Master of Maritime Business Administration and Logistics (MBAA) and Juris Doctor (JDLW) Combined Degree Program

The Maritime industry is a highly regulated area that often requires a broad understanding of the legal system. This combined degree program, offered by the School of Law and the Department of Maritime Business Administration, would permit qualified students to satisfy the requirements for both the Juris Doctor (JD) and Masters in Maritime Business Administration and Logistics (MBAA) degrees concurrently in four years. Under the combined degree program, students would earn a minimum of ninety credit hours to satisfy the requirements of the JD degree and thirty-six credit hours to satisfy the requirements of the MBAA degree. For students in the combined MBAA/JD program, the Department of Maritime Business Administration will accept up to 9 hours of credit in professional law courses toward the MBAA degree. The School of Law will accept up to 15 hours of credits in maritime business administration graduate courses toward the JD degree. However, in combination, a student may double count no more than 15 credits in both degrees.

Students who enroll in the JD/MBAA combined degree program complete their first two academic years at the School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas and the JD degree will be the primary degree program. Upon the conclusion of the spring semester of the second year, students begin coursework in the MBAA degree program (offered in Galveston, Texas), and the third academic year is completed within the MBAA degree program with the MBAA program designated the primary degree program. For the fourth and final year, students will be based at the School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas and the JD degree will again be the primary degree program, with the potential for some coursework, including practical training, also taken with the Maritime Business Administration program. Students must complete the core curriculum requirements and all additional graduation requirements published in the applicable graduate catalogs for the JD degree and the MBAA degree.

The MBAA degree program is also approved for delivery via asynchronous distance education technology.

Scholastic Requirements

Students must be in good academic standing and conduct throughout the entirety of the combined degree program. Students who are in good academic standing with one degree program but not the other may be eligible to earn a degree from the program at which they remain in good standing only. The degree for each program will be awarded concurrently when the degree requirements for both programs are completed.

Students may choose which of the approved courses will concurrently count toward the other degree. However, students may not count a course taken at the School of Law toward the MBAA degree if the effect of counting that course would lower the student’s total MBAA GPA below 3.00. Similarly, students may not count a course taken at Maritime Business Administration toward the JD degree if the effect of counting that course would lower the student’s total JD GPA below 2.33.

Admission

Candidates for the JD/MBAA combined degree program must apply separately to the School of Law and the Maritime Business Administration graduate programs and are required to meet both programs’ admission requirements. The decision to admit any particular candidate rests entirely with each program.

Steps to Fulfill a Masters Program