MJ in Health Law

As a current or aspiring health care professional, you know the many changes and challenges that impact your practice and the care afforded to the patients you serve. With the laws and regulations governing the health care industry constantly changing, there are always opportunities to develop new skills and enhance your career—be it in compliance, risk management, patient safety, privacy, consulting, or leadership.

Our Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) in Health Law (30 credit hours) is designed for the full-time, working, and busy professional to help build the skills and knowledge needed to elevate their career or to prepare them for a new career—equipped with an understanding of the current legal and regulatory challenges impacting the health care industry. This program is completed fully online and affords you the flexibility to complete it from anywhere. You will remain engaged with faculty members and peers who are leaders in the field while you acquire the expertise to navigate issues of health care law, regulation, policy, and advocacy.

Should you choose to focus your career on health care compliance through our accredited program, you will be eligible to receive a Certificate in Compliance, enabling you to sit for compliance industry examinations.

Our Commitment to You

Upon graduation with an MJ in Health Law, you will possess the following knowledge, skills, and professional values:

You will be able to describe the various laws and regulations that impact the health care industry and understand the challenges and opportunities they pose for providers, suppliers, payors, patients, and industry partners. You will learn how to develop policies, procedures, and practices to incorporate these laws and regulations into the organization where you work.

Upon completion of the MJ program, you will be able to:

Integrate laws and regulations into operational policies and procedures to yield best practice and compliance in a variety of health care provider and industry settings
Analyze ways that governmental, institutional, and professional policies directly and indirectly influence the health care industry and advocate for change to assure equitable health care for all
Demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully pass the Compliance Certification Board Certified Healthcare Compliance (CHC) certification exam (for students enrolled in the Compliance Certificate option) or other professional certifications
Communicate effectively in a professional and credible manner

Loyola University Chicago is a Jesuit institution whose mission, vision, and values are well aligned to those of the health care sector. You will be able to advocate for the changes necessary to advance social justice and equity in the health care system while assuring that all people have access to affordable, quality health care.

By The Numbers

#4

Loyola ranked #4 in the Country in Health Care Law by U.S. News & World Report

Curriculum

You can choose to start the program in one of three entry terms: Fall (August), Spring (January), or Summer (May). This 30-credit-hour program is offered exclusively online and can be completed in six semesters (two years, including summers). The courses are primarily asynchronous—no set login times—but faculty do hold live, virtual sessions throughout the term. These dates are provided to students in the syllabus at the beginning of the semester.

LAW 900 – Introduction to Legal Study and Writing
LAW 901 – Introduction to Legal Research
LAW 902 – Introduction to Health Law and Policy
LAW 903 – Introduction to Health Care Financing
LAW 904 – Health Care Regulation and Policy
LAW 951 – Thesis or Capstone I
LAW 952 – Thesis or Capstone II

Our elective offerings rotate each term. Popular offerings include, but are not limited to:

LAW 857: Leadership and Strategy
LAW 910: Health Care Compliance
LAW 918: Health Care Privacy and Security
LAW 924: Conducting Internal Investigations
LAW 925: Drafting Policies and Procedures
LAW 929: Enterprise Risk Management

We have a dedicated academic advisor who works one on one with students to craft an individual advising plan based on their anticipated course load and rate of pursuit as well as to hone special areas of elective interest. A possible path to program completion can be found here.

The Graduate and Online Programs Team typically holds Education Immersion Weekends (EIWs) twice a year. EIWs offer programming to reinforce learning objectives, provide a venue for networking, and foster communication among students, alumni, and faculty. EIWs are usually held at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. At this time, EIWs remain optional but strongly encouraged. For more information, please email LawOnlineAdvising@luc.edu.

Campus-based events and symposia offered through the Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy, the ChildLaw Program, and the Journal of Compliance Studies are open to all students and alumni free of charge. Students are encouraged to regularly check their Loyola email accounts for information on upcoming events as well as follow the School of Law on social media.

Degree Requirements

To earn your degree, you must complete 30 credits, including the completion of a final program project (capstone/thesis). All students are encouraged to attend Education Immersion Weekends at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. Visit the Office of the Registrar for a complete list of degree requirements, academic calendars, and information about the registration process. You may access full course descriptions through our student information system through guest access.

Admission

To apply for the MJ in Health Law program, you must possess a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university. The MJ program does not require an applicant to possess prior legal education (JD, LLB, etc.), and they do not need to be an attorney.

Application Document Deadlines

AUGUST 1: Fall
DECEMBER 1: Spring
APRIL 1: Summer

To begin your free, online graduate application and to see additional requirements to complete your file, please click the button below.

Testimonials

Amy Lee

Student

“I have great interactions with faculty and other students, which provides a nice knowledge base to draw upon.”

Astara Crews, MJ'12

Alumni
Vice President, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, Essen Health Care

“My MJ degree has provided knowledge and expertise that better position me to contribute to conversations surrounding the legalese and compliance of health care.”

April Nettleton, MJ'17

Alumni
Director of Managed Care and Clinical Billing Services, Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services

“Everyone comes from a different background and you can learn so much from each other. ”

Tuition and Fees

The School of Law and Loyola's Office of Student Financial Assistance are committed to helping students secure the necessary financial resources to make their legal education at Loyola affordable.

FAQs

Loyola's MJ in Health Law degree will increase knowledge and improve career opportunities in all types of health care organizations. The program is designed to help you develop leadership skills that will equip you to assume management positions within your organization or seek new opportunities.

Our graduates work in a variety of positions at the forefront of health law and policy, including as risk managers, compliance officers, paralegals, consultants, and executives at health care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and non-profits.

Due to the unique nature of our online degrees, transfer credits are generally not accepted. Applicants or students seeking exceptions to this rule should request consideration of transfer credit in the application process.

The MJ program is comprised of professionals from a variety of health care settings, including providers, insurers and payors, health systems. Students join the program at various points in their career and each student brings a unique background to the MJ program.Courses are taught by full-time faculty members at Loyola as well as leading practitioners, each experts in their fields. Each course is organized to teach key substantive areas and practical skills.

All courses are offered online through Loyola’s learning management system and consist of reading assignments, recorded lectures, quizzes or exams, bulletin board assignments, writing assignments, and live classes. Course materials are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please review this short video for an overview of the online course platform and experience.

To learn more about state and international authorization of programs, please refer to our State and International Authorization page. To learn more about the accreditation of Loyola University Chicago and its schools, as well as information about professional licensure, visit our Accreditation page.