About the Legal Studies Master's Degree
Gain insights into the law and its role in modern life.
The online Master of Science in Legal Studies program at California University of Pennsylvania creates a wide-ranging educational opportunity for working professionals and other serious students with an interest in law and public policy.
The program builds professional skills in research, critical thinking, writing and persuasion as students analyze and critique the law and explore its implications in various contexts. Thought-provoking coursework, taught by legal scholars and other subject-matter experts, positions students to advance their careers in law enforcement, criminal justice, paralegalism, business, government and other related fields where a specialized knowledge of the law is beneficial.
Program Advantages: Students in the M.S. in Legal Studies program benefit from in-depth interactions with professionals from a variety of career fields. Professors have practical experience and expert knowledge of the subjects they teach. Consequently, they can provide students with opportunities for networking and partnering on research for publication in academic and professional journals.
Cal U's legal studies program is an Academic Alliance partner with the FBI National Academy Associates (FBI NAA). FBI National Academy graduates who have completed graduate-level courses
while attending the academy may transfer up to nine credit hours to the M.S. in Legal
Studies if they have not already been applied toward the requirements of another graduate
degree.
The legal studies program also partners with the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA Inc.) to award three graduate credits for completion of all three leadership
courses required for the Trilogy Award. The three credits can be applied toward completion
of the M.S. in Legal Studies.
Choose a concentration for your online master’s in legal studies.
Students in this fully online graduate program specialize their studies by choosing from one of three options:
- The law and public policy concentration helps students apply the principles of legal research and policy analysis to a wide variety of complex governmental policy issues. Coursework emphasizes how law and policy intersect to influence individuals, communities and our culture.
- The criminal justice concentration focuses on the practical application of law and policy within the criminal justice system. Students examine real-world legal and policy issues that impact justice agencies within federal, state and local governments.
- The homeland security concentration places special emphasis on strategies, plans and programs that can make our nation less vulnerable to terrorism. Students apply law and policy as they seek solutions to improve homeland security preparedness.
At Cal U, students can earn a legal studies master’s degree in each of these concentrations, or complete a specialized 15-credit graduate certificate 100% online.
Accelerated Degree Option
Students in Cal U’s legal studies program can save time and money with the accelerated B.A. to M.S. degree option. Undergraduates who complete up to 12 graduate-level credits during their senior year are positioned to move seamlessly into the master’s degree program, where those courses also fulfill core requirements.
The accelerated program gives students get a head start on their graduate studies – and they enter the M.S. program prepared to examine practical legal and policy issues through the lens of law and public policy, criminal justice or homeland security.
