Financial Accounting (waivable)
    • FNCE 451 Financial Management (waivable)
    • MGMT 503 Organizational Analysis and Management (non-waivable)
  4. Core Information Systems (6 courses)
    • MSIS 601 Object-Oriented Analysis and Programming
    • MSIS 602 Information Systems Analysis and Design
    • MSIS 603 Database Management Systems
    • MSIS 604 Information Systems Policy and Strategy
    • MSIS 605 Telecommunications and Business Networks
    • MSIS 606 Software Project Management
  6. Specialization (4 courses; equal to 12 units)
    • MSIS 621 Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing
    • MSIS 622 ERP Systems
    • MSIS 623 Financial Information Systems
    • MSIS 696 Emerging Topics in IT Management
    • IDIS 705 Leadership for Justice and Prosperity (1 unit)
    • COEN 250 Information Security Management (2 units)
    • COEN 252 Computer Forensics (4 units)
  7. Capstone (1 course)
    • IDIS 612 Management of the High Technology Firm Seminar
  8. Approved Law School Courses (8 semester units; 12 quarter units)
    • Law 388 Intellectual Property (3 units)
    • Law 228 Technology Licensing (2 units)
    • Law 429 Mass Communication: Television, Cable, Satellite Video and Convergence (3 units)
    • Law 520 Mass Communication: Telephone, Broadband Networks and Convergence (3 units)
    • Law 533 Broadband Regulatory Clinic (3 units)
    • Law 539 E-Discovery (1 unit)
    • Law 793 Cyberspace Law (3 units)
    • One or more of Patents/Copyrights/Trademarks/Trade Secrets courses
    • With the approval of the Law School and Business School J.D.-MSIS program advisors, other Law School courses also may be selected.

In no event will any such individualized academic program include more than 12 quarter units at the business school for which credit is also obtained at the law school, or more than 8 semester units at the law school for which credit is also obtained at the business school.

Under a typical schedule, students complete the program and receive both degrees in three and one-half or four years.

Note: Students who withdraw from the J.D. Program will not be granted transfer credit toward the MSIS degree for courses taken in the School of Law.
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Established 1851