Dual Degree Opportunities

Dual Degree Programs

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and the School of Music offer a dual degree program enabling a small number of qualified persons to pursue concurrent work in business administration and music leading to the MBA and MM degrees.

The program is arranged so that all requirements for both degrees are completed within approximately two years of enrollment. The degrees are awarded simultaneously.

This combined degree program is not open to students who have earned either the MBA or MM degrees. The applicant must hold the BM or BMA degree from The University of Michigan or equivalent institution. Students registered in the first year of either program may apply. An MM student admitted to the dual program will need an additional two years to complete the degree requirements.

Students admitted to this dual degree program must satisfy the following degree requirements:

1) The MBA 57 credit hour degree program including:

• 45 Business Administration Credits, made up of:
  • Roughly 30 credit hour MBA core (no credit is awarded for Business School core courses successfully waived; credit must be earned with business electives);
  • Roughly 15 elective hours in the Business School;
  • MBA communications requirement.

2) The graduate level music courses, including:

• 20 credit hours of approved course work;
• Satisfactory completion of an internship with an arts institution or organization; this internship may be elected for up to six hours of credit, for pay, for both credit and pay, or for neither—if elected for credit, the internship may be used toward the 20 credit hour requirement.

The total credit hours for the dual degree program must be at least 65.

All work must be taken in residence except up to five hours of graduate credit in music which may be transferred from another accredited institution with permission. The 65 graduate hours of the dual program will normally comprise two academic years, each consisting of two 15-hour semesters, and a summer half-term in music. This half-term may be elected immediately before, between, or immediately following the two academic years.

In the preferred sequence, the student will take the MBA core courses the first year, the summer half-term in music, and then finish with courses in both schools the second year. With the exception of the flexible scheduling of the half-term, deviations from this pattern require the approval of both schools. No work completed prior to admission in either program may be counted toward the dual program except transfer work in music as specified above. No coursework may be transferred into the MBA portion of the dual degree program.

Applicants interested in the MBA/MM combined program must file separate applications to and be admitted by both schools. Applicants must indicate on both applications that they are applying for this specific dual degree program (please make sure the correct program is indicated on the MBA application). The application fee can be paid to either of the two schools; please include a note regarding disposition of the fee to the school not receiving the money.

Applicants must take the GMAT for admission to Michigan's Ross School of Business.

Please see below for a sample plan of this dual degree program.