Master of Studies in Animal Law

Note: Admitted Animal Law MSL students should also refer to the link to the Animal Law MSL program guide for additional details regarding course registration and the Animal Law MSL program as a whole. Animal Law MSL students should also review the What’s What Law Student Handbook, as all general law school policies applicable to JD students also apply to MSL students, except where noted.

General Program Requirements:

The Master of Studies in Animal Law (MSL) program, which is offered both as an in-person and online format, is for non-lawyer candidates from the U.S. and abroad who are eager to gain an in-depth study of animal law to excel in their current position, advance their career goals, empower their animal advocacy, and more.

Beginning in Fall of ’23, students entering the Animal Law MSL program must complete 26 credits, including a required 2-credit Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies online course designed to help prepare students for study in a law school environment. Animal Law MSL students who begin their studies in the Fall take the Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies course approximately two weeks before the start of the regular Fall semester. Animal Law MSL students who begin their studies in the Spring take Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies at the start of the regular Spring semester. The in-person Animal Law MSL program is designed to be completed in two semesters (e.g., Fall, Spring); the online Animal Law MSL program is designed to be completed in four semesters, or terms (e.g., Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall).

Beginning in Fall of ’23, students entering the online Animal Law MSL program must meet the following graduation requirements:

• 26 Credits Total (minimum)
• Required Courses (must be taken in their first semester):
  • Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies (2 credits)
  • Animal Law Fundamentals (3 credits) 
• Remaining Courses (selected in consultation with the Animal Law Program Director):
  • Students choose their remaining courses from those offered through the Animal Law Program’s asynchronous online program.

Students entering the in-person Animal Law MSL program starting in Fall ’23 must meet the following graduation requirements:

• 26 Credits Total (minimum)
  • At least 18 of the required 26 credits must be animal law courses
  • Courses listed as “animal law” in an academic year’s course catalog, including those in the Summer, count toward the 18 required animal law credits.
• Required Courses (must be taken in their first semester):
  • Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies (2 credits - online)
  • Animal Law Fundamentals (3 credits)
• Remaining Courses (selected in consultation with the Animal Law Program Director):
  • Students select their remaining courses from those offered during the regular academic year (e., Fall and Spring). They may request to take non-animal law courses; however, these are not guaranteed. In addition, certain courses, such as clinical offerings and moot courts are not available to Animal Law MSL students. However, MSL students may gain experiential learning opportunities through non-clinical coursework, such as the Farmed Animal Protection Project. In addition, they may consult with the Animal Law Program Director to request to take an externship in their second semester. If electing to prolong their degree program, Animal Law MSL students may request to take courses during the Summer term. Finally, in-person Animal Law MSL students may request to take courses offered exclusively through the Animal Law Program’s asynchronous online offerings, but this is not guaranteed.

Course Load and Timing:

Animal Law MSL students must register for a minimum of 5 credits each semester, except for Summer and their final semester if fewer than 5 credits are needed to complete the degree. If an Animal Law MSL student wishes to take fewer than 5 credits in any semester that is not Summer or their final semester, they must request permission to “underload” from the Director of the Animal Law Program. Note that Animal Law MSL students must be registered for at least 5 credits each semester in order to be considered a full-time student. Being less than a full-time student may impact the ability to defer loan repayments (depending on the lender), so please plan accordingly.

In-person U.S. Animal Law MSL students normally complete the degree in two semesters (e.g., Fall, Spring). That said, U.S. Animal Law MSL students in the in-person program have up to two and a half years to complete the degree; however, extensions for U.S. Animal Law MSL students are granted only in exceptional circumstances upon written request to and approval by the Animal Law Program Director.

In-person international Animal Law MSL students normally complete the degree in two semesters (e.g., Fall, Spring). Under U.S. Homeland Security regulations, international Animal Law MSL students in the in-person program must ordinarily complete the degree within 18 months and must contact the Director of the Animal Law Program and International Students and Scholars Office well in advance if an extension is needed.

Online U.S. and international Animal Law MSL students normally complete the degree in four terms, or 18 months (e.g., Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall). That said, Animal Law MSL students in the online program have up to two and a half years to complete the degree; however, extensions for online Animal Law MSL students are granted only in exceptional circumstances upon written request to and approval by the Animal Law Program Director.

In addition to the above, some scholarships may have course load and timing parameters that are more stringent than the above.

Grading Policy:

Animal Law MSL students are evaluated on a Credit (CR) / No Credit (NC) / Honors (HR) basis, with a course grade of B+ or higher making them eligible for an Honors (HR) designation. Consistent with this policy, they do not receive letter grades for their courses, even if they receive letter or numerical grades on assignments. MSL students are not included in the mandatory grading curve for JD students for a course. Professors who have MSL students in their course are notified of this grading policy.

Tuition

Animal Law MSL students are charged tuition by the credit hour. Animal Law MSL students also pay a Student Activity and Building Fee per year. For additional information on tuition and fees, consult the Law School’s Tuition and Fee page or contact the Animal Law Program Coordinator, Danielle Lopez, at 503-768-6960 or cals@lclark.edu.

Leave of Absence

Students who need to take a temporary leave of absence from the program must request a leave in writing from the Director of the Animal Law Program. The request must specify the basis for the requested leave and the estimated length of the leave. In the absence of unusual circumstances, any leave that is approved would be granted for one semester only.

If the time taken off for a permitted leave is requested and granted prior to the start of the published first day of a term or semester, the student will not be required to pay tuition for that term or semester. If the leave of absence is requested and granted on or after the published first day of the term or semester, charges will be prorated according to the Policy of Charge Adjustment found elsewhere in the What’s What Law Student Handbook.

Withdrawal

If an Animal Law MSL student wishes to fully withdraw from the Animal Law Program (i.e., not complete the program), they must notify both the Director of the Animal Law Program and Registrar as far in advance as possible prior to the withdrawal. The withdrawal is effective as of the date the student notifies the Director of the Animal Law Program and Registrar. Students who withdraw prior to the start of the published first day of the term or semester will not be required to pay tuition for that term or semester. For students who completely withdraw from the Animal Law Program on or after the published first day of the semester, charges will be prorated according to the Policy of Charge Adjustment found elsewhere in the What’s What Law Student Handbook and below.

Add/Drop

Animal Law MSL students may add and drop courses throughout the first two weeks of school without penalty. The initial billing will be based on the number of credits registered for at the time of billing. To avoid late charges on tuition, Animal Law MSL students should pay tuition by the time it is due regardless of possible schedule changes. Animal Law MSL student accounts will be adjusted if they change their schedule within the two week add/drop period after paying tuition.

PLEASE NOTE the following policy on tuition adjustments for schedule changes (not withdrawals): Dropping classes during the first two weeks: Tuition reversed at 100% for dropped credits (as long as the student is not dropping all credits). Dropping classes after two weeks: no reversal of tuition charges for schedule adjustment.

Health Insurance

Animal Law MSL students in the in-person program are subject to the same student health insurance policies as JD students. Animal Law MSL candidates must be registered as a student to be eligible for the college’s insurance. Animal Law MSL students in the online program are ineligible for the college’s student health insurance plan.

Contact and Additional Information

For more information, please visit the Animal Law MSL program website.

Additional questions about the Animal Law MSL program may be directed to the Animal Law Program Coordinator, Danielle Lopez, at 503-768-6960 or cals@lclark.edu.