Elevate your career with a dual degree from Columbia Business School and another esteemed graduate or professional school at Columbia University. Our dual degree programs are designed for ambitious students seeking to merge their MBA with another specialized field, offering a unique and comprehensive educational experience.
With admissions requirements and deadlines identical to our traditional full-time MBA, you can seamlessly integrate your business studies with another discipline, enhancing both your academic and professional trajectories.
Application Requirements
For all dual degrees except the Three-Year JD/MBA and MBAxMS, each school’s admissions decisions are based solely on that school’s selection criteria and are made independently. Applicants may either apply simultaneously to both schools, or begin their studies at one school and apply to the other school prior to completing half of the coursework of the first school. University students who apply to the Business School after this deadline may still be considered for admission, but will not be eligible for the dual degree program. Please refer to the information below on more specific guidelines on when to apply to each school.
Please review the MBA Admissions page for details on applying to the Columbia Business School portion of the Dual Degree you intend to pursue.
Architecture: MBA and MS in Urban Planning
MBA and MS in Urban Planning, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
A student must enroll for 90 points of credit, which may be earned in six terms in residence - three terms full-time in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and three terms full-time in the Business School. Students are responsible for meeting with both program directors periodically to ensure that they are meeting individual curriculum requirements as well as point and residency requirements.
Students may apply simultaneously to both schools or to one school first and the second school during their first year.
Dental and Oral Surgery: DDS and MBA
MBA and DDS, College of Dental Medicine
Application and admission to the business school may take place between the beginning of the first year and the completion of the third year at the College of Dental Medicine.
DDS/MBA candidates must interrupt their dental school studies for three terms to complete the required business curriculum, which includes fifteen business courses and 45 overall credit points.
International and Public Affairs: MBA and MIA
MBA and MIA, School of International and Public Affairs
Applicants may apply simultaneously to the two separate schools. If admitted to both schools, a deferment must be requested at one of the two schools. CBS does not allow for deferrals, therefore admitted students at SIPA should send the acceptance form and a request for a deferral to the SIPA Admissions Office. Applicants may also enroll in one school first, and then apply to another school at a later date. Students must, however, apply to the second school prior to completing half the course work of the first school.
Dual MBA and MIA students are required to complete 45 SIPA credits and 45 Business School credits for a total of 90 credits. They must have a minimum of 3 semesters in residence at SIPA and 3 semesters in residence at the Business School for 6 semesters in total.
Journalism: MBA and MS
The Journalism School and the Business School offer a five-semester program leading to the degrees of Master of Science in journalism and Master of Business Administration. The dual program requires the completion of 45 credits in the Business School curriculum and the M.S. program of two consecutive terms in the Journalism School.
Students may apply simultaneously to both schools or to one school first and the second school during their first year.
Physicians and Surgeons: MD and MBA
MBA and MD, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Medical students can begin the MBA program in the January after their Major Clinical Year or in the January of their fourth year during the Differentiation and Integration portion of the MD program. MD/MBA students are required to complete the MBA in three consecutive terms (Spring, Summer, Fall) and may only apply for January entry at CBS.
Public Health: MBA and MPH
MBA and MPH, Mailman School of Public Health
You can either apply simultaneously to both schools or apply to the Columbia MPH once you are matriculated at the Business School. Students cannot apply for the dual degree program after beginning their studies at Columbia Public Health.
Social Work: MBA and MSW
MBA and MSW, School of Social Work
Students may apply for the dual degree prior to, concurrently with or following matriculation at the School of Social Work. But students must apply no later than the second term of the first year of T6010 Field Education.
Teachers College: MBA and MA in Private School Leadership
MBA and MA in Private School Leadership, Teachers College
Students pair the two-summers master's degree at the Klingenstein Center with a year of full-time study at Columbia Business School. After beginning their master's program at the Klingenstein Center, students apply to the Business school for the MBA portion of their degrees.
Application Deadlines
For applicants interested in our dual degree programs, please refer to the MBA application deadlines for Columbia Business School. Additionally, ensure you check the partner school's deadlines for the other degree you intend to pursue. Meeting both sets of deadlines is crucial for a successful application to the dual degree program.
Although applicants may apply simultaneously to both schools, they cannot begin both programs simultaneously. Columbia Business School does not defer students to future terms, so dual degree applicants should apply to the Business School for the term in which they plan to enroll. Exceptions may be considered to this policy on a case-by-case basis.
The global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 presented institutions of higher education with challenges in teaching and learning, as well as in the assessment of academic performance. As a consequence of these challenges, Columbia University affirms the following principle: The University’s graduate and professional schools, as well as their respective Admissions committees, will take into account the important disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak when reviewing student transcripts and other Admissions materials as part of their customary practice of performing holistic reviews of individual applications or dossiers. Specifically, we will respect decisions made by institutions or individuals regarding the adoption of Pass/Fail or similar grading options during the period in question. The Provost and University Deans adopted this principle to ensure that no applicants are disadvantaged by policy decisions made by their colleges/universities as a result of this unprecedented public health event. |