Students accepted into the program can anticipate receiving guidance from our nationally and internationally renowned faculty on individual curricular plans. Students can attend full or part-time. Twenty-six units are required to earn the MSL degree. Students complete two foundational required courses, a set of electives, and for those who are interested, a supervised capstone paper or project. Note: Some of our courses are only offered online.
Required Courses
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Legal Analysis | 2 |
| MSL Analytical Skills based on the subject of Contracts | 4 |
Optional Additional Foundational Courses
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Law | 4 |
| Criminal Law | 4 |
| Property Law | 4 |
| Torts | 5 |
Elective Courses — Organized by Concentration
Students may choose from a variety of elective courses and customize their course selections to meet their interests and career goals. The lists below, organized by concentration, are examples of courses students may wish to enroll in. Please note that some electives are not offered every year. Please be sure check the academic schedule for a current list of offerings.
Customizable Concentration
Students whose needs are not met by one of the concentrations listed below can customize their MSL degree to fit their own focus area or to take general law courses. Below is a sample list of courses available; for a full list please visit our academic schedule.
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| Business Planning | 2 to 3 |
| Copyright Law | 3 |
| Directed Research | up to 3 |
| Estate and Gift Tax/Estate Planning | 3 |
| Executive Branch & Administrative State (Online) | 3 |
| Federal Income Taxation | 3 |
| Government Law & Policymaking (Online) | 3 |
| Patent Law | 3 |
| Survey of Intellectual Property | 3 |
| Taxation of Business Entities | 3 |
| Trademark Law | 3 |
| Water & Environmental Justice | 3 |
Health Concentration
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| Administrative Law | 3 |
| Directed Research | up to 3 |
| Elder Law & Social Policy | 3 |
| Employment Law | 3 |
| Executive Branch & Administrative State (Online) | 3 |
| Government Law & Policymaking (Online) | 3 |
| Health Law | 3 |
| Leadership in Organization (Online) | 1 |
| Legislative & Statutory Interpretation | 3 |
| Legislature & Lawmaking (Online) | 3 |
| Mental Health — Policy and Law | 2 |
| Mediation | 3 |
| Negotiations (Online) | 3 |
| Persuasive Public Speaking (Online) | 1 |
| Public Health Law | 3 |
| Statutes & Regulations | 3 |
Human Resources Concentration
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| Administrative Law | 3 |
| Directed Research | up to 3 |
| Employment Law Practicum | 2 |
| Executive Branch & Administrative State (Online) | 3 |
| Government Law & Policymaking (Online) | 3 |
| Leadership in Organization (Online) | 1 |
| Legislatures & Lawmaking (Online) | 3 |
| Mediation | 3 |
| Negotiation (Online) | 3 |
| Persuasive Public Speaking (Online) | 1 |
| Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity | 2 |
| Worker's Compensation Law | 2 |
Government and Public Policy Concentration
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| Administrative Law | 3 |
| California Initiative Seminar | 2 |
| California Lobbying & Politics | 2 |
| Constitutional Law | 4 |
| Directed Research | up to 3 |
| Election Law (Online) | 3 |
| Introduction to Capital Lawyering | 2 |
| Lawmaking in California | 2 |
| Legislation & Statutory Interpretation | 3 |
| Lobbying & Politics (Online) | 3 |
| Mediation | 3 |
| Municipal Innovation Seminar | 2 |
| Negotiation (Online) | 2, 3 |
| Master’s Thesis | up to 6 |
Water and the Environment Concentration
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| Administrative Law | 3 |
| Climate Change Law & Policy | 2 |
| Directed Research | up to 3 |
| International Environmental Law (Online) | 3 |
| Introduction to Capital Lawyering | 2 |
| International Water Resources Law Seminar (Online) | 3 |
| Legislation & Statutory Interpretation | 3 |
| Master’ Thesis | up to 6 |
| Mediation | 3 |
| Natural Resources Law | 3 |
| Negotiation (Online) | 3 |
| Statutes & Regulations | 3 |
| Water & Environmental Justice (Online) | 3 |
| Water & Environmental Law Practice B | 3 |
Questions?
Contact the Graduate Programs Office
Email | 916.739.7019
