Online Master's Degree in General Legal Studies (MLS)
Seton Hall Law School offers a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) with concentrations in:
- Corporate Compliance
- Gaming Law & Regulation
- Health & Hospital Law (HHOS),
- Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Law & Compliance (PMDC),
- Privacy Law & Cyber Security (PLCS),
- Sports Law & Compliance, and
- General Legal Studies.
The MLS program provides non-attorney professionals working in all industries with the tools and expertise to navigate the complex legal and regulatory aspects of regulated industries. For recent college graduates, the General Legal Studies option allows those students the opportunity to establish a foundation in legal analytical and writing skills and develop an understanding of the way that statutes, regulations, and court decisions effectuate policy in vital and growing industries, such as technology, finance, healthcare, and entertainment. You can pursue a deeper dive in a small number of fields, or you can develop a broad base of knowledge across several—the choice is yours. Moreover, if you discover a field that you love over the course of your studies you may switch your concentration.
The MLS degree is designed to accommodate the busy schedules of working professionals:
- Courses are available online or onsite *(All required courses and some core courses must be taken online).
- Multiple degree concentrations are tailored to industry specialties.
- Classes are small, ensuring individual attention.
- Online courses run only 8 weeks each.
- Online courses are fully asynchronous.
- 3 start dates throughout the year make it easy to begin the program (January, June & September).
- Courses are offered 5 times throughout the year (January, March, June, September & November).
- Students may complete the MLS degree on a part-time basis in as little as two years. Students also may complete the degree on a full-time basis in one year.
The MLS. provides a rigorous grounding in the law for students who do not want to become lawyers, but who, instead, want to use the law to enhance their effectiveness and marketability in a primarily non-legal career. The MLS. is designed to help you acquire or develop a unique set of skills that promotes confidence, leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving – all of which are valuable to employers. Skills expand as your studies continue, but you will not have to wait to showcase your ability. Many graduates report that they have been able to apply what they learned in class to their work environment in real time. The skills they repeatedly acknowledge generally fall into three categories:
- Enhanced communication skills begin to develop with the very first course. The legal writing method taught by Seton Hall Law provides a strategy for creating clear and concise written products. The ability to communicate well enables you to influence others and is a sought-after leadership skill;
- Legal analysis is a key component of the MLS curriculum. Students quickly learn to identify central issues within a specific set of facts, consult relevant law and policy for guidance, and respond with concrete conclusions and recommendations. This analytical framework becomes internalized and makes it easy for you to transfer the skill to any job in any industry; and
- Critical thinking skills are thoroughly developed. Courses in the MLS degree program require students to think critically and creatively, share ideas and opinions, and use knowledge applied to facts to solve problems. People who can work through problems independently or as an effective member of a team are an asset to employers.
Combining this degree with their professional experiences, MLS graduates have numerous opportunities available to them. Alumni work in a broad spectrum of positions as compliance officers, HR professionals, cybersecurity and privacy officers, contract managers and analysts, healthcare administrators, nurse managers, patent/trademark assistants, pharmaceutical executives, quality assurance managers, supervisors, clinical operations or clinical trial directors, and lobbyists. Courses are offered fully asynchronously online to accommodate working students.
Admission Requirements
A candidate seeking admission to the MLS Program must have at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or the foreign equivalent.
Admission decisions are based on quality of undergraduate performance and, if applicable, graduate school academic records, ability to do superior work, and writing skills.
Candidates are not required to take pre-admissions tests such as the LSAT, GRE or GMAT. Any applicant whose pre- college education was in a language other than English will be required to take the Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL).
Admission Procedures
Interested applicants must apply directly to the Law School. Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at (973) 642-8871 or go to the MLS Website to request information regarding the M.L.S. degree. Applications may be accessed and submitted online at law.shu.edu/MLSapply, along with:
- 500-word personal statement outlining applicant’s professional goals;
- current résumé or employment history;
- official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended; and
- two letters of recommendation.
Financial Assistance
Financial aid may be available through the Federal Loan Program. A limited number of scholarships are available each semester. For more information, please call the Office of Financial Resource Management at (973) 642-8744.
Course of Study
The MLS candidate must complete 31 credit-hours of coursework online or at the Law School. The MLS candidate’s curriculum for the General Legal Studies track is made up of four required foundation courses and six elective courses. The program begins three times a year: in January, June or September with the 4-credit Introduction to Law and Legal Writing to orient the MLS student to the tools of legal reasoning.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| HLTH 7390 | Intro to Law and Legal Writing | 4 |
| HLTH 7400 | Fundamentals of Business Law | 3 |
| HLTH 7409 | Torts-Liability for Civil Wrgs | 3 |
| HLTH 7402 | Constitutional Law Survey | 3 |
| Elective courses * | ||
| Select six: | 18 | |
| Biotechnology and the Law | ||
| Casinos & Hospitality Law | ||
| Children's Health and the Law | ||
| CRL: Compl Iss for Res Sponsr | ||
| CRL:Ethical Reg Iss Des Cl Trl | ||
| Comp Iss for Hlth Care Prov | ||
| CILS-Advertising-Promo-Tran | ||
| CILS-Fraud and Corruption | ||
| Cond Internal Investigations | ||
| Consumer Data Privacy Law | ||
| Cybersecurity & Prv I:Lw & Pol | ||
| Cyber & Prv II: Comp Rsk Mgmt | ||
| Entertainment Lw:Reg of Ind Pr | ||
| Entertainment Law: Torts | ||
| EU Data Pro and Pv Lw:The GDPR | ||
| FDA Regulation and Liability | ||
| Financial Crimes Compliance | ||
| Financial Privacy Law | ||
| Gaming Law I | ||
| Gaming Law II | ||
| Global Corrup-Reg-Com and Enf | ||
| Govern-Compl-Enforce-Risk Mgmt | ||
| HIPAA Privacy and Security | ||
| Introduction to Bioethics | ||
| Introduction to Corporate Law | ||
| Manag Leg Iss in the Workplace | ||
| Collegiate Athletics Lw & Pol | ||
| Race and Found of American Law | ||
| Prof Sports Law and Policy | ||
| Sports Bet & Fantasy Sports | ||
| Stark Law and Compliance | ||
| The Law of Patient Care | ||
| Title IX Gender Equity Sports | ||
| Workplace Privacy Law | ||
| Total Hours | 31 | |
- *
Students may substitute appropriate in-person courses offered at Seton Hall Law School's Newark campus in place of elective courses listed above with the prior written permission of the Associate Academic Director.
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