3-yr JD-MBA at Northwestern
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20 Apr 2011, 05:23
I have a question for those in Northwestern’s 3-yr JDMBA program.
I never intend to practice law, so JD is the icing on the cake. (I also don't want to study for the LSAT, so NW is the only JDMBA program on the table, in addition to the MBA-only programs.) I like the additional JD for intellectual reasons and for the credibility it brings in the business world. But I've also heard sound arguments against it:
0. Tuition & expenses: the extra year will cost me at least another 75k
1. Opportunity cost: if someone is determined on the JD and is considering adding the MBA, doing so adds no opportunity cost and might be worth a try. But for people like me, the 3-yr JDMBA means one additional year's forgone salary compared to the other 2-yr MBA programs.
2. Benefits are not quantifiable: Since I don't intend to practice law, I will be competing with the Kellogg students. I'll get the same salary for the same position. Despite of having 75k more in debt, I'll be treated like a regular Kellogg MBA in the job market.
3. The chances of being at the top of class (from an uncle who has a JD from a top law school): Law school is a lot of work. I had no problem in college getting A's on the bell curve, but most of the other kids in college didn't treat schoolwork as a full-time job. Everyone in a top law school does, therefore I'll be working my butt off for a degree that's not even required for my post-MBA job.
I think I will enjoy law school (even in 1L) even just for its own sake, if debt was not such a huge issue. A question for those currently in or admitted to the JDMBA program: Did you get scholarship generous enough to cover at least the extra year's tuition?
Thanks in advance!