Thoughts on combined programs?

[VitalGiraffe]

I'm applying this year and see a lot of combined programs such as JD/MBA, JA/MA, etc.

Do these additional degrees add much value? It would be nice to get a MBA in a shorter time period, but I feel like a JD would already show that a person is fairly capable.

What are everyone's thoughts?

[Darth Vader]

It depends on where you are getting the JD/MBA. It may be helpful to land Big law jobs if your law school grades are otherwise average/below average. If your law school grades are strong then you do not need a JD/MBA to land Big law. If you do not want to practice law and seek to pursue business careers instead, and do not have a business background, then the MBA may be worth doing. In my opinion, most JD/MBAs are not worth doing unless you are Big law or bust, and even then, you will have your first year law school grades by the time you start the MBA portion of the program. Based on your 1L performance, you may or may not have to do the MBA.

The JD/MA in economics may be helpful for tax jobs but by no means a requirement. The JD/MA in other fields like English, Criminology, Philosophy, etc. are done purely out of academic interest. The JD/MES in environmental studies is helpful if you want to pursue indigenous and environmental law as a career. Osgoode's JD/MES has a great track record in these fields. 

U of T, Western, and Queen's offer a good JD/MBA program. The latter two because the business schools alone have strong reputations and they accept fewer than 5 students in the JD/MBA program. Osgoode's JD/MBA is a large cohort (20-30 students a year) so it is more difficult to stand out. Schulich MBA is also known as a cash grab program now in the business industry. I would not do a JD/MBA at Windsor, Ottawa, and other lesser known business schools. When pursuing an MBA, you need to look at the brand recognition of the MBA/business school by itself.

Edited October 3, 2021 by Darth Vader