University of Pittsburgh School of Law Online Programs
In the modern workplace, where all aspects of an organization’s operations are impacted by laws and regulations, having a legal education is a valuable asset to both your career and to your company. The law is more than just an art or a science; it influences almost every decision—both personally and professionally—and Pitt Law’s Online Master of Studies in Law (MSL) program is here to help those without a JD degree learn what they need to get ahead.
The Online MSL is a 30-credit advanced degree designed for professionals like you. Enhance your career with a versatile program offering multiple specializations—Health Care Compliance, Human Resources Law, International Business Law, Corporate Compliance, and Sports, Entertainment, and Arts Law—to learn what matters most for your career. Online certificate programs are also available for those not seeking a master’s degree.
Video Transcript
Pitt Law has been a leader in legal education for over 125 years. Now, our master's studies and law degree is online.
I am Marily Nixon. I am a professor of practice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and I direct the online Master of Studies and Law program there. What is the online MSL at Pitt Law? It's a two-year program that gives students the opportunity to earn a master's degree and also a certificate in a specialization of their choice. This is a part-time program, all online, asynchronous, so students can complete the work when it works for them.
Natalie Novak:
What I have found that makes the Pitt Law online experience unique is that there really are professors across the board who are committed to your success in the program. And even though it's an online program, they really find ways to make it engaging for everyone.
Marily Nixon:
Our program is built around the idea that every student is unique. Every student has their own interests and their own priorities. So in our program, you can start with the one year of online MSL core courses, which teach you all the basic topics that one-year JD students learn in law school. And then you can choose to go on to a specialization. We have several specializations students can choose from, um, from healthcare compliance to human resources law to corporate compliance, to international business law, and we're growing those specializations as well. So a student can start with the core courses and then move on to their specialization for their second year of study, or they could do it the other way if that works best for them. They could start with a specialized course of study and then finish their degree with the online MSL core courses. So we really have set the program up to give it the maximum flexibility so it works for the most students possible.
Natalie Novak:
If your job intersects with some sort of legal or regulatory realm where you're wanting to learn more and bring more to the table and create better arguments and you grow and work, or you know, maybe you're looking for a career change to get into something with a little bit more of a legal element or healthcare compliance, for instance, I would 100% recommend this program.
Marily Nixon:
We don't aim to be a huge program. We aim to be a program that delivers a really high quality and enjoyable experience to our students, and that combined with the incredible expertise of our professors who are academic experts and very experienced practitioners, really sets the Pitt Law program part. We look forward to having you join the Pitt Law community.
This will only take a moment.
Are you considering a master’s degree in law or a graduate certificate to take your career to the next level? Pitt Law’s Master of Studies in Law online program is designed for professionals seeking to enhance their careers with a versatile alternative to the traditional three-year JD degree. The certificate programs are ideal for those who are not currently looking to pursue a master’s degree.
Complete the form to get a program brochure for Pitt Law’s Online MSL plus your chosen specialization, or your chosen certificate program, delivered to your inbox.
Law School Veterans With an Innovative Edge
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law has educated legal minds since 1895 and has one of the oldest Master of Studies in Law (MSL) programs in the country. This storied history has led to a modern-day MSL program that has a reputation for academic and professional excellence in legal communities. Pitt Law places an emphasis on practical knowledge for career acceleration. For over 20 years, we have invested in individuals who are ready to develop a well-rounded understanding of evolving laws and regulations that govern business today. Now, Pitt Law is proud to offer this established MSL program online.
With four specializations to choose from to complete your Online MSL, a strong bench of faculty and a curriculum designed to flex to your busy schedule, make the decision to start your studies with Pitt Law today.
Earn Your MSL Online with Pitt Law
Pitt Law Online Law Certificate Programs
Not sure if you are ready for a master’s program? Pitt Law offers 15-credit graduate certificate programs online. Through our graduate certificate programs in Health Care Compliance, Human Resources Law, International Business Law, and Corporate Compliance, you can gain a deeper understanding of the law and how it impacts your professional life in your area of concentration.
All of our graduate certificate programs are of the same caliber as our degree courses and can be completed in as few as 10 months. If you choose a certificate and successfully complete the program, you may apply the 15 credits earned to the Online MSL degree should you decide you wish to pursue the full master’s program. If you complete your certificate program with a 3.0 GPA and choose to go on for your MSL, you will be automatically considered for admission with no additional application fees.
Patricia Blount ’20, MSL with Health Care Compliance Specialization
“The MSL degree has enhanced my legal credibility with lawyers and administrators I work with. One of the most rewarding parts of being an MSL student was being fully integrated into the law school. I had access to the same resources and the same classes as the JD students, which provided me with a true law school experience and a lawyer’s perspective when working with my attorney colleagues on compliance-related matters.
I also appreciated the personalized attention I received from the faculty and staff, including the program director as my academic advisor, the program administrator, and each of my law school professors who were always available during and outside of office hours.”
Why Pitt Law
Fall 2025 Admissions Deadlines
- Retrieved January 23, 2023, from usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-campus-03141
- Retrieved January 23, 2023, from law.pitt.edu/alumni