Online Masters in Legal Studies

An online Master’s Degree in Legal Studies is a program that focuses on establishing a solid base of the fundamentals of the legal system. An accredited online master’s degree in legal studies is designed to increase a student’s knowledge in legal theory and the application of laws of society

Online Master’s Degrees in Legal Studies Requirements

Successful students in a masters degree in legal studies programs typically have great interpersonal skills, ability to solve complex problems, and are keen with details. Students who are working on a masters degree in legal studies from accredited online colleges will have the opportunity to hone these skills as well as acquire new ones to be successful in any career endeavors.

Most online masters legal studies candidates may already have a bachelor’s degree in related fields such as the following:

• Criminal Justice
• Human Resource Management
• Human Services
• Education
• Business
• Organizational Leadership
• Healthcare Administration

In addition, many students may also have prior work experience as human resource managers, paralegals, consultants, or court clerks.
An online master’s in legal studies is generally required to purse an online PhD in Public Service Administration or other PhD programs relating to legal studies.

Online Legal Studies Master’s Degree Education

It typically takes a minimum of three years to complete a top online master’s degree program in legal studies. However, if individuals are highly motivated, there is a greater likelihood of a faster completion. There are several types of masters degrees offered at great schools that have accredited online legal studies programs. Some include:

• Master of Science in Human Resources Management with a specialization in Legal Studies
• Master of Professional Studies in Paralegal Studies
• Master of Science in Law
• Master of Science in Legal Studies

Information on Legal Studies Courses

Top online masters degree programs in legal studies require students to complete either the pre-law or international law concentrations, along with general studies and core legal studies courses. The courses required to obtain a legal studies master’s degree online are designed to create global professionals who can bring their expertise to solve complex problems in any given industry. The core courses for online master’s degree legal studies include the following:

• Introduction to Legal Studies
  This course provides an introduction to the structure and basic decisional processes of the American legal system. Also, it focuses on the study of historical and social development of the legal profession in America from the colonial period to the present with emphasis of being in the perspective of everyday working relationships.
• Introduction to Logic or Symbolic Logic
  This online master degree in legal studies course focuses on looking at complex situations and applying the principles and evaluation of critical thinking. This course also focuses on applying identification, analysis of fallacious and valid reasoning.
• Ethics or Moral Issues
  Students who take this course are introduced to moral reasoning through a philosophical examination of important ethical concepts, such as ethical theory, relativism, egoism, and virtue. Also, students will learn that ethical problems can have solutions with the use of applying the normative ethical theory.
• Ancient Philosophy or Modern Philosophy
  This course focuses on the study of the classical works of philosophy. Students will learn how to understand, analyze, and evaluate arguments of the various philosophers presented in this course.
• Philosophy of Law or Social and Political Philosophy
  The nature of law, law and morality, legal responsibility, civil disobedience, and the justification of punishment are discussed in this course. Also, students can study the social and political aspects of how the government uses philosophy in daily operations.
• Argument and Debate
  This online masters in legal studies course helps students develop skills in the fundamentals of oral argumentation, delivery, and audience analysis. In addition, students are able to learn how to research evidence and construct an argument in debate format.

Specializations and Concentrations

Because Legal Studies is a broad field, in order to become an expert in a specific niche, some online master’s Legal Studies students will pursue specialties or concentrations in areas including:

• Human Resources Management and the Law
• International Law
• Pre-Law
• Healthcare Delivery
• State and Local Government
• Legal System and the Media
• Education and the Legal System

Careers in Legal Studies

Graduates of online master programs in legal studies have many career options. Some great career choices for online masters degree legal studies graduates are the following:

• Human Resources Manager
  A human resources manager is a person who oversees the legal and ethical aspects in a workplace. Individuals who choose this career earns on average $80,000 per year. The number of Human Resources Managers will grow by 10 percent over the next ten years due to the many private and public organizations.
• Paralegal
  Paralegals are people who research, write, and take care of legal cases for lawyers or in the law profession. Salaries for paralegals on average range from $32,994 to $53,985. Paralegals are high in demand and will continue to be in the next five years.
• Legal Nurse Consultant
  Legal Nurse Consultants assist and advise attorneys on medical-related cases. The average salary for legal nurse consultants is $65,000 a year. This position will consistently be in demand given that medical mishaps can be highly common in a workplace.
• Court Clerk
  A court clerk is responsible for all management and administrative functions of the clerk of courts. The average salary is $59,172 to $60,651. This position is expected to grow because the legal system at a consistent rate.
• Legal Studies Professor
  A legal studies professor is a person who has prior work experience who chooses to teach other aspiring students of the legal system. Legal studies professors average $121,306 a year. Job prospects are expected to remain high.

There are some positions in the legal and law industry that do not require a master’s degree. However, one will improve his or her chances of getting a higher paid position and job security with a degree from an online master degree program in legal studies.