Providing your Social Security number, date of birth, and the information requested in the Personal Background and Miscellaneous sections of the application form is voluntary. You must respond to all other questions, and then digitally sign and date the form. Please answer the questions asked on the application form in the space provided and use additional pages or electronic attachments only when necessary. Failure to answer required questions may delay the processing of your application. Reapplicants must submit a new application.

A nonrefundable $55 application fee ($65 for international applicants) is required for applications submitted by April 1. Applications submitted after April 1 will be assessed a $30 late fee. The application fee must be paid using a credit card or debit card.

For applicants to the online program, please mark the box on the application form that indicates that you intend to complete the program online.

Applicants must upload a copy of all post-secondary transcripts for all post-secondary schools ever attended. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable to complete the admissions application. These transcripts will be used as working copies during the admissions evaluation process.

PLEASE NOTE: Before starting classes at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, admitted students must submit official copies of all of their post-secondary school transcripts and proof of graduation regardless of credits being transferred or applied toward degree requirements. This includes college or university transcripts from high school concurrent enrollment programs. The official transcript(s) must be submitted directly to the University of Utah from the colleges or universities you have attended. For transcripts submitted through the U.S. Postal Service, the address is University of Utah Office of Admissions, 201 S. 1460 E., Room 250 SSB, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112. For transcripts submitted digitally, the email address is admisstranscripts@sa.utah.edu.

Candidates are required to submit a personal statement. The personal statement is also viewed as a document demonstrating your writing ability; therefore, the personal statement must be written by you. The Admission Committee’s goal is to assemble an intellectually stimulating community of students composed of individuals who have diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Your personal statement needs to address your reasons for pursuing an MLS degree and how you expect to apply this education professionally. In addition to work experience and superior academic ability, we seek students whose life experiences, backgrounds, and interests will enhance our educational community. This includes, but is not limited to, qualities such as leadership, maturity, organization, knowledge of other languages and cultures, sincere commitment to community service, a history of overcoming disadvantage, extraordinary accomplishment, or success in a previous career. The subject matter of your personal statement is up to you. Your personal statement should be at least two, but no more than three pages double-spaced. The personal statement should let the Admission Committee know more about you as a person and should address the above qualities if that information is not presented in other areas of your application. Issues addressed in your personal statement may include what background, experiences, and events (positive or negative) have affected you.

You are required to submit a writing sample as part of your application. Writing samples may include, but are not limited to, academic papers, inter-office memoranda, or client letters. Redacted confidential information is appropriate. There are no page or word limits. The purpose of this requirement is for you to demonstrate your written communication skills.

You are required to have two, but may have up to three, letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf. Letters of recommendation should come from people who know you well and have had the opportunity to observe you performing the various skills listed on our Letter of Recommendation form. This form is included in an automated email that is sent out by the Slate application system to all recommenders listed in your application. You will need to provide the names of your recommenders and their email addresses in the application system.

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official results from the TOEFL test and the test needs to have been administered in the last 12 months from application. You must contact the Educational Testing Service and request that your TOEFL score be sent electronically to the University of Utah Office of Admissions with the TOEFL code 4853. Please contact iao@sa.utah.edu for more information.

The S.J. Quinney College of Law requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted directly to the University of Utah Office of Admissions.

All applications completed by May 31 will be considered timely and will be reviewed as part of the regular admission process. To meet the May 31 deadline, you must submit the Application Form and fee and all other materials necessary to complete the application. We do, however, recommend that your file be complete before the May 31 deadline. Applications completed after the deadlines will be reviewed only if circumstances allow. It is the candidate’s responsibility to make sure the application file is complete.

You may apply before you receive your undergraduate degree. However, before you matriculate, you must provide official transcripts showing that you have been awarded a baccalaureate degree from a college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or by the foreign equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree.

No specific pre-law curriculum is required for admission to the MLS Program at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. Generally, you should seek, or have taken challenging courses from instructors who insist upon high standards of performance. Many undergraduate courses and majors can help you develop the specific skills you will need to succeed in graduate school and in your career. In particular, you should take courses that develop written and spoken communication, reading and comprehension, logic and analytical thinking, and problem-solving. It is important that you master English and learn effective study skills.

MLS students must begin study in the fall semester. Materials submitted in connection with your application file become the property of the S.J. Quinney College of Law and cannot be returned, copied, or forwarded elsewhere. We require applications to be electronically transmitted.

The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law confidentially maintains your Social Security number and date of birth for routine uses. Disclosure of this information is voluntary, but failure to provide it may result in confusion regarding your identity and could lead to a delay in the processing of your application. Additionally, if you are accepted for admission, there may be a delay or loss of federal and state financial aid, tax credits, student loan deferments, veteran’s benefits, and other benefits under the law. A separate University of Utah identification number will be assigned to you during the application process.

Admission to the S.J. Quinney College of Law is competitive; however, no candidate is accepted or rejected solely on a numerical basis. Factors such as breadth and difficulty of academic background, and significant work experience or life-broadening activities are also considered. Also considered are extracurricular and community activities, leadership ability, advanced degrees of study, geographic and language background. You may disclose important diversity factors such as your age, gender, racial or ethnic identity, disadvantaged socioeconomic or educational background, sexual orientation, non-traditional cultural background, or other similar information.

Students classified as nonresidents are required to pay non-resident tuition. A person who enrolls as a post-secondary student at a Utah institution prior to living in Utah for more than 12 continuous months as a nonstudent is presumed to have moved to Utah for the purpose of attending an institution of higher education and is a nonresident for tuition purposes. Residency reclassification petitions should be submitted at least 45 days before the beginning of the fall semester. More information on residency may be obtained from the University’s Residency Office at 801.581.8761 or admissions.utah.edu/apply/residency/. Once a student matriculates as a non-resident. for tuition purposes, that non-resident status will not be changed for the student while enrolled in the College of Law.

The S.J. Quinney College of Law provides a high-quality education at a competitive cost, both in terms of tuition and cost of living. The typical student can meet the cost of the MLS program with a financial aid package that may include loans guaranteed by the federal government and a small amount of personal savings or a family contribution. The University of Utah requires students wishing to be considered for financial aid to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). By submitting the FAFSA, a need analysis is conducted and this includes determining the amount a student can be expected to contribute to his or her educational costs. Information about the FAFSA and Federal Student Loan Programs can be found at fafsa.ed.gov.

Graduate housing for single students and families is available in off-campus apartments near the University of Utah. University housing for single students and students with families is available on campus in one- or multi-bedroom apartments. Some complexes feature community centers, preschool and early childhood educational programs, adult activities, landscaped grounds, gardens, and picnic areas. Demand for campus housing varies; please contact these offices well in advance of your needs. For housing information, you may contact the following offices: Housing & Residential Education 801.587.2002 housing.utah.edu University Student Apartments 801.581.8667 apartments.utah.edu.

Housing in pleasant neighborhoods is available within walking distance of campus and throughout Salt Lake City. Accommodations include large, medium, and small apartment complexes, condominiums, townhouses, duplexes, single-family residences, and rooming houses.