Master of Studies in Law

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Faculty of Law's additional admission requirements stated below.

• Applicants must have completed at least a master's degree, and preferably a doctorate, from a recognized university with a demonstrated high level of scholarship in a discipline related to law. Applicants must have a least a B+ average in their final year of study. Preference will be given to applicants who have maintained this average throughout their studies.

• Applicants whose primary language is not English and who obtained their admitting degree (Bachelor of Laws, Juris Doctor, or equivalent) from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must show evidence of English proficiency by submitting English-language test scores. Several English-language testing services are acceptable. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are the most common tests:

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with the following minimum scores:

  • Paper-based TOEFL: minimum overall score of 600, and 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE)

  • Internet-based TOEFL: minimum overall score of 100/120, and 24/30 on each section.

• IELTS, Academic module: overall score of 7.5 with at least 7.0 in each component.

• The University of Toronto Academic English preparation course: overall grade of A in Level 60.

• Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Online: overall score of 70 with at least 70 in each component.

• Cambridge English Qualifications: overall score of 191 with at least 185 on each section.

• No conditional offers of admission will be given based on successful completion of an English language test.

Completion Requirements

• MSL students must pursue a course of studies approved by the Faculty.

  • The course of studies will comprise at least 28 credit hours (7.0 full-course equivalents [FCEs]), and not more than 32 credit hours (equivalent to 8.0 FCEs), and will include at least three of the following subjects: contracts, torts, property, criminal law, constitutional law, and civil procedure.

  • Students must complete a research project of an interdisciplinary nature during their studies at the Faculty of Law. The project must be completed in the context of one of the courses that students are completing for credit.

  • A mandatory graduate seminar: LAW1000H Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship.

  • In no circumstance will courses taken in the MSL program be accredited for the Juris Doctor (JD) program.

• Residence. Full-time students must be in attendance for at least two academic sessions (eight months, September to April).

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: FWS)
Time Limit: 3 years full-time