Only Three Top 25 Law Schools Offer This High-Value Joint Degree

Demand for professionals with hybrid legal and advanced accounting training is expected to escalate as businesses and firms anticipate increased scrutiny from a ramped-up IRS. A dual J.D./MAcc program, which allows students to earn a juris doctorate and a master of accountancy degree concurrently. Graduates who can become both attorneys and certified public accountants find that their complementary skill sets are highly regarded in an increasingly dynamic, interdisciplinary marketplace.

The increasing popularity of the dual degree can be attributed to three distinct forces:

Industry praise for the practical, combined skills the J.D./MAcc cultivates has drawn attention to the degree and highlighted its value.
Recent tax law changes have generated increased demand for hybrid legal and accounting skills.
The dual degree provides an exceptionally high return on student investment; lawyer-CPAs tend to outearn both lawyers and CPAs. According to Payscale, the average base salary for someone with an accounting degree is $75,000, and a law degree starting salary is $96,000, but the average J.D./MAcc base salary is $124,000.

Right now, the dual degree is only offered at three top 25 law schools: Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Brigham Young University

Graduates of BYU Law’s J.D./MAcc program offer an accounting discipline as well as strong communication skills and the ability to think critically about complex problems. This dual degree begins at BYU’s Marriott School of Business, with first-year courses focused exclusively on accounting skills. The program’s second year focuses exclusively on law courses, and the third and fourth years include a combination of MAcc and law school courses. A maximum of 24 credits are waived through concurrent enrollment within these two programs.

While offered for years, the dual degree was first promoted in 2016 but had a slow initial adoption rate, with only a handful of students participating for the first several years. In 2021, the program doubled its graduation rate, and in 2022, the number of students participating in the program more than doubled again. This increase had J.D./MAcc students comprising approximately 10% of the 1L and 2L classes in 2022 at BYU Law.

University of Florida

The University of Florida’s J.D./MAcc program is offered through concurrent admission to both the Levin College of Law and the Fisher School of Accounting. The program is open to students who have completed the equivalent of a major in accounting at the undergraduate level. The MAcc portion of the program offers three options: concentration in auditing, concentration in taxation, and no concentration.

UF’s J.D./MAcc program is designed to enable students to obtain both a J.D. and CPA in the most efficient manner possible. Although students must satisfy the curriculum requirements for both a law degree and master of accounting degree, the combination program demands 20 fewer credits than would be required if the two degrees were earned separately, making it an excellent option for students who identify their specific career goals early and allowing them to save both time and money.

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia School of Law offers a J.D./M.S. (accounting) program with the McIntire School of Commerce. This dual-degree program allows students to earn both degrees in seven semesters rather than the eight normally required to earn the degrees separately.

While the program has not been as popular as UVA’s J.D./MBA, the school offers this and other niche dual-degree programs for applicants with specific career goals. The School of Law encourages students to take classes outside of the law school, which can count toward a law degree. For example, the school will accept graduate accounting courses that do not duplicate law school learning or undergraduate coursework.

Employers Value J.D./MAcc Graduates

The combination of legal and accounting skills that J.D./MAcc students develop make them exceptionally attractive job applicants. Graduates find they are in high demand and have many options with high starting salaries. For example, 2022 graduates of BYU Law’s dual program are now working in the tax and corporate law departments at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Kirkland & Ellis, and Latham & Watkins LLP. A J.D./MAcc program is a boon to students and to the tax and corporate law industries.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.

Author Information

Maren Hendricks is a graduate of UCLA Law School, was a First Amendment litigator in Los Angeles and is now publications manager at BYU Law.