Master of Legal Studies
The MLS Program Mission
The Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program at Trinity Law School is designed to give a broad understanding of law and legal systems for those professionals who seek to advance their careers in areas involving legal compliance, regulations, contracts, negotiation, business, property, or human rights. For those students already in the workforce, the MLS program provides a general introduction to legal principles so these students can aid their employers with legal issues. The MLS program provides students with the ability to assess the effectiveness of counsel retained by employers. In addition to a general survey of law and legal systems, the MLS program allows students to concentrate their degree program in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bioethics, Church and Ministry Management, Contracts and Negotiation, Criminal Justice, General Legal Studies, Human Resources Management, Human Rights, or Nonprofit Organizations.
The MLS program is a 30-unit online degree program. Students complete a core curriculum of 15 units and then must choose from one of several 15-unit tracks available, for a total of 30 units.
Except as provided in rule 4.30 of the Admissions Rules (Legal education in a foreign state or country), completion of a professional law degree program at this law school other than for the Juris Doctor (JD) degree does not qualify a student to take the California Bar Examination or satisfy a requirement for admission to the practice law in California. It may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or to satisfy requirement for admission to the practice of law in any other jurisdiction. A student intending to seek admission to practice law should contact the admitting authority in the jurisdictions where the student intends to qualify to sit for the bar examination or to be admitted to practice for information regarding their legal education requirements.
MLS Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the MLS program, the graduate will be able to:
- demonstrate a basic knowledge of the law in areas applicable to a wide range of business and ministry management positions.
- apply the law as a tool for effective and ethical decision making.
- identify and formulate the legal issues and theories that impact their professional career.
- effectively interact with attorneys regarding the application of legal solutions to business and ministry challenges.
- recognize and resolve ethical issues by applying knowledge of secular law and biblical principles to contact area topics.
Accreditation
Trinity Law School is a school of Trinity International University, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Final Course Grades
Grading in the MLS program is on a criterion basis. Criteria are determined by the professor for each assignment. At the completion of a course, student scores for assignments will be totaled and translated into a final letter grade. Based on the total point percentage, students will be assigned a final letter grade as follows:
Grading Scale:
| Field 1 | Field 2 | Field 3 |
|---|---|---|
| A = 92-100% | B- = 80-80% | D+ = 68-69% |
| A- = 90-91% | C+ = 78-79% | D = 62-67% |
| B+ = 88-89% | C = 72-77% | D- = 60-61% |
| B = 82-87% | C- = 70-72% | F = 0-59% |
Degree Requirements
To graduate with an MLS degree, students must successfully complete 30 units of study. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above is required for the degree.
Graduation with Honors
The following criteria are established for the determination of graduation honors for students in the MLS program:
| Honor | GPA |
|---|---|
| Summa cum laude | 3.90 |
| Magna cum laude | 3.80 |
| Cum laude | 3.50 |
Dual Emphasis
Trinity Law School allows students to earn an MLS degree with up to two emphases. Students completing a dual emphasis earn a single MLS degree which is awarded upon completion of all requirements for both tracks. Students must complete the required 30 units of the first track and complete an additional 15 units of the other track to earn a second emphasis. If the courses for the two emphases overlap, students will be given credit for three units of overlap but must still complete a minimum of 12 track-specific unique units.
The Dual Emphasis option will no longer be available beginning in Spring 2025. Students who declared a dual emphasis prior to Spring 2025 will be able to complete the dual emphasis as stated above.
Academic Year
The academic calendar consists of modular classes meeting for eight-week periods. Students are considered full-time if they take one course per eight-week term; at this pace, students would complete the program in less than two years. However, students can complete the program in one year by taking a second course in most terms. Please see the academic calendar for module start and end dates, registration deadlines, and holidays.
Transferring Units from Trinity Law School Juris Doctor Program
Students who have completed JD courses at Trinity Law School or graduated with their JD from Trinity Law School can transfer up to 18 units from the completed JD courses toward the 30 required units for the MLS degree. These students must complete a minimum of 12 MLS units.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities will be accommodated upon petition accompanied by supporting documentation of the disability and upon approval of the Registrar's Office. Special accommodations will be carefully tailored to meet the documented need in accordance with the Trinity Law School disability policy. An informational packet detailing the services available for students with disabilities can be obtained from the Registrar's Office.
Students with a Bachelor’s Degree from a Foreign School
Trinity Law School welcomes foreign-educated applicants. However, there are particular admission requirements for evaluating foreign credentials. Foreign-educated applicants must request a course-by-course evaluation from a credential evaluation service approved by the State Bar of California. The list of approved agencies is available from the State Bar of California and the Trinity Law School Admissions Department.
The Master of Legal Studies program is an online program, which means students who are not citizens of the United States or permanent residents are not eligible to apply for an F-1 visa for this course of study.
All instruction at Trinity Law School is in English. Trinity Law School does not provide English language services.
Applicants for whom English is not their first language may be required to provide evidence of a passing Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score if they have not earned a ‘C’ or better in a regular (non-English as a Second Language (ESL)) college-level English composition course at an accredited United States college or university.
A passing TOEFL score is either 580 (paper-based examination), 92 (internet-based examination), or 237 (computer-based examination). Scores from any test format should be sent to TLS directly from Educational Testing Service.
International students who must obtain a Passing TOEFL Score may alternatively demonstrate English competency by the completion of one of the following methods:
- Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) with a verbal recentered score of 450 or higher.
- English Language Services (ELS) Language Centers’ Level 112 of ELS’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program with a grade of at least ‘B’.
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination score total of 6.5 or higher.
If a student does not meet Trinity Law School’s required level of English proficiency at the time of application, a “conditional letter of admission” may be granted.
Midterm and Final Examinations
There are no midterm examinations or final examinations in the MLS program.
Master of Legal Studies (MLS) Degree
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | 15 | |
| MLS 505 | Philosophy and Theology of Justice | 3 |
| MLS 521 | Contracts | 3 |
| MLS 541 | Torts | 3 |
| MLS 558 | Legal Fundamentals | 3 |
| MLS 702 | Business Organizations | 3 |
| Track (Select From Below) | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Tracks to choose from (15 hours):
Alternative Dispute Resolution Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 670 | Alternative Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| MLS 675 | Mediation | 3 |
| MLS 680 | Negotiation Theory and Practice | 3 |
| MLS 685 | ADR in the Workplace | 3 |
| MLS 686 | Cross Cultural Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Bioethics Track1
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 600 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| MLS 700 | Introduction to Bioethics 2 | 3 |
| or BE 5100 | Intensive Bioethics Institute | |
| or MLS 700b | Intensive Bioethics Institute | |
| Electives (Choose 3 courses from those listed below) | 9 | |
| Current Issues in Bioethics | ||
| Bioethics National Conference 2 | ||
or BE 5900 | Bioethics National Conference | |
| Landmark Cases in Bioethics | ||
| Bioethics Seminar | ||
| Bioethics and Public Policy | ||
| The Public Policy Context and Bioethics and Public Policy (or BE 5499 & BE 5500) 2 | ||
| The Right to Life and the Law | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
- 1
Effective Spring 2025, the Bioethics Track is not admitting additional students.
- 2
BE-prefaced courses require in-person attendance at the CBHD conference taking place in Bannockburn, IL annually in June.
Church Administration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 400 | Human Resources Compliance | 3 |
| MLS 523 | Contract Drafting and Analysis | 3 |
| MLS 850 | Exempt Organizations | 3 |
| MLS 860 | Strategic Planning | 3 |
| MLS 861 | Nonprofit Law | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Church and Ministry Management Track1
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 600 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| MLS 850 | Exempt Organizations | 3 |
| MLS 861 | Nonprofit Law | 3 |
| Electives (2 courses) | 6 | |
| Choose 2 elective courses from those listed below | ||
| Human Resources Compliance | ||
| Staffing and Compensation Administration | ||
| SHRM-CP/SCP Exam Prep: Core HR Strategies and Functions | ||
| SHRM-CP/SCP Exam Prep: Organizational Effectiveness and Risk Management | ||
| Human Trafficking and Economic Development--Cambodia 1 | ||
| Property | ||
| Wills, Trusts, and Estates | ||
| Religious Organizations | ||
| Strategic Planning | ||
| Religious Liberty and the Law | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
- 1
Effective Spring 2025, the Church and Ministry Management Track is not admitting additional students.
- 2
Study abroad.
Contracts and Negotiation Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 523 | Contract Drafting and Analysis | 3 |
| MLS 670 | Alternative Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| MLS 675 | Mediation | 3 |
| MLS 680 | Negotiation Theory and Practice | 3 |
| MLS 962 | Real Estate Transactions | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Criminal Justice Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 531 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| MLS 567 | Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| or MLS 568 | Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Criminal Justice | |
| MLS 572 | Victimology and Restorative Justice | 3 |
| MLS 575 | Law and Theory of Corrections | 3 |
| MLS 783 | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
General Legal Studies Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 523 | Contract Drafting and Analysis | 3 |
| MLS 531 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| MLS 600 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| MLS 660 | Property | 3 |
| MLS 800 | Wills, Trusts, and Estates | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Human Resources Management Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 400 | Human Resources Compliance | 3 |
| MLS 414 | Employment Discrimination | 3 |
| MLS 450 | SHRM-CP/SCP Exam Prep: Core HR Strategies and Functions | 3 |
| MLS 451 | SHRM-CP/SCP Exam Prep: Organizational Effectiveness and Risk Management | 3 |
| MLS 685 | ADR in the Workplace | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Human Rights Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 540 | Human Trafficking | 3 |
| MLS 544 | Domestic Human Traffficking | 3 |
| MLS 913 | The Rights of Vulnerable Persons: Women, Children and the Impoverished | 3 |
| MLS 914 | The Rights of Minorities | 3 |
| MLS 923 | Introduction to International Human Rights Law | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Human Trafficking Advocacy Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 531 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| MLS 540 | Human Trafficking | 3 |
| MLS 544 | Domestic Human Traffficking | 3 |
| MLS 572 | Victimology and Restorative Justice | 3 |
| MLS 783 | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Ministry, Advocacy, and the Law Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 544 | Domestic Human Traffficking | 3 |
| MLS 565 | Juvenile Law and Delinquency | 3 |
| MLS 700 | Introduction to Bioethics | 3 |
| MLS 910 | The Right to Life and the Law | 3 |
| MLS 913 | The Rights of Vulnerable Persons: Women, Children and the Impoverished | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Nonprofit Administration Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| MLS 400 | Human Resources Compliance | 3 |
| MLS 523 | Contract Drafting and Analysis | 3 |
| MLS 850 | Exempt Organizations | 3 |
| MLS 860 | Strategic Planning | 3 |
| MLS 861 | Nonprofit Law | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Customized Plan of Study Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MLS ___ | 15 hours of TLS MLS courses | 15 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |