Dual MBA-J.D. Degree Reflects Strengths of NC State Poole College, Campbell Law School
The partnership allows graduate students to simultaneously pursue a Juris Doctor (J.D.) at Campbell Law and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Poole College’s Jenkins Graduate School. Three students have already been admitted to the program and will begin their studies this fall.
Students in the dual degree program will be able to earn both degrees in four years of full-time study, rather than the usual five, with the option to take electives and specialization courses in both business and law. Both schools will accept transfer credits which are applied toward J.D. and MBA degrees from Campbell University and NC State, respectively.
“We have no doubt whatsoever that tomorrow’s graduates will need a diversity of skills across multiple disciplines,” said Dr. Warwick Arden, provost and executive vice chancellor at NC State University, at the announcement.
Arden noted the university’s focus on cross-disciplinary research and teaching, both across campus in Raleigh, N.C., and with partner institutions around the world. “All are preparing future leaders for tomorrow,” he said. “We know (this program) will help prepare students for roles in the public and private sectors.”
“The new partnership shows the willingness of a large public institution to partner with a small private school, to create something extraordinary,” said Melissa Essary, dean of the Campbell Law School. “Generations to come will benefit from this partnership.”
That benefit lies in the strengths that both schools bring to the partnership, said Dr. Ira R. Weiss, dean of the NC State Poole College of Management and Jenkins Graduate School.
Conversations for the dual degree program began two years ago, he said. As the Campbell Law School began taking shape in downtown Raleigh, Weiss said, it became apparent that “there was a commonality” between the NC State Jenkins MBA program’s focus on the management of technology and innovation, and the focus at Campbell on intellectual property and other legal aspects of business and innovation. Both schools emphasize a hands-on, practical approach to learning.
“These two institutions could come together to prepare future leaders for economic development. It made a lot of sense to make this happen,” Weiss said. NC State’s Poole College and its Jenkins Graduate School emphasize real world experience, including practicum courses that have student teams working with companies on real problems. Campbell Law School similarly encourages students to ‘learn by doing,” Essary said, through its growing externship program.
There was a match in terms of academic rigor between the two schools, she said, noting that the curricula at both, “is not for the faint of heart. Campbell Law students are mentally tough and adept at solving problems. Students who graduate from the NC State MBA program have also conquered a very tough curriculum and are ready for a rapidly changing world.”
“From our standpoint, this is the future of higher education – institutions coming together on ways that they deliver and create programs,” Weiss said. “We believe that we are on the right track and will turn out graduates who have two phenomenal degrees.”
Henry C. Campen, Jr., managing partner of Parker Poe LLC’s Raleigh office, concurred. “Taking this step will add an important dimension to the education you offer to your students,” he said. “I speak from experience. I did not have the benefit of a joint program such as you will now offer. But well before I attended law school, I earned a Master of Public Administration. The combination of a management education and the analytical skills I learned in law school contributed significantly to the measure of success I have enjoyed in my legal career,” he said.
The combination of business and law will help graduates in both disciplines, Campen added. “Being an effective business lawyer requires much more than knowing the principles of contract law or civil procedure. It requires the lawyer to understand the client’s business. The training your joint degree provides will enable your students to relate in a more direct and meaningful way with their clients.”
Similarly, legal skills will bring “immense value” to those who pursue careers in business, he said. “The business community places a high value on the analytical skills taught in law school.”
Essary said that a “law degree is a gateway degree. It opens up a lot of doors and a lot of careers. If coupled with a great MBA degree, this gateway is widened considerably.”
“Students in the dual J.D./MBA program will be well prepared for careers in business, finance, law, government, nonprofit organizations, teaching and research,” said Dr. Steve Allen, associate dean for graduate programs in Poole College’s Jenkins Graduate School. He added, “some students may go on to governmental roles in North Carolina, helping identify and solve problems facing the state.”
Also attending the announcement were Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Burley Mitchell, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, Wake County District Attorney C. Colon Willoughby, Jr., and NC Court of Appeals Judge Ann Marie Calabria.
Photo
Among those speaking at the announcement were Melissa Essary, dean of the Campbell Law School, at the podium; and seated (left to right), Dr. Ira R. Weiss, dean, NC State Poole College of Management; Dr. Warwick Arden, provost and executive vice chancellor at NC State University; and Dr. Dwaine Greene, vice president for academic affairs and provost , Campbell University. Not in this photo was Henry C. Campen, Jr., managing partner of Parker Poe LLC’s Raleigh office and chair of the Poole College’s Board of Advisors..
