Master in Law

Penn Law now offers the Master in Law degree to help Penn students and accomplished professionals in fields outside of law expand their knowledge of U.S. law and legal principles.

A Master in Law degree from Penn Law tells the world that you possess a solid foundation in legal issues that intersect with your professional field of interest.

Students enrolled in the program’s specialized curriculum will gain a solid understanding of legal topics and specific knowledge of the law in their areas of interest.

As part of the Master in Law program, you will complete eight courses and a final project individually tailored to your professional area of interest. Master in Law students sit alongside and interact with JD students, enriching the experiences for all students in the classroom.

The curriculum is developed for students coming from outside of the law, first grounding them with a foundation in law and legal principles, then enabling them to develop specialized legal knowledge through upper level electives.

Eight courses (consisting of three core foundation classes, one track-specific foundation class and four upper-level classes) and a Final Project are required to complete the Master in Law degree. These courses may be taken on a full-time or part-time basis and students have four years to complete these requirements unless they are enrolled in an approved dual-degree program in which case this time frame may be extended.

The three core foundation courses provide a comprehensive overview to the fundamental aspects of law including jurisdiction and sources of law, corporate entities, and the role and function of administrative agencies. The track-specific foundation class grounds students in the key legal concepts of their chosen track.  The upper-level courses are taken from Penn Law’s rich and varied JD curriculum.

Core Foundation Classes:

• Introduction to U.S. Law and Legal Methods
• Introduction to General Business Law
• The Regulatory State

Track-Specific Foundation Classes:

• Introduction to Health Law and Policy
• Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
• Introduction to Law and Society

The Master in Law (ML) degree is for current members of the University of Pennsylvania community (graduate students and staff at Penn and related entities) who are neither law students nor lawyers and who wish to complement their studies or careers in other disciplines with legal education at Penn Law. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of merit including academic record and professional experience. Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree or beyond in order to be accepted into the Master in Law program. 

Interested applicants may apply at anytime.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be considered for admission to the program beginning in the semester following the application.