Welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday! Today we’ll consider the options available to students interested in complementing their MBA studies with an advanced degree in another academic area. Often referred to as either joint or dual degrees, most business schools partner with other graduate programs at their home universities to offer one or more of these joint study options. Dual degree programs differ from other certificate programs in that students earn two degrees – generally an MBA and another Master’s. Although studying for a dual degree typically takes 3 to 5 years instead of the normal two years of the MBA, it is almost always faster than completing the degrees separately.
Let’s take a look at a few of the options for students seeking a Master’s degree in conjunction with their MBA, as well as the admissions requirements governing these degrees.
Like most leading MBA programs, Columbia Business School offers dual degree programs through which students earn another degree concurrently with their MBA (e.g., Master’s in International Affairs, Master’s in Social Work). Applicants are required to apply to and receive admission to both programs, and may apply to both programs simultaneously, or to the second program if they are less than halfway through their studies at the first school.
Students in a dual degree program at Columbia register at one school per term and may take courses in either program in each term, as long as they meet each school’s course residence, and sequencing requirements. CBS recommends that candidates complete the first two terms of the MBA program consecutively to maintain the integrity and full benefits of the school’s cluster system.
A few business schools offer slightly different options for students interested in joint degree study. For instance, Kellogg does not offer a list of established MBA/MA programs, instead opting to allow students to create their own joint program through application to Kellogg and the Northwestern graduate school that offers their degree of interest. Meanwhile, although Tuck and Wharton offer dual degrees on their own campuses, each also teams up with other universities (including the Fletcher School at Tufts, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Johns Hopkins’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies) to offer a more extensive list of dual degree programs.
While dual degree students make up a relatively small percentage of the overall MBA population, some admissions officers report that these combined degree programs are becoming increasingly popular as students seek to customize their educations and earn two degrees in less time, and for less money, than if they pursued separate programs. For MBA applicants interested in applying their business education to fields such as public policy, education, social work, public health, the environment, international policy or another specialized field, a joint degree program can offer both the area expertise and business knowledge needed for a successful career.
To learn more about MBA/M.A. dual degree options, be sure to check out the Dual Degree Programs section of each Clear Admit School Guide!
Read the full article: Trivia Tuesday: MBA and Master’s Joint Degree Programs
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