Master of Science in Law: FAQs

Northwestern's Master of Science in Law curriculum focuses on business, legal, and regulatory topics that relate to a variety of STEM disciplines. The curriculum exposes students to patents, contracts, privacy, regulation, licensing, business deals, risk management, compliance, entrepreneurship, and many other real-world subjects. MSL students improve their writing, presentation, quantitative, negotiation, and communication skills. The unique combination of integrated legal and business skills that MSL graduates acquire makes them highly valuable in the marketplace.

Students in the MSL program come from many different backgrounds and are interested in a variety of professional roles; the MSL program meets students where they are and prepares them for a variety of careers and career advancements. Most graduates pursue careers that require them to interact across functions and utilize business judgment, policy expertise, and legal knowledge. Examples include management consulting, privacy and data security, product development, risk assessment, regulatory and compliance analysis, project management, and many others.

Many experienced professionals come to the MSL with C-suite level ambitions, recognizing that they need additional skills and knowledge to achieve their goals. The MSL program helps guide its students to where they want to be: on a professional path that allows them to utilize their interdisciplinary skills in a productive and rewarding career.

The MSL degree will allow you to go further in your career. You’ll learn to tackle multi-faceted issues with insight and perspective, and you’ll be prepared to engage with decision-makers (including lawyers) at the highest levels. Whether you are a recent college graduate in the early stages of your career, a STEM professional looking to branch out beyond the bench, a mid-career professional looking to pivot in your career, or an accomplished professional who wants to advance further up the corporate ladder, the MSL’s focus on the legal, regulatory, business, and policy aspects of your work will be a game-changer in your career.

Yes. Many students who come to the MSL program without substantial work experience use their time in the program to explore career possibilities, and many of them identify the path they want to pursue through this exploration. Students learn about professional roles they may not have known about and they are able to get a real-world sense of what it is like to work in different areas. Many MSLs will tell you that the program opened their eyes to new possibilities and gave them insight into the career path they wanted to pursue.

Yes! Many students come to the MSL knowing they want to apply to medical school, earn a PhD, or possibly even apply for a JD in the future. The MSL program provides guidance, panels, and resources for students who are interested in further study, including advice related to applications, interviewing, and discovering which programs and/or schools are the best fit.

Beginning on day one, the MSL program aims to guide students through the professional development process. We regularly offer panels to explore different career opportunities, and we frequently connect current students with MSL alumni who provide examples of interesting career paths. We also offer a series of sessions focused on the concrete aspects of job searching – including such things as finding appropriate jobs to apply for, creating a strong LinkedIn profile, developing resumes, and interviewing effectively. MSL advisors work with each student individually to help them navigate the job search process and take advantage of the myriad opportunities that being an MSL student at Northwestern University allows them.

Awareness about the MSL degree and what MSL graduates are capable of doing professionally continues to grow. Many employers who have hired one MSL graduate have returned to hire additional graduates; once they see what our graduates can do, they want more. Employers value efficiency, and MSL graduates contribute by being able to take on a greater variety of work, to work across functions, and to better anticipate challenges and opportunities along the way. We have noticed an increasing trend of job postings that specifically mention or seek out employees with legal training who are not lawyers, but who bring legal acumen to the table.

Yes, the MSL sponsors a career fair each year; the fair includes employers who have hired MSLs in the past and/or are specifically interested in hiring MSL graduates in the future. MSL students can also participate in Northwestern University career fairs and STEM career fairs. 

The Master of Science in Law degree will definitely help you prepare for the Patent Bar, but it is not designed to substitute for a Patent Bar preparation course. MSL students have the opportunity to take numerous classes that are relevant to the Patent Bar and to patent practice, and they generally have very high pass rates on the Patent Bar.

Yes, it will. First of all, studying in the MSL program will allow you to be more confident about your decision to become a lawyer. You can make a more informed choice about this path and will have a much better sense of what you are getting into.

In addition, earning an MSL degree at Northwestern usually leads to a stronger application for JD study. You can demonstrate that you have already succeeded in a demanding law program and that you will be ready to hit the ground running. Having been exposed to law study and many of the topics you will encounter in a JD program, you are also likely to perform much better than you would have without MSL study.

The MSL will also set you apart when you are looking for jobs as a lawyer. Studying in a STEM-based program and engaging with applied and interdisciplinary aspects of law will distinguish you in the field.

You bet. The MSL alumni community, now over 800 strong, is tight-knit, active, and dedicated to the success of MSL graduates. Alumni act as mentors to current students, both through a formal mentorship program and frequent informal interactions. They also share their experiences and guide students in professional development through panel discussions, networking events, and alumni reunions. The MSL Alumni Club and its governing board spearhead multiple initiatives designed to enhance the student experience — after all, nobody understands the value of the MSL better than someone who has experienced the program first-hand.

In addition to the MSL alumni network, students have access to the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law network, with more than 16,000 graduates, and to the larger Northwestern University alumni network around the world.