MJur in Higher Education Law & Policy
Master of Jurisprudence | Online | Admission Requirements & Curriculum Overview | Faculty
Stetson Law’s Master of Jurisprudence (MJur) in Higher Education Law & Policy degree program is tailor-made to suit the needs of higher education administrators working in what has become a legal and regulatory compliance-focused field.
The Master of Jurisprudence in Higher Education Law & Policy degree will be comprised of innovative, short courses designed for working professionals. Almost all classes will be held online; students will have the opportunity to attend the Annual National Conference on Law & Higher Education in Clearwater Beach, FL as part of a 2-credit hour class.
The MJur in Higher Education Law & Policy:
- Is tailored for working professionals, with evening and weekend classes and some asynchronous pre-recorded classes.
- Offers instruction almost exclusively online.
- Is sequenced with very little overlap in courses; students will mostly take one class at a time.
- Is comprised of short, digestible courses ranging from 1/2-credit to 2-credit hour courses.
- Is able to be completed in 24 months.
- Will offer cutting-edge instruction by the nation’s top higher education law scholars and practitioners.
Stetson Law currently plans to admit a new cohort every two years (Fall 2027, Fall 2029, and so on) at this time.
Students in the MJur program will have the opportunity to learn from and work with an established network of scholars and experts in the legal field related to higher education law and policy, including Professor Lake. This program will provide intense instruction and training that will advance the career goals of enrolled students.
Please note: Stetson University hopes to open enrollment for this new MJur program in Fall/Winter 2026 and welcome our first cohort of students in Fall 2027, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Further Admissions-related and Financial Aid information is coming soon.
Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education within the United States or abroad and have a minimum of one year of experience working in the field of higher education. Candidates with a Juris Doctor degree need not have one year of experience. The GRE is not required with appropriate work experience or a Juris Doctor degree. Applicants will participate in an interview as part of the application process.
Degree Requirements for the Master of Jurisprudence in Higher Education Law & Policy
First Year
- Fall Semester (5 credits)
- Foundations of Higher Education Law and Policy (1 credit)
- Structure of the Legal System: Courts and Jurisdiction/Basic Legal Research for Higher Education Professionals (1 credit)
- Foundations of Administrative Law in Higher Education (½ credit)
- Foundations of Sovereign and Charitable Immunity Laws (½ credit)
- Fundamentals of Free Expression, Association and Freedoms in the Academy (2 credits)
- Spring Semester (5 credits)
- Title VI and Title VII Civil Rights Compliance and Litigation Trends (2 credits)
- Selected Topics in Higher Education Law and Policy (2 credits)
- Fundamentals of Title IX Regulatory Compliance (1 credit)
- Summer Semester (3 credits)
- Trends in Title IX Compliance Litigation (½ credit)
- Skills Workshop: Developing Basic Investigative Skills (1 credit)
- Business Structures and Governance in Higher Education (1 credit)
- Capstone Writing Project: Part 1 (½ credit)
Second Year
- Fall Semester (5 credits)
- Skills Workshop: Developing Report-Writing Skills (1 credit)
- Foundations of Risk Management in Higher Education (1 credit)
- Modern Safety Law and Policy Issues for American Institutions of Higher Education (1 credit)
- Managing Student Data Privacy and Requests for Data (1 credit)
- Working with Law and Policy Issues in Codes, Contracts and Grants (1 credit)
- Spring Semester (5 credits)
- Crisis Response and Communication in Higher Education (1 credit)
- Fundamentals of Employment Law in Higher Education (2 credits)
- Fundamentals of Disability Law in Higher Education (2 credits)
- Summer Semester (3 credits)
- Capstone Writing Project: Part 2 (½ credit)
- Law and Policy Dimensions of Funding and Institutional Finance (1 credit)
- Law and Policy Dimensions of College Athletics (1 credit)
- Working with Counsel: Ethics and Professionalism in Higher Education (½ credit)
Total Credit Hours = 26
*This curriculum is tentative and is subject to change.
This MJur program is led by a full-tenured member of our esteemed faculty who brings years of experience in practice to the MJur in Higher Education Law & Policy degree program. Whether you are interested in advancing or redirecting your career, our program will help you get there.
Faculty Leader
- Peter F. Lake, JD, Harvard Law School