Law - Professional Master of Studies in Law - In Person Option

The Professional Master of Studies in Law (“MSL”) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law is a 30-credit advanced degree designed for graduates and mid-career professionals seeking to enhance their careers with a versatile alternative to the traditional three-year Juris Doctor degree.

Professional Master’s students gain essential, specialized knowledge of laws and legal systems. Law is a pervasive influence on almost all aspects of life across the globe, but higher education often ill-prepares students and professionals for navigating laws and legal dynamics in business and life. The degree addresses this critical knowledge gap.

Students can complete this degree either by taking classes at the Pitt Law campus in Pittsburgh, through our new online program, or through a hybrid option consisting of some online courses and some in-person courses. For more information about the online program, click here .

Those who choose the in-person program can earn their master’s degree full-time in one academic year (August to May) or in two to four years on a flexible part-time schedule.

Pitt Law commands one of the oldest and best established professional Master of Studies in Law programs in the country. Only a handful of students are admitted each year and these students receive personalized mentoring and support. Students can choose from a broad array of workplace-relevant and leading-edge specializations, including a self-designed specialization.

Professional Master’s students take the same vast array of courses as Juris Doctor candidates taught by world-class legal scholars, judges and attorneys, and they gain the advantages and benefits of attending the University of Pittsburgh.