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. The second year is spent in the other school (e.g., if the student chose law first, the second year would be in business, and vice versa). In the last two 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 the Graduate Bulletin for the specific admissions requirements for each school. Students may be admitted to both schools before starting in the joint program; alternatively, students may seek admission to the other school during their first year of law or graduate business school. 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 admission requirements for the MBA,MSF, and MIB programs include a current resume reflecting full-time work experience. Applicants who will have completed their first year in the School of Law at Seattle University will be waived the work experience requirement, but a resume is required.

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 business prerequisites for the graduate business degree.

Credit Requirements

Students in the joint program 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).** Of the 55 quarter credits required for the MBA degree, 12 quarter credits can be satisfied by 8 semester credits chosen from a list of specified JD degree courses (listed below).*** Of the 45 quarter credits required for the MSF or MIB 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.

*The American Bar Association, one of the accrediting agencies for law schools, requires that the JD degree be completed within a maximum of six years.

**One quarter credit is the equivalent of .67 semester credits. A 3 quarter credit crossover business course could, for example, be used to satisfy 2 semester credits for the JD degree.

***One semester credit is the equivalent of 1.5 quarter credits. A 4 semester credit crossover law course could, for example, be used to satisfy 6 quarter credits for the graduate business degree.