An MBA dual degree can be a good way of gaining in-depth knowledge, insights, skill-sets and expertise in a career-relevant discipline or an interest area, to extend the scope of your studies beyond the broad-based exposure that an MBA degree provides.
What is an MBA dual degree?
This involves earning an MBA jointly with an additional interdisciplinary degree. So you’d be able to combine your MBA education with another professional program or a Master’s degree depending on what the school offers. The programs may be offered by the same university or in partnership with other schools.
The advantage of the MBA dual degree is that it can be completed in a shorter span of time rather than pursuing each of the programs independently. In addition to management knowledge and perspectives an MBA program would offer, you’d also be able to delve deeper into a specialized area, giving you a wider career choice and a competitive edge in the job market.
Aspiring entrepreneurs wishing to launch their start-up in a specialized field would get management and technical skills, insights and varied perspectives required for getting their idea off the ground.
Candidates need to apply separately and get accepted at both the participating schools. Both the degrees are awarded simultaneously after successfully completing the requirements of both the programs.
An increasing number of business schools have started offering dual MBA programs with diverse options of degrees and professional programs that can be opted for with an MBA.
Most popular MBA dual degrees
| Joint program discipline | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Law | JD/MBA |
| Public Policy | MPP/MBA |
| Medicine | MD/MBA |
| Engineering sciences | MS/MBA |
| Public Health | MPH/MBA |
| Education | MA/MBA |
Best MBA dual degree programs in the USA
1. Harvard – Joint degree programs
HBS offers seven joint MBA programs in association with six Harvard University graduate schools. Statistics at HBS reveals that 100 students in any academic year are joint degree students.
These are the programs offered:
- MBA/MPP (Master of Public Policy)
- MBA/MPA-ID (Master of Public Administration-International Development)
- MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences program
- JD/MBA, MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences program
- MD/MBA (in association with Harvard Medical School)
- VDMD/MBA (in partnership with Harvard School of Dental Medicine)
2. Stanford – Joint and dual degrees
At Stanford MBA, roughly 20% of the class chooses to pursue a dual or joint MBA. Students can opt for an additional Master’s from another Stanford program or professional schools at other universities.
Those seeking a dual MBA degree can apply to both the programs at the same time or wait for the MBA program to start and then apply in the first year.
Some of the popular joint MBA degrees available at Stanford include:
- JD/MBA
- MA Education/MBA
- MPP/MBA
- MS Computer Science/MBA
- MS Electrical Engineering/MBA
- MS Environment and Resources (E-IPER)/MBA
- MD/MBA dual degree
3. Columbia – Dual degree programs
Columbia Business School’s dual MBA gives you a chance to pursue eleven other professional degrees in various fields including engineering and applied science, law, journalism, international affairs, architecture, medicine, nursing, dental and oral surgery, public health, or social work along with the MBA program.
Applicants can apply to both the schools simultaneously or begin the program at one school, and then apply to the other before completion of half of the coursework.
4. Wharton – MBA dual degree programs
At the Wharton school, students can combine their MBA degree with another graduate degree or a professional program offered by the University of Pennsylvania schools.
Students have the option of choosing from a wide variety of more than 13 dual degree and interdisciplinary programs including international studies, law, health care management, advanced international studies, public policy, dental, design, engineering, environment, education, medicine. nursing, social work, veterinary medicine.
They can also opt for a dual MBA in partnership with other schools.
5. Yale – Joint degree programs
Most of the Yale joint degrees have the following structure – spending one year at Yale taking the integrated MBA core curriculum, then moving on to spend one or more years at the other program and one year completing courses at both the programs. Students are encouraged to apply to both the programs simultaneously.
The MBA degree can be earned along with a degree in these areas: asset management, law (JD), environment (MEM or MF), global affairs (MPP), medicine (MD), public health (MPH), architecture (MARCH), drama (MFA), divinity MDIV (Divinity), Sciences/humanities PhD.
There are many other unique combinations offered by other schools – For example – Johnson Cornell offers Master of Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR) plus MBA for human resource management professionals.
Chicago Booth offers joint-degree and certificate programs covering a variety of interest and subject areas including Middle Eastern Studies, Eastern European and Russian Eurasian Studies, International Relations, Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration (MPP).
For those looking for a career in sustainability and climate change challenges, Berkeley Haas offers MBA and a Master of Climate Solutions (MCS). Similarly, Dartmouth Tuck offers MBA/MCEP (Master of Climate and Environmental Policy) while Duke Fuqua offers Master of Environmental Management (MEM)/MBA.
Kellogg offers the MMM program which helps you earn an MBA along with MS in design innovation. Past alumni have bagged roles including strategy and operations lead, product lead at top companies.
Other leading business schools offering dual / joint degree programs include NYU Stern, MIT Sloan, Duke Fuqua, Darden.
Top MBA dual degrees in UK & Europe
1. Oxford 1+1 MBA
The Oxford 1+1 MBA allows you to complete a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford along with a one-year Oxford MBA degree.
There’s a choice from a whole range of Master’s programs, spanning across disciplines, including public policy, criminology and criminal justice, education, pharmacology, sociology, comparative social policy, economic and social history, law and finance (MLF), modern languages, music, comparative literature and critical translation, international health and tropical medicine, migration studies, social data science, social anthropology, biodiversity, conservation and management, African studies/contemporary Chinese studies/Japanese studies/Latin American studies/Modern South Asian studies/Russian and East European studies.
The advantage here is that within two years, you can complete both the programs. The curriculum would be intense but you’d save on the opportunity cost and other expenses due to its shorter duration.
2. IE University – dual Master’s degree
The international MBA (iMBA) can be completed with a Master’s degree in a span of 19 to 23 months.
Here are some of the areas in which the dual Master’s degree is offered: business analytics and big data, digital business and innovation, market research and consumer behavior, strategic marketing and communication, digital marketing, creative direction, content & branding, customer experience & innovation, real estate development.
Is a dual MBA worth it?
A dual MBA would make you a generalist as well as a specialist. This can be a great way to pick skills in multiple areas, so along with the leadership, strategic management skills, you’d also be a technical expert in your chosen field.
However, you need to be aware that pursuing a dual MBA degree can be very demanding. The cost of education as well as the opportunity cost involved would go up.
Pursuing both the programs would require significant commitment and dedication. An MBA degree has a duration of 1-2 years whereas a dual MBA would go on for 2-3 years or longer.
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Whether a dual MBA is right for you or not depends a lot on your future career plans and how the additional degree will help you get there. So aspirants need to have enough clarity about their career goals before making up their mind on this.
Also, remember to calculate the ROI while making such a huge investment of time, money and effort. What roles and industries are you targeting? What are the average salaries for those roles?
Consider the very popular MD/MBA dual degree – this can be a good option for those aspiring for senior positions in the medical industry. The salaries can be attractive.
For example, top roles like that of a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in the US can receive an annual base salary ranging from $198k – $406k, the average being $308,264 while for a medical director, the annual base salary range is $100k – $288k, the average being $210,235. (source: payscale)
Double degrees
There are business schools that offer a dual MBA / double degree jointly with another partner school. The difference in this case is that you’re awarded the same degree (MBA) from both the partnering institutions.
For example, HEC Paris MBA program offers double MBA degrees with leading schools including NYU Stern, CUHK, NUS and others.
Also read:
– Wharton MBA Dual Degree with Lauder Institute: Interview with Admissions Marketing Director
– JD-MBA Program by Kellogg
– MBA Dual Degree Programs FAQ
