M.S.L. Program
The degree of master of studies in law.
Yale Law School offers a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree program for a small number of non-lawyers who seek to obtain a basic familiarity with legal thought and to explore the relation of law to their disciplines. It is a one-year terminal program designed for those who do not desire a professional law degree, but who are interested in a rigorous curriculum and grounding in legal studies.
Candidates in the M.S.L. program are typically experienced scholars with doctorates who have research or teaching objectives in mind, or mid-career journalists seeking an intensive immersion in legal thinking so that they are better able to educate their audiences upon their return to journalism. (Those who have completed a professional law degree are not eligible for the program.)
Students enjoy small class sizes side-by-side with J.D. and other graduate students and a close relationship with the Yale Law School faculty .
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Graduate Student Life
August 2024 Welcome Dinner at the home of Professor Brilmayer
Graduate Programs students and staff at 2024 Orientation.
Students on a snowtubing trip in February 2024.
Orientation welcome dinner, August 2023
2020 and 2021 Graduate Programs alumni celebrate in the YLS Courtyard with Assistant Dean Gordon Silverstein before their in-person ceremony in May 2022
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The Ph.D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through a doctoral program aimed at the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing under the close supervision of a …
The Ph.D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through a doctoral program aimed at the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing under the close supervision of a three-member faculty dissertation committee.
The Ph.D. in Law program requires coursework, a written and an oral comprehensive exam, a dissertation—which may take the form of a traditional monograph or three law review articles—and teaching experience.
Applications will be accepted in the fall for study to commence in the subsequent fall. The application deadline is December 15, but the Admissions Committee will begin to review each application when it is complete. Applications must be submitted via Yale University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application website.
The Ph.D. in Law program at Yale Law School is designed specifically for candidates with J.D. degrees from U.S. law schools. You may, however, consider applying for admission to Yale Law School's LL.M. degree program.
The Ph.D. in Law is a doctoral program offered in conjunction with Yale University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. It is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through coursework and the production of a substantial body of original academic research and writing.
Yale Law School admits a limited number of graduate students each year to pursue one year of full-time study leading to the degree of Master of Laws (LL.M.). Admission is generally open only to those committed to a career in teaching law.
Yale Law School offers five degree-granting programs. Joint degrees are conferred by the Law School and other Yale graduate programs. In addition, a limited number of visiting researchers and visiting students are welcomed each year. Learn more about our programs.
The Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) program at Yale Law School is a select doctoral program for graduates of Yale's LL.M. program who aspire to careers in law teaching and scholarship.
In cooperation with other schools and departments of Yale University, the Law School offers programs leading to a master’s degree and a J.D. (Juris Doctor) or to a doctorate and a J.D. These programs are intended for those who wish to acquire the specialized skills of some body of knowledge related to law.
Yale Law School offers a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree program for a small number of non-lawyers who seek to obtain a basic familiarity with legal thought and to explore the relation of law to their disciplines.