What Are The Best SMU Cox Dual Degrees For MBAs?

MBA degrees may be the best way for business students to master business, management and leadership skills. However, some prospective MBAs enter the graduate business school setting with a clear idea of which industry they want to enter following graduation. For such graduates, dual degree programs offer the chance to pair a general MBA education with a specialized degree that’s tailored to their a chosen field. For those in the Dallas-Forth Worth metro, there are plenty of viable SMU Cox dual degrees to choose from.

Founded in 1920 as the result of requests from the Dallas business community, the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University is an AACSB accredited business school located near the heart of the Dallas metro. The school is named in honor of Edwin Lochridge Cox, a business leader, entrepreneur and long-time supporter of SMU.

The Cox School of Business offers full-time MBA, Fast Track MBA, Professional MBA and Executive MBA programs. However, the school also offers two Dual Degree MBA Programs as well: MA/MBA Program and JD/MBA Program.

The MA/MBA Program is an interesting degree concept that marriages art and business. The dual degree program is offered jointly by the Cox School of Business and the Meadows School of Arts. According to the school, the program offers students opportunities to develop contemporary general management skills with an in-depth study of today’s professional art world. Cox introduced the program based on the belief that a successful career in arts management is possible by possessing deep knowledge of modern business skills along with an understanding and appreciation of the arts.

The program is 22 months long, and that includes a study abroad session in the fall of the second year. You can check out the full curriculum here. According to the school, students in the MA/MBA program have gone on to intern at organizations such as:

• The American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C.
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• The Philadelphia Orchestra
• San Francisco Opera
• Seattle’s Corporate Council for the Arts
• Walt Disney Theatrical Productions

 

Graduates of the MA/MBA Program have been hired at organizations such as:

• American Film Institute, Los Angeles
• American Heart Association, Dallas
• Boston Pops
• Chicago Symphony
• City of St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
• Dallas Symphony Orchestra
• Montréal Symphony Orchestra
• Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Santa Ana
• Philadelphia Orchestra
• San Diego Repertory Theater
• The Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
• UNICEF, Zagreb, Croatia
• Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, Burbank and New York

 

A somewhat more conventional business school dual degree, the JD/MBA integrate concepts of business and law. Applicants must apply to both the MBA and the JD programs. The program is a partnership between the Cox School of Business and the Dedman School of Law.

Note that admission applications should be addressed to both the law school and the business school with the statement that they are for the JD/MBA program. Prospective students can contact the MBA Admissions or Law School Admissions Office to learn more.

There are two variants of this dual degree program: a four-year and a three-year version. Either variation is a good use of time—the JD degree normally requires three years to complete, and the MBA normally requires two years to complete.

According to the school, the four year program is designed for candidates with any undergraduate degree, those interested in the option to seek either a business or law profession and candidates that would gain from completing a concentration within the business curriculum. Meanwhile the three year program is made possible by Cox’s new Fast Track MBA Program. Students complete both degrees simultaneously in three years. The shorter time to completion is made possible because each school gives students credit for a limited number of subject-appropriate courses taken in the other school. The full curriculum can be viewed here.

The three year program will benefit students who wish to pursue careers in the legal field. It is designed for candidates with a business, economics or quantitative undergraduate degree, candidates seeking a law profession only, and candidates not seeking a concentration within the business curriculum.

regions: Dallas

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