The Vanderbilt J.D./M.S.F. certifies advanced training and expertise that is highly valued by law firms and their business clients, but rare among graduating law students entering careers in corporate and business law. Corporate law practice requires not only a deep understanding of the legal and regulatory environment in which businesses operate, but also mastery of increasingly complex financial transactions and instruments prevalent in 21st century business and finance, and the J.D./M.S.F. provides immediate advantages in the legal employment market.
Select Vanderbilt J.D. students can earn a master's in finance without increasing their time in school. The first two academic years (4 semesters) are completed at the law school, followed by one semester of intensive study at Owen Graduate School of Management, and a final (6th) semester mixing law and business courses while enrolled in the law school. Completing requirements for both degrees in three years requires careful planning and close coordination with program administrators.
Entering first-year J.D. students who were admitted to the M.S.F. program prior to enrolling will have their places at Owen reserved for their third year. Other Vanderbilt J.D. students may apply to the Owen M.S.F. program during their first or third semester at the law school, and if admitted, may complete the dual degree program without extending their time in law school beyond three academic years.
Limited Scholarship Funding
Through the generosity of an anonymous VLS graduate, the J.D./M.S.F. has been the only dual degree program for which the law school applies students’ J.D. scholarships to the dual-degree partner school’s tuition charges such that J.D./M.S.F. students receive their law school scholarship funding for their semester enrolled at the Owen School (Fall semester of the 3L year).
These “MSF scholarship” funds are limited, however, and while we can apply 100% of individuals’ law school scholarship funds toward the M.S.F. semester at Owen when a cohort’s cumulative scholarship total does not exceed total funds available, we must pro-rate individual awards when a cohort’s cumulative scholarships exceed available funds.
In addition, MSF scholarships are not permanently funded and may become unavailable in future years. However, limited funds have been designated for the J.D./M.S.F. cohorts enrolling at the Owen School in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025 with individual awards to be determined in the preceding Spring semester once the admitted student population can be identified.
Members of the J.D. Class of 2026 interested in joining the J.D. / M.S.F. cohort enrolling at Owen in Fall 2025 must have applied and been admitted to the M.S.F. program no later than Round 1 (November 2024) to be included in the determination of M.S.F. scholarship funding – 100% or pro-rated – in January 2025 once the full admitted cohort can be identified.