Master of Legal Studies in Legal Studies

The Master of Legal Studies program (MLG) is designed for graduate students and professionals who are interested in acquiring legal skills and competencies to enhance their career opportunities but do not intend to practice law. The MLG degree provides non-lawyers with a solid understanding of relevant legal issues, and will prepare students to interact most effectively with lawyers and the legal system. 

Students enrolled in the program pursue a non-thesis Master of Legal Studies degree.  Students may be enrolled on either a full-time or part-time basis.

Master of Legal Studies students may complete 30 credit hours in one of the following areas of curricular specialization. MLG students also have the option to complete a 30-credit personalized course of study. As further described below, the MLG program is also approved for delivery via asynchronous or synchronous distance education technology.

Areas of Curricular Specialization

  • Business Law and Compliance*
  • Cyber Security Law and Policy*
  • Energy Law - Environmental and Energy Law and Policy*
  • Energy Law - Oil and Gas Law and Policy*
  • Health Law, Policy and Management*
  • Human Resources and Employment Law, Policy and Management*
  • International Tax Law and Policy*
  • Real Estate and Construction Law, Policy and Management*
  • Risk Management and Compliance*
  • Wealth Management*

* Certificate programs available; please see certificate program requirements for more information.

Specializations

All Master of Legal Studies students are required to take Introduction to the United States Legal System. This course will familiarize students with the structure of the U.S. legal system and fundamentals of legal reasoning and analysis. Additional curriculum requirements vary based on the student's chosen area of curricular specialization.

  • MLG students in the Wealth Management; Risk Management and Compliance; and International Tax Law and Policy curricula are also required to take Ethical Decision Making.  For the remaining coursework, students select from various course offerings in the student’s chosen area of curricular specialization, with credits allowed in courses outside the chosen area of curricular specialization. All courses in these curricula are offered asynchronously or synchronously via distance technology.
  • MLG students in the Cyber Security Law and Management; Energy - Oil and Gas Law and Policy; Energy - Environmental and Energy Law and Policy; Health Law, Policy and Management; Human Resources and Employment Law and Management; and Real Estate and Construction Law and Policy curricula must take a core set of courses designed to familiarize students with the fundamentals of legal institutions and legal reasoning and analysis, including Contract Law and Strategies, Principles of Regulatory Law, Fundamentals of Business Law, Legal Writing and Analysis, and Dispute Resolution or ADR Doing Deals and Resolving Disputes Through Negotiation, Mediation and Arbitration. For the remaining coursework, students select from various course offerings in the student’s chosen area of curricular specialization. The majority of courses in these curricula are offered asynchronously or synchronously via distance technology. Students may also participate in up to three courses that offer in-person instruction at the School of Law in Fort Worth.
  • MLG students in the Business Law and Compliance curriculum must take a core set of courses designed to familiarize students with the fundamentals of legal institutions and legal reasoning and analysis, including Contract Law and Strategies, Principles of Regulatory Law, Fundamentals of Business Law, Legal Writing and Analysis and Dispute Resolution.  For the remaining coursework, students select from various course offerings in the Business Law and Compliance curricular specialization. The majority of courses in the Business Law and Compliance curriculum are offered asynchronously or synchronously via distance technology. Students take five courses that are offered via in-person instruction at the School of Law's San Antonio location.
  • MLG students completing a personalized course of study must take a core set of courses designed to familiarize students with the fundamentals of legal institutions and legal reasoning and analysis, including Contract Law and Strategies, Principles of Regulatory Law, Fundamentals of Business Law, Legal Writing and Analysis and Dispute Resolution or ADR Doing Deals and Resolving Disputes Through Negotiation, Mediation and Arbitration. For the remaining coursework, students select from various courses offered by the School of Law. Courses are offered asynchronously or synchronously via distance technology and via in-person instruction at the School of Law.  While the core set of courses are primarily offered via distance technology, the mode of delivery of the students' remaining coursework will depend on the students' personalized course of study.

For more information, please go to law.tamu.edu.

This program is approved for delivery via asynchronous or synchronous distance education technology.