Dual Degree Programs

MBA - J.D.

The Law School offers a joint program with the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, in which the student may obtain both the MBA and the J.D. degree in four years instead of the five that would be required if each were undertaken separately.

Administration of the Program
The program is administered by faculty advisors from the Law and Darden School faculties, as designated by the respective deans.

Admission to the Program
A student who wishes to be admitted into the joint program must secure separate admission to both the Darden School of Business and the School of Law through the normal admissions process.

In both cases, the student is held to the same standards as any other applicant, and candidacy for the joint program is not considered at this stage. Application to one school may be made either prior to entrance or while a first-year student at the other. No students are admitted to the joint program after completing the first year of either Law or Darden. Students who have been admitted to both schools and who wish to undertake the joint program should notify the registrar of each school and apply to the faculty advisors for permission to do so. Admission requires approval of both the Law and Darden faculty advisors.

Curriculum
The program takes four years to complete. It consists of the complete first-year program of each school, followed by two years of course work taken from the curricula of the two schools and, in appropriate cases, from other graduate offerings at the University. Students who have been admitted to the program may elect whether they want to start in the School of Law or the Darden School, and in any event must spend their first year in full-time residence in either the Darden School or the School of Law. The second year is spent in the other school, again in full-time residence and, in effect, as regular first-year students. During the third and fourth years, students must complete the required/elective curricula of both schools. At the conclusion of the fourth year, students who have earned a minimum of 70 credits and six residency semesters in the School of Law and a minimum of 52.5 credits in the Darden School will be awarded both the MBA and J.D. degrees.

Change of Status
At any point in the program, the student may terminate plans for a dual degree and continue toward a single degree at either school. The student must then satisfy the normal requirements of the school elected, which may include credit for some of the work done in the other school, as determined by the appropriate officials of the school in question.

Tuition and Fees
During the first three years of the program, students will pay one full year of Darden School tuition (when enrolled in the full-time first-year curriculum at the Darden School) and two full years of Law School tuition. During the fourth and final year of the program, students will pay one semester of tuition to the Law School and one semester of tuition to the Darden School.

Financial Aid
Financial aid will be provided by the school to which the student is paying tuition during each semester. Financial aid is not guaranteed and is subject to individual school and University availability and regulations.

Extracurricular Activities
The students are eligible to participate in the extracurricular activities of both schools to the extent that their time permits. Students should be particularly alert to the possibility of over-commitment, however.

Grading Standards
In the first two years of the joint J.D.-MBA program, while enrolled exclusively in either the School of Law or the Darden School, students are required to meet the grading standards of the school in which they are enrolled. In the final two years, when enrolled in both schools, students are required to meet the session and cumulative grading standards of each school independently to remain in good standing.

MBA - M.D.

The objective of the MBA/MD Dual Degree Program is to educate a small number of students who will become national leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship in the health care sector, ranging from the development and diffusion of new products to the management of health care delivery systems. Students who combine their MBA and MD degrees will have the opportunity to work with faculty from the Darden Business School and the School of Medicine (SOM) to focus on the management of health-care-related businesses and models for addressing health. Foci can include health care delivery systems, biotechnology, medical devices, translational research, health policy, and regulation.

The MBA/MD Program will be administered by one member of the Darden faculty and one member of the SOM faculty, as designated by the respective Deans of each school. The responsibilities of these faculty members consist of development and application of admission criteria to the dual program, coordination of the curricula for the students, resolution of problems that arise, reconciliation of course and examination conflicts, and promotion of dual offerings by the two schools where that is desired. The two faculty members will constitute the MBA/MD Program Committee. Medical students in their third year can apply and must be admitted to the Darden School through the normal admissions process. Medical students must complete all requirements for the MD degree and 52.5 credit hours of course work in the Darden School, including the entire First-Year Program. (Normally, the MBA requires 60 credit hours.) The dual degree will generally require five years including summers to complete. Students in this program will be expected to use their elective courses to develop depth in areas that reflect their dual degree educational objectives and career interests. Each student will submit to the MBA/MD Program Committee a program of study that outlines how the degree requirements of each school will be met. The student must also present a rationale regarding how his or her dual degree educational objective will be achieved with the planned set and sequence of courses.

MBA-M.P.H.

The objective of the MBA/Master of Public Health Dual Degree Program is to educate a small number of students who will become national leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship in the health care sector, ranging from the development and diffusion of new products to the management of health care delivery systems. Students who combine their MBA and MPH degrees will have the opportunity to work with faculty from the Darden Business School, Department of Public Health Sciences, and School of Medicine, to focus on the management of health-care-related businesses and models for addressing health. Foci can include health care delivery systems, biotechnology, medical devices, translational research, health policy, and regulation.

The MBA/MPH Program will be administered by one member of the Darden faculty and one member of the GSAS, Department of Public Health Sciences faculty, as designated by the respective Deans of each school. The responsibilities of these faculty members consist of development and application of admission criteria to the dual degree program, coordination of the curricula for the students, resolution of problems that arise, reconciliation of course and examination conflicts, and promotion of dual offerings by the two schools where that is desired. The two faculty members will constitute the MBA/MPH Program Committee.

Students must first be admitted to the Darden School and the MPH program through their normal admission processes. Once the student is admitted to both programs, the student must be accepted for the Dual Degree Program by the Dual Degree Program’s program committee. Admission to a Dual Degree Program should occur prior to matriculation.

MPH students must complete all requirements for the MPH degree and 52.5 credit hours of course work in the Darden School, including the entire First-Year Program. (Normally, the MBA requires 60 credit hours.) The dual degree will generally require three years including two summers to complete.

Students in this program will be expected to use their elective courses to develop depth in areas that reflect their dual degree educational objectives and career interests.

Each student will submit to the MBA/MPH Program Committee a program of study that outlines how the degree requirements of each school will be met. The student must also present a rationale regarding how his or her dual degree educational objective will be achieved with the planned set and sequence of courses.

MBA/MPP

Darden and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia offer the MBA/MPP dual degree. The program consists of the complete First Year program of each school, followed by one year of coursework taken from the curricula of the two schools. This coursework includes, in appropriate cases, courses from other graduate offerings at the University. Under no circumstances will a dual degree student be permitted to complete the program in fewer than three years (six semesters) of coursework.

Visit the Batten School’s MBA/MPP degree page for further details.
 

MBA-M.A. in Asian Studies

The MBA-M.A. in Asian Studies combines the analysis, decision-making, and managerial concepts and techniques taught at the Darden School with intensive language and area studies in East Asia, primarily Japan and China.
Students are expected to complete the MBA-M.A. program in three years instead of the four years required if each degree were taken separately.

Administration of the Program The program is administered by one member of the East Asia Center faculty and one member of the Darden School faculty, as designated by the respective deans. The responsibilities of these faculty members extend to admission to the program, development of curricula for the students involved, coordination of courses and examinations, and promotion of dual degree offerings by the two schools where that seems feasible.
 
Curriculum A dual-degree candidate must satisfy the grading standards of the appropriate school or department granting the non-MBA degree and receive passing grades in their Darden School courses. Students must also take the required portion of the M.A. program, which consists of 30 graduate credits.

Following the Darden first year, students normally spend the summer in intensive language study. The second year is followed by a six-month internship in an East Asian location. For their sixth semester, students return to the University to complete their degree requirements. One research paper based on field work conducted in Asia may be used to satisfy both a Darden Business Project at Darden and the master’s thesis requirement at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. These research projects are jointly supervised by a faculty member from both the Darden School and the East Asia Center faculty.

Students in the dual degree program must comply with the Darden grading standards for recognized dual degree programs.

At the successful conclusion of the three years, the student is awarded both an MBA and an M.A.

MBA-M.A. in Government or Foreign Affairs

The dual-degree in government or foreign affairs meets the growing need for managers to obtain expertise in comparative government, international relations, political risk assessment, and public administration in combination with the business concepts and techniques taught at Darden.

Students are expected to complete the MBA-M.A. program in three years instead of the four years required if each degree is taken separately.

Administration of the Program

The program is administered by one faculty member designated by the chair of the Department of Politics and one member of the Darden School faculty, designated by the dean. The responsibilities of these faculty members extend to admission to the program, development of curricula for the students involved, coordination of courses and examinations, and promotion of dual degree offerings by the two schools where that seems feasible. For convenience of reference, these faculty members are referred to as the program committee.

Curriculum

The program takes three years to complete. Students in the dual-degree program must complete all the required courses at the Darden School.

Students must earn a total of 52.5 credit hours of course work in the Darden School to satisfy the Darden graduation joint degree requirements. The MBA Darden Business Project is combined with the thesis requirements of the M.A. program. Projects are jointly supervised by a faculty member from both the Darden School and the Department of Politics.

Students must take the required portion of the M.A. program, consisting of 24 graduate credits and 6 credits of Non-Topical Research. The department will accept six credits (two courses) from Darden toward the completion of this requirement.

The M.A. in Government or Foreign Affairs requires successful completion of a proficiency test in a foreign language arranged by the department or completion of the methods requirement, successful completion of PLAD 7090, and successful completion of the M.A. thesis.

MBA-M.Ed.

The MBA/MEd is a program designed for students who want to transform education in the United States and around the world. Dual-degree graduates will use their knowledge of the value of human capital, the importance of data-driven decisions and the necessity for measuring meaningful outcomes to improve education effectiveness, drive change in education policy, lead innovation in education technology and more.

Prospective students must be accepted into both schools in order to participate in the dual degree program. Application to one school may also be made prior to entrance in the other or while the applicant is a first-year student in the other school. This path, however, would lengthen the course of study to obtain the dual degree beyond the two-year ideal.

Teaching experience is not required for admission, although admission preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate professional experience in education.

Depending on work experience, students may participate in either the traditional MBA or the executive MBA format.

Traditional MBA/MEd Format:

Students begin coursework at Curry during the first summer. Students then continue in the first fall and spring at Darden, completing the Darden required first-year program. During the second summer, students would be enrolled at Curry. Students may also participate during this same summer in an internship. During the fall and spring of their second year, students would be enrolled at Darden while taking their remaining coursework in both schools. If a student is admitted into the dual degree program after beginning coursework in either school, the course of study will likely take longer to complete.

Executive MBA/MEd Format:

In the executive format, students begin coursework during their first summer. Students then complete coursework at Darden and Curry in parallel during the entire two-year program (EMBA or GEMBA format). During this time, students should also either work part-time or participate in a part-time internship. If a student is admitted into the dual degree program after beginning coursework in either school, the course of study will likely take longer.

Regardless of which MBA format a student enrolls in, at the conclusion of the MBA/MEd program, students will have earned a minimum of 52.5 credits from the Darden School and a minimum of 30 credits from the Curry school. Students who complete all coursework to the satisfaction of each respective school will be awarded two degrees – the MBA and the MEd in Administration and Supervision.

MBA-M.E.

The objective of the Master of Business Administration-Master of Engineering dual-degree program at the University of Virginia is to prepare individuals for leadership positions in technologically intensive organizations.

The MBA program provides an understanding of the fundamental areas of business while it develops the capacity to analyze managerial problems and present resourceful solutions to these problems.

The M.E. program within the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) enhances the professional instruction of the bachelor’s program in engineering, while increasing the graduate student’s knowledge and understanding in a specific field of engineering or applied science.

The MBA-M.E. program will create an opportunity for graduate students to acquire the breadth of understanding and added flexibility needed to operate effectively at the interface between the commercial and technical units of modern industry and society.

Degree Requirements Students in the MBA-M.E. program will be required to complete 24 credits of course work in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and 52.5 credits of course work in the Darden School. Normally, the M.E. degree requires 30 credits and the MBA requires 60 credits. In effect, students in the dual degree program are given elective credit in one school for courses taken to fulfill the requirements of the other.

The purpose of the MBA degree program requirements is to provide a comprehensive, integrated view of business. MBA students in the dual degree program are expected to use their elective courses to provide depth in the areas that reflect their dual degree educational objectives and career interests. For example, MBA students might select electives in international business, marketing, operations/technology, quantitative analysis, and organizational behavior. The Business Projects course (3 credits) will normally be combined with the Engineering course requirement of a 3-credit project in the M.E. program. This combined 6-credit requirement will be jointly supervised by a Darden and an Engineering faculty member. Exceptions to a dual degree project have to be approved by the MBA-M.E. program Committee.

The M.E. degree is a professionally-oriented degree. Of the 24 credits of course work required in Engineering, 21 credits will be normal course work and 3 credits will be taken in an appropriately-numbered project course. Of these 21 credits, a minimum of 12 credits must be taken in the major department. Also, a maximum of 6 credits may be taken at the 500-level. None of the 24 credits may include a course taken in the Darden School. The project must have one advisor from Engineering and another from Darden.

The dual degree is obtained in approximately one semester less than the time required for the two degrees separately. If a student drops out of either part of the dual degree program, he or she will be required to complete the normal degree requirements to obtain a single degree in either SEAS or Darden.

MBA-M.S.N.

The objective of the Master of Business Administration-Master of Nursing dual-degree program is to provide a unique educational experience to specially qualified individuals capable of leadership and innovation in health care organizations and delivery systems.

The MBA program provides an understanding of the fundamental areas of business while it develops the capacity to analyze managerial problems and present resourceful solutions to these problems. The M.S.N. program builds on the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of the bachelor’s prepared nurse and, therefore, the MBA-M.S.N. program creates a special opportunity for students to acquire the breadth of understanding and the management skills needed to perform effectively and creatively at the business and clinical interface of our health care delivery organizations.

Degree Requirements Students in the MBA-M.S.N. program are required to complete 24 credits of course work in the School of Nursing and 52.5 credits of course work in the Darden School. Normally, the M.S.N. degree requires 30 credits and the MBA requires 60 credits. In effect, the students in the dual degree program are given elective credit in one college for courses taken to fulfill the requirements of the other.

Students in this program are expected to use their elective courses to develop depth in areas that reflect their dual degree educational objectives and career interests. For example, electives in service operations, marketing, managerial accounting, etc., might be taken at the Darden School; and courses in health economics, health policy, etc., could be chosen from the nursing school.

The MBA Darden Business Project and one of the required M.S.N. practica are combined into an administrative practicum course where the students are required to serve as administrative residents in a health care organization and are assigned various general management responsibilities. This experience, supervised jointly by faculty from both colleges, is a key element in the practical integration of course work material taken by the student during the program.

MBA-Ph.D.

The Darden School offers a dual MBA and Ph.D. degree in business administration that shortens the process of obtaining both degrees, without sacrificing either professional or scholastic content. The dual four-year degree program allows a student to satisfy the MBA degree requirements and the Ph.D. course requirements by the end of the third year. The completion of the required dissertation typically takes at least one additional year of full-time work.

For more information about the MBA-Ph.D. degree at Darden, contact the Director of Admissions, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, P.O. Box 6550, Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550; (434) 924-7281.