A quality and reputable postgraduate course gives your portfolio of academic qualifications a sharper edge. But what about adding a double-edged programme to boost your career? The JD/MBA Double Degree Programme jointly organised by both the law and business schools of Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) aims to furnish students with both legal and management training.
Juris Doctor is known as JD for short. In Hong Kong it is a postgraduate degree in law which those who already have a non-law undergraduate degree or a law degree from a non-common law jurisdiction are eligible to apply for. Those applying for admission to CUHK’s JD programme must have a degree not normally lower than second-class honours. CUHK is one of three universities in Hong Kong offering a JD programme, whereas its MBA has long been established in the territory. The double degree programme requires three years to complete in a full-time mode, and five years part-time.
The JD/MBA programme is based on what has been offered to students in distinguished foreign institutions. “This JD/MBA is modelled on the arrangements established by top business schools in the United States such as Harvard, Columbia, Yale and others,” says Lawrence Chan, administrative director (marketing and student recruiting) of MBA Programs at CUHK Business School.
The programme also aims to provide students with professional legal and management knowledge in one go. According to Chan, senior executives on the joint course are expected to possess skill sets not only in their own fields of expertise such as marketing and finance, but also in other areas or functions like general management, operational and legal. “Those engaged in legal matters can understand more about the management level,” he adds.
The dual degree programme covers a broad student population and welcomes students from diverse backgrounds such as information technology, banking, finance, business development and human resources.
“All short-listed candidates will be invited to attend an interview with the admissions panel comprising representatives from the law faculty and the MBA Programs. Assessment criteria including working experience, academic achievement, interview performance and GMAT scores are equally important in terms of selection,” Chan says. The majority of the students admitted have generally eight to nine years of working experience.