Since 1984, applicants to the MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton school have had the option of applying to pursue a Masters in International Studies at the Lauder Institute in conjunction with their business courses. A great option for those interested in working abroad after graduation, the program offers eight language tracks and a summer in-country immersion experience.
Since the program’s inception, this degree has been available only in connection with the Wharton MBA. Last week, however, Penn announced that Lauder is establishing a second joint degree program with its Law School, giving students a chance to earn a JD/MA over the course of three years. On the reasoning behind the planned program, Law School Dean Michael Fitts commented:
“Legal education in today’s complex world requires that students graduate prepared to navigate easily across boundaries in law-related areas — and even more so in the international arena. The Penn Law/Wharton Lauder Institute program is a fine example of the cross-disciplinary education that is essential for law students.”
Obviously a boon to those interested in learning more about global issues and mastering a foreign language during their legal studies, the announcement has implications for MBA students as well. Whereas the Lauder program was previously an option reserved exclusively for graduate business students, it seems likely that future Wharton participants will be sharing the classroom with law students, a change that could result in a lower average age and increase diversity of students’ backgrounds and interests.
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