In addition to completing the UIS Application for Graduate Admission, to be admitted to the M.A in Legal Studies degree program, applicants must complete the program application (available below), and provide a sample of analytical writing of an essay provided by the Department (below) in a format stipulated in the instructions. Academic letters of reference are optional using the forms provided (below).
Download the Reference Request Form and the Student Reference Form (optional)
Hard copies of materials may be requested from the Department by calling: (217) 206-6535 or contacting the department via email: les@uis.edu.
All Legal Studies Department applications and supporting documentation should be sent to:
Legal Studies MA Admissions Committee - PAC 340
University of Illinois at Springfield
One University Plaza - PAC 340
Springfield, IL 62703-5407
The University requires students to demonstrate proficiency in writing skills before obtaining a degree. Students identified by their LES instructors as having writing difficulties are required to develop an improvement plan with their adviser.
Applicant's to the LES graduate program must exhibit the ability to write effectively in order to be considered for full admittance to the program.
The LES Program requires that 3 hours of these 13 University hours be Applied Study Term (AST) hours. You may take 6 hours of AST, but only 4 hours count toward the university requirement; the other 3 count as an elective. All LES AST placements must be approved in advance (the semester prior to the semester you register for AST) by the department chair.
An AST provides you with a work based experience that develops skills needed for success in a legal environment. Placement options include courts, administrative agencies, state and federal attorney's offices, legal aid offices, private law firms, and public interest groups. Lists of suitable placements and projects are available through the LES Department and the AST Office.
One credit hour of AST is the equivalent of 40 hours working in your placement. Students normally do their AST after taking LES 402, Legal Writing and Analysis or LES 472 Research Methods.
In exceptional cases, students may petition to waive the program's AST requirement and substitute four additional PAC or LSC hours (see Waivers, below). The Department does not waive its AST requirement unless you can show that you are currently employed and that an AST would cause an undue hardship.
