Joint Degree Options

We offer you the power of Penn State through two joint degree programs, where you may pair your MBA with another degree.

JD/MBA

A law degree offered by Penn State Law, now located at either the Carlisle, Pennsylvania campus or at University Park. This is a four year program in which a student typically begins study in year one at the law school, followed by a year at the MBA program. Year three is a combined year of study between the JD and MBA programs, and year four concludes with the final law classes. Students must apply to be accepted to each program independently in order to pursue the joint degree. Law classes may be taken in Carlisle or University Park and MBA classes are offered at University Park only.

Current MBA's in the JD/MBA Program

Marc Boiron
Class of 2011

Marc is a 2008 graduate from Middle Tennessee State University, where he majored in entrepreneurship while playing on the varsity tennis team. He entered the JD/MBA program straight after finishing his undergraduate degree to take advantage of the opportunities such a degree offers. In his first summer in the dual degree program, Marc worked for the Penn State Center for Study of Mergers and Acquisitions, where he drafted a chapter of Professor Sam Thompson's newest treatise. During his second year in the MBA program, Marc took the position of Managing Director of the Economic Analysis Group for the Nittany Lion Fund. In his second summer, Marc took the next step toward his career goal as he completed an internship at an investment bank in New York City, where he used his legal training to better understand M&A transactions.

Ruel Fernandes
Class of 2011
Ruel graduated with a dual degree in management and finance from La Salle University in 2008 prior to commencing the JD/MBA program at Dickinson and Smeal. Prior to Penn State he worked at RTZR Investments where his responsibilities covered area of option trading, technical analysis and valuation techniques, and research strategies for discovering relevant information regarding securities. Since entering into the JD/MBA program he has worked for Professor John Lopatka and Professor Samuel Thompson, both renowned scholars in their fields, on published works regarding Federal Antitrust Law and the field of Mergers of Acquisitions. His career aspirations are to pursue a career in Mergers and Acquisitions involving business and legal aspects as well as the general field of corporate law.

Christopher Grassi
Class of 2012

Christopher is a 2009 graduate from the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State. He received his baccalaureate degree with high distinction from the Smeal College of Business in Supply Chain Management and Information Systems. His minors were in Italian and the Legal Environment of Business. Christopher completed corporate internships with Leisure Bay Industries in Lake Mary, Florida in distribution and Dick's Sporting Goods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Information Technology. His first year legal internship with Harry Newman & Associates, P.C. in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania was in bankruptcy law. The JD/MBA program allows for greater flexibility in pursuing career options. Christopher plans to focus his professional pursuits in those areas which best merge business and law.

Stephanie Zimmerman
Class of 2012

Stephanie is coming off her second year at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law where she has taken an interest in Intellectual Property and Antitrust law. She is the co-founder and Commissioner of the Sports Legal Society, and the Student Bar Association Alumni Relations chair. Stephanie recently authored a comment for the Penn State International Law Review entitled, Secret's Out: The Ineffectiveness of Current Trade Secret Law Structure and Protection for Global Health. Her comment, set for publication in the upcoming year, compares the legal structures of varying countries and their effectiveness for the protection of business secrets. Stephanie's areas of interest have lead her to pursue the MBA/JD to further her knowledge on the business associated with these subjects and enable her to practice law well prepared for the environment in which she will be working.

Jay Angle
Class of 2013

Jay graduated from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in 2008.  He majored in Marketing and was a part of the College Park Environmental Studies Scholars program.  During his undergraduate Jay was a Captain for the Maryland Club Lacrosse team and interned for the Group Events Coordinator of the Washington Wizards.  He just finished his second year of law school, during which he was an associate editor for the Penn State Environmental Law Review.  Jay co-authored a developments piece concerning the Oil Pollution Act and BP Oil Spill.  The developments piece is set for publication in this upcoming fall.  During his first two summers in the JD/MBA program he worked for the Penn State Agricultural Law Center.  The JD/MBA program provides a unique perspective on how business and the law interact with agriculture and the environment.  Jay currently plans to pursue a career that merges those fields together. 

Terry Kaufman
Class of 2013

Terry is a 2008 graduate of Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania.  While at LVC, he double majored in business administration and economics, played middle linebacker for the varsity football team, and served as Vice President for the Kappa Sigma Kappa fraternity.  Following graduation from LVC, Terry accepted a position with Novak Strategic Advisors, a government affairs firm in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Since entering the JD/MBA program, Terry became involved with the legal fraternity Phi Alpha Delta and currently serves as Vice Justice.  During his first two summers in the program, Terry worked for the Dauphin County Solicitors Office; the Honorable Todd A. Hoover, President Judge, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas; and Uplifting Athletes, a national non-profit working with division I college football players to raise funding and awareness for rare diseases.

Ryan Maerz
Class of 2013

Ryan is a 2006 graduate of the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he majored in Management & Human Resources and Real Estate & Urban Land Economics.  After graduating, he joined Kohl’s Department Stores as a real estate executive, where he managed new store development throughout the northeast U.S. and co-founded the corporation’s Real Estate Asset Management program.  After completing his first year at Penn State Law, Ryan worked as a summer associate at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard – an anti-trust law firm in Washington, DC.  He recently completed his second year of law school and a summer internship in the Office of General Counsel at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington.  Ryan currently serves as the Justice of the William Penn Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, and aspires to pursue a career grounded in corporate law.

Science BS/MBA

An undergraduate degree in science with a Smeal MBA, preparing highly qualified and motivated students to be the future leaders of the world's scientific organizations. Students apply to the Eberly College of Science BS degree program during their last year of high school, and then to the MBA program during their final year of the undergraduate portion of the science program. Science BS/MBA students have the option of completing both degrees in either five or six years, depending on how they tailor their course of study and co-op experiences.

Current MBA's in the BS/MBA Program

Brett Fisher

Why Brett chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "I chose the BS/MBA program because it provides me with the necessary tools to succeed in today's dynamic business environment. My aspiration is to ultimately direct a science-based company, so having a good understanding of both science and business components of industry prior to entering the field provides me with unique advantages"

Benjamin LeMay

Why Benjamin chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "I chose the BS/MBA program because it provided me with the unique opportunity of blending my interests of chemistry and business. In a relatively short period of time, I have been able to earn my undergraduate degree, gain corporate work experience, and begin business school. This accelerated path would not be possible without the BS/MBA program, and it is one of the main reasons I chose to attend Penn State University."

Simone Moniz

Why Simone chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "I chose the Science BS/MBA program because it provides me the opportunity to combine my interests in the Biology and Business curriculums. With this multi-disciplinary joint-degree program, I would be able to incorporate multiple internships and Co-ops in my undergraduate education to complement my studies. I also chose the Science BS/MBA Program because it has a proven track record of preparing its students to enter the workforce."

Greg Plumb
Why Greg chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "The BS/MBA Program allowed me to follow my passion. Having a strong interest in both health care and business, I have been able to augment my education in the sciences with a comprehensive MBA. The BS/MBA program has personalized my education experience at Penn State, helping me define my career path."

Marek Polidor
Why Marek chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "The Science BS/MBA Program was a great fit for me because it allowed me to pursue degrees in two different areas that I am interested in. I have really enjoyed the variety of the curriculum that I have been exposed to, and gaining experience in science and business will give me a unique set of tools upon entering the workplace."

Jack Greening
Why Jack chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "I chose the BS/MBA program not only because of the advantages of getting an MBA and an undergrad in only five years, but because it provides a science perspective that complements the MBA in ways a business major could not. On top of that, the program's leadership and quality coupled with the name recognition of Penn State was too good a combination to pass up."

Daniel Matasic
Why Daniel chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "My passion lies in scientific discovery and the financial implications associated with advancing medicine and health. I have had the opportunity to work alongside dedicated scientists and physicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine and gain perspective of both the high demand and significant financial costs for research, drug development and the treatment of disease. When seeing these factors coupled to the difficult and challenging experiences of patients coping with health matters, I was inspired to pursue a career as a physician-scientist. The Science BS/MBA studies will be very beneficial on a personal level to support my leadership and effective use of medical and scientific resources for translational research."

Benjamin Ng
Why Benjamin chose the Science BS/MBA Program: "The BS/MBA program was very appealing to me because it allowed me to pursue my interest in Microbiology as well as broaden my career choices with the MBA. I feel that the program has prepared me well to excel in a number of different fields. The required co-op experiences have also been instrumental in shaping my future career path."