Master of Legal Studies

Both programs are intended for working professionals and graduate/Ph.D. students whose fields intersect with the law and who would benefit from legal studies but do not wish to pursue the J.D.  Examples include human resource professionals, paralegals, compliance officers, higher education administrators, cybersecurity experts, forensic social workers, police officers and business professionals.

The MLS program consists of 30 credits. The Graduate Certificate consists of 15 credits. As a general matter, the Graduate Certificate is designed for individuals who would benefit from legal studies but do not feel they need the depth of study provided by the MLS.

Students pursuing the MLS must complete the following courses:

• The Structure and Operation of the American Legal System (3 credit hours)
• Introduction to Legal Reasoning and Communication (3 credit hours)
• At least two courses from the following:  Civil Procedure (MLS), Contracts (MLS), Criminal Law (MLS), Property (MLS), Torts (MLS)
• Written Project in Lieu of Thesis (Directed Research Paper, Independent Study, or a class that satisfies the expository writing requirement) (minimum 1 credit hour)
• First-year or upper-level electives (satisfying the remaining credit-hours needed to complete the 30-credit degree).

Students pursuing the Graduate Certificate must complete the following courses:

• Structure and Operation of the American Legal System (2-3 credit hours)
• Introduction to Legal Reasoning and Communication (2-3 credit hours)
• First-year or upper-level electives (satisfying the remaining credit-hours needed to complete the 15-credit certificate).

Students enrolled in either program are not permitted to enroll in any clinic, externship, field placement, or Semester in Residence.  Enrollment in other upper-level electives is subject to the approval of the relevant faculty member, who may also require completion of prerequisites that JD students would have completed prior to taking the class. 

For a full listing of courses offered at the College of Law, see the UTK Graduate Catalog.

Yes. Students can draw upon the expertise of an advisor to help them design a flexible course of study that best fits their career goals by choosing from the College of Law’s wide range of course offerings. 

Yes, assuming you meet the admissions standards established by the Graduate Council. The certificate is available to individuals who are 1) pursuing other academic programs at the master’s or doctoral levels, or 2) post-baccalaureate and enrolled solely in a graduate certificate program. 

The Colleges of Law and Social Work partner to offer a Master of Legal Studies/Master of Science in Social Work (MLS/MSSW) degree. More information about the program can be found in the Graduate Catalog.

Students can enroll in either the online program or the Knoxville campus program.  The online program is totally online, and most courses are offered asynchronously.  Students enrolled in the Knoxville campus program can complete the program online but also have the option to take some courses live alongside JD students.

No. If you want to become a lawyer, the MLS Program is not for you. It will not permit you to take the bar examination and so it is not intended for people who want to practice law. If that is your interest, you should apply to our JD Program.

No. American Bar Association regulations do not permit credits acquired in the MLS degree to be credited toward the JD degree.

Students enrolled in the JD program may, subject to approval and other applicable procedures, transfer from the JD program to the MLS program. No more than 15 JD credits may transfer toward the MLS degree.

Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies program may, subject to approval and other applicable procedures, transfer to the MLS program and may transfer up to 9 credit hours from the Graduate Certificate program toward the MLS degree.

No. Credits from prior study will not be accepted toward the completion of the MLS degree or the Graduate Certificate.

You may pursue the MLS degree and the Graduate Certificate on a full-time or part-time basis. The degree may be completed in one academic year (beginning in the summer) if pursued full-time. If you wish to take a part-time course of study, you will have up to four years to complete the degree.

The rule of thumb is that students are expected to spend at least two hours of preparation for each hour of class.

A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required on all graduate course work taken at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to remain in good standing and to receive any graduate degree or certificate from the university. Graduate Certificate students will be graded separately from JD students on a scale that correlates with the University’s grading policies for graduate students. The grades of any Graduate Certificate student in particular class will not be taken into account for purposes of determining any applicable required course mean or median.

Tuition and fees change annually. Students will pay the graduate student tuition fee.

The MLS Program does not offer financial aid in the form of grants to students. Students who seek the certificate as a stand-alone option are not eligible for any federal loans. However, if a student adds the certificate as part of their degree-seeking program, they can use federal loans. Certificate only students who need assistance will need to pay tuition and fees out-of-pocket or seek private loans. 

Note that the College of Law will assist you in processing loans. In addition, many employers provide tuition assistance to employees and you should inquire with your employer to see if this is an option for you.

Full-time regular faculty and staff may enroll without payment of maintenance fees for up to a maximum of nine undergraduate or graduate credit hours per term/semester. State employees may take one course per term tuition free.  All fees are waived except for the cost of books, application fees, etc.  Check with your department for more details.

To apply for education benefits through the department of US Veterans Affairs please visit their website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/ or call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551). Once you have applied for benefits, the VA will review your application and you will receive your letter listing your eligibility.

UT offers a full range of support that provides veterans with a direct path toward applying their benefits. The Veteran Success Center (https://studentsuccess.utk.edu/veterans/new-students/) is here to help you access the benefits you’ve earned serving our country. They are available by phone at 865-974-5420 and by email at utkva@utk.edu.

The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville include the following:

• Applicants must have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency. A non-U.S. degree must be equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from the United States and must be accredited by its regional or national accreditation agency.
• United States degree holders must have earned a minimum of 2.7 out of a possible 4.0 GPA or a minimum of 3.0 during the senior year of undergraduate study. If you have completed previous graduate coursework, you must have earned a minimum of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0 GPA.
• Applicants with non-U.S. degrees must have earned a minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or other equivalent to a ‘B’ average. If you have completed previous graduate coursework, you must have earned a minimum of 3.3 out of a possible 4.0 GPA or other equivalent to a ‘B+’ average.

Additionally, interested students must include the following in their applications:

• A personal statement of 3–4 pages summarizing the applicant’s qualifications for and interest in the program, along with career objective
• Two letters of recommendation
• A resume or curriculum vitae
• Students for whom English is not their first language must submit a score of at least 570 (paper-based exam) or 88 (internet-based exam) points on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam, or a score of at least 7.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or other comparable evidence of English proficiency in order to be considered for admission to the LLM program. Scores must be reported directly to the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Yes, provided they meet the admissions requirements described above.

Submit your application to the University of Tennessee Graduate School. Contact us with any additional questions about the process.

Send an email to Tiffany Garner (tgarne13@utk.edu), Director of Executive Education and Non-JD Programs.