Earning a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree in Georgia gives graduates a working knowledge of the law without spending the extra time or extra money that it takes to attend law school.
Graduates of a Master’s in Legal Studies program do not sit for the bar exam and do not practice as an attorney.
They do have a wide variety of exciting career options.
The variety of career options that are available for Georgia residents, or people who want to work in Georgia provides the opportunity to tailor your career goals to your interests.
Tailoring a career to your interests when pursuing a master’s in legal studies is possible by choosing a degree concentration.
A concentration may not always be available in a Georgia master’s in legal studies program.
Tailor the degree to your interests by choosing the courses that provide the opportunity, career path, and salary that most interest you.
Check the elective courses or talk to faculty if you want to work in a specialized area that the Georgia school does not offer as a concentration
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides a chart that lists the distribution of workers who have a legal studies degree, as of 2021.
Most workers who hold a legal studies degree work in legal occupations.
Some examples of other career areas where people with a master’s in legal studies degree work include management, business and financial operations, and office and administrative support occupations.
Compliance officer, health services administrator, labor relations specialist, intellectual property analyst, and government contractor are some jobs for people who complete a master’s in legal studies at a Georgia university.
Start your career, advance your current career, or change your career when you enroll in a Georgia Master of Legal Studies program.
Some Georgia schools offer an undergraduate legal studies program.
The best career opportunities will likely be available to students earning a Georgia Master’s in Legal Studies degree.
1 University of Georgia
The University of Georgia, founded in 1785, has inspired generations of students to change the world.
Students learn to follow the motto, “to teach, to serve, and inquire into the nature of things.”
The University of Georgia School of Law indicates that it is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association (ABA).
The school’s main campus is situated in Athens, Georgia.
It is consistently voted to be one of the top universities in the U.S.
The School of Law at the University of Georgia carries on the tradition of offering students the opportunity to follow the school’s motto and unleash their success by offering several graduate programs.
One of the graduate programs offered at the school is the Master in the Study of Law (MSL) program.
Courses Offered
The School of Law offers the Master in the Study of Law program for students who want to have a greater understanding of the law, but who do not want to work as a lawyer.
Students have the option of completing the program through a combination of online and in-person classes.
Complete the program courses on a full-time basis and earn a Master’s in the Study of Law in just one year.
Students who choose the part-time option complete the program in three years.
Some courses offered in the program include Introduction to American Law, Constitutional Law, State and Local Government, Legislative Process and Statutory Interpretation, and Administrative Law.
The program courses also include Corporate Law, Employment Law, Federal Income Tax Law, and Health Law and Policy.
The courses in the 30-credit program give students the knowledge and skills that are needed to be successful in careers that may focus on regulation, litigation, legislation, and public policy.
Students who have an interest in working in a specialized area can work with program faculty on specialized study opportunities.
Contact Information
- Address: 225 Herty Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-6012
- Phone: 706-542-5191
- Website: Visit School Website
2 Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia is home to Emory University, where students have received their college education since 1836.
Atticus Haygood, the eighth president of Emory University, urged people to “broaden their thinking” in 1880, and to embrace the “New South.”
The first female student later enrolled in the School of Law.
She graduated in 1920.
The law school offers many programs for students today, including its Master of Legal Studies program.
The Emory University School of Law offers students the opportunity to complete their Master of Legal Studies program in an online format.
Courses Offered
The Emory University School of Law offers its Master in Legal Studies program on a part-time basis.
The online program includes immersive assignments.
Program assignments are designed to allow students to gain critical thinking skills, the knowledge to navigate complex legal and compliance issues, and to use decision-making skills when collaborating with legal teams.
Students choose one of four concentrations.
The concentration options allow them to follow a curriculum that best aligns with their career goals.
The program concentrations include Business Law and Regulation, Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Technology Law, Health Care Law, Policy and Regulation, and Employment Law and Human Resources.
The curriculum in the 30-credit program includes courses such as Introduction to the American Legal System, Law and Legal Professionals, Contracts for Professionals, and Analysis, Research, and Communications (ARC) for Professionals.
It also includes six elective courses, which total 18 credits.
Some elective courses include Business Compliance and Oversight, Artificial Intelligence in Health Care for Professionals, and Administrative Law.
Students also complete a 10-day course at the beginning of the Master in Legal Studies program.
They complete a boot camp early in the program.
The boot camp provides students with the opportunity to learn how to read, analyze, and brief a case.
Emory University also offers students a two-day workshop and a capstone experience.
Contact Information
- Address: 1301 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322
- Phone: 404-726-0067
- Website: Visit School Website
Schools Summary Table
| Rank | School | |
|---|---|---|
|
#1 | University of Georgia |
|
#2 | Emory University |
Legal Studies Salary Information
The median salary for a person who earns a master’s degree in legal studies varies for several reasons.
One main reason for the variation in the salary is that there are several career paths for program graduates.
People who are not sure about the area that they want to specialize in are likely to explore the average salaries for those career options.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the 2023 median pay for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators as $71,540 per year.
The job outlook is that this field will grow “faster than average,” when compared to all other occupations.
Consider a career as a financial examiner after earning a Master’s in Legal Studies in Georgia.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the average 2023 salary for financial examiners is $84,300.
The career has a “much faster than average” job growth outlook through at least 2032.
The site salary.com lists the average salary for a compliance director in healthcare as $158,672.
The average salary for someone working in the field in Georgia is $153,435.
The average salary for a compliance director in healthcare in Atlanta and in Decatur, Georgia is $155,339, while it is $148,358 in Savannah, as of June 2024.
Cybersecurity professionals earn an average salary of $94,593, as of June 2024.
People who work as cybersecurity professionals in Albany, Georgia earn an average salary of $85,039.
They earn an average salary of $92,607 if they work in Atlanta, Georgia.
Professionals who work in cybersecurity will likely earn more if they have a master’s in legal studies degree.
The Georgia location, the specific career specialization, the degree that a person has, such as a master’s in legal studies, and the length of time that a person is on the job are all factors that can affect the salary of a legal studies professional who works in Georgia.
| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
$80K |
|
$89K |
|
$98K |
Average Salary in Georgia
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Albany | $83,086 |
| Marietta | $90,202 |
| Athens | $89,832 |
| Roswell | $90,110 |
| Athens | $89,832 |
| Augusta | $85,489 |
| Valdosta | $82,716 |
| Columbus | $82,161 |
| Macon | $83,086 |
| Savannah | $86,413 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, GA | 90 | $54,980 | $26.44 | $76,320 | $36,300 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 140 | $50,500 | $24.28 | $61,880 | $34,510 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 8,950 | $65,570 | $31.53 | $97,880 | $38,060 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 410 | $54,430 | $26.17 | $76,890 | $34,620 |
| Brunswick, GA | 110 | $45,210 | $21.74 | $63,640 | $27,470 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 240 | $46,560 | $22.39 | $68,540 | $26,470 |
| Dalton, GA | 70 | $50,170 | $24.12 | $71,550 | $30,130 |
| Gainesville, GA | 180 | $51,860 | $24.93 | $74,250 | $30,980 |
| Hinesville, GA | 50 | $50,110 | $24.09 | $77,410 | $31,000 |
| Macon, GA | 340 | $51,380 | $24.7 | $73,260 | $30,880 |
| Rome, GA | 60 | $50,140 | $24.1 | $62,300 | $31,220 |
| Savannah, GA | 550 | $57,800 | $27.79 | $76,410 | $31,080 |
| Valdosta, GA | 110 | $50,270 | $24.17 | $69,590 | $34,970 |
| Warner Robins, GA | 70 | $48,980 | $23.55 | $66,620 | $27,020 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Legal Studies Programs by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Leave a Reply