Through the Master of Science in Legal Studies – State and Local Government Program offered by Kaplan University, students will learn about the organization, function, and interaction within state governments. The study includes the examination of American local, state, and federal legislative institutions as well as the processes used in enacting new legislation. The judicial role is explored in the legislative process through study cases. An important component of the program is the opportunity for hands-on exercises to facilitate better understanding of how policy issues are developed and how administrative rulings and supporting memoranda are produced by administrative agencies.

State and Local Government Specialization Courses include Organization and Function of State Government, Legislative Process, Gubernatorial and Administrative Process, and the Legal Studies Elective. There is a slight variation on the Required Courses depending on whether a student chooses to take the Applied Research Track or the Comprehensive Exam Track. Core Courses on the Applied Research Track include Legal Methods and Process, Ethics and the Professional, Legal Research/Analysis and Writing, Jurisprudence and Legal History, Applied Research in Legal Studies, Applied Research plus any of the following: Understanding Civil Responsibility, Understanding Criminal Responsibility, Family and the Legal System, and Contracts as Private Law. Core Courses for the Comprehensive Exam Track does not include the Applied Research Courses.

Total program length is fifty-five (55) credit hours. Qualified students can avail of federal aid, scholarship, and tuition discounts.

Prospective students must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Graduates of this program are not authorized to practice law which requires specific course requirements to be completed. Kaplan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

[Request information about this degree from Kaplan University]