The Legal Studies BA and MA programs have been preparing graduates for success in law, public service, and business careers for decades, and we boast a nationwide network of alumni and leaders.

BA Program

Graduates of our BA program have been accepted to top law schools across the state and nation, including University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Indiana University, Cornell University, Boston University, Duke University, and Washington University in St. Louis. Alumni can be found working in top law firms and state agencies—specializing in criminal law, corporate law, family law, and general practice—and serving in government, politics, business, and education.

MA Program

Graduates of our MA program have started and advanced careers in a wide variety of fields, including city and state government, legal and paralegal practice, regulatory compliance, contracts and analysis, public interest advocacy, and law enforcement. In a recent alumni experience survey, over 90 percent of respondents described the MA as helping them to accelerate their career trajectory.

Alumni Perspectives

Laura Millmore (BA ’95), now a magistrate judge in Michigan, recalls UIS faculty showing her “how much I could enjoy reading legal literature for the first time in my life.”

Bryant Hitchings (BA ’06), Technical Advisor to the Illinois Commerce Commission, chose UIS for its “opportunities for internships in government” and praises the “down-to-earth professors with real legal experience.”

Rodney Perry (MA ’10), a lead compliance investigator, valued the online flexibility, affordability, and instruction “by professors and not teaching assistants.”

Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup (MA ’15) credits the program with building the “knowledge [and] confidence” needed for success as a healthcare policy analyst.