MASTER OF SCIENCE IN LEGAL STUDIES

Crestpoint University's Master of Science in Legal Studies program is designed for people who are considering a career transition to the legal profession and to help people who are already working in the legal field to advance their careers with additional training and credentials.

A Crestpoint master's degree is an affordable and superior alternative to a post-bachelor's paralegal certificate. While the program is more intense than most post-bachelor's paralegal certificate programs, the Master of Science in Legal Studies program also provides a more solid academic and practical foundation for aspiring or practicing legal professionals. Our courses are academically challenging, but also incorporate practical elements that will assist you in the workplace.

The Master of Science in Legal Studies degree is recommended for anyone with a bachelor's degree who wishes to work in the legal field or teach law-based undergraduate courses. A Crestpoint Master of Science in Legal Studies degree can be completed in less than half the time and for a small fraction of the cost of a Juris Doctor degree at most law schools while providing you with an edge in the job market over candidates possessing only a bachelor's degree or paralegal certificate.

With the number of people earning bachelor's degrees on the rise, our master's program graduates will earn a credential that can help them stand out to hiring professionals.

The approximate amount of time required to complete this Master of Science in Legal Studies program varies with student course load, as illustrated below.

Students using transfer credit to fulfill some program requirements will be able to finish more quickly.

To gain admission to any Crestpoint graduate program, the student must have graduated from a college or university that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or foreign equivalent. In addition, the student must have achieved an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). Students with an undergraduate grade point average below 3.0 may be considered for admission if they can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the dean, that they are likely to succeed at Crestpoint. Students may demonstrate an ability to succeed with work experience, graduate-level education, achievement of a superior score on a recognized graduate school admissions test, or other outstanding achievements. In all determinations under this paragraph, the decision of the dean is final.

Program prerequisite: In addition to having a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, all incoming students must have completed at least one advanced writing (example: English Compsition II) or legal writing course (graduate or undergraduate level) prior to taking his or her first "LGL" course at Crestpoint.

To earn a Master of Science in Legal Studies, a student must earn a total of 36 credits, as follows:

8 Core Legal courses (3 credits each) for a total of 24 credits:

Choose 4 electives (3 credits each) from any of other graduate-level courses offered at Crestpoint University, for a total of 12 credits.

Students are required to complete a culminating project prior to graduation.

Upon successful completion of the Master of Science in Legal Studies Degree program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced professional legal communication skills including appropriate forms of written communication in a variety of professional contexts.
• Employ advanced professional legal research skills in both applied and theoretical contexts.
• Perform advanced legal-research and analysis in compliance with applicable rules of professional conduct.
• Apply advanced legal principles and concepts to analyze and address complex real-world challenges, both practical and theoretical.
• Demonstrate advanced professional legal analysis, reflection, and critical thinking skills to analyze and solve complex societal challenges.
• Evaluate real-world and hypothetical legal scenarios for ethical considerations, bias, and logical error and from a variety of perspectives.
• Explain the purpose of applicable codes of ethics and legal responsibility as they relate to complex societal, political, and economic issues.

The MSLS program does not qualify students to sit for any U.S. State bar examination.