lawyer

Business law degrees are available at the associate, bachelor's and master/doctoral degree levels. An associate degree incorporates basic legal issues as well as general management courses and specific skill courses on legal practice work. Bachelor's degrees concentrate less on specific legal office skills and have more emphasis on business and legal theory. A JD/MBA is a dual degree that is both a master's and a doctorate and is an academically rigorous program designed to produce a fully qualified lawyer and businessperson.

Both MBAs and attorneys are in demand, and candidates who can offer both are in a particularly good position. Whether you want to be an attorney who specializes in business law or a businessperson that can advise her company on legal issues as well, the combination is extremely valuable both to business and to government.

Getting a degree that specializes in both can also substantially reduce the time that would ordinarily take to develop both spheres of expertise. While a JD ordinarily takes three years and an MBA takes two years, the dual degree takes four years total.

The average salary for a business law graduate with a JD/MBA in was about $87,000, with a range of $60,000 to $100,000. Paralegals with a business law bachelor's degree can expect an average salary of approximately $40,000.

One of the most valuable things you'll get from your education is your network of professors and classmates. Don't miss out on opportunities to build relationships while you're in school. Those contacts will be able to help you throughout the rest of your career.