Program Overview

About the Program

The online Master of Legal Studies program is designed for working professionals and can be completed part-time. The program takes approximately two and a half years to complete, but with the professional experience waiver, it can be completed in two years. The maximum amount of time allowed to complete the program is six years.

Program Structure

• The program is part-time and designed for working professionals.
• The program takes approximately two and a half years to complete.
• With the professional experience waiver, the program can be completed in two years.
• The maximum amount of time allowed to complete the program is six years.

Concentrations

• Students are required to choose a concentration.
• A general legal studies concentration is available for students who want to mix and match their electives.
• Students must choose their concentration before entering the program and will have the opportunity to change it after completing their foundational coursework.

Learning Platform

• The learning platform used for the coursework is Desire to Learn (D2L).

Career Opportunities

• There is a wide range of career opportunities with an MLS degree, including:
  • Chief information security officer
  • Data protection officer
  • Contracts manager
  • Risk and quality assurance manager
  • Compliance manager
  • Financial or estate planner
  • Investment advisors
  • Human resources manager
  • Mediator and labor and employment negotiator

Program Comparison

• A Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program is designed for professionals with a bachelor's degree in any field who may not want to attend law school, but want to expand their legal knowledge.
• A Master of Laws (LLM) helps individuals who already hold a JD or similar law degree advance their careers by enabling them to delve deeper into specific law topics that match their interests.
• A Juris Doctor (JD) degree prepares aspiring lawyers to sit for the bar examination and practice law in any U.S. state.

Admissions

Start Dates

• There are two start dates per year, in the fall and spring.

Admission Requirements

• Students must have a bachelor's degree in any field.
• The application requirements can be found on the admissions page.

Professional Experience Waiver

• Students eligible for the professional experience waiver must provide proof of at least 12 months of substantial work history in a relevant field.
• Be prepared to submit a résumé and a short personal statement.

Application Process

• If you're unsure whether you qualify for the waiver, you are encouraged to apply anyway.
• Professional experiences vary from person to person, and the waiver request will be evaluated with care.

Transcripts

• Official transcripts should be sent with the full application for the program.
• International transcripts must be evaluated.
• Transcripts will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by LSAC CAS, WES, ECE, or another organization approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

Test Scores

• There are no GMAT, GRE, or legal test scores required for admission.

Credit Transfer

• Due to the unique nature of the MLS program, course credits earned in other graduate programs are not transferable to the DePaul MLS program.

Admissions Decision

• After the application is complete, it will be reviewed by the admissions team.
• Decisions are generally issued within a couple of weeks.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition

• Tuition for this program is $38,880 or $31,104 with the professional experience waiver.

Financial Aid

• There is financial aid available to online MLS students.
• Online MLS students are also eligible for the professional experience waiver and the AllCampus Workplace Network discount.

FAFSA Code

• DePaul's FAFSA code is not specified.

Yellow Ribbon Program

• DePaul is a Yellow Ribbon Program school, and eligible Yellow Ribbon Program participants are able to apply their benefits to the MLS program.