Legal studies programs offer non-lawyers a chance to hone their legal skills to help communicate with others, demanding a higher salary, and generally succeeding in areas with a legal aspect.
This includes areas that many people don’t consider, such as real estate, immigration, and even true-crime writing and contract negotiation.
With a Master’s degree in Legal Studies, you have the opportunity to advance your skills in both written and oral communication, and you hone your research skills, which can be translated into many areas.
All of this allows you to find positions that offer more money and better benefits.
It is estimated that those with this Master’s degree earn $10,000 to $15,000 more annually, regardless of their chosen career field.
If you have a love of the law, can see how it will benefit you on your career path, and would like to further your education, check out these programs offering a Master’s in Legal studies to Utah residents.
The Schools
Many schools now offer their Master’s degrees online rather than in-person. It is often difficult to find in-person classes at the higher levels.
This makes it easier for those who don’t have access to an institution of higher learning or have to work around a schedule of career and family.
The following schools include two with in-person programs and the additional ones are online.
1 S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah
Founded in 1850, this became the first school of higher learning west of Missouri.
Over 35,000 students attend this university, which is located in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is a Tier 1 research institution and has the only academic. medical center within the state.
A full 85 percent of the students receive financial aid at this school, which is one of the Top 100 Universities in the country.
It is also the largest employer in the state of Utah.
Courses Offered
The course offered by the S. J. Quinney College of Law is a one-year, 30-credit course that covers three semesters.
Each class forms a chart that allows students to advance together.
This enables the building of friendships that can last a lifetime and provide networking opportunities.
For those who have a specific area of law they are concentrating on, there is the opportunity to substitute some classes to better meet that goal. Classes can be taken either online or in person.
The subjects covered include Basic Mediation, Legal Research for non-lawyers, lawsuits and litigation, understanding statutes, contracts in the modern economy, legal ethics, the regulatory system, Government, Private Property, and Land Use, Labor and Employment, and Family Law.
The cost of the entire in-person program is $34,218 for Utah residents and $51,342 for non-residents.
Non-residents are those who have not lived in Utah for at least twelve months before enrolling.
The cost of the online program is $32,601 for any student.
Contact Information
- Address: 201 Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
- Phone: 801-581-7200
- Website: Visit School Website
2 Utah Valley University
This school strives to make higher education affordable and offers the lowest tuition of any Utah institution of higher education.
Their financial aid options are open to both residents and non-residents of Utah.
It is also ranked third in the country for return on investment.
The faculty/student ratio is 1:20 and over 42,000 students attend at any given time.
There are eight different “schools” within this one, including 18 Master’s programs.
Courses Offered
The Master’s program in Constitutional Government, Civics and Law.
While this course does not cover individual laws within areas, it covers the background that governs the creation of the Constitution, legal and government systems, and the rule of law.
There are two tracks students can follow.
These are teaching and research.
This two-year degree program is 30 credit hours.
Students are required to take nine hours of electives, which can be chosen to enhance the career area you are seeking.
Base courses for the master’s degree include Foundations of American Constitutionalism, Foundations of American Democracy, Foundations of American Liberty, American Political Development, Structures of Government in American Constitutional Law, and Rights and Liberties in American Constitutional Law.
The entire program costs Utah residents $11,760 and non-residents can expect to pay $19,368.
Contact Information
- Address: 800 West University Pkwy Orem, UT 84058
- Phone: 801-863-8888
- Website: Visit School Website
3 Arizona State University
Arizona State University boasts 100,000 online graduates.
The offerings include 144 master’s programs that require at least a 3.0 GPA in undergraduate studies and a Bachelor’s degree.
The GMAT is also required.
Courses Offered
This course is designed in such a way that you can follow a generalized course in Legal Studies or you can focus on one of thirteen different areas.
The final degree doesn’t show the emphasis area.
Areas of specialization include sports law, tribal gaming law, contract negotiation, conflict resolution, construction law, and medical compliance, among others.
The course in Legal Studies is a 30-credit one, consisting of ten classes over 7.5 weeks.
You begin with a required course in U.S. Law and Legal Analysis and then you create a program that meets your needs from electives.
These electives include administrative agencies, criminal law, criminal procedure, contract law, property law, tort law,
The cost is approximately $29,957 per year, for a total of two years.
Contact Information
- Address: 111 E Taylor St., Phoenix, AZ 85004
- Phone: 866-277-6589
- Website: Visit School Website
4 Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is a Christian-based school that is divided into six “schools”, including the Caruso School of Law.
Here, you have many paths leading to a degree that will have you on track in regards to legal knowledge.
The school also allows specialized programs that lead to a dual degree.
Courses Offered
This is an online Master of Legal Studies Program that allows for a generalized path or specialization in dispute resolution, litigation, or Human Resources.
Upon graduation, you will be able to analyze and interpret a variety of legal situations.
This 16-month course will earn you 32 credits at one of the top 55 law programs in the country.
The Conflict Resolution path is ranked second in the country.
The cost of the entire course is $66,820.
There are numerous financial aid opportunities available
Contact Information
- Address: 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90263
- Phone: 310-506-4000
- Website: Visit School Website
5 American University
With eight schools to choose from, this school offers something for everyone.
The offerings include everything from certificates to doctorate degrees.
There are also numerous opportunities to join a research project or study abroad.
Courses Offered
The online master’s in legal studies is an individualized program that is one year in length and earns 30 credits.
Students have the chance to specialize in areas such as corporate compliance, environmental law, gender law, health law, human rights law, immigration and intellectual property law, and international trade law.
It will cost you $64,000 to complete the program.
Contact Information
- Address: 4300 Nebraska Ave NW Washington, DC 20016
- Phone: 202-885-1000
- Website: Visit School Website
6 Northeastern School of Law
This Boston school is a global research university that was founded in 1898.
It offers both online and in-person degrees.
The nine colleges offer degrees in 140 different areas.
The online courses are designed so that those who must contend with other areas of life can get their degree by studying part-time.
Courses Offered
The Master’s in Legal Studies is designed to be completed in less than two years.
It can be taken as a general course or students may specialize in one of five different areas.
These are Business Law, Health Law, Human Resource Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Public Law and Policy.
The cost of this program is $1,172 per credit hour and the course runs for 32 credit hours.
You are looking for $37,504 for the entire degree program.
Contact Information
- Address: 416 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Phone: 877-375-9638
- Website: Visit School Website
7 University of Pittsburgh's Law School
One of the nation’s oldest schools, the University of Pittsburgh has been operating since 1787 and is the number one public university in the northeast.
The school has four campuses and an online program.
This school offers 652 certificate and degree programs.
The University of Pittsburgh is also one of the foremost research institutions in the country.
Courses Offered
The 30-credit course in Legal Studies is designed to be completed within two years.
This is designed for the professional who isn’t a lawyer but wants to maintain an updated knowledge of legal matters in their career.
You will be able to specialize in Corporate Compliance, Human Resources Law, International Business Law, Sports, Entertainment, Art Law, or Health Care Compliance.
For those only wanting a certificate, each of these can be completed in 15 hours.
The core classes include American Legal System, Contracts, Torts, Property, Constitutional Law, I and II, Criminal Law, and Legislation and Regulation.
Once these 15 core credits are complete, each specialization has 15 credits of specialized classes.
The cost for the entire 30 credits is $31,680.
In addition to the basic tuition, there is a $100 technology fee per semester and the cost of books.
The school helps you fill out the FAFSA for federal aid but does not offer any other financial assistance.
Some employers may assist in the cost of attending the program.
Contact Information
- Address: 4200 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Phone: 412-624-4141
- Website: Visit School Website
Schools Summary Table
Legal Studies Salary Information
A Masters in Legal Studies can be used in such a wide variety of occupations, that it is necessary to research the particular field you are interested in.
Government and legal area jobs will pay higher than those holding this degree who work as mediators or insurance underwriters.
In Utah, the lowest salary of those holding this degree is $38,700 a year or $19 an hour.
The highest earners make $77,416 a year, or $37 an hour.
This all averages out to the majority of those holding a master’s degree in legal studies making an average of $26 an hour, for a yearly salary of $53,630.
| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
$79K |
|
$87K |
|
$96K |
Average Salary in Utah
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Layton | $86,505 |
| Saint George | $91,866 |
| Logan | $85,581 |
| Ogden | $86,782 |
| South Jordan | $89,278 |
| Orem | $86,043 |
| Provo | $86,043 |
| Lehi | $85,673 |
| Salt Lake City | $89,647 |
| Sandy | $89,463 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan, UT-ID | 40 | $51,580 | $24.8 | $71,580 | $37,450 |
| Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 270 | $53,620 | $25.78 | $75,840 | $37,690 |
| Provo-Orem, UT | 340 | $57,600 | $27.69 | $84,600 | $38,510 |
| St. George, UT | 130 | $50,760 | $24.4 | $65,150 | $39,930 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 2,260 | $58,660 | $28.2 | $83,610 | $40,670 |
* 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
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