Legal Studies, MLS
Learn about the law and navigate the legal landscape without becoming a lawyer. Whether you're looking for a job in today's competitive market or you want to better understand how law can help you in your career, you'll benefit from this program.
Quick facts
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation and professional licensure
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
The Master of Legal Studies program is flexible; it's offered in the fall, spring and summer, full time and part time, and in person and online. You may focus your program on popular areas of study listed below. To learn more or schedule a visit, you should refer to the ASU Law website.
Emphasis areas offered in person include:
- artificial intelligence
- business law
- conflict resolution
- criminal law
- entrepreneurship law and strategy
- federal Indian law and tribal self-governance
- health law
- Indian gaming
- Indian law
- intellectual property law
- international law
- international rule of law and security
- law and sustainability
- science and technology law
Emphasis areas offered online include:
- Arizona legal paraprofessional
- business law
- conflict resolution
- construction law
- contract management
- corporate and health care compliance
- criminal law
- federal contracting law
- federal Indian law
- health care law and administration
- Indian gaming
- intellectual property law
- land use and property development law
- law and sustainability
- Navajo Nation law
- sports law
- tribal self-governance
Pursuant to American Bar Association standards, no law credits completed prior to admission to a Juris Doctor program, including credits earned in the MLS program, may be transferred to a future JD program under any circumstances.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
30 credit hours
The program consists of 30 credit hours of approved study. The degree program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Students are required to take: Students are required to choose one of the following basic foundational courses: Other Requirements: The minimum cumulative GPA to graduate from the Master of Legal Studies program is 2.67. *Students may enroll in no more than two of the LAW prefix designated courses marked with an asterisk. Such courses will be subject to availability. The remainder of the credits are electives to complete the required 30 credits. Elective course selection is flexible, to accommodate the diversity of intellectual and professional interests the program is intended to serve. MLS students can choose any SDO subject elective and most LAW subjects to complete 30 credits. Students in the MLS online program can only take SDO subject courses.
SDO 501 U.S. Law and Legal Analysis: Masters (3)
SDO 510 Business Organizations: Masters (3) or LAW 654 Business Organizations (3)
SDO 511 Administrative Agencies/Regulation: Masters (3) or LAW 609 Administrative Law (3)
SDO 514 Intellectual Property: Masters (3) or LAW 664 Intellectual Property (3)
SDO 515 Criminal Law: Masters (3) or LAW 516 Criminal Law* (3)
SDO 516 Criminal Procedure-Masters (3) or LAW 604 Criminal Procedure (3)
SDO 518 Fundamentals of Contract Law: Masters (3) or LAW 515 Contracts* (4)
SDO 521 Property Law: Masters (3) or LAW 523 Property* (4)
SDO 525 Tort Law: Masters (3) or LAW 517 Torts* (4)
SDO 529 U.S. Constitutional Law: Masters (3) or LAW 522 Constitutional Law* (3)
SDO 598 Topic: Civil Procedure I: Masters (3) or LAW 518 Civil Procedure I* (4)
Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States or attained a comparable degree from a foreign institution. All applicants must submit: Additional Application Information Master of Legal Studies applicants with foreign education credentials must have all transcripts evaluated by the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute Inc. ACEI independently evaluates all academic documents issued in countries other than the United States. Students should contact ACEI through that organization's website to obtain an application for an evaluation. Applicants must request a course-by-course evaluation and order an official copy to be sent directly to: Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Applicants who have received their bachelor's or master's degree in the U.S. can apply through the MLS FastApp application process, which streamlines the application process and may allow for an offer of conditional admission to the Master of Legal Studies program while the applicant continues to submit any additional requested documentation. If a decision cannot be made from the FastApp, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law admission team may request additional information from the applicant, including any or all of the following: Admission to the program is competitive. Selection is based on a variety of factors, including academic background and potential, diversity of experience and background, career experience and ambitions, space and resource limitations in the law school, and other factors.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Applicants should see the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law website for acceptable TOEFL scores and additional information for foreign-educated applicants.
Arizona State University
Beus Center for Law and Society
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
Mail Code: 9520
111 E Taylor St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Explore expanded study opportunities
ASU offers formally approved and coordinated degree programs at the graduate degree level. These programs include a designated number of approved credit hours that are shared by two degrees. For most concurrent degree programs, you apply once through the ASU graduate application. However, if you want to pursue a concurrent program that includes a law degree, you must submit both the ASU graduate application and the law school application.
This degree is also offered as a concurrent program with the following:
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
The MLS degree is designed for those who are looking to obtain working knowledge of the law but do not intend to become practicing lawyers. Graduates have achieved training in complicated legal topics and lawyering skills that prove invaluable to law firms, court systems, government agencies and corporations. Graduates have many career paths, including:
- accreditation director
- fraud investigator
- operations director
- risk analyst
- senior administrator (e.g., inside a law firm)
- senior business analyst
- senior compliance director
- senior contract negotiator
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
|
BCLS 420
mlsasu@asu.edu
480-965-1474
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
