Overview
This two-year, master of science degree program offers professionals the opportunity to study the issues, processes and concepts that determine the framework and function of the law system and its policies. As the law and business become increasingly interconnected, it is essential for those in the industry to keep pace with the significant changes in the law and their impact on their profession.
Each student will complete 8 core classes, 6 elective classes and a final capstone course, the Individual Research Project, which is divided into 2 parts. Terms are 10 weeks long and typically, each student will complete a total of 8 10 week terms to complete the degree (a total of 16 courses, 36 credit hours).
To accommodate the need and desire of most professionals to remain in their present location and employment and, at the same time, draw upon a nationwide faculty, the M.S. Law and Policy program is uniquely offered via NSU Law's state-of-the-art, Internet-based distance learning technology.
Online students are guided through interactive class lessons over the Internet, working closely with faculty members and exchanging ideas with fellow classmates online.
Required interactivity is both asynchronous and synchronous. Students will often find themselves online nearly every day. Such interactivity promotes a high-quality learning experience and differentiates this program from a correspondence or "self-study" program.
Learning Online
A student learning online will receive passwords to access his or her courses. At each course site, the student will find reading assignments, links to materials pertinent to the course, a syllabus, a statement of the course goals, a number of hypothetical problems, lecture notes, live classroom chats, a threaded discussion board, and a quiz. The assignments, materials, problems, lectures and quizzes will be organized by module, with each module representing a major topic of the course. Modules will roughly correspond to weeks. (In other words, a 10-week-long course will contain either 10 modules or nine modules and a week for a final examination.)
Each week, within periods of time designated by their professors, students in each course will be responsible for covering the material assigned, accessing materials as instructed, viewing lecture clips and participating in online discussions. The discussions might take place on the class's threaded discussion board, on which student questions and responses to each other are arranged so that the reader can follow the written "conversation" that develops on line. Alternatively, they might take place via email, which each student will have. They also will take place in live classroom sessions. In some courses, professors may wish to administer quizzes.
For required live classroom sessions, professors attempt to find days/times that work for all students. In the event that a day/time chosen does not work for the student, the chats are recorded and the student will be asked to post or respond via email regarding the topics discussed in the chat.