Business Essentials for Lawyers Micro-Credential
Program Overview
The Business Essentials for Lawyers Micro-Credential program equips law students with foundational business knowledge through graduate courses in accounting, economics, finance, and leadership. Students must complete four required business courses and one law elective, maintaining a 3.0 GPA to earn the micro-credential. Upon completion, students can apply six credits towards the Professional MBA if they pursue the JD/MBA joint degree program.
Program Outline
Outline:
The Business Essentials for Lawyers Micro-Credential program is designed for law students enrolled in the Duquesne Kline School of Law Juris Doctor program who have completed the first one-third of their J.D. coursework and are in good standing. The program requires students to take a minimum of nine credits, including four graduate courses from the School of Business and one from the School of Law.
Required School of Business Courses (7.5 credits):
- ACCT 501: Accounting Fundamentals (1.5 cr.)
- ECON 501: Economics Fundamentals (1.5 cr.)
- FINC 501: Finance Fundamentals (1.5 cr.)
- MGMT 605: Leadership & Motivation for Executives (3 cr.)
Required School of Law Elective Courses (1.5-3 credits):
- LAWS C619: Accounting for Lawyers (2 cr)
- LAWS 564: Financial Toolkit for Lawyers (1.5 cr)
Assessment:
Students must complete the following courses to earn the micro-credential:
- Four required School of Business courses (7.5 credits)
- One School of Law elective course from the list above (1.5-3 credits) Students need a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better across these 9-10.5 credits to earn the micro-credential. For the business coursework to count toward the JD degree, students must have a 3.0 or better in each business course. Grades earned in graduate business courses will not be calculated into the law GPA and will be treated as non-classroom hours pursuant to the School of Law Policies and Procedures.
Careers:
Law students who complete the micro-credential will be eligible to receive six credits toward the Professional MBA if they continue into the JD/MBA joint degree program.
