Admission to the Master of Studies in Law Program
The MSL program is intended for non-lawyers who are interested in gaining knowledge of the law in order to apply that knowledge in business, government, military or not-for-profit settings. Learn more about the George Washington University admission requirements for the Master of Studies in Law program.
Admission Requirements
MSL applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree or equivalent and have a minimum of three to five years of professional experience related to their area of concentration, as assessed by accomplished program directors and deans. Students who earned undergraduate degrees from non-U.S. schools where English is not the language of instruction are required to meet the minimum language test requirement. Applicants must also have strong letters of recommendation from those who can detail the nature of their work and the benefit of the MSL to their career advancement.
Application
There are two ways to apply:
1
Entirely through lsac.org.
When applying via LSAC, it is not necessary to send any documents directly to GW Law. Your entire application to GW Law will be submitted through LSAC, and your documents and TOEFL or IELTS score will go directly to LSAC.
2
By sending your application through the mail to:
George Washington University Law School
2000 H Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20052
Whether applying through lsac.org or the postal service, the following items are required:
- A completed application form accompanied by the application fee of $80.
- Applicants may pay the fee online or through the mail.
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended.
- Two original letters of recommendation, accompanied by the recommendation form.
- A brief essay describing the applicant’s professional goals and areas of interest for the study of law.
- A résumé or CV.
- If applicable,1 an official report of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score.
Key Dates
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1 Applicants whose initial degree was earned from a non-U.S. school where English was not the language of instruction are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS test and receive a score in the 100-point range on the internet-based TOEFL test or in the 600-point range on the paper-based TOEFL test. Those taking the IELTS test must receive a score of 7.0 or higher. Test scores are reported to the law school six to eight weeks after the test is taken; therefore, applicants are advised to check with TOEFL or IELTS for information well before the semester for which they are applying. For the TOEFL, the institutional code for GW Law is 5246 and the department code is 03. For the IELTS test, list the George Washington University Law School to receive a score report. If English was the medium of instruction for an applicant’s university education, please include documentation from the university registrar along with a TOEFL waiver request letter.