The JD/MBA program is designed to provide valuable training and knowledge for careers where expertise in both law and business is essential. For example, business lawyers benefit greatly from an in-depth understanding of the management and financial challenges faced by corporations, start-ups and nonprofits. Business executives find that an understanding of the law enhances their ability to evaluate risk, make strategic decisions, and conduct day-to-day operations.
During Years 1 and 2, students complete the core first-year curricula at both HLS and HBS; either may come first. During Years 3 and 4, students take elective courses at both schools and must also participate in a Joint Degree Program Seminar taught by HLS and HBS faculty during one of these years.
The application process is summarized on the MBA Admissions and JD Admissions pages.
For the most part, your experience in the JD/MBA program will not be greatly affected by your choice of school for the first year. However, if you start at HBS, you will graduate with your HLS class at the end of the four-year program.

HLS: The first year at HLS consists of (1) courses in Criminal Law, Civil Procedure, Property, Torts, Contracts, International or Comparative Law, and the Problem-Solving Workshop; (2) First-year Legal Research and Writing; and (3) a spring elective course of a minimum of two and a maximum of four HLS classroom credits.

HBS: The first year at HBS consists of the Required Curriculum with the year divided into two terms. Term 1 courses: Finance 1; Financial Reporting and Control; Leadership and Organizational Behavior; Marketing; and Technology and Operations Management. Term 2 courses: Business, Government and International Economy; Strategy; The Entrepreneurial Manager; Finance II; and Leadership and Corporate Accountability. FIELD Global Capstone takes place in the spring term, at the end of which students travel to their immersion location to develop a new product or service for partner organizations.

One of the benefits of the JD/MBA program is that students have an extra summer to spend exploring career options. JD/MBA students, after their first year at HLS, will typically work either at a law firm or at a law-related public interest employer. After their first year at HBS, students often spend the summer in a business-related job, either in a for-profit or nonprofit company. After the third year in the program, students choose from a variety of legal and business summer internship opportunities.
During the first two years of the program, JD/MBA students typically make use of the career offices at the school they are attending. At HLS, that includes access to printed and online resources, information sessions and workshops, as well as advising by both the Office of Career Services (OCS) and the Office of Public Interest Advising (OPIA). At HBS, students have access to career resources such as the HBS recruiting platform, a variety of workshops and recruiting events, and individual career coaching by MBA Career & Professional Development. For employment during the third summer, students choose whether they want to take advantage of the HLS on-campus interviewing process (OCI), OPIA job search resources, or HBS resources.

Harvard JD/MBA alumni have chosen careers in politics, academia, international development, domestic and international business, and in-house corporate practice.