OVERVIEW

 

AGREEMENT: Currently the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law and the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Bioethics have agreed on a joint-degree pathway for law students to obtain the JD and MBE. Law students who follow this path will be able to complete requirements for both degrees in 3 to 4 years, at significantly reduced tuition. This makes for an intense curriculum, so our most successful students are both careful and proactive in scheduling work for both curricula. Each student should not only plan in advance, but also work closely with faculty advisors at both the School of Law and Center for Bioethics, as well as with the Registrars for both programs.  

TIME CONSIDERATIONS
 

STANDARD TIMELINE: Completing requirements for both the JD and MBE will take a minimum of three (3) years and possibly an extra summer, semester or year. Time to completion depends on the student's success at coordinating coursework that counts separately and jointly counts toward both degrees. 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
 

REDUCED TUITION AGREEMENT: Students interested in the JD+MBE should contact Cardozo's and Einstein's Student Finance Offices very early, as certain decisions can impact their financial aid packages both negatively and positively.
  The full-time tuition Cardozo students pay may cover registration for courses at Einstein, though only during the six full-time semesters of the JD, and only up to the per-semester credit cap set by the Registrar.
  In addition, Cardozo's JD/MBE students will be asked to pay a fixed tuition fee of $5,000. The above fee covers tuition for courses taken at the Center for Bioethics during the student's three full-time years at the Cardozo program plus one additional term (summer, fall or spring). Additional courses beyond that framework will be charged at the per credit rate.   

DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS
 

WHAT YOU MUST TAKE, WHAT YOU CAN CHOOSE: 32 credits are needed to earn the MBE, with half of these (16) completed via courses offered through the Center for Bioethics (labelled BIOE).
  There are two required BIOE courses: Bioethics and Medical Humanities I and II (6 credits), to be taken consecutively, in the fall and spring semesters of a specific academic year. Also required is work for the Capstone/Thesis project (4 credits).
  The remaining 22 credits may be completed via a tailored combination of elective courses on offer at Einstein and Cardozo. A list of applicable courses can be found in the Range of Courses section of this website.
   Note: students should have clear discussions and approvals via the appropriate Dean at Cardozo regarding the range of Center for Bioethics courses that may count toward the JD. Increasing this number allows for a doable course load during the second and third years (see below). 

COURSE LOAD DURING SECOND AND THIRD JD/MBE YEARS  

STANDARD LOAD: The first year of the JD at Cardozo is set and typically does not offer opportunities for coursework toward the MBE. After the first year, students should consult with the appropriate Dean at Cardozo to design their more flexible second and third years so that coursework may progress toward the MBE as well as the JD.
   Do remember that half of the MBE's 32 credits must be met via courses offered through the Center for Bioethics. JD/MBE students therefore typically make one of two choices: (a) to spend their second year focusing on Cardozo courses that meet MBE requirements and wait till their third year to take Center for Bioethics courses; OR (b) to begin incorporating Center for Bioethics courses during their second year.
  For example, one key decision for a JD/MBE student will be to take the two-semester course requirement, Bioethics and Medical Humanities I and II, during their second or third year.
   Note: the Cardozo Registrar will ensure that a per-semester credit cap not be exceeded, so getting Cardozo approval for taking Center for Bioethics courses toward the JD is essential for completing the joint degree in a timely fashion. 

PLANNING YOUR ACTUAL SCHEDULE
 

GUIDING EXAMPLES: Below are examples of what students' course loads could look like during the 3-4 years. Both examples incorporate Cardozo Dean approval to apply Center for Bioethics seminars toward the JD, resulting in course loads that do not exceed per-semester credit caps. JD/MBE students will have to discuss, revise and submit their own equivalent plans soon after acceptance into the MBE program, upon meeting with their faculty advisors.
   Note: Numbers in parentheses (#) represent possible credits completed toward just the MBE.