MLS Policies
Visiting Students; Undergraduate Students Taking Chase Courses; MLS Students Taking Undergraduate Courses
Chase College of Law will allow students seeking a Master of Legal Studies degree at another institution to be a visiting student at Chase, as long as the student can provide documentation that the student’s degree-granting institution will accept transfer credit from Chase.
No undergraduate students, other than those participating in the Chase 3+3 program, may take any courses at Chase College of Law.
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program may take a maximum of six credit-hours at NKU’s other colleges and receive credit toward the MLS degree for that coursework. The remaining twenty-four credit hours must be earned at Chase College of Law (or possibly at another law school). Students must receive permission from Chase’s Associate Dean for Academics before registering for non-Chase coursework at NKU.
Time Limits for Application / Interruptions in Studies / Application Deadlines
The application deadline for the fall semester is July 20. Students typically begin the Master of Legal Studies program during the fall semester. In some cases, students can begin the Master of Legal Studies program during the summer semester (May start date); the application deadline for those students is April 1. Students enrolled in the on-line tech-focused MLS degree program can start the program throughout the year.
Credit Applied to Degree; Transfer Credit
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program cannot apply non-Chase credit-hours earned prior to enrolling in the program. This applies to JD credits earned at another law school, MLS credits, and all other non-Chase credits earned prior to enrolling in the MLS program.
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program must receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academics to register for courses at other law schools and have those credits apply to the Master of Legal Studies degree.
Independent Study / Readings Courses / Special Topics Courses
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program will not participate in Readings Courses or Special Topics Courses.
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program will be able to participate in a Supervised Independent Research project, but they must first seek approval from the Associate Dean for Academics.
Chase College of Law has its own policies and requirements for a Supervised Independent Research project, and those policies apply to students in the Master of Legal Studies program.
Degree Time Limits and Course Age
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program are expected to complete their degree requirements within four years, but they must complete the degree requirements within six years. Students must receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academics to take more than six years to earn the degree.
Audits and Course Loads
In order to audit a course, students in the Master of Legal Studies program must receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academics and the faculty member teaching the course the students wish to audit.
A part-time student is expected to take between three and five credit hours each fall/spring semester. The expected course load during the summer will depend on course offerings.
A full-time student is expected to take six or more credit hours each fall/spring semester. The expected course load during the summer will depend on course offerings.
Student Appeals
If the student is appealing a Chase-specific issue (other than a grade appeal), the student must appeal to the Associate Dean for Academics, who will either resolve the appeal or designate another administrator or committee to resolve the appeal. The student will have the opportunity to appeal the first decision to the Dean, whose decision will be final.
If the student is appealing a non-Chase-specific issue, the student should follow the appeal process outlined in the Northern Kentucky University Graduate Catalog.
Graduation
No student in the Master of Legal Studies program will be able to graduate if he/she is not in good academic standing at the time he/she wishes to graduate (see previous policy regarding academic standing).
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program will be eligible to walk in the Chase College of Law graduation ceremony. Students in the Master of Legal Studies program will receive a diploma from the Chase College of Law.
Administration of the MLS Program
The Master of Legal Studies program is overseen primarily by the Chase College of Law. Students in the Master of Legal Studies program should first consult with Chase’s Associate Dean for Academics if they have questions regarding the Master of Legal Studies program.
Graduate Council
The Chase College of Law oversees and interprets the Chase-specific policies for the Master of Legal Studies program. The NKU Office of Graduate Education oversees the non-Chase-specific policies in this program.
Miscellaneous Policies
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program will follow the Chase College of Law’s academic calendar.
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program will follow the registration instructions provided by Chase’s Associate Dean for Academics.
For students in the Master of Legal Studies program, all course withdrawals and additions will follow the rules applicable to JD students. The applicable rules and relevant dates are located on the Chase website.
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program must follow the same attendance policies as JD students. Each professor will follow his/her own attendance policies, which will be set forth in the course syllabus.
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program are bound by these policies, the Master of Legal Studies policies set forth in the NKU Graduate Catalog, the Chase Student Handbook (where applicable), and by the Chase Student Honor Code. The Chase Student Handbook can be found at https://chaselaw.nku.edu/current-students/resources/handbook.html.
Students in the Master of Legal Studies program are also bound by NKU policies regarding student conduct and academic integrity. Situations involving a conflict between the Chase policies and the NKU policies will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Information regarding the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities is not applicable to students in the Master of Legal Studies program.
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