Best Master’s in Legal Studies Programs for South Carolina
South Carolina's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation covers professional licensing, workplace matters and safety resources. For a master's in legal studies in South Carolina, the useful question is which part of that work you want to understand. A workplace-policy goal points toward employment law and investigations, while managing regulated professionals may call for more administrative-law study. Compare those subjects before choosing a general compliance label.
South Carolina's labor and licensing resources point to two different degree goals. Wake Forest leads this shortlist for employment-related responsibilities. Regent adds HR and regulatory concentration choices, with a Christian legal foundation; Arizona offers a lower-price compliance and research comparison. Applicants should choose the type of legal analysis first, then verify that the courses fit their particular workplace or licensing process.
The 3 universities below offer online study from outside South Carolina. Known published enrollment exclusions are applied. Confirm authorization for your address and start date with the university. Our ranking criteria.
Compare the Legal Studies Options for South Carolina
Scroll across the table to compare the study plan and price.
University
Study Format
Credits
Displayed Degree Price
Wake Forest UniversitySchool of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Online alternative · NC
Online
30
$38,520Published degree tuition
Regent UniversityRegent Law School’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Online alternative · VA
OnlineAs little as one year full time
32
$22,880Calculated base tuition2026–2027
University of ArizonaCollege of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Online alternative · AZ
Online
30
$22,500Calculated base tuition
Tuition amounts use the conditions shown in each card; fees and academic years vary. Table controls change this comparison view. The full reviews below retain their original ranking order.
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Online Legal Studies Programs Ranked for South Carolina
Wake Forest is the first South Carolina option to compare when the relevant LLR resources concern employees and workplace policy. Human Resources is a named track within its 30-credit online MLS, alongside business compliance and other directions. Regent offers a wider menu of named concentrations, but Wake Forest's weekly discussions and collaborative assignments create a concrete way to evaluate how you would practice explaining a workplace problem with other students.
Where it stands out. Bring a public labor resource to the curriculum conversation and ask where students analyze workplace facts, draft a policy or identify an issue that needs counsel.
What to weigh. Asynchronous study still requires reliable weekly participation. If professional licensing or administrative process is your primary interest, compare the actual regulatory electives at Regent and Arizona before selecting an HR track.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
Asynchronous courses with weekly assignments
Optional campus intensives
Up to six approved graduate transfer credits
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Business Law and Compliance
Health Law and Policy
Human Resources
Financial Services
General
Admission Details
At least one year of professional experience in any field documented on a résumé or CV
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Published tuition for the 30-credit online MLS. Add a $270 technology fee in each fall and spring term; the summer term has no technology fee. Books and materials are additional.
$1,284 per credit × 30 credits = $38,520 in base tuition.
Regent belongs in the South Carolina comparison because its MLS distinguishes Human Resources Law from Regulatory Compliance, letting an applicant begin with the particular side of LLR's work they encounter. The 32-credit degree also includes legal writing, legislation and constitutional law. Wake Forest provides a focused HR alternative; Regent merits attention when the course list for another concentration more closely matches your responsibility for rules, licensed professionals or an organizational process.
Where it stands out. Consider it if the university's Christian approach to legal education is welcome and you can identify several courses that serve the same professional goal.
What to weigh. Tuition calculates to $22,880, plus a $750 online university services fee each semester. Arizona's $22,500 tuition calculation is a useful comparison, but evaluate the different legal foundations as well as cost.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
Online MLS with multiple concentrations
No LSAT requirement
Legal writing and constitutional law in the foundation
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Advanced Paralegal Studies
Business Law
Constitutional Law
Criminal Law and the Justice System
Cybersecurity Law
Healthcare Law
Human Resources Law
Human Rights and Global Justice
Immigration Law
Legal Studies
National Security
Negotiation, Mediation, and Dispute Resolution
Nonprofit and Church Law
Regulatory Compliance
Admission Details
Transcripts and government-issued ID
No LSAT requirement
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated tuition for 32 credits, before the $750 online university services fee charged each semester.
$715 per credit × 32 credits = $22,880 in base tuition.
Arizona offers a South Carolina applicant a broad legal-research foundation with a named Compliance and Legal Risk Management concentration. That is worth comparing when LLR's agency procedures interest you more than the employment emphasis at Wake Forest. Foundations in public law, legal procedure and legal analysis can guide a course-planning discussion about how to read a rule and explain its implications to the staff responsible for following it.
Where it stands out. The 30-credit online MLS calculates to $22,500 in tuition, giving you a relatively clear starting price before comparing Regent's semester-based fees or other program expenses.
What to weigh. For a narrow licensing question, a full degree may exceed the training needed. Request the actual electives and writing assignments that would make sustained graduate study useful to your work.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
The online MLS requires 30 credits.
Foundational courses include legal analysis, writing and research.
You can choose general legal studies or a concentration.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Compliance and Legal Risk Management
Criminal Law and Policy
Environmental Law and Policy
Human Rights
Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy
Intellectual Property
International Trade and Business Law
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Published online MLS tuition per credit; fees and other expenses are additional.
$750 per credit × 30 credits = $22,500 in base tuition.
For a South Carolina applicant taking classes around a full-time job, semester count affects more than graduation. Regent’s MLS pricing includes a recurring online university services fee. Request the bill for your actual course load, including any additional terms needed to finish required classes.
Compare Regent’s 32-credit plan with Arizona’s 30-credit MLS, using the cost guide to keep tuition and recurring charges distinct. Ask whether your preferred concentration changes the sequence or leaves you waiting for a particular elective.
Find Out How Group Work Fits Your Work Schedule
Wake Forest’s asynchronous curriculum includes collaborative assignments. A South Carolina manager with unpredictable coverage duties should ask how teams arrange their work and what happens when classmates cannot find a shared meeting time.
Request an example of an individual assignment as well as a group assignment. You want to know which skills instructors assess separately and how feedback reaches you. If your goal is stronger workplace writing, ask how much of the final assessment comes from analysis you produce yourself and have the opportunity to revise.
Choosing Between Workplace and Licensing Study in South Carolina
Review LLR's labor and professional-licensing resources separately. Ask programs how they teach the reading of agency rules, the evaluation of workplace facts and the writing of a policy or response. If safety is your focus, compare legal study with technical safety education as well. Confirm which courses are required and which are elective, then check that your intended sequence works for part-time enrollment. The distinction matters when a degree has only limited room for specialization.
South Carolina Labor, Licensing and Regulation supplies the state materials discussed here. Use them to question the curriculum, rather than assuming an MLS teaches the law of your state.
Using Legal Studies in Your South Carolina Career
Legal study can help an experienced administrator recognize questions that require professional or legal review. It doesn't replace the qualifications of the people whose licenses you manage. Use the state's separate labor, licensing and training resources to keep those roles clear while evaluating the graduate curriculum.
Compliance Officer Pay in South Carolina
10th percentile pay
$44,990
Median annual pay
$75,460
90th percentile pay
$133,820
South Carolina has an estimated 4,760 compliance officer jobs. The occupation’s median annual wage is $75,460, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $44,990 and $133,820.
BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 13-1041. Occupation wages cover workers with varied education and experience; these are not MLS graduate outcomes or starting salary estimates. BLS compliance officer wage data.
Each ranking card contains the university sources for its curriculum, admission, delivery, and tuition details.
Questions About Legal Studies in South Carolina
What Is the Difference Between an HR and a Regulatory MLS for South Carolina Workers?+
Compare the courses. HR study should address employment decisions and investigations, while a broader regulatory plan may emphasize agency processes, licensing or industry-specific rules. Choose according to your tasks.
Should South Carolina Safety Staff Consider Legal Studies or Safety Training?+
Examine whether you need legal analysis and policy writing or technical safety knowledge. LLR provides safety-training resources, which can help you compare a focused option with a full law master's.
