• This program is offered online.

  • Master of Science in Legal Studies

    Legal issues have a broad impact in many industries and the need for legal knowledge is no longer relegated to the legal department. Our online program is designed for working adults seeking to take advantage of expanded career opportunities by arming themselves with the knowledge of the law, legal terminology, and procedures.* 

    The Master’s in Legal Studies online program provides a solid foundation in legal doctrine and concepts while developing and refining your ability to identify and analyze legal issues. The curriculum focuses on the legal system, dispute resolution, legal research and writing, legal reasoning and analysis, ethical decision making, jurisprudence, legal history, and substantive areas of law.

    And, you can select the curriculum track that best suits your needs. Through one of our four intensive study options you could develop the in-demand knowledge and skills relevant to growing industries. Or, you can design your curriculum by choosing electives to help enhance your expertise in your career field.

    Attending classes online at Kaplan University is an interactive, supportive, and engaging experience. The program was developed by professors who are professionals in law, social science, and teaching, and is guided by a national advisory board of subject matter experts in a variety of law-related areas. Courses include live seminars, discussion boards, and one-on-one instructor feedback.

    As the largest provider of online legal studies programs in the United States†, we’ve helped over 6,500 School of Legal Studies graduates achieve their educational goals since 2001. This means that when you earn your degree from Kaplan University, you join one of the most active and diverse alumni communities in the legal field.

    A Career-Oriented Master's Degree

    Knowledge of the law, legal terminology, and procedures are advantages in just about every industry. Our outcomes oriented curriculum will help you make an impression on prospective employers—or help you become more valuable in your current position.

    The MS in Legal Studies will challenge you by exploring real-world issues and applying legal principles in a case study format to build strong problem solving skills relevant in a variety of career fields. Each course includes a clearly defined set of goals, so you always know what is expected of you and how you are doing.

    Master of Science in Legal Studies Program Highlights

    Designed with practicality in mind, this program will challenge you to solve real-world issues by applying legal principles in a case study format to build strong, complex problem-solving skills. And our small class sizes—with instructors who offer professional industry experience—means you get personalized support in an interactive learning environment.

    Start building a strong foundation of legal knowledge by completing the program's core requirements. These specialized online courses are designed to teach you:

    • Legal Principles: Apply legal principles and concepts to the analysis of complex social, political, and economic issues.
    • Ethics: Reflect on the ethical and moral implications of the law and legal processes.
    • Leadership: Apply principles of leadership to shape change and improve the application and direction of the law and the legal system in relation to institutions or society.
    • Reflective Practice: Utilize the skills of a reflective practitioner to analyze and solve problems within a professional context.

    What are the Career Opportunities?

    The knowledge, skills, and experience you acquire while earning your master's degree may help you stand out to employers when competing for senior management and administration positions with corporations, nonprofit organizations, associations, membership groups, educational institutions, or government agencies. *

    Graduates may pursue work in any of the following environments:

    • Nonprofit organizations and associations
    • Membership groups
    • Educational institutions/agencies
    • Multinational corporations
    • Government and regulatory agencies
    • Legal aid societies
    • Public interest organizations
    • Consulting firms
    • Advocacy organizations
    • Health care organizations 
    • Insurance companies
    • Real estate companies

    Master of Science in Legal Studies Intensive Study Areas

    Further develop your expertise with electives that focus on one of the following intensive study areas:

    Education and the Legal System: Examine the legal foundations for the establishment of colleges and universities in the United States as well as the rules and regulations governing administration, funding sources, and accreditation. You will explore aspects of managing an institution of higher learning and review policies affecting federal and state funding, budgeting, and sources of financial support.

    Health Care Delivery: Study to develop the basic financial competence required to fulfill legal requirements for health care organizations. You will explore the roles and relationships between federal and state governments in the delivery of health care services and study federal statutes related to Medicare, Medicaid, Stark, and HIPAA and the contractual, legal, and procedural aspects of the relationship of professionals to health care institutions. Coursework involves role playing to simulate real-world negotiations within health care organizations.

    Legal System and the Media: Explore intellectual property law as it applies to music, digital media, and other forms of entertainment. Examine content ownership and distribution, syndication, and licensing. You will study current issues and future changes in the music industry as they relate to content generation, exposure, and revenue.

    State and Local Government:     Explore the organization, function, and interaction within state governments and examine local, state, and federal legislative institutions and the processes used to enact new legislation. Cases will be used to explore the judicial role in the legislative process. You could engage in hands-on exercises to gain an understanding of how administrative agencies develop policy issues produce administrative rulings and supporting memoranda.

  • Kaplan University offers multiple start dates, giving you greater flexibility with your education, life, and work schedules.

    Jun 05

    Online Start Date
    Jun 05, 2013

    Jul 03

    Online Start Date
    Jul 03, 2013

    View the Academic Calendar

  • Curriculum: Applied Research Track

    Core

    LS 500: LEGAL METHODS AND PROCESS (5 Credits)

    This course introduces students to the legal sys­tem. The course will examine the organization of the court system, the different types and sources of the law, the roles of professionals in the legal system, and the way the law is created. Students will study the parallel court system in the federal and state system, as well as the development of rulings and procedures of administrative agencies. In addition, the course will explore laws made in a legislative body.

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    LS 501: ETHICS AND THE PROFESSIONAL (5 Credits)

    This course will explore the concept of ethics and its relationship to the professional. The course will examine concepts of normative ethics, professional behavior and moralistic ethics, and the relationship of ethical decision making to institutions and organizations in society. The focus will be on general ethical principles and the determination of fundamental and common values in society that govern societal institutions.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    LS 502: LEGAL RESEARCH, ANALYSIS, AND WRITING (5 Credits)

    This course focuses on reading, analyzing, and applying the law found in a variety of legal sources including cases, statutes, administrative rulings, and journal articles. Topics will include methods to analyze cases to determine the facts, issues, analysis, and holdings of a case as well as determining the meaning and purpose of statutes, legislative enactments, and administrative rulings. Students will engage in a variety of legal writing, including case briefs, memoranda, and opinions, and will engage in computerized research and develop skills in writing as well as proper citation of legal materials.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    LS 503: JURISPRUDENCE AND LEGAL HISTORY (5 Credits)

    This course will provide students with a view of the sources and historical development of legal principles as well as the philosophical foundations of American legal principles. Students will develop an understanding of significant trends in American legal history as well as current trends in development of law and the philosophy of the law that is the underpinning of many public policy actions.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    LS 504: APPLIED RESEARCH IN LEGAL STUDIES (5 Credits)

    In the first of two courses in applied research in legal studies, students will be introduced to applied research within the profession, which encourages adoption of the role of a reflective practitioner who seeks to simultaneously understand and change the professional setting. Students will examine the history of applied research and the intersection of applied research and experimental research. This study allows participants to develop an understanding of the processes and how they can impact their own professional setting.

    Prerequisites Required: Third to last term

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    LS 526: ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS (5 Credits)

    Writing effectively and accurately is a necessary skill in the academic and professional worlds. Academic and Professional Writing for Graduate Students is designed to prepare students for the demands of academic and professional writing in their coursework, professional career, and for their final capstone/research paper. Students will learn to communicate complex and difficult material clearly to a wide variety of expert and nonexpert readers, and write for the kinds of audiences that they will encounter as professionals and who rely on the words on the page to make meaning. This course will introduce students to the basic elements of academic and professional writing at the holistic and sentence level. Students will gain an understanding of audience and purpose, as well as the graduate research, writing, and formatting process. Emphasis is placed on citing and quoting primary materials, organization strategies, and grammar, editing, and usage so that students hone and fine-tune their writing skills.

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    LS 698: APPLIED RESEARCH (5 Credits)

    Students experience the art and science of applied research while they develop the tools of reflective inquiry and collaborative practice. Students will engage in analysis of current issues and challenges to explore and practice applied research methods as a logical extension of professional practice. Integral to this process is the examination of both informal and systematic ways to ask and answer questions. Students will design a research plan for their own applied research project. 

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 504

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    LEGAL STUDIES ELECTIVE (5 Credits)

    Total Core Credits: 40
    Total Program Credits: 55

    *This is a capstone course.

    Intensive Study Area

    INTENSIVE STUDY AREA REQUIREMENTS / LEGAL STUDIES ELECTIVES (15 Credits)

    Total Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    Education and the Legal System Intensive Study Area

    LS 515: LEGAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FORMATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (5 Credits)

    This course examines the legal foundations for the establishment of colleges and universities in the United States. Specific inquires will be directed toward the formation of colleges and universities, the governance of the institutions, the funding sources for the institutions, and the accreditation of the institutions. Several types of institutions will be analyzed including public colleges and universities, private colleges, traditionally black colleges, and two-year colleges. New developments with online and international institutions will also be discussed.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total Education and the Legal System Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 516: LEGAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES—FACULTY ISSUES (5 Credits)

    This course examines faculty issues in higher education. Specific topics include tenure and promotion issues covering liberty, property, contracts, expectations of continued employment, and race issues. In this course, students will examine considerations when firing faculty including termination for cause, seniority and age discrimination, financial exigency, program discontinuance, faculty density, collective bargaining, remedies, and relief. Students will also explore issues related to faculty research and regulation including informed consent and ethics, biotechnology, national security controls, and secrecy. Finally, students will thoroughly examine faculty misconduct and conflicts of interest, intellectual property, and collective bargaining.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total Education and the Legal System Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 517: MANAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION (5 Credits)

    This course will explore college and university student issues. The course will start with the legal relationship between the institutions and students, then it will discuss in loco parentis and due process as it applies to students. Tort theories, contract theories, student admissions, and grades will be examined as well as all kinds of student dismissals, whether they are for academic, disciplinary, or misconduct infractions.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total Education and the Legal System Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    General Master of Science in Legal Studies

    500/600 LEVEL: LEGAL STUDIES ELECTIVE (20 Credits)

    Total General Master of Science in Legal Studies Credits: 20
    Total Program Credits: 55

    Health Care Delivery Intensive Study Area

    LS 620: HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND FINANCE (5 Credits)

    The health care industry is one of the nation's fastest-growing and largest industries. Health care executives, managers, and professionals must possess basic financial competence to govern effectively. This course will introduce students to the foundations of financial literacy to enable them to fulfill their roles.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Health Care Delivery Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 621: FEDERALISM AND THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM (5 Credits)

    In this course, students will learn about the role of the federal government and the relationship between the federal and state governments in the delivery of health care services. Students will engage in an intensive study of federal statutes, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Stark, and HIPAA, and through that process will gain an understanding of the shared responsibilities in delivering health care. The instructor and students will select a health delivery issue and work through the legal, political, and health care issues involved in resolving that issue.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total Health Care Delivery Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 622: PROFESSIONALS AND HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS (5 Credits)

    In this course, students will study the history of the delivery of health care by physicians and health care institutions and the development of licensing and regulation of physicians and other health care professionals and health care facilities and institutions. Students will also study the relationships between physicians and health care facilities and institutions. Finally, students will study peer-review committees and organizations and medical malpractice litigation. 

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total Health Care Delivery Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    Legal System and the Media Intensive Study Area

    LS 510: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT (5 Credits)

    This course will explore various intellectual property protections including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret; the desirability of providing such monopolistic protections, and their impact upon society. The course will further explore how these protections impact and relate to content creation, distribution, and storage in digital media space. Students will be introduced to ownership, infringement, and licensing issues related to these property rights, and to the interrelationship between these issues and emerging digital media technologies. 

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total Legal System and the Media Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 511: MUSIC CONTENT IP--BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS (5 Credits)

    This course will explore all aspects of the music industry as it relates to revenue-generating and exposure-generating sources for the content creator.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Legal System and the Media Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 512: CURRENT AND FUTURE ISSUES IN MUSIC LAW (5 Credits)

    This course will explore critical issues/changes as they relate to current or potential future shifts in music content generation, ownership, exposure, revenue, and/or distribution.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Legal System and the Media Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    State and Local Government Intensive Study Area

    LS 605: ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTION OF STATE GOVERNMENT (5 Credits)

    This course will explore the organization of state governments, the function of each primary area, and how they interact. Students will examine functional and dysfunctional government structures and analyze what works and why. In addition, they will examine innovative practices in large bureaucratic structures and best practices and the use of technology tools to improve functioning.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total State and Local Government Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 606: LEGISLATIVE PROCESS (5 Credits)

    This course examines American legislative institutions at the local, state, and federal levels and the processes that are used to enact new legislation. Legislative bodies pass, on an annual basis, laws that regulate or affect all of our lives. This course will familiarize students with legislative materials. Cases will be used to explore the judicial role in the legislative process.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total State and Local Government Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 607: GUBERNATORIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS (5 Credits)

    In this course, students will engage in the hands-on process of conceptualizing and developing a ruling from an administrative agency. The course will begin with an intensive study of the executive branch of government at the state level and the role of administrative agencies. The instructor and students will work together as if both were actually in roles in a state administrative agency. They will develop a policy issue, review it in light of the goals of the governor's agenda, the relationship to the legislature, and the existing state law, and at the end of the course produce an administrative ruling with supporting memoranda.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS 500

    Total State and Local Government Intensive Study Area Credits: 15
    Total Program Credits: 55

    Core

    LS 500: LEGAL METHODS AND PROCESS (5 Credits)

    This course introduces students to the legal sys­tem. The course will examine the organization of the court system, the different types and sources of the law, the roles of professionals in the legal system, and the way the law is created. Students will study the parallel court system in the federal and state system, as well as the development of rulings and procedures of administrative agencies. In addition, the course will explore laws made in a legislative body.

    Total Core Credits: 35
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 501: ETHICS AND THE PROFESSIONAL (5 Credits)

    This course will explore the concept of ethics and its relationship to the professional. The course will examine concepts of normative ethics, professional behavior and moralistic ethics, and the relationship of ethical decision making to institutions and organizations in society. The focus will be on general ethical principles and the determination of fundamental and common values in society that govern societal institutions.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Core Credits: 35
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 502: LEGAL RESEARCH, ANALYSIS, AND WRITING (5 Credits)

    This course focuses on reading, analyzing, and applying the law found in a variety of legal sources including cases, statutes, administrative rulings, and journal articles. Topics will include methods to analyze cases to determine the facts, issues, analysis, and holdings of a case as well as determining the meaning and purpose of statutes, legislative enactments, and administrative rulings. Students will engage in a variety of legal writing, including case briefs, memoranda, and opinions, and will engage in computerized research and develop skills in writing as well as proper citation of legal materials.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Core Credits: 35
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 503: JURISPRUDENCE AND LEGAL HISTORY (5 Credits)

    This course will provide students with a view of the sources and historical development of legal principles as well as the philosophical foundations of American legal principles. Students will develop an understanding of significant trends in American legal history as well as current trends in development of law and the philosophy of the law that is the underpinning of many public policy actions.

    Prerequisites Required:

    LS  500

    Total Core Credits: 35
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 526: ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS (5 Credits)

    Writing effectively and accurately is a necessary skill in the academic and professional worlds. Academic and Professional Writing for Graduate Students is designed to prepare students for the demands of academic and professional writing in their coursework, professional career, and for their final capstone/research paper. Students will learn to communicate complex and difficult material clearly to a wide variety of expert and nonexpert readers, and write for the kinds of audiences that they will encounter as professionals and who rely on the words on the page to make meaning. This course will introduce students to the basic elements of academic and professional writing at the holistic and sentence level. Students will gain an understanding of audience and purpose, as well as the graduate research, writing, and formatting process. Emphasis is placed on citing and quoting primary materials, organization strategies, and grammar, editing, and usage so that students hone and fine-tune their writing skills.

    Total Core Credits: 35
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LS 602: COMPREHENSIVE EXAM CAPSTONE (5 Credits)

    As a final step in the Master of Science in Legal Studies, students may choose the nonthesis option and successfully complete a comprehensive exam. This comprehensive exam incorporates the program outcomes of the Master of Science in Legal Studies program. This exam is designed to carefully assess a student’s overall learning in the program. Successful completion of the exam allows both student and faculty to measure and acknowledge a successful learning experience for the student.

    Prerequisites Required: Last term

    Total Core Credits: 35
    Total Program Credits: 55

    LEGAL STUDIES ELECTIVE (5 Credits)

    Total Core Credits: 35
    Total Program Credits: 55

    Electives

    INTENSIVE STUDY AREA REQUIREMENTS / LEGAL STUDIES ELECTIVES (20 Credits)

    Total Electives Credits: 20
    Total Program Credits: 55

    Tuition & Fees: Applied Research Track

    The 25% tuition reduction applies only to international students living outside of the United States. This discount does not apply to military students. Please check with your advisor to see if you are eligible. 

    The 25% tuition reduction applies only to international students living outside of the United States. This discount does not apply to military students. Please check with your advisor to see if you are eligible. 

    Applied Research Track Online &
    Learning Center     		Campus
    Cost Per Credit
    Number of Credits / Terms  
    Total Tuition Cost

    Tuition and Fees

    Some programs have additional associated fees that are not included in the price of tuition. Click here or check with an Admissions Advisor for more information. 

    Learn More about Kaplan University Tuition and Fees  

    Notice to Learning Center Students

    Kaplan University Learning Center students will only complete a portion of this program on site. You will need to complete at least 50% of the program requirements online, or through transfer credit awarded via prior learning assessment. If you have any questions about these requirements, please speak with an admissions advisor.

    Scholarships and Grants

    Learn more about grants and Kaplan University Scholarships and that may help reduce the cost of your education.

    Kaplan University tuition reductions (including active-duty, spouse, and veterans military tuition rates; scholarships; grants; vouchers; and alumni and alliance reductions) cannot be combined. 

    Tuition Rates for Military Students and Spouses

    Kaplan University has significantly reduced many of our tuition rates and fees for active-duty servicemembers, their spouses, and veterans. Click here for more information.
     

  • * Kaplan University cannot guarantee employment or career advancement.

    † Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 2009-2010, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees Conferred, Law and Legal Studies on the Internet at http://nces.ed.gov/IPEDS. Based on total number of degrees granted by Kaplan University compared to other Title IV degree-granting institutions. 

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