The Haworth College of Business of Western Michigan University(HCoB) and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School (TMCLS) will cooperate in the delivery of a Master of Business Administration degree and a Juris Doctor degree. Both schools will offer their existing JD and MBA degrees independently and will cooperate in a manner that will permit eligible students in one institution’s degree program to incorporate course work from the other institution’s program.

General Provisions

All degree requirements of TMCLS and HCoB are unaffected by the degree partnership program. Each institution admits students, conducts graduation audits, and exercises control over its respective academic programs independently. Admission to either the MBA degree or the JD degree does not guarantee admission to the other program.

HCoB students are eligible for course waiver or transfer for courses taken at the partner institution if the students are in good standing at their respective institution. TMCLS may transfer credit and HCoB may waive individual courses (of their respective programs) subject to the approved list of courses below with the written advisor approval for each student. Grades for waived courses are not computed as part of the GPA, but a reduction in total program hours will occur.

Academic Credit

Individuals who plan to participate in the degree partnership program may apply for admission to both programs simultaneously or while an active student member of either College. They are encouraged to do so in a manner, which permits timely completion of both programs and which, meets other requirements. Credit may be transferred or waived between the schools, specifically waived in the case of HCoB only if a student has matriculated in both schools. TMCLS can grant transfer credit from HCoB-WMU for purposes of the degree participation program only if a student begins and completes an eligible HCoB-WMU transfer course after matriculation at TMCLS.

Students who have matriculated in the degree participation program will sign a declaration of intent to participate and submit it to their academic advisors at both schools before registering for the first elective course in either program.

Students who have matriculated in the degree participation program may begin taking courses in the second program according to the following provisions: A TMCLS JD student may begin taking MBA courses at HCoB-WMU after satisfactorily completing 27 credit hours at TMCLS. An HCoB MBA student may begin taking JD courses after satisfactorily completing 9 credit hours in the MBA program at the Haworth College of Business of WMU.

Neither school can confer its degree upon students participating in the degree partnership program until six acceptable credits are transferred or waived by the other institution. In general, completion of the second degree should not extend beyond twelve months of conferral of the first degree, subject to the WMU Graduate College requirement of a six-year maximum time period for master degree completion.