Advance Your Career with William & Mary’s Online MLS in Health Law Degree
The healthcare industry operates within one of the most complex and rapidly evolving legal landscapes in modern society. William & Mary Law School’s online Master of Legal Studies (MLS) with a Concentration in Health Law provides professionals with the essential legal knowledge and analytical skills needed to navigate this intricate regulatory environment successfully.
This comprehensive health law degree program equips students with a deep understanding of the legal frameworks and regulations that shape healthcare delivery, administration and policy. Whether you’re a healthcare administrator, compliance officer, policy analyst or healthcare professional seeking to advance your career, this program provides the critical legal foundation necessary to excel in today’s healthcare environment.
The program’s online format allows working professionals to advance their education while maintaining their current responsibilities, making it an ideal choice for career advancement in the dynamic healthcare sector.
Why Choose This Concentration?
Meet Growing Industry Demand
The Health Law concentration at William & Mary Law School stands out as a premier choice for professionals seeking to advance their careers in healthcare compliance, administration and policy. This specialized legal studies in healthcare program addresses the growing demand for professionals who understand both the business and legal aspects of healthcare delivery.
Navigate Complex Regulatory Challenges
Healthcare organizations face unprecedented regulatory challenges, from data privacy requirements under HIPAA to compliance with the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid regulations and emerging biotechnology laws. This master’s in health law program prepares graduates to serve as essential bridges between legal requirements and practical healthcare operations, making them invaluable assets to hospitals, health systems, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies.
Gain Practical, Immediately Applicable Skills
The curriculum’s emphasis on real-world application through case studies and practical scenarios ensures that graduates can immediately apply their knowledge in professional settings. Develop comprehensive healthcare compliance programs, conduct risk assessments, navigate complex regulatory environments and address ethical dilemmas that arise in healthcare settings.
Customize Your Educational Path
The flexibility of elective courses allows students to tailor their education to specific career goals, whether focusing on traditional healthcare administration, cutting-edge biotechnology regulation or specialized areas like dispute resolution and project finance in healthcare contexts.
Curriculum Details
Through coursework covering everything from HIPAA compliance to healthcare equity, you will develop expertise in analyzing complex legal issues, including healthcare administration compliance, risk management strategies, patient rights advocacy, professional liability mitigation and the evolving legal obligations of healthcare providers and organizations.
Explore the concentration courses, which make up 16 credits of the 32-credit MLS program.
Health Law Frameworks and Regulations (4 credits)
Healthcare Administration: Legal Issues and Risk Management (4 credits)
Policy, Patient Rights and Equity in Healthcare (4 credits)
Electives (4 credits)
- Cybersecurity and Privacy (2 credits)
This course provides an overview of cyber- and privacy-related risks, including the laws and regulations that apply to the rapidly changing landscape of cybersecurity and privacy. Students will explore the impacts of security breaches, data privacy vulnerabilities and considerations of the nature of cyber-crime and common strategies used to manage privacy, cyber and information security risks. By the end of the course, students will be able to develop their own cybersecurity and privacy risk assessment and management approaches. - Dispute Resolution (2 credits)
This course introduces students to the concepts and practice of litigation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Students will develop an understanding of the differences between these different modes of dispute resolution and will assess them from the perspective of the parties, the lawyers and the adjudicators. Through a series of hands-on activities, students will engage in some form of negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Students will also be exposed to innovative dispute resolutions modalities, such as online dispute resolution (ODR). - Project Finance Basics (2 credits)
This course introduces legal, financial and policy considerations at play in domestic and international infrastructure projects. Particular focus will be placed on structuring and financing project investments, and the course will provide a general overview of the legal and regulatory environment for project financing, such as geopolitical risk management and the presence of treaties, conventions and other relevant law. Students will work through the structure, documentation and negotiation of a typical project finance transaction. - Ethics and Regulation of Biotech and Health Technologies (4 credits)
Biotechnology and health technologies are among the most dynamic domains for emerging innovations, driving breakthroughs that reshape healthcare, agriculture and industry. This course explores the legal, regulatory and ethical challenges posed by advancements in biotechnology and health technologies, focusing on real-world implications for society, businesses and individuals. Students will examine regulatory frameworks for innovations such as gene editing (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9), precision medicine and AI-driven health tools, with particular attention to the roles of agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Key topics include the regulation of drug and biologic development, genetic testing and reproductive technologies; the ethics of genomic data use, equity in biotechnology access and intellectual property in biotech innovations; and the social implications of emerging health technologies, from pandemic surveillance to neuroengineering. Students will also consider ethical frameworks for addressing issues like diversity, inclusion and global access.
By the end of the course, students will be equipped with practical tools for evaluating and managing the legal, ethical and regulatory dimensions of biotech and health technologies, ensuring responsible innovation in their professional contexts.
Course Spotlight: Policy, Patient Rights and Equity in Healthcare
This course explores the ethical and legal dilemmas in healthcare policy and patient care. You will analyze issues such as patient autonomy, informed consent, end-of-life decisions and healthcare equity. The course also addresses the role of policy in shaping healthcare access and delivery, focusing on how law intersects with ethics in healthcare decision-making. Case studies will highlight the legal implications of ethical conflicts, equipping you with the skills needed to navigate complex healthcare issues while safeguarding patient rights.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Health Law concentration are positioned for diverse and rewarding career opportunities across the expanding healthcare sector. The healthcare compliance law degree opens doors to roles as compliance officers, risk managers, healthcare attorneys, policy analysts and healthcare administrators in various organizational settings.
Healthcare Compliance Officers
Compliance officer positions are seeing a steady rate of growth, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noting a 5% growth rate (as fast as average for all professions) through 2033.1 In healthcare, organizations are increasingly recognizing the critical importance of proactive compliance management. These professionals develop, implement and monitor compliance programs, conduct risk assessments and serve as liaisons with regulatory agencies. The comprehensive understanding of healthcare regulations provided by this program prepares graduates to excel in these vital roles.
Risk Management Roles
Risk management positions in healthcare organizations offer another promising career track, where professionals identify potential legal and operational risks, develop mitigation strategies and ensure organizational preparedness for various scenarios. The program’s emphasis on practical risk management strategies and legal analysis provides graduates with the skills necessary to protect healthcare organizations from legal and financial exposure.
Policy Analyst Positions
Policy analyst roles in government agencies, healthcare organizations and consulting firms offer opportunities to shape healthcare policy and regulation. Graduates can contribute to policy development, regulatory analysis and implementation strategies at local, state and federal levels. The program’s focus on healthcare policy and equity issues prepares students for these influential positions.
Additional Career Paths
Graduates may pursue roles in healthcare consulting, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, health insurance organizations and healthcare technology companies. The growing intersection of technology and healthcare creates emerging opportunities for professionals who understand both the legal and practical aspects of healthcare innovation and regulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a health law degree?
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William & Mary MLS Application Deadlines for Spring 2026
- Retrieved on June 30, 2025, from www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/compliance-officers.htm