Law and Governance (MA), Intellectual Property Concentration
The Master of Arts in Law and Governance program combines a specialized preparation for law-related professions with a liberal arts education. It equips students with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in diverse career paths within governmental agencies, business organizations, social service providers, educational institutions, non-profits, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations.
This program provides students with the necessary skills to excel in the complex landscape of today’s professional environments, including negotiation, mediation, compliance, human resources, and risk assessment and mitigation.
Upon completion of the Master of Arts in Law and Governance, students will achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Develop advanced skills in written and oral communication to effectively convey business and legal concepts and arguments.
- Cultivate strong analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for analyzing and interpreting, and applying regulations, ordinances, and policies in their respective fields.
- Understand the various non-litigation processes used to resolve disputes, including negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration.
What You Can Do With This Degree:
Graduates have secured positions in insurance, employee benefits, procurement, contracts administration, compliance, business analysis, public policy, law enforcement, law office support services and in a wide variety of other fields. Students have obtained positions with governmental agencies, business organizations, social service providers, educational institutions, nonprofits and international NGOs.
THE MA PROGRAM IS NOT APPROVED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF PARALEGALS OR LEGAL ASSISTANTS.
Along with the Law and Governance with a concentration in Intellectual Property degree, the department also offers the following options for graduate study: Law and Governance (MA), Law and Governance (Combined BA/MA), Law and Governance with a concentration in Conflict Management and Peace Studies, Law and Governance with a concentration in Governance, Compliance, and Regulation, and Law and Governance with a concentration in Legal Management.
Please refer to our programs of study page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.
Candidates for admission must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and must meet the following university and department requirements: minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 for their undergraduate work.
Candidates with marginal credentials may be accorded conditional matriculation status and permitted to enroll in a maximum of two graduate courses in the program. If they attain a combined minimum grade point average of 3.0 in two Law and Governance graduate courses and meet the other matriculation requirements, they may apply for full matriculation status in the program.
Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.
In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have
created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the
application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps
needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific
program of interest.
- Application Deadline: Rolling Admission.
- Submit Online Application: Please create your online account and submit your application by following the general application instructions and pay (or waive) the non-refundable $60 application fee. Once this step has been completed, the online portal will allow you to upload your supplemental materials.
The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Law and Governance (MA), Intellectual Property Concentration program:
- Transcript: One from each college attended.
- Essays/Personal Statement: Please write an integrated essay providing a response to each of the following questions.
- What are your goals for graduate study and your future career?
- In what ways do your academic background and your professional experiences provide evidence of your potential for success in the program you selected and in your eventual career?
- Please give specific examples of relevant coursework and/or experience.
- Is there any further information we should consider in assessing your candidacy?
- Letters of Recommendation: Two.
- Standardized Test Scores: GRE General Test scores (optional if your overall undergraduate GPA is at least a 3.0 or have completed a master’s level degree)
- Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.
This is a 36-credit program. For more information, please visit the Law and Governance (MA) Intellection Property Concentration program listing in the University Catalog.
If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Email: graduate@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869
If you have specific inquiries regarding your program of interest, please contact the Law and Governance (MA) Program Coordinators:
*During the summer months, there will be a rotating department chair available to answer your inquiry. Find the updated summer chair for this program.*
Program Coordinator: Alfredo Toro Carnevali
Office: Dickson Hall 207
Email: torocarnevaa@montclair.edu