Immigration law affects families, employers, universities, nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations. It includes areas such as citizenship, visas, asylum, refugee protection, employment authorization, family-based immigration, removal proceedings, and immigrant rights advocacy.
Students searching for a master’s degree in immigration law should know that dedicated non-lawyer immigration law master’s programs are rare. Most programs in this category are not designed to prepare students to become attorneys. Instead, they are usually intended for professionals who work around the law and want a stronger understanding of immigration, compliance, public policy, human rights, or legal systems.
For this ranking, programs with a clear immigration law focus are listed first. The rest of the list includes the next best MLS, MJ, JM, and MSJ-style programs for students interested in immigration law, immigrant-serving work, human rights, public policy, compliance, or legal services administration.
Ranked Master’s Degrees in Immigration Law and Related Legal Studies Programs
| Rank | School | State | Degree Type | Online? | Immigration Law Track? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regent University School of Law | Virginia | MLS in Immigration Law | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law | Arizona | MLS | Yes | No |
| 3 | University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law | Arizona | MLS | Yes | No |
| 4 | DePaul University College of Law | Illinois | MLS | Yes | No |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago School of Law | Illinois | MJ | Yes | No |
| 6 | George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School | Virginia | JM | No | |
| 7 | University of Washington School of Law | Washington | MJ | No | No |
| 8 | St. Mary’s University School of Law | Texas | MLS | Yes | No |
| 9 | Seton Hall University School of Law | New Jersey | MLS / formerly MSJ | Yes | No |
| 10 | University of Cincinnati College of Law | Ohio | MLS | Yes | No |
1. Regent University School of Law
Regent University School of Law offers the clearest immigration-focused option on this list: an online MLS in Immigration Law. The program is designed for students who want legal knowledge but do not plan to earn a JD or become attorneys. Regent describes the degree as a practical alternative to a traditional JD and notes that the immigration law concentration covers U.S. citizenship, immigrant and nonimmigrant classifications, client interviewing, case management, Department of Justice nonprofit site recognition, and ethics.
This makes Regent the strongest fit for students specifically searching for a nonlawyer master’s degree in immigration law. It may be useful for paralegals, nonprofit staff, HR professionals, compliance workers, and others who support immigration-related work without practicing law.
2. Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
Arizona State University offers a flexible MLS through the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. ASU states that the program is available online or on campus, with part-time and full-time options, and offers more than 20 emphasis areas.
ASU does not appear to offer a dedicated immigration law MLS track, but it is a strong next-best option because of the program’s flexibility and broad legal studies structure. Students interested in immigration-related work may be able to use the MLS to build knowledge in compliance, employment, human rights, administrative systems, or public-sector legal issues.
3. University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
The University of Arizona offers an online MLS through its College of Law. The program includes concentration options such as human rights, international trade and business law, family and juvenile law, compliance and legal risk management, Indigenous peoples law and policy, and others.
Although the program does not appear to have a dedicated immigration law concentration, Arizona’s human rights, family law, international, and compliance-related options may be relevant for students who want to work with immigrant communities, nonprofits, government agencies, or cross-border organizations.
4. DePaul University College of Law
DePaul University offers an MLS designed for professionals in law-adjacent roles. The program includes concentrations in areas such as criminal law, health law, public interest law, and international and comparative law. DePaul also highlights immigration and human rights law through its law school programming, including a Program of Excellence in Immigration Law and Human Rights Law.
This makes DePaul a strong option for students who want a nonlawyer legal master’s program connected to immigration-adjacent areas such as public interest law, international law, human rights, and immigrant advocacy.
5. Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Loyola University Chicago offers MJ degrees for professionals who want legal knowledge but do not plan to practice law. The school describes the MJ as a degree that helps students build legal skills and knowledge to address business and professional challenges.
Loyola Chicago does not appear to offer a specific immigration law MJ track. However, the MJ can still be a useful option for students interested in law-adjacent work in compliance, nonprofit administration, public service, or regulated industries where immigration issues may arise.
6. George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School
George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School offers a JM degree for nonlawyers who want a deeper understanding of the U.S. legal system and how law affects their work. The program is designed for professionals across fields such as operations, finance, government procurement, and executive leadership.
This is not an immigration-specific program, but it may be a reasonable next-best option for students whose immigration-related interests overlap with government systems, compliance, employment, contracting, or organizational policy.
7. University of Washington School of Law
The University of Washington School of Law offers an MJ for nonlawyers who want deeper legal knowledge for professional roles with a law-related dimension. The school describes the program as a way for students to build a practical and marketable legal knowledge base.
The MJ does not appear to include a dedicated immigration law track, but Washington’s location and broader legal environment may appeal to students interested in public service, nonprofits, government, and immigrant-serving organizations.
8. St. Mary’s University School of Law
St. Mary’s University School of Law offers an MLS for students who do not wish to practice law but want a deeper understanding of the American legal system. The school notes that the program was formerly known as a Master of Jurisprudence.
This program does not appear to have a dedicated immigration law track. However, its general legal studies format may fit students who want a broad legal foundation before working in compliance, legal support, nonprofit administration, or community-facing roles.
9. Seton Hall University School of Law
Seton Hall Law offers an online MLS and notes that its master’s program was previously called the Master of Science in Jurisprudence. Students who earned the degree before 2023 graduated with the MSJ, while students beginning in fall 2022 or later graduate with the MLS.
Seton Hall is not an immigration-specific option, but it is relevant to this list because it fits the MSJ/MLS category and serves nonlawyer professionals who want legal training for decision-making in regulated fields. It may be a better fit for students interested in compliance-heavy immigration-adjacent roles than for those seeking direct immigrant advocacy training.
10. University of Cincinnati College of Law
The University of Cincinnati offers an online MLS designed to give students a working knowledge of law for careers or industries that interact with legal systems. The school describes the MLS as an alternative for students who do not want to attend law school or practice law but want to increase their legal knowledge.
Cincinnati does not appear to offer an immigration law track, but the online format and broad legal foundation may make it a practical option for working professionals who want legal training they can apply in HR, compliance, higher education, government, or nonprofit environments.
MLS vs LLM vs JD Programs
An MLS, or Master of Legal Studies, is generally designed for students who want legal knowledge but do not plan to become attorneys. For immigration law, this may include paralegals, nonprofit staff, HR professionals, compliance workers, university international student advisors, government employees, and professionals who support immigrant-serving organizations.
An LLM, or Master of Laws, is usually an advanced legal degree for students who already have a law degree. In immigration law, an LLM may be useful for U.S. attorneys or foreign-trained lawyers who want advanced study in immigration law, asylum, citizenship, refugee protection, human rights, or migration policy.
A JD, or Juris Doctor, is the standard law degree for students who want to become attorneys in the United States. Students who want to represent immigration clients, appear in court, provide legal advice, or become licensed immigration attorneys generally need a JD and bar admission.
For this list, the focus is on MLS, MJ, JM, and MSJ programs because they are master’s-level options for nonlawyers. LLM programs are excluded because they are typically designed for people who already have a law degree, and JD programs are excluded because they are professional law degrees for students preparing to become attorneys.