The New Hybrid, the New Elite

In today's rapidly changing and globalising environment, the relationship between business and law is growing ever closer. The new generation of professionals will thus benefit greatly from, and in many cases may be required to develop, expertise across the fields of business and law, which will allow them to face challenges that may arise as well as to take advantage of novel opportunities for professional success.

To meet the growing need for expertise in both business and law, CUHK Business School and CUHK LAW have joined hands to offer Bachelor of Business Administration (Integrated BBA Programme) and Juris Doctor Double Degree Programme (BBA-JD). The BBA-JD is an elite programme that provides students with a well-structured inter-disciplinary curriculum providing the space to study both business and legal studies in depth. The Programme can make important contributions to the field by combining the strengths of the two Faculties, to allow its students to acquire essential knowledge and practical skills in these two complimentary disciplines.

Dr. Anthony Law, BBA-JD Programme Co-Director from CUHK Business School, said, ‘Applicants are expected to have a broad horizon and be eager to learn both business and law. They should demonstrate good presentation and analytical skills as well as a desire to contribute to society. CUHK Business School and the University will offer Admission Scholarships to qualified candidates on the basis of their outstanding academic or non-academic performances.’

Prof. Christopher Roberts, a member of BBA-JD Programme Management Team and LLB Programme Director from CUHK LAW, said, ‘Our BBA-JD Programme is the most valuable investment in many different aspects. We are looking for candidates who aspire to become business leaders with legal expertise or excel in a legal career focusing on complex business issues.’

The BBA-JD students will take a number of undergraduate law courses in the first three years of study. They will acquire the essential legal concepts commensurate with their study phases. The students then focus on professional legal studies from the fourth year, which will be challenging to the intellectually rigorous.

CUHK Business School and CUHK LAW both have first-class teaching and learning facilities, student development teams and powerful online resources to support and maximize students’ learning experiences. This programme benefits from the pooling of over 180 faculty members from CUHK Business School and CUHK LAW combined. Academic advisors from the two Faculties offer an integrated student advising service to the BBA-JD students by providing guidance and advice on academic development and pastoral care throughout students’ course of study.

The BBA-JD, being one of the first of its kind in Asia, is an articulated undergraduate/postgraduate double degree programme combining business and law. Students will obtain the two degrees in 5 years, as opposed to the 6 years that would be required to pursue the two courses of study separately.

Dr. Law said, ‘The Programme also provides flexibility for students to choose to graduate with a BBA, or a BBA with a minor in law in four years, allowing them to tailor their study options based on their interests, strengths and needs.’

Beyond academic training, the BBA-JD students enjoy ample opportunities for various out-of-class learning experience such as internships, exchanges, mentorships and entrepreneurship offered by CUHK Business School, CUHK LAW, the University and the Colleges.

Bianca Cheng, a Year 5 student of the BBA-JD Programme, said, ‘It is surely a challenging programme, but at the same time, an extremely rewarding one. The Faculties have allocated plenty of resources for providing all-round education in both the business and law disciplines, helping us to build up our capability and confidence for fulfilling our career aspirations.’

Like other BBA-JD students, Bianca enjoys learning with a group of talented and self-motivated classmates in a dynamic and diverse culture. She also values the eye-opening opportunities provided by the Programme. ‘I have benefited a lot from the wide range of activities it offers, such as mentorship programmes, study trips, company visits and internships, to name but a few. During my exchange at Tsinghua University, I had the pleasure to meet students from other prestigious schools. The experience has broadened my horizons and inspired me to think about the impact I can make on society.’

To broaden their career options upon graduation, the BBA-JD students are allowed to specialise in their particular areas of interest as well as getting the requisite breadth of business education. They can freely choose from nine concentration areas under the Integrated BBA Programme:

• Business Analytics
• Business Economics
• Finance
• Entrepreneurship
• Management of International Business
• Human Resource Management
• Marketing
• Big Data and Quantitative Marketing
• General Business

The BBA-JD equips its graduates with a diverse and versatile skillset in both business and law with a view to pursuing careers in a variety of sectors. It prepares them to adapt to the rapidly evolving environment in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the global market. The training in both programmes offers students wide-ranging job and advancement opportunities in diverse fields such as commerce and finance, regulatory services, global consulting, government, community service, law enforcement, the academia, public administration, education and the media.

Graduates who aspire to practise as Hong Kong barristers or solicitors may further their studies in the PCLL Programme, which they may begin after completing their JD degrees.

Prof. Roberts further remarked, ‘Compared with their counterparts in the normal undergraduate class, the BBA-JD students have the opportunity to study with graduate law students. The JD classes include students from a wide range of different backgrounds, which can enhance the discussion of legal issues, stimulate thoughts and build a network valuable to their future careers.’

The BBA-JD students will pay the University’s undergraduate tuition fee for the first four years of study. The year(s) of study beyond the four-year undergraduate curriculum is offered on a self-financing basis.

Published: Summer 2017
Last Updated: Summer 2022