Master of Legal Studies, MLS

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).

Click here for potential career opportunities within the MLS.

**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 must be met before the student will be issued their diploma and/or degree posted transcript. 

Time to Completion

NCU allows 5 years to complete all Master’s programs of 36 credits or less.

The median time to completion for this program is 25 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 and finance advisors will work with you to develop a program schedule that works best for your needs.

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 20 months.

Course Sequence

The Master of Legal Studies program can be completed in 33 credits.

• MLS-5000 - Introduction to Legal Studies (Must be successfully completed before MLS-5100)
• MLS-5100 - Legal Research and Writing I (Must be successfully completed before MLS-5300)
• MLS-5300 - Ethics for the Legal Professional
• MLS-5260 - Legal Research and Writing II
• MLS-5450 - American Constitutional Law
• MLS-5470 - Civil Actions I
• MLS-5480 - Criminal Actions
• MLS-5490 - Civil Actions II
• MLS-5800 - Advanced Topics in Torts Law
• MLS-5820 - Advanced Topics in Contracts Law
• MLS-6000 - MLS Capstone Project