Legal Studies MLS
Major: Legal Studies
Degree Awarded: Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 22.0203
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 23-1011
About the Program
As society becomes increasingly regulated, job candidates with advanced skills in legal and regulatory analysis, as well as regulatory compliance, have become highly appealing to many employers. Although many employers do not want to hire additional attorneys, they require employees with sophisticated and narrowly focused exposure to law and legal regulation.
The Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program is a post-baccalaureate degree designed for individuals to develop and improve career-related skills through the study of the legal system, legal writing, law, regulation, and policy. Ideal candidates include individuals in other disciplines, professionals who would benefit from focused legal knowledge (such as those in the fields of health, college sports, education, human resources, finance, etc.), individuals seeking career changes, and those generally interested in the field of law. Upon completion of each degree program, graduates will understand how the law relates to and impacts their particular areas of interest although they will not be attorneys.
Currently, the following concentrations are offered (optional):
- Criminal Law
- Cybersecurity and Information Privacy Compliance
- Entrepreneurship and Law
- Financial Regulatory Compliance
- Health Care Compliance
- Higher Education Compliance
- Human Resources Compliance
- NCAA Compliance
- Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Regulatory Compliance
Additional Information
For more information, visit the Online Master of Legal Studies website.
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- GPA of at least 3.0
If you don't meet this requirement you're still encouraged to apply and your file will be reviewed on an individual basis
Required Documents
With multiple ways to submit documents, Drexel makes it easy to complete your application. Learn more by visiting our Completing Your Application Guide.
- A completed application
- Official transcripts from all universities or colleges and other post-secondary educational institutions (including trade schools) attended
- One letter of recommendation (professional or academic)
- Letter should speak to your performance and accomplishments, and attest to your ability to succeed within the program. The department may request a second letter of recommendation
- Essay of approximately 500 words
- Can be a personal statement outlining personal and/or professional goals you hope to achieve through the program, or on another topic that showcases your writing skills
- Resume
- Quality and quantity of professional experience will be evaluated.
- Standardized test score reports (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT) can be submitted, but are not required.
- Additional requirements for international students
- International students must have an earned Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or its equivalent. Admissions will be based on grades from prior institutions. No entry exam is required; however, those who have completed their first law degree program in a language other than English will be required to have a minimum score on the TOEFL or a comparable exam.
Degree Requirements
| Required Core Curriculum Courses | ||
| LSTU 550 | Introduction to the Legal System | 4.0 |
| LSTU 551 | Compliance Skills: Auditing, Investigation & Reporting | 4.0 |
| LSTU 552 | Ethics and Professional Standards | 4.0 |
| LSTU 553 | Legal Research and Analysis | 4.0 |
| LSTU 554 | Risk Assessment and Management | 4.0 |
| LSTU 560 | MLS Masters Capstone I | 3.0 |
| LSTU 561 | MLS Masters Capstone II | 2.0 |
| Electives/Concentration * | 20.0 | |
| Total Credits | 45.0 | |
- *
Students must obtain 20.0 elective credits. If a student chooses a concentration, the student must complete at least three courses from their selected concentration. The remaining electives may be LSTU courses outside of the core courses. Non-concentrators may select LSTU courses outside of the core requirements as electives.
Students may also elect to enroll in a graduate minor from another College or School within Drexel University. Enrollment will require advisor approval. Courses taken as part of a graduate minor may also be applied to the elective course requirements for the Master of Legal Studies program.
| Health Care Compliance Concentration | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| LSTU 600 | Health Care Rules and Regulations | 4.0 |
| LSTU 601 | Health Care Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management | 4.0 |
| LSTU 602 | Patients and Privacy: HIPAA and Related Regulations | 4.0 |
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| NCAA Compliance and Sports Law Concentration | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| LSTU 610 | NCAA Governance I: Division I | 4.0 |
| LSTU 611 | NCAA Governance II- Division II and III | 4.0 |
| LSTU 612 | NCAA Infractions and Enforcement Processes | 4.0 |
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| Human Resources Compliance Concentration | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| LSTU 620 | Legal Issues in Employee Hiring and Termination | 4.0 |
| LSTU 621 | Human Resources Compliance: Managing the Employer/Employee Relationship | 4.0 |
| LSTU 622 | Human Resources in Practice: Negotiation, Mediation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution | 4.0 |
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| Criminal Law Concentration | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| LSTU 630 | Corrections Law | 4.0 |
| LSTU 631 | Criminal Law | 4.0 |
| LSTU 632 | Criminal Procedure: Investigations | 4.0 |
| Select LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| Higher Education Compliance Concentration | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| LSTU 640 | Legal Landscape of Student Rights and Campus Safety | 4.0 |
| LSTU 641 | Institutional Compliance: Aid and Accreditation | 4.0 |
| LSTU 642 | Higher Education Institutions: Financial Rules and Regulations | 4.0 |
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| Entrepreneurship and Law Concentration | ||
| Select four courses from the list below: | 12.0 | |
| Entrepreneurship Practice & Mindset | ||
| Pitch It! | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Approaches to Entrepreneurship | ||
| Entrepreneurship in Education | ||
| Social and Sustainable Innovation | ||
| Innovation in Established Companies | ||
| Life After Launch | ||
| The Startup Way: How to Drive Innovation in Entrepreneurial Companies | ||
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| Financial Regulatory Compliance | ||
| Choose three courses from the list below: | 12.0 | |
| Foundations of Financial Regulation | ||
| Legal Regulation of Global Financial Crimes | ||
| Legal Regulation of Investment Advisers | ||
| Legal Regulation of Investment Companies | ||
| Broker/Dealer Regulation | ||
| Banking Law | ||
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| Cybersecurity and Information Privacy Compliance | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| LSTU 660 | Information Privacy Law | 4.0 |
| LSTU 661 | The Law and Strategies Surrounding Cybersecurity | 4.0 |
| LSTU 662 | European Union Data Privacy and Protection | 4.0 |
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
| Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Regulatory Compliance Concentration | ||
| Choose three courses from the list below: | 12.0 | |
| Compliance Communications | ||
| Health Care Fraud: Regulation, Investigation, and Enforcement | ||
| Legal Issues for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare | ||
| Patients and Privacy: HIPAA and Related Regulations | ||
| Legal Regulation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Research and Development | ||
| Legal Regulation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sales and Marketing Practices | ||
| Food and Drug Law | ||
| Information Privacy Law | ||
| The Law and Strategies Surrounding Cybersecurity | ||
| European Union Data Privacy and Protection | ||
| Select two LSTU elective courses | 8.0 | |
| Total Credits | 20.0 | |
Sample Plan of Study
| First Year (Part-Time) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| LSTU 550 | 4.0 | LSTU 551 | 4.0 | LSTU 552 | 4.0 |
| Elective | 4.0 | Elective | 4.0 | Elective | 4.0 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | |||
| Second Year (Part-Time) | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| LSTU 553 | 4.0 | LSTU 554 | 4.0 | LSTU 561 | 2.0 |
| Elective | 4.0 | LSTU 560 | 3.0 | Elective | 4.0 |
| 8 | 7 | 6 | |||
| Total Credits 45 | |||||
Program Level Outcomes
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of the United States legal system and structure
- Evaluate compliance systems including auditing and monitoring processes
- Recognize and analyze ethical dilemmas in professional practice
- Design a comprehensive risk management program
- Develop strategies to ensure compliance and ethical behavior within organizations
Legal Studies (Law School) Faculty
John Cannan, JD (University of Maryland School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Legal research and analysis; Masters Capstone.
James Castagnera, JD (Case Western Reserve Law School). Adjunct Professor. Human Resources Compliance.
Lisa Detwiler, JD (University of Pittsburgh School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Financial regulatory compliance.
Tracye Edwards, JD (Duke University). Assistant Professor. Human Resources Compliance.
Veronica Finkelstein, JD (Emory University). Adjunct Professor. Criminal law.
Jordan Fischer, JD (Drexel University School of Law) Director of the Center for Law and Transformational Technology. Assistant Teaching Professor. Cybersecurity and Information Privacy Compliance
Paul Flanagan, JD (Creighton University School of Law) Director of the Privacy, Cybersecurity and Compliance Program. Assistant Professor. Compliance; privacy; legal issues in the health care industry.
Leeza Garber, JD (University of Pennsylvania Law School). Adjunct Professor. Cybersecurity and Information Privacy Compliance
Micheal Gioffre, JD (Delaware Law School). Adjunct Professor. Financial Regulatory Compliance
James Goepel, JD (George Mason University). Adjunct Professor. Cybersecurity and Information Privacy Compliance
Sara Goldstein, JD (Drexel University). Adjunct Professor. Health Care Compliance
David Haendler, JD (University of Chicago). Adjunct Professor. Legal Research and Analysis
David R. Hoffman, JD (University of Pittsburgh School of Law). Practice Professor of Law. Health care regulations; patient safety; health care fraud.
Beau Howard, JD, MBA (Rutgers Law School, Monmouth Univerity). Adjunct Professor. Financial Regulatory Compliance
Aaron Hurley, LLM, JD (University of Washington, Gonzaga University). Adjunct Professor. Financial Regulatory Compliance
Daniela Ivancikova, JD (Drexel University). Adjunct Professor. Corrections Law, Risk Assessment and Management.
Laura Jacobus, JD (Santa Clara University School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Compliance Skills, Risk Assessment and Management, Compliance Communications.
Aimée Kahan, JD (University of Pennsylvania School of Law) Director of Strategic Initiatives. Associate Professor. Health care quality, patient safety, and risk management
Bruce Levine, JD (New York University). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational policy, school law, public-private partnerships, intersection of business and education.
Lisa Lewis, JD (Duke University School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Criminal Law
Laurel Lichty, LLB, LLM (City University London; George Washington University). Adjunct Professor. Introduction to the US Legal Systems.
Jane Massey Licata, PhD, JD (University of Hawaii, Rutgers-Camden School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Health Care and Pharmaceutical Compliance
Michele Mathes, JD (University of Pennsylvania). Adjunct Professor. Ethics and professional standards.
Jody Mooradian, JD (Delaware Law School of Widener University). Adjunct Professor. NCAA Compliance
David Oldham, JD (Drexel University School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Higher Education Compliance
Pakapon Phinyowattanachip, JD (Washington and Lee University School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Higher Education Compliance
Rebecca Rakoski, JD (Widener University School of Law). Adjunct Professor. US Legal Systems, Risk Assessment
Mark Stanisz, JD (Harvard Law School). Adjunct Professor. Higher Education Compliance
Tracy Tripp, JD (Drexel University). Adjunct Professor. Criminal procedure.
Joel Trotter, JD (Temple University Beasley School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Law
Neal Wiley, JD (Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Thesis Writing
Allison Wirth, JD (University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Williams S. Boyd School of Law). Adjunct Professor. Financial Regulatory Compliance
LEARN MORE