Master of Legal Studies

At the University of Utah, our courses combine the flexibility of online teaching with the advantages and direct engagement of traditional teaching. Enjoy the benefit of studying online at your own pace while still engaging with classmates and instructors. This flexible way of teaching improves your overall experience and your ability to retain what you learn.

Interactive learning comes in a variety of ways:

• Group assignments, where you collaborate via email, Zoom, or a discussion forum to answer a problem set.
• Contributions to a discussion forum, where you directly respond to previous posts.
• Peer reviews, where you review and comment on assignments from other students.

Our classes also offer multiple routes to stay connected and get help:

• Communicate directly with the instructor via email, by phone, or on Zoom.
• Participate in and guide online discussions.
• Attend online office hours in discussion threads, on the phone, or on Zoom.
• Instructors are available in “real” office hours for students on or near campus; for some courses we offer Q&A sessions in a classroom.

Master of Legal Studies

Total program tuition at current rates: $32,602.50* ($1,086.75 per credit x 30 credits).

• Tuition rate is current as of Fall 2024. Tuition is subject to change. Changes typically occur in the summer but can happen at any time. College of Law Tuition Charts
• Please note tuition does not include additional fees such as online textbooks or proctored exams. Fees and materials vary by program. Please refer to the tuition estimator for a better idea of cost per semester.

*Subject to change without notice

This program qualifies for the U of U employee reduced tuition benefit.

Applicants to this program come from many different career backgrounds. Many just want to improve their positions within their same company or career field, while others want to change careers. The fields, industries, and careers for which the MLS degree is well suited include, but are not limited to:

• Regulatory affairs
• Compliance (finance, healthcare, compliance directors, compliance analysts, and more)
• Human resources
• Education (higher education, secondary education, K-12)
• Contract administration
• Law (court administrators, paralegals, legal assistants, limited licensed practitioners, legal analysts, etc.)
• Mediation & dispute resolution
• Arbitration
• Business (corporate executives, accountants)
• Law enforcement (police officers, private investigators, federal agents, intelligence analysts)
• Healthcare & health services
• Risk management
• Social Work 
• Entrepreneurship 
• Real Estate
• Politics

Because most people who enter the program are mid-career professionals in many different industries, it is difficult to speak to total salary numbers. However, the data concerning our first cohorts indicate that within 6 months of completing the program, most students were able to secure a promotion, a pay raise averaging $10,000-$15,000 more per year, and/or a new job better in line with their career goals.

Application Requirements

• No standardized test scores required 

• Must have a bachelor’s degree to apply 

• Must be 18 years of age or older 

• Competitive undergraduate GPA

Applications may be submitted between September 1 and May 31 with priority deadline of April 1. Application fee of $55 if applying before April 1 (fee waivers may be available by contacting mls@law.utah.edu) and a $30 late fee applied thereafter.

Students wishing to apply to the online MLS program must complete/submit:

• Application form (application instructions)
• Resume/CV
• Personal statement indicating why you wish to complete the program and how it fits into your career goals
• Writing sample(s)
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Transcripts (need not be official, however, official transcripts will be required by the University if you are admitted) - must have at least a bachelor's degree to apply

Note: please visit the MLS Requirements page for more information on graduation requirements.

At the University of Utah, our courses combine the flexibility of online teaching with the advantages and direct engagement of traditional teaching. Enjoy the benefit of studying online at your own pace while still engaging with classmates and instructors. This flexible way of teaching improves your overall experience and your ability to retain what you learn.

Interactive learning comes in a variety of ways:

• Group assignments, where you collaborate via email, Zoom, or a discussion forum to answer a problem set.
• Contributions to a discussion forum, where you directly respond to previous posts.
• Peer reviews, where you review and comment on assignments from other students.

Our classes also offer multiple routes to stay connected and get help:

• Communicate directly with the instructor via email, by phone, or on Zoom.
• Participate in and guide online discussions.
• Attend online office hours in discussion threads, on the phone, or on Zoom.
• Instructors are available in “real” office hours for students on or near campus; for some courses we offer Q&A sessions in a classroom.

Industry specialist taught courses will cover health law, healthcare regulation, and fraud and abuse. 

Learning outcomes include, but are not limited to; 

• The ability to recognize financial relationships and arrangements that implicate federal regulatory risk. 

• A level of fluency in the principles and language of the law that will facilitate working more effectively with legal counsel.   

• An understanding of the complex and nuanced relationship between health care organizations and their provider staffs, including the legal structures of professional licensing and autonomy. 

• An understanding of the complex regulatory structure and influence of payment models for health care services. 
• A working knowledge of the structure and function of compliance programs in health care organizations. 

1. Intro to Health Law

This introductory course for non-lawyers will equip students with a basic understanding of the complexities of health care and policy in the U.S. today. 

Taught by: Leslie Francis, JD, PhD, is distinguished Alfred C. Emery Professor of Law and distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah, where she is also appointed as an adjunct faculty member in Internal Medicine, Public Health, and Political Science.  Professor Francis specializes in health law, disability law, and bioethics.  She is the author of many books and articles, including most recently States of Health: the Ethics and Consequences of Policy Variation in a Federal System (with John Francis; Oxford University Press, 2024).  

2. Healthcare Fraud & Abuse 

This course will provide students with an appreciation for administrative law in healthcare and the complexity and nuance in complying with applicable federal regulatory structures by understanding historical, theoretical and policy themes in healthcare regulations intended to protect the financial integrity of federal health care programs. 

Taught by: Robert R. Harrison earned a Master of Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law with an Honors Certificate in Health Law.  He was a Fellow in Health Law and Policy at Loyola University Chicago, earning a Master of Laws in Health Law with a concentration in regulatory compliance, and subsequently earned a doctorate in bioethics, also from Loyola University Chicago.  He is a past national chair of the Health Law Section of the Federal Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Legal Medicine.    

3. Healthcare Compliance

This course will providestudents the ability to obtain the knowledge and tools necessary in understanding practical aspects of developing, growing, and operating an effective and ethical compliance program for healthcare organizations. 

Taught by: Brent Wilson is Chief Compliance Officer at University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City, Utah. Brent graduated from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon in 2002, and began his law career as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Wayne L. Kidwell at the Idaho Supreme Court. After clerking, Brent worked in private law practice in Boise, Idaho until 2012, when he shifted to a health care compliance role, first as Compliance and Risk Manager for the Elks Rehabilitation System and then as Director of Integrity and Compliance at Saint Alphonsus Health System in Boise. In early 2019, Brent began his current role at University of Utah Health.

Master of Legal Studies with Healthcare Law Emphasis

Total program tuition at current rates: $32,602.50* ($1,086.75 per credit x 30 credits).

• Tuition rate is current as of Fall 2024. Tuition is subject to change. Changes typically occur in the summer but can happen at any time. College of Law Tuition Charts
• Please note tuition does not include additional fees such as online textbooks or proctored exams. Fees and materials vary by program. Please refer to the tuition estimator for a better idea of cost per semester.

*Subject to change without notice

This program qualifies for the U of U employee reduced tuition benefit.

Career opportunities may include, but are not limited to:

• All health care entities 

• Health insurers 

• Government agencies 

• Law firms (Licensed Paralegal Practitioner) 

• Policy think tanks 

• Academic institutions 

Application Requirements

• No standardized test scores required 

• Must have a bachelor’s degree to apply 

• Must be 18 years of age or older 

• Competitive undergraduate GPA

Applications may be submitted between September 1 and May 31 with priority deadline of April 1. Application fee of $55 if applying before April 1 (fee waivers may be available by contacting mls@law.utah.edu) and a $30 late fee applied thereafter.

Students wishing to apply to the online MLS program must complete/submit:

• Application form (application instructions)
• Resume/CV
• Personal statement indicating why you wish to complete the program and how it fits into your career goals
• Writing sample(s)
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Transcripts (need not be official, however, official transcripts will be required by the University if you are admitted) - must have at least a bachelor's degree to apply

Note: please visit the MLS Requirements page for more information on graduation requirements.