Throughout this Master of Legal Studies, you'll gain a solid foundation in U.S. law, including essential skills in legal analysis and writing, as well as understanding legal concepts. This 30-credit program is designed for professionals who want to understand the law and its implications in their careers without pursuing a full law degree. In as little as a year, you'll develop an interdisciplinary perspective on legal principles and enhance your ability to engage effectively with attorneys.
This degree is ideal for professionals in various fields who seek to advance their careers or pivot to new ones by gaining legal insights relevant to their work. It’s especially suited for those who want to understand the law’s impact on their industry, but not for those aiming to practice law.
Tailor your studies to your interests and career
When you earn your Master of Legal Studies online, you have the option to customize your degree to align with your specific interests and career aspirations with one of the following emphases:
- Business law
- Conflict resolution
- Contract management
- Construction law
- Corporate and health care compliance
- Criminal law
- Federal contracting law
- Federal Indian law
- Healthcare law and administration
- Indian gaming
- Intellectual property law
- Land use and property development law
- Law and sustainability
- Legal paraprofessional
- Navajo Nation law
- Sports law
- Tribal self-governance
Each emphasis consists of 9 to 12 credit hours and is designed to deepen your knowledge in that particular area. While choosing an emphasis is optional, it’s important to note that you don’t need to officially declare an emphasis and it won’t appear on your diploma or transcripts. This flexibility allows you to supplement your general legal foundation with specialized knowledge that is directly relevant to your professional goals, making your MLS degree highly adaptable to various career paths.
Please note, students who enroll in the legal paraprofessional emphasis will take the coursework they need to be able to sit for the AZ Paraprofessional (LP) exam offered by the State of Arizona. The AZ LP program allows non-lawyers to practice law in a handful of limited subject areas. Additionally, ASU Online also offers a Master of Human Resources and Employment Law. This program focuses on identifying and analyzing legal issues to solve critical human resources problems.
How does this MLS compare to a Juris Doctorate (JD)?
Earning a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree is a key step toward becoming a practicing attorney, while completing an MLS degree provides an understanding of basic legal concepts that can be applied to various careers. A Master of Legal Studies degree doesn’t allow you to practice law and program courses don’t transfer to the Juris Doctor program. Instead, the MLS focuses on specific areas of the law that are relevant to your professional path. Knowledge of concepts ranging from conflict resolution to employment law can offer you valuable context and inform your decision-making.
Arizona State University’s online Master of Legal Studies offers a unique opportunity to understand U.S. law without pursuing a full law degree. This program lays the groundwork in legal analysis, writing and concepts, with the option to choose electives that align with your career goals. Designed for professionals seeking to enhance their careers or transition to new fields, you’ll graduate equipped with practical legal knowledge and skills.
In this program, you’ll start with a pre-enrollment "boot camp" and a required course in U.S. Law and Legal Analysis, which lay the foundation for the rest of your studies. Beyond these core courses, you have the flexibility to customize your degree with eight additional courses, which can be selected from emphasis areas or electives. Most emphasis areas don’t require a full eight courses, so you’ll have ample opportunity to explore various electives and tailor the program to your specific interests and career goals.
The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law faculty has more than 300 combined years of experience. Hailing from across the country, they’re nationally recognized for their wealth of knowledge. Our world-class faculty provides comprehensive legal education in popular focus areas and addresses legal challenges on a global scale.
The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU is one of the top schools in the nation, providing personalized and practical legal education. Offering more than 250 unique courses, students can tailor their educational experiences to meet their unique interests. Our bar passage achievements and peer-reviewed U.S. News & World Report rankings highlight our dedication to preparing students for success.
in Arizona for bar passage
specialty law programs ranked amongst the top 35 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report
best public law schools, according to U.S. News & World Report
best law schools, according to U.S. News & World Report
Applicants to the Master of Legal Studies program must fulfill the requirements of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
U.S.-educated applicants can apply through our FastApp process, which streamlines the application process and may allow for an offer of conditional admission to the MLS program while the applicant continues to submit any additional requested documentation. Find more information about the FastApp process here.
Possible outcomes from FastApp submission may include:
- Conditional admission.
- A request for supplementary documents.
- A request to complete the full MLS application with accompanying documents.
- Denial.
For the FastApp application to be considered complete, it must include:
- The complete MLS FastApp application form and the following uploaded documents:
- An unofficial transcript from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
- Resume that does not exceed three typed pages.
If a decision cannot be made from a FastApp, our admissions team may request additional information from an applicant, including any or all of the following:
- Writing sample.
- Explanations to affirmative answers to any conduct questions.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- Transcripts from all institutions attended, including the transcript showing a bachelor's degree was conferred.
A minimum of a 3.00 cumulative GPA in the last 60 hours of an applicant’s bachelor's program is preferred. Prospective students may earn admission with a cumulative GPA below 3.00 if the other assets included in the application package are strong, such as but not limited to:
- A personal statement that addresses a low GPA or inconsistent academic performance.
- Improved academic performance in subsequent degrees.
- Significant work history since completing a bachelor’s degree.
All applicants must submit:
- Graduate admission application.
- Official* transcripts.
- CV or resume.
*Transcripts can be unofficial through the FastApp process. Official transcripts reflecting degree conferral(s) will be required if an applicant is admitted.
If English isn't your native language and you haven't completed a bachelor’s degree or higher at a regionally accredited institution in the U.S., you must provide evidence of English proficiency.
ASU academic programs are designed to prepare students to apply for applicable licensure or certification in Arizona. Completion of an ASU program may not meet education requirements for license or certification in another state. If you’re planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Arizona, it’s strongly recommended that you visit our professional licensure page for contact information of the appropriate licensing entity to seek information and guidance regarding licensure or certification requirements.
No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”