Legal Studies M.L.S.

Increase Your Career Potential With A Working Knowledge Of The Law

Areas of Emphasis

The WVU Online program focuses on regulation, compliance, and policy, and offers three areas of emphasis: healthcare, justice systems, and homeland security.

The MLS is a degree program designed to build greater public understanding of the law and the United States legal system. Graduates will be able to apply knowledge and skills gained to perform their jobs more effectively and to provide private and public organizations the benefit of enhanced experience. It is a graduate program of study designed for professionals practicing in areas such as human relations, criminal justice, juvenile justice, journalism, social work, court administration, national security, probation and law enforcement, or regulatory agencies. It is neither a law degree nor a paralegal program.

The healthcare area of emphasis is designed for those working in the healthcare industry. The courses in healthcare law, long-term care regulation and elder law provide the knowledge to ensure that state and federal regulatory requirements are being met.

Legal Studies M.L.S. Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. A cumulative minimum GPA of 2.75, with a preferred GPA of 3.0. The MLS program will accept the results of GRE, GMAT or LSAT standardized graduate-level tests. Test scores may be waived based on GPA, previous work experience or completed graduate credit. See Admissions tab for more information.

Admissions

The Master of Legal Studies program admits new students for the summer, fall and spring semesters. Priority Application Deadlines are: April 15 for the summer semester, May 15 for the fall semester and November 15 for the spring semester. Applications will be considered after these deadlines.

• Application. Apply with the online Graduate Application and pay the application fee.
• Transcripts. Request official transcripts from all institutions attended (other than WVU) and send to:
  WVU Office of Graduate Admissions
  One Waterfront Place
  PO Box 6510
  Morgantown, WV 26506-6510
  or electronically sent to GraduateAdmissions@mail.wvu.edu
• Two Letters of Reference. Letters should speak to the applicant’s intellectual ability, motivation, oral/written communication skills, and the likelihood of success in completing this master’s degree program. Recent graduates should submit at least one academic reference. References should be requested through the online Graduate Application portal.
• Personal Statement on the subject of why and how the MLS degree will further the applicant’s career or special interests. You may also address problems or inconsistencies in your academic record or test scores.
• Resume or CV. The resume/CV should include enough information for the admissions committee to trace the applicant’s entire professional work history and should indicate any relevant affiliations.
• Test Scores or Waiver Request. The requirement that applicants submit GRE, GMAT or LSAT scores can be waived under the following circumstances.
  • Admission based on Undergraduate GPA: An applicant who earned a bachelor's degree from a US-accredited college or university and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher is eligible to waive the GRE/GMAT/LSAT requirement to apply for the program.
  • Evidence of graduate level competence: Applicants who already hold a graduate degree or have successfully completed at least 18 semester hours in another accredited graduate program may request a waiver of the graduate exam score requirement
  • Significant experience related to legal studies: Applicants with at least five years of broadly related experience after completing their undergraduate degree may request a waiver of the graduate exam score requirement. If you are active military or a veteran, please provide information about your military experience. This should include a description of your professional experience and how it relates to legal studies and your career goals in your statement of purpose.
• TOEFL or IELTS scores (for international students only)
• Any other supporting materials that you wish to have considered as part of your application.

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