NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University is launching a new graduate degree in legal studies geared toward students and working professionals seeking career opportunities and advancement to fulfill a growing Midstate workforce need.

The new Master of Science in Legal Studies will be offered primarily through MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business, with initial core course work taught by faculty from the Nashville School of Law before being transferred to MTSU for completion. Almost all classes can be completed online or at the NSL campus on Armory Oaks Drive.

The degree will require 30 credit hours of study with a hybrid delivery of online and on-ground courses. MTSU’s Board of Trustees has approved the degree program, which will next be submitted to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for final approval, anticipated in early to mid-2025.

“MTSU continues to pride itself on developing unique degree programs to directly address workforce needs in our region and state, and I’m thoroughly convinced this new master’s in legal studies does just that,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee in announcing the new degree Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Nashville School of Law along with university and law school representatives. 

“Successful graduates of this program will be well positioned to fill the high-paying, in-demand legal roles for which they’ve been trained, with the vast majority of our graduates remaining in this region to invest back into the community with their time, talents and skills.”

The collaboration brings together two storied educational institutions, both founded in 1911 and now pairing their various areas of instructional expertise to train those seeking deeper legal knowledge to enhance their careers but do not need nor want to pursue a more extensive Juris Doctor, or JD degree.

Watch a recap of the announcement ceremony below:

From the region’s robust financial services industry to health care, logistics, entertainment, cybersecurity, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality and others, many industries are seeking to employ in-house professional staff with deep legal knowledge in areas such as compliance and regulatory guidelines.

“Today’s businesses rely on competent legal professionals to be successful. However, they will also benefit from the assistance of employees who have paired their business experience and substantive knowledge with a heightened understanding of the legal system,”  said NSL Dean William C. Koch Jr. “NSL is delighted to collaborate with MTSU to offer this degree program because its graduates will be better able support the lawyers advising and representing their employers.” 

The goal of the new degree is to prepare working professionals who need to sharpen their understanding of the law with relevant knowledge of the U.S. legal system and basic legal principles in the general areas of contracts, critical legal thinking, legal ethics, writing and case analysis.

Course work will allow students to develop in-depth knowledge in one of three concentrations: business law; compliance; or entertainment. The entertainment concentration will be offered through MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment.

MTSU’s effort to gain approval from THEC has received support from a variety of stakeholders, including Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ralph Schulz, who submitted a letter of support on behalf of his organization, touting its benefit to the area’s workforce development.

“It is projected that the compliance field will continue to grow over the next decade, driving up the demand for employees in the field. The M.S. in Legal Studies will not only provide graduates with the legal knowledge required to succeed in many industries, but also the skills to help large and small companies navigate the various regulatory environments across the state,” Schulz stated.

Once the program is approved by THEC and MTSU’s institutional accreditor, courses could begin as early as Summer 2025. 

Anyone interested in the M.S. in Legal Studies at MTSU should reach out to program director Sandy Benson, accounting professor, at sandy.benson@mtsu.edu.

About MTSU

Founded in 1911 as one of three state normal schools for teacher training, Middle Tennessee State University is one of the oldest and largest undergraduate universities in the state of Tennessee. With a fall enrollment averaging more than 20,000 students for the past five years, MTSU remains committed to providing individualized service in an exciting and nurturing atmosphere where student success is the top priority. 

MTSU features eight undergraduate colleges and the College of Graduate Studies, and more than 350 majors and concentrations, including accounting, aerospace, concrete industry management, music and recording industry. Offering a wide variety of nationally recognized programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels, MTSU takes pride in educating the best and the brightest students from Tennessee and around the world. 

For more information, call 615-898-2300, visit http://mtsu.edu/ or www.mtsunews.com. Follow MTSU on X/Twitter @MTSUNews and like us on Facebook.

About Nashville School of Law

Founded in 1911, Nashville School of Law is a nonprofit law school that offers a high-quality legal education to working men and women at an affordable tuition. The law school boasts more than 50 adjunct legal professors who are practicing attorneys and active judges, each of whom has participated in notable legal cases, thereby enriching NSL classrooms with their expertise and insights. NSL graduates include distinguished judges, attorneys, and community leaders, who are actively engaged in advancing and improving the legal framework within our state. 

NSL classes are held exclusively at night. Most students enrolled in the school continue full-time employment throughout their law school career. NSL students are teachers, police officers, paralegals, doctors, business owners, real estate agents and other various professionals. NSL students appreciate the opportunity to earn their JD degree while continuing to pursue their present career and pay for their legal education at the same time.For more information, call 615-256-3684, and visit nsl.law.

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)