The Master of Arts with a Major in Legal Studies will allow students to increase their level of competency in selected areas while giving them an in-depth understanding of both underlying theory and practical applications of law. The program emphasizes analytical and conceptual thinking, legal research and writing, the evolution of various legal theories, substantive areas of law, and the role of law in society. It also allows students to take courses in a variety of departments throughout the University so that students may develop a solid knowledge base in selected concentrations such as Alternative Dispute Resolution, Legal Administration, and Environmental Law.

Legal Studies Booklet

Regular Admission

Students will normally be granted regular admission status under the following standards:

• A grade-point average of 2.75 or above (on a 4.0 scale) calculated on: a. the last 60 hours of undergraduate work before receipt of the baccalaureate degree, or b. the last 60 hours of undergraduate work before receipt of the baccalaureate degree plus any graduate course work taken at an accredited college or university, and
• A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a preferred combined score of 900 (verbal and quantitative) and a preferred score of 4 on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE on file in the Office of the Graduate College.
• All applicants must complete an interview with the Director of Legal Studies.

Students who otherwise qualify for Regular Admission and have successfully completed the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) with a score of 140 or higher or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) with a score of 450 or higher may petition the Director of Legal Studies to accept these test scores as a substitute for the GRE score. The Director of Legal Studies and the Dean of the Graduate College will make the determination of an acceptable test score.

Conditional Admission

Students with complete admission documents (transcripts, application, and test scores) who do not meet the above minimum requirement, but who have at least a 2.5 minimum grade point average (as calculated above) may apply for conditional admission.

The Conditional Admissions Review Committee (CAR) in the Political Science Department will review all requests for conditional admission. The request should include a personal statement explaining any special circumstances which would otherwise qualify the student for admission to the program; and letters of recommendation from persons who could comment upon the applicant’s ability to perform in the requested area of study. If the applicant is approved for conditional admission, the Conditional Admissions Review Committee (CAR) will recommend to the Dean of the Graduate College the stipulations and requirements for conditional admissions.

To receive a Master of Arts degree with a major in Legal Studies, all students must successfully complete a 36 hour curriculum while maintaining a “B” average, and must receive a “B” or better in each required course.

International Student Admission

International students, as defined in the front section of this catalog, must have a score of 530 or better on the paper-based TOEFL, 78 (internet-based) with minimum section scores of 19/reading, 19/listening, 19/speaking and 18/writing, or an IELTS (academic) score of 6.5 or higher with minimum individual module score of 6.0 before being considered for admission. This requirement is not waived for an international student who has a degree from a university in the United States.

Curriculum 

 

The Master of Arts with a Major in Legal Studies requires a total of 36 semester credit hours including a cumulative research project, an oral comprehensive examination, and an internship. The 21 hours of required courses are as follows:

 

 

Students may select any 15 hours out of the following elective courses:

 

Students may select a specialization, however, this is not required and most choose the MA General Studies.  A specialization will not appear on the student's diploma or transcript.

 

 

Prescribed electives:

 

POSI 5376                 Alternative Dispute Resolution

POSI 5390                 Administrative Law

POSI 5391                 Family Law

PSY   5317                Group Processes and Interpersonal Dynamics

                               (or, COMM 5318 Seminar in Interpersonal Communication)

COMM 5329              Communication & Negotiation
                               (or COMM 5347 Seminar in Small Group Communication)

 

 

 

Prescribed electives:

 

POSI 5395                 Real Estate Law

POSI 5390                 Administrative Law

POSI 5333                 Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity

GEO 5314                  Geographic Elements of Environmental Law

BIO   5362                 Environmental Impact Analysis

 

 

Prescribed electives:

 

POSI 5396           Law Office Management

POSI 5392           Corporations

 

along with 9 hours of electives selected out of the following courses:

 

                  (i)         Private Sector Administration:

 

ACC 5361                       Financial and Managerial Reporting & Analysis

                                                      Prereq. ACC 5303

MKT 5321                        Marketing Management

                                                      Prereq. MKT 5305

MGT 5314                        Organizational Behavior and Theory

                                                      Prereq. MGT 5304

or,

            (ii)        Public Sector Administration:

 

POSI 5317                       Management Practices in Public Personnel Administration

POSI 5347                       Public Finance Information Systems

POSI 5314                       Organization Theory