Georgetown Law is pleased to offer a Masters of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree for journalists. Please click here for a description of the M.S.L. Program.
Who May Apply
Applicants who (1) possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, (2) are working journalists with at least two years of experience, and (3) do not have a JD are eligible to apply for admission to Georgetown Law as candidates for the MSL degree.
M.S.L. candidates may apply to be considered for admission to the Full-time division or the Part-time division.
Timetable
| Mid-October 2009 | Application available online (please check back) |
| November 1, 2009 | First day to submit application materials |
| March 1, 2010 | Suggested date by which all application materials should be submitted |
The Committee on Admissions will continue to accept applications after March 1. However, Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their applications as soon as possible, as admission decisions become more difficult as space availability decreases. Please check with the Admissions Office prior to submitting your application after this date.
How to Apply
Applicants must apply via the Georgetown online MSL Application, which will be available in mid-October.
Application Requirements
Applicants to the M.S.L. Program are not required to take the LSAT or any other standardized test. Please note: Applicants whose native language is not English, however, are required to take the TOEFL (see below).
Application Checklist
- Application for Admission
- Application Fee
- Transcripts
- Response to Essay Question
- Resume
- 3 Samples of Journalistic Work
- Recommendations
- TOEFL (if native language is not English)
Additional materials are not required, but applicants should feel free to provide any additional information you feel will assist the Admissions Committee in its decision.
Candidates must complete and submit the online application to apply to the MSL Program.
Applicants must pay the $80.00 application fee with a credit card to submit the online application.
A transcript from each college or university attended must be sent directly to Georgetown Law at the contact address below. Georgetown requires an official academic transcript from each college, university or professional school previously attended, whether or not you graduated.
Candidates who have received their undergraduate degree from an institution outside the United States must have their credentials analyzed by a credential assembly service such as the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (www.aacrao.org) or World Education Services (www.wes.org/). If your official transcripts are not in English, please provide both the transcripts in the original language and certified or notarized English translations.
Applicants should submit a double-spaced response to the Essay Question where indicated. There is no minimum/maximum length. Please make sure that your name is on each page.
Essay question: Please describe how you believe your reporting skills would be enhanced by a year's study of the law. Please be as concrete as possible in explaining the contexts in which legal training might be relevant to the issues you cover and the specific situations in which you have previously thought to yourself, "I wish I knew more about the law."
Please attach a current resume to the online application where indicated.
Resumes should describe: 1) work experience including employer, position, nature of work and dates of employment; 2) a list and short description of journalistic works including key publications, presentations, etc.; 3) schools attended, dates of attendance and degree(s) awarded; 4) honors including scholastic and work related honors; 5) community and extracurricular activities.
3 Samples of Journalistic Work
Your application must include at least three (3) samples of your journalistic work.
Samples may include published clips or other writings. Copies of broadcast scripts are also acceptable. Samples in the following formats may be submitted as attachments in the online application: .doc, .rtf, and .txt files.
Video, DVDs, cassette tapes or other media formats may be submitted and considered by the Committee as part of your application, provided that the format is compatible with Georgetown Law’s existing technology. These materials must be mailed directly to the Admissions Office at the contact address listed below. Please email the Admissions Office at msladmis@law.georgetown.edu in advance of sending journalistic samples in this manner to make sure the Admissions Committee is able to access the materials in their existing format.
All application materials become the property of Georgetown Law and will not be returned. Please retain a personal copy of your application, essay and all journalistic samples you submit.
Note: An application is considered "complete" after receipt of all other required materials and three journalistic samples and will be forwarded to the Committee at that time. If you would like the Committee to consider additional samples before rendering a decision, please contact the Admissions Office in advance at msladmis@law.georgetown.edu and ask the Committee to hold your application until additional materials are received.
Two letters of recommendation are required, although additional letters will be accepted.
While academic references are welcome, if it has been three years or more since you were enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate level course of study, professional recommendations are suggested. Recommendations should be completed by persons with personal knowledge of your work.
Note: An application is considered "complete" after receipt of two recommendations and will be forwarded to the Committee at that time. If you would like the Committee to consider additional recommendations before rendering a decision, please email the Admissions Office in advance at msladmis@law.georgetown.edu and ask the Committee to hold your application until all recommendations are received.
If your native language is not English, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Successful applicants should achieve a score of at least 600 points on the paper-based TOEFL with minimum scores of 60 in each of the three sections (listening, structure/writing, and reading), or 250 points on the computer-based TOEFL with minimum scores of 25 in each section, or at least 100 points on the internet-based TOEFL with minimum scores of 25 in each section. Georgetown University’s Institutional Code is 5244 and the Departmental Code for the Law Center is 03.
MSL Contact Info
All M.S.L. Application Materials should be sent to:
Georgetown University Law Center
Committee on M.S.L. Admissions, Room 589
600 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 662-9010
Fax: (202) 662-9439
