Admissions: Application Procedure

Eligibility

Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States, or its equivalent from a foreign institution.* The School of Law is seeking candidates who have a strong academic record and either:

• are currently pursuing a graduate degree in another discipline;
• already hold a graduate degree in another discipline; or
• hold a Bachelor's degree and have a demonstrated, successful career (minimum 3-5 years professional experience).

Resumes and personal statements will be carefully considered by the Admissions Committee.

*2011/2012 and 2012/2013: Please note that we do not currently accept MS in Legal Studies applications from international applicants.

Deadlines

Priority deadlines are as follows:

• Fall Admission: File complete by June 1
• Spring Admission: File complete by November 1

Applications for admission will be considered on a space-available basis after the priority deadlines

Completed applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year, and many applicants will receive an admission decision within three weeks from the date their application becomes complete

Application Checklist

• Application
• Non-refundable application fee (US $50.00)
• Official transcript(s) from all universities and colleges attended
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Personal statement
• Writing Sample
• Letters of recommendation
• Official TOEFL or IELTS score (for international applicants only)

Graduate school entrance exams are not required; however, those who have taken these exams are requested to provide their scores.

Detailed Application Material Information

Application

• Please complete our PDF application and submit the signed application with your supporting documents by mail to:

  University of San Diego School of Law
  Graduate and International Programs
  Warren Hall, Room 207
  5998 Alcalá Park
  San Diego, CA 92110-2492
  USA

Application Fee

• The non-refundable application fee of US $50.00 may be paid by check drawn on a U.S. bank or by international money order
• Application fee must be payable to: University of San Diego School of Law
• Credit cards are not accepted

Official Transcript(s) from All Undergraduate and Graduate Institutions

• U.S. applicants must submit an official transcript from each undergraduate and graduate school attended
• Transcripts should be sent directly from the school, or may be submitted in a sealed envelope along with other application materials from the applicant
• International applicants must submit an official English translation or certified evaluation of an official transcript from each undergraduate and graduate school attended
• For applicants from countries in which a university will only release official transcripts to the student, the applicant may submit a photocopy if a notary or other official third party certifies that the photocopy is a true and correct copy of the original document

Resume or Curriculum Vitae

• Please submit a current resume or curriculum vitae

Personal Statement

• Please submit a brief personal statement which addresses:
• Relevant professional experience
• Reason for application to the MS in Legal Studies program
• Any additional significant information

Writing Sample

• Please submit a professional or academic writing sample (written solely by the applicant) that indicates the applicant’s writing ability.

Letters of Recommendation

• Please submit a minimum of two original, signed letters of recommendation
• Letters of recommendation should be from academic or professional sources
• Letters may be sent directly to Graduate and International Programs by the recommender, or may be submitted in a sealed envelope along with application materials

Official TOEFL or IELTS English Language Exam Score

• International applicants are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score
• Minimum required TOEFL score:
  • 98 points on internet-based TOEFL
  • 600 points on paper-based TOEFL
• Minimum required IELTS score:
  • 7.5 points on academic IELTS
• Please request that the test administrator submit the applicant’s official TOEFL/IELTS score directly to our office (TOEFL: institutional code 4849, department code 03)
• Institutional TOEFL/IELTS scores are not accepted.

Notice Regarding Submission of Application Materials

Please keep a copy of all materials submitted to Graduate and International Programs. Once original transcripts and documents are submitted as part of an applicant's admission materials, they cannot be returned or photocopied by Graduate and International Programs for any reason.

Questions may be directed to (619) 260-4596 or llminfo@sandiego.edu.