Master of Legal Studies, MLS

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Master of Legal Studies

Description of Program

The Master of Legal Studies program (MLS) is a 33 credit-hour program consisting of 11 courses. The MLS program is designed to meet the needs of business or academic professionals such as educators, managers, HR professionals, or counselors, whose work intersects with, and is greatly impacted by, the law. MLS students learn the foundations of U.S. law and develop their skills in critical thinking, legal research and analysis, and communication of findings and positions to identified audiences. These skills are based in the Core Competencies articulated by the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE).

**Note: Program availability may vary by state - please contact the Enrollment Office for more information**

Learning Outcomes

Evaluate the role of law and legal systems in the 21st century
Explain issues and concepts associated with law and legal systems
Apply ethical principles and the Professional Code of Responsibility in professional conduct and decision-making
Assess information in terms of its efficacy in solving problems encountered in a legal environment
Create documents, reports, and solutions based on legal research

Basis for Admissions

Admission to a Master’s program requires a conferred bachelor’s and/or a conferred master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Legal Studies requires 33 credit hours for degree completion consisting of 11 graduate courses.

The University may accept a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in transfer toward the MLS program for graduate course work completed at an external accredited college or university with a grade of “B” or better. See the Transfer Credit Policy for additional information.

All NCU master’s degree programs have the following graduation requirements:

A minimum of 18 credit hours of graduate instruction must be completed through the University
Completion of subject area competency requirements for the graduate program
Elective courses must be relevant to the department’s graduate program
Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (letter grade of “B”) or higher
Official documents on file for basis of admission: a conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited academic institution
Official transcripts on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University
All financial obligations to the University paid in full

Time to Completion

NCU allows 5 years to complete all 30 credit hour master’s programs.

Normal time to completion for this program is 41 months.

Time to completion varies depending upon the pace in which a student completes courses and the number of transfer credits accepted. As most NCU students are working adults balancing educational, professional, and personal commitments, our academic advisors will work with you to develop a program schedule that works best for your needs.

The normal time disclosed above reflects the experience of students who may have entered under different program requirements. In the quest for continuous improvement, academic leadership has revised the program to optimize curriculum and pace, facilitate student learning, and improve chances for success. Therefore, the program is now designed for students enrolling today to take advantage of these revised course structures, lengths, and schedules. New students following the preferred schedule designed by the Dean for this program, and applying no transfer credits, can expect to finish in as little as 16 months.

Master of Legal Studies, MLS