Texas applicants can compare online legal master’s study at Texas A&M, SMU, and St. Mary’s with Texas State’s campus-based legal studies MA; the cards below also assess other reviewed choices. Texas's Railroad Commission publishes resources on oil and gas, pipeline safety, mining and regulatory hearings. For a master's in legal studies in Texas, those records provide a practical test of an energy-law concentration. First decide whether your goal is commercial agreements, resource administration or compliance with agency requirements. Then compare the curriculum at that level of detail. An energy label alone doesn't tell you which legal problems students spend their time learning to solve.
Texas A&M remains the direct local comparison for online energy and environmental law. SMU adds weekly live teaching, sports and criminal-justice choices, and a capstone extending over the final two terms. St. Mary's offers a different online concentration menu and conditional military pricing, while Texas State serves applicants seeking campus paralegal preparation and an internship. Arizona and Oklahoma remain useful outside-state benchmarks for broader legal study and cost. The order follows these distinct professional objectives and teaching commitments.
4reviewed universities are based in Texas. The other 2 choices are online alternatives based elsewhere. 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 Texas
Scroll across the table to compare the study plan and price.
University
Study Format
Credits
Displayed Degree Price
Texas A&M UniversitySchool of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Based in this state
OnlineTwo years at the regular pace; one year accelerated
30
$35,010Published degree tuition
St. Mary's UniversitySchool of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.)Based in this state
Online1 to 3 years
30
$42,840Calculated base tuition2026–2027
Texas State UniversityTexas State’s On-campus Master of Arts (M.A.) in Legal StudiesBased in this state
On campus
36
$28,272.96Calculated base tuitionFall 2026
University of ArizonaCollege of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Online alternative · AZ
Online
30
$22,500Calculated base tuition
University of OklahomaCollege of Law’s Online Master of Legal Studies (MLS)Online alternative · OK
Online15 to 18 months or longer
32
$37,360Calculated 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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Texas A&M is the leading Texas option here for an applicant whose MLS search began with energy-related legal responsibilities. Its Energy & Environmental Law track is one of several routes in an asynchronous, 30-credit degree. That is more directly aligned with a Railroad Commission research question than Texas State's paralegal-focused MA, while St. Mary's may suit a different business, risk or personnel goal. Ask which courses address contracts, agency proceedings or environmental obligations in the balance you need.
Where it stands out. The published $36,000 tuition-and-fee total and full-time or part-time enrollment make it possible to compare an actual degree plan with your working schedule.
What to weigh. Optional campus courses and hybrid tracks require careful distinction. Confirm your exact route's delivery and the energy electives that fit your planned enrollment, including any prerequisites for advanced subjects.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
The MLS requires 30 credits.
Online coursework uses an asynchronous format.
Fall, spring and summer starts are available.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
General Legal Studies
Business Law & Compliance
Cybersecurity Law & Policy
Education Law and Policy
Energy & Environmental Law
Health Law, Policy & Management
HR & Employment Law, Policy & Management
Intellectual Property, Technology, & Innovation
Risk Management & Compliance
Admission Details
The MLS is designed for degree-holding professionals.
No entrance exam required.
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Published MLS online and hybrid tuition and fees for the full 30-credit program; living expenses and books excluded.
$1,200 per credit × 30 credits = $36,000 in base tuition.
SMU adds a Dallas-based option for Texas applicants who want regular live teaching within an online degree. Its sports and criminal-justice concentrations provide different directions from Texas A&M's named Energy & Environmental Law track, and the capstone offers a sustained final project. The comparison is especially useful when an applicant's goal is negotiation, organizational compliance or sports-related legal literacy rather than resource regulation.
Where it stands out. Look at SMU if weekly interaction is a priority and you want to develop a paper or project across the final two terms. Compare the actual concentration courses with St. Mary's broader menu before choosing by university name.
What to weigh. SMU's $35,010 tuition becomes $38,010 after its required distance-learning fee, before other expenses. Texas A&M's published $36,000 already includes tuition and fees. Texas State remains the more direct local comparison when an internship and paralegal practice are the goal; SMU's capstone should not be mistaken for that experience.
The MLS requires 30 credits, including 12 foundation credits.
Weekly live online sessions accompany asynchronous lectures and assignments.
The regular schedule uses eight-week courses, one at a time.
A capstone project or paper spans the final two terms.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Business Law
Compliance Law
Criminal Justice
Human Resources and Employment Law
Sports Law
Admission Details
Neither LSAT nor GRE scores are required.
Applicants provide undergraduate transcripts, a current resume, two recommendations and at least one reference.
A written or video personal statement is accepted.
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Published 30-credit tuition. A mandatory $100-per-credit distance learning fee adds $3,000, making tuition plus that fee $38,010 before other expenses. Tuition and fees are subject to change.
$1,167 per credit × 30 credits = $35,010 in base tuition.
St. Mary's broadens the Texas comparison beyond an energy-specific goal. Its 30-credit MLS starts with the legal system, research and writing, and two first-year law courses before further course selection with the program director. Named online directions include business risk, compliance, cybersecurity and employment law. Texas A&M is the clearer starting point for a named energy track; St. Mary's merits attention when the applicant's responsibility is organizational risk across several activities rather than resource regulation alone.
Where it stands out. Eligible military, retired military, DoD employees and specified spouses can investigate the published $800 credit rate, with the actual eligibility confirmed before calculating their budget.
What to weigh. Format varies by concentration. The military and national-security concentration is not identified among the online options; discuss that route's campus requirements separately from eligibility for a military tuition benefit.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
The degree requires 30 credits.
Accelerated full-time study can finish in one year.
The degree was formerly called the Master of Jurisprudence.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Business and Entrepreneurship Law
Business Risk and Intelligence
Compliance, Business Law and Risk
Cyber and Data Security
Education Law
Health Care Compliance
Employment and Human Resource Law
Commercial Law
Criminal Justice
Natural Resource Law
Territorial Law
Tuition and Rate Conditions
2026–2027. Calculated part-time MLS tuition for 30 credits with each term kept within the 1–7-credit tuition band. The 8–11 and 12–17 credit semester bands use different charges. Fees and materials are additional.
$1,428 per credit × 30 credits = $42,840 in base tuition.
St. Mary's publishes an $800-per-credit MLS rate for active-duty military, retired military, DoD employees and their spouses. Eligible tuition assistance can reduce the student share further. Confirm eligibility with financial assistance.
Texas State serves a different Texas applicant from the online law-school MLS options in this comparison. Its 36-credit MA emphasizes paralegal practice, including research, procedure, case management, law-office technology, an internship and a cumulative project. If reading a Railroad Commission filing makes you interested in practical legal-support work, those applied requirements deserve consideration alongside Texas A&M's energy track. The MA and paralegal programs hold ABA approval for paralegal education.
Where it stands out. Choose this direction when legal-support practice and an internship are deliberate goals, and attending campus in San Marcos is feasible.
What to weigh. The campus and internship commitments differ substantially from St. Mary's and Texas A&M's online routes. A broader management or compliance goal may be better served by their professional concentrations.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
The non-thesis degree requires 36 credits.
The curriculum includes an internship and research project.
The MA and paralegal programs hold ABA approval for paralegal education.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
Paralegal Studies
Admission Details
A bachelor's degree is required.
GRE scores are not required.
A graduate advisor interview is required.
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Fall 2026. Calculated nonresident base tuition for the 36-credit campus MA: $478 statutory tuition, $257.36 designated tuition and a $50 graduate increment per credit. Institutional, campus and course fees are additional.
$785.36 per credit × 36 credits = $28,272.96 in base tuition.
Arizona provides Texas applicants a lower published tuition benchmark for environmental or compliance-oriented legal study. Its 30-credit MLS costs a calculated $22,500 before fees and other expenses, and it offers Environmental Law and Policy alongside Compliance and Legal Risk Management. Texas A&M has the more explicitly named energy route; Arizona is worth comparing when the issue behind a public Commission record concerns broader environmental policy or the process of legal research.
Where it stands out. Ask an adviser to show how the legal-analysis foundation and eligible electives connect to the specific contracts, regulatory records or policy questions you want to understand.
What to weigh. Texas A&M's $36,000 figure includes tuition and fees, while Arizona's calculation is tuition only. Equalize the expense categories and verify subject depth before deciding how much money the alternative saves.
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.
Oklahoma's general online MLS is the Texas alternative for someone seeking a broad legal foundation without first selecting an energy concentration. Contracts, dispute resolution and regulatory compliance appear in the 32-credit curriculum, with asynchronous courses and optional live lectures. Compare that mix with Texas A&M's specialized track if your work involves varied organizational decisions and a Railroad Commission matter is only one example of the legal questions you encounter.
Where it stands out. OU's estimate of 15–20 study hours weekly is useful for testing the degree against a full-time role before choosing a 15- to 18-month-or-longer completion plan.
What to weigh. As a Texas applicant, request the nonresident estimate with per-credit and semester fees. Compare that personal quote with Texas A&M's published full-program tuition-and-fee total and the actual specialized courses each plan includes.
Curriculum, Admission, Tuition, and Sources +
How the Program Works
The general MLS requires 32 credits.
Coursework is asynchronous with optional live lectures.
The university estimates 15 to 20 hours of study each week.
Documented Subjects and Concentrations
General Legal Studies
Admission Details
A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent is required.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required.
No LSAT required.
Tuition and Rate Conditions
Calculated nonresident tuition for the 32-credit online MLS. Oklahoma resident tuition is $643.30 per credit. Add $201.30 in fees per credit and $117.50 per semester, plus books and materials.
$1,167.50 per credit × 32 credits = $37,360 in base tuition.
Price the Time Required for a Paralegal Internship
Texas State’s legal studies MA includes an internship and research project. A Texas applicant already working full time should ask how placements are arranged, when the work occurs, and whether relevant employment can satisfy any part of the university’s requirement.
Read the Texas State card before comparing the MA with an online MLS. The career guide can help you decide whether practical legal-support experience is the missing piece of your plan. Include time away from paid work in that decision.
Check the Specific Groups Covered by Military Tuition
St. Mary’s military MLS policy lists an $800-per-credit rate for active-duty military, retired military, Department of Defense employees, and their spouses. A Texas applicant should ask financial assistance which documentation establishes eligibility and how approved tuition assistance affects the remaining bill.
The St. Mary’s program review keeps this benefit tied to the MLS. Compare eligible personal costs with other programs only after the school confirms your rate. Then check course fit and the enrollment pace you can maintain alongside service or civilian employment.
Comparing Texas Energy-Law Master's Tracks
Use a Commission filing or public hearing resource to identify the legal skills relevant to your job. Ask programs about contracts, property, administrative procedure and the available energy-law electives. Compare the course sequence for online and part-time students, including any optional or required campus sessions. If you prefer a broader business focus, check whether specialized energy electives can fit without extending the degree. Use the program's own tuition rate and credit requirements in the cost comparison.
Railroad Commission of Texas 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 Texas Career
Energy work can combine operating knowledge, technical information and legal documents. An MLS may help a professional who wants stronger skills in researching rules or communicating with counsel. For a career change, check the industry experience expected for the specific role. A law master's doesn't replace technical qualifications simply because it covers energy.
Compliance Officer Pay in Texas
10th percentile pay
$45,170
Median annual pay
$75,370
90th percentile pay
$126,920
Texas has an estimated 42,900 compliance officer jobs. The occupation’s median annual wage is $75,370, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $45,170 and $126,920.
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 Texas
How Should Texas Applicants Compare Energy-Law MLS Tracks?+
Separate commercial agreements from property, environmental compliance and administrative procedure. Ask for the courses and assignments that address your intended work, and verify their availability to master's students.
Should I Include Texas Campus Visits in an Online MLS Comparison?+
Yes. Confirm which visits are required, optional or specific to a track. Compare their schedule and travel cost with the benefits you expect from meeting instructors and classmates.
