A general overview appears below. Full information is available in the Admission 2025 Application Instructions (PDF: 350 KB).
Eligibility
You’ll want to be sure that you have the right background in order to apply to our graduate degree and certificate programs.
You’ll need at least a first professional law degree for the following programs:
- Master of Laws (LLM) and our eight LLM specializations
- Executive Master of Laws (E-LLM)
- Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD)
- Advanced Certificate in Taxation
For the JSD, you’ll also need an LLM or other advanced law degree.
The Master of Studies in Law (MSL) in Taxation is designed for accountants and financial professionals. You must have both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, or hold a bachelor’s degree and be a licensed CPA. Before applying, candidates also must have at least three years of experience working on federal, state or local tax issues.
Questions? View our FAQs.
Admission Standards
We’re seeking smart, accomplished people from around the world who will succeed academically at NYU and contribute in meaningful ways to our global community.
Admission is highly selective. No single profile or set of factors ensures an applicant will receive an offer. Learn more about our holistic, need-blind, and comparative review process.
LLM and E-LLM
Admission is based primarily on prior legal studies. There are no inflexible rules about grade averages or rankings. Admitted applicants have excellent law school records and strong academic and/or professional recommendation letters.
Evidence of significant professional accomplishment, factors that demonstrate interest in and preparedness for graduate study at NYU, and English language proficiency are also considered.
MSL in Taxation
We look for a combination of prior academic and professional excellence, and consider factors that augur success in a demanding part-time program completed alongside full-time employment.
Those admitted are accomplished, present strong recommendations from professors and/or employers, and have significant experience working on substantive tax issues. They must demonstrate professional achievement and career advancement.
JSD
Only a very small number of students who demonstrate outstanding academic promise are admitted to the JSD, our most advanced law degree.
All applicants and materials are fully considered. Students are admitted only if they meet the application requirements and show potential for completing a dissertation of publishable quality that will make a significant scholarly contribution its field.
The JSD Committee exercises a preference for candidates who complete the NYU LLM degree. Typically, all NYU LLM graduates must have attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50.
Advanced Certificate in Taxation
Typically, candidates must meet the academic standards for our LLM programs. They also must demonstrate professional competence and career advancement.
- Admission to One Program
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Candidates may apply to only one Graduate Division program per cycle (from September to June). Applicants should choose the program they most wish to pursue and the entry semester in which they most wish to start their studies, if admitted.
Admitted applicants are offered a seat in the program for the semester to which they applied.
Following admission to the LLM degree, students may make a written request to change between master’s programs. All such requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and approval is not guaranteed.Admission to one program at the Law School does not guarantee or ensure admission to another. For example, neither does admission to the Advanced Certificate guarantee future admission to the LLM, nor does admission to the LLM guarantee an offer to the JSD.
Students who are interested in the NYU JD program should apply to that program. At NYU Law, there is no transfer admission from the LLM or MSL to the JD; all such candidates must apply in the normal process for entry to the first year of the JD program, including the submission of standardized test results.
- Residency and Online Study
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Part-time applicants who anticipate taking online classes, such as but not limited to those who will apply to the Executive LLM or MSL, should review the residency information to determine their eligibility. Such applicants are advised to do so prior to registering with LSAC or submitting the online application.
- Statement of Diversity
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New York University School of Law is a community of remarkable diversity, enhancing the learning environment for all. Those who comprise our graduate student body hail from around the world and bring with them a variety of experiences and viewpoints. As both recipients and providers of the learning process, the Law School has a vital interest in what students bring to the task of educating each other.
To select the most highly-talented and motivated people to take on this task from a pool of well-qualified applicants, the Committee on Graduate Admissions welcomes applications from all eligible persons. We are additionally committed to making appropriate academic accommodation for admitted students with disabilities.
We very much encourage you to take the opportunity to highlight how you will contribute to our global community of scholars in your application to our institution.
Non-Discrimination: New York University is committed to maintaining an environment free from discrimination or harassment based on race, gender and/or gender identity or expression, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, ethnicity, disability, veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, or on any other legally prohibited basis. Inquiries concerning the application of the laws and regulations concerning educational opportunity at New York University may be referred to: Office of Equal Opportunity, New York University, 726 Broadway, 719-721, New York, NY 10003. Telephone: +1 212 998 2370. Website: Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policies and Guidelines.