Graduate students outside university hall

MA in Law and Governance

At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Arts in Law and Governance with four concentrations as well as a Certificate in Conflict Management in the Workplace. Please contact Alfredo Toro Carnevali, Graduate Program Coordinator, if you are interested in pursuing one of our graduate programs.

Master of Arts in Law and Governance

The Master of Arts in Law and Governance offers a program of study for students seeking advanced preparation in the legal* field. It provides academic opportunities leading to career enhancement for legal professionals. The degree offerings are on the cutting edge of specialty areas such as conflict management, governance, human resource management, private sector compliance, legal management, legal informational management, intellectual property: copyright and trademark law, ethics, corporate integrity, and professional responsibility and peace studies.

Students may choose the general program without a concentration or they may choose from four available concentrations:

Law and Governance provides graduate instruction through a broad range of topics which develop the student’s critical understanding of law. Graduate offerings are designed:

  • To enhance professional development in law-related fields.
  • To advance the study of law within the context of an interdisciplinary liberal arts education.
  • To provide a more advanced level of legal knowledge in areas such as governance, compliance and human resources.
  • To prepare for the technologically state of the art legal environment of the twenty-first century.
  • To develop theoretical and practical knowledge of advocacy and dispute resolution.
  • To develop advanced research and writing abilities.
  • To enhance analytical and critical thinking skills essential to the legal field.

In the general program, students have the opportunity to enroll in courses from all four concentrations.

The programs of the department of Law and Governance incorporate education in the liberal arts with sound preparation for law-related professions. Many career alternatives are possible for graduates in government, the corporate sector and private arenas. Graduate course work in Law and Governance serves the needs of a broad range of professionals including:

  • Supervisors; claims managers; compliance officers; affirmative action officers; contract managers; government administrators and officials at the federal, state, county and local levels; public and nonprofit administrators; and information specialists.
  • Human resource officers; investigators; criminal justice professionals; legal advocates for victims of domestic violence, the disadvantaged and the physically and mentally challenged.
  • Primary and secondary school teachers desiring education in law or conflict resolution/peer mediation; consultants; newspaper reporters; practitioners in the field of dispute resolution; professionals who utilize dispute resolution in various forums, such as labor, insurance and financial markets.

Conflict Management in the Workplace Certificate Program

The certificate program provides students with theories and skill sets to create and maintain conflict management systems that balance organizational, legal and human resource factors, with the goal of increasing productivity while limiting legal liability. It is designed for directors, managers, supervisors and those wishing to be promoted to those positions in regulatory areas most closely identified with human resources, human resource management and human capital. See the Graduate School’s Certificate Program Admissions Process for more information.

*Disclaimer – The MA program is not a certification program for paralegals or legal assistants.