Business law degrees are popular.
Business executives speak their own language. Lawyers do also. A business law degree is designed to bridge that gap. Awarded after a course of interdisciplinary study that includes classes in law and business, a business law degree is designed to help students understand the increasingly complex business environment. Undergraduates, law students and graduate students can earn business law degrees.
History
Up until the 1980s, students interested in business law would get a degree in law and then go to work for a company or law firm. The assumption was that everything they needed to know, they could learn on the job. Yet, changes in finance and economics led to a transformation in the business climate. Complicated new financial tools as well as unexplored ethical issues required legal guidance. A surge in federal and international regulation has made law an even more significant element of business life.
Types
An undergraduate degree in business law is designed to give students a broad overview of the legal elements of business. Graduate degrees in business law often focus on teaching specific skills, such as accounting or finance. Joint degrees, in which students get both an M.B.A. and J.D. law degree, are a popular option. Both a law school and business or management school must accept applicants to joint programs. Law students who wish to pursue business law will elect to concentrate on the subject during their legal studies.
Features
Business law students often specialize in one of these following areas. Intellectual property is the study of patents and trademarks. Finance is the study of how corporations raise money. Corporate law relates to how companies are set up and run. Commercial law covers transactions and contracts. Many other specializations are possible.
Curriculum
Broad survey classes on the legal system and business ethics are an important part of the business law curriculum. Other classes that may be included are: Financial Accounting for Lawyers, Advanced Deals Workshop, Bankruptcy, Business Organization, Capital Markets, International Business Transactions, Trademarks and Unfair Competition.
Benefits
The knowledge and training learned from business law courses are useful for careers in government, accounting, taxation, finance and marketing. Business law degree holders may find work as entrepreneurs, consultants and corporate attorneys.
Misconceptions
Business law degrees can sometimes be referred to by other names. For example, Yale University offers a joint degree program in which students earn a J.D. in law and a Ph.D. in finance. Although this does not have business law in its title, it would be considered a business law degree.
Considerations
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of lawyers to grow by 13 percent over the 2008 to 2018 decade. Competition for jobs will be intense because of the large number of students graduating from law schools. Specialization in business law can open up job opportunities.
Tags: business degree, business degree designed, Business degrees, degree designed, students earn, which students