Master of Legal Studies (MLS): Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

The Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) is a degree program designed for individuals interested in developing a better understanding of the law as it affects their careers involving legal or regulatory issues. Students may complete this 30-credit-hour program in 2-3 years part time (day or evening) or in one year full time.

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A legal education to advance your career

Students in the Master of Legal Studies program complete 30 credit hours of courses, with more than half of the credits in courses they select to support career goals.

Master of Legal Studies students attend classes with Juris Doctor students but are graded according to the Northern Kentucky University graduate student grading scale.

Credits for this MLS degree are earned primarily in face-to-face classes hosted at Chase College of Law. There are a limited number of online classes offered at Chase that can be taken for credit toward the MLS, but the degree is earned primarily in on-campus classes.

Residency for Tuition Purposes

Students are notified of their residency status for tuition purposes when they are admitted to the University. Residency status is determined by the Office of Admissions in accordance with the Council on Post-secondary Education "Policy on the Classification of Students for Admission and Fee Assessment Purposes at State-Supported Institutions ofHigher Education."

This policy is printed in the NKU Graduate Catalog.

Prospective students who have lived in Kentucky less than one year may wish to seek clarification of this policy from the Graduate Programs Office at (859) 572-6364

Application Requirements

Submit application to the NKU Office of Graduate Education.
Priority Application Date is July 1
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Application fee ($40)
Interest Statement: Typed statement no more than three pages explaining your interest for pursuing the M.L.S. degree.
Résumé
Official transcripts of all college-level work. An official transcript is a transcript submitted directly to the Office of Graduate programs by the college or university or a transcript submitted by the applicant in the original sealed envelope from the college or university. NKU transcripts do not need to be submitted.
An admissions test such as the LSAT, GRE, and GMAT is not a requirement for admission, but scores can be submitted. NKU's school number is 1574.

Program Requirements

Required courses (two credit-hours)

Legal Analysis and Problem Solving (0 credit)
Basic Legal Skills - Research (2 credits)

Core courses (from which to select at least nine credit-hours)

Civil Procedure I (3 credits) and II (3 credits)
Constitutional Law I (3) and II (3)
Contracts I (3) and II (3)
Criminal Law (3)
Property I (3) and II (3)
Torts I (3) and II (3)
Basic Legal Skills I (spread over full academic year) (4 credits)
Elective courses (18 credit-hours)

Course Catalog

Is the MLS for me?

AREA OF LAW	PROFESSIONAL GOAL
Business/Marketing	Insurance; Contracts Specialists and Analysts; Business Consultants; Management Consultants; Economists; Marketers and Advertising Representatives; Market Research Analysts; Executives; Communications Consultants; Office Managers; Corporate Compliance Managers; Forensics Consultants; Public Relations Specialists; Government Relations Specialists; Realtors and Real Estate Agents
Media/Publishing	Media Consultants; Researchers and Research Analysts; Editors; Writers; Journalists and Reporters; Reference Librarians
Criminal Justice	Legal Investigators; Law Enforcement Officials
Intellectual Property (IP)	Patent Agents; IP Consultants; Sports & Entertainment Agents; Engineers; Scientists
Labor and Employment	Labor Relations Managers; Human Resource (HR) Managers; HR Generalists
General Legal Services	Paralegals; Legal Assistants/Specialists; Law Clerks; Legal Litigation Analysts

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Online Program Available