Flexibility: A Curriculum You Personalize
Flexibility is key. We offer part- and full-time options, multiple start dates, and the choice of in-person, online or hybrid learning, all of which helps you to craft the perfect program for both your goals and your lifestyle!
- To earn an MSL degree, you will be required to complete at least 30 credits. The degree does not require a master's thesis or capstone project.
- You can study at a pace that matches your busy schedule: Full-time students can complete the program within 12 months (3 semesters) with approximately 10 credits per semester. Part-time students have the flexibility to complete the degree over two years or more (5-6 semesters) and up to four years (or 5 years with prior approval from the MSL program administrators).
- You can complete your degree online, in-person, or hybrid (a mix of in-person and online courses). While online courses are designed for, and offered to, MSL students only, in-person courses are open to students in both the JD and MSL programs.
- You may pursue a General Track and select any courses that suit your interests and schedule, or focus on one of five areas of concentration (Concentration Track) that aligns with your career needs and goals (View more information about General Track and Concentration Track below).
Required Courses
All MSL students, in the Concentration Track or the General Track, are required to take two online courses designed for MSL students to gain foundational understanding of the U.S. legal system as well as of how to conduct legal research, reading and analyzing legal materials, and communicating like lawyers:
- Intro to the US Legal System, LAW-8525 (3 credits)
- Legal Research and Writing, LAW-8550 (3 credits)
General Track (Online or Hybrid)
Through the General Track, you can personalize your MSL degree and design your own curriculum that meets your career goals. With the General Track, you can enroll fully online, fully in-person, or hybrid (a mix of online and in-person courses). Online courses are MSL-only courses and in-person courses are mixed JD-MSL courses. Your academic advisor will work with you to select courses that meet your career goals.
Concentration Track (Online or Hybrid)
Concentrations are not required for graduation in the MSL program. You can personalize your MSL education by pursuing the Concentration Track, and choosing a concentration that aligns with your career needs and goals.
To graduate with a concentration, you are required to take at least 15 credits of core and elective courses within each concentration. To complete the remaining credits needed to complete the 30-credit requirement, you are free to select any other courses of personal interests, either online or in-person.
Compliance is a broad and growing field that cuts across all areas of law and all industries. You’ll develop skills in analyzing risks and designing and managing compliance functions and learn about topics like regulatory compliance, HR compliance, financial crime, data privacy compliance, and healthcare compliance.
A study of the statutory and common law governing the business environment, this concentration provides the opportunity to learn the different sets of rules and regulations affecting businesses, such as business formation, employment and labor law, contracts, taxation, regulatory compliance, and more.
Explore required, core and elective courses for Legal Environment of Business
Health care is one of the most regulated industries in the world, leading to a host of legal and bioethical questions, as well as one of the fastest-growing areas of law. This concentration introduces professionals working in the healthcare sector to the fundamentals of health law and heath care compliance. MSL candidates interested in this concentration may also select a wide range of health law related courses to gain well-rounded knowledge of different aspects of health law, such as biotechnology and the law, food and drug law, public health law, and torts.
With recent scientific and technological advances, the interaction between law and technology has become increasingly important and complex. This concentration includes study in the principal forms of intellectual property protection - copyright, trademark and patent law, as well as issues related to law of cyberspace, privacy, cybersecurity, and technology.
Explore required, core and elective courses for Intellectual Property and Technology Law
Increasingly, courts are moving beyond traditional trials and appeals to help clients find satisfactory resolutions to their agreements. Negotiation, mediation, arbitration and other out-of-court processes are helping parties reach a satisfying outcome. This concentration is for those interested in alternative dispute resolution, in professional roles involving transactions, relationship building, or conflict management, as well as in management and leadership.
Explore required, core and elective courses for Alternative Dispute Resolution