Online Learning at VLGS
Overview
Vermont Law and Graduate School offers online master’s and LLM degrees in animal law, environmental law, animal law and policy, energy regulation and law, food and agriculture law and policy, and restorative justice.
With more than 20 online learning courses covering a wide range of topics – including climate change, energy law, environmental law, natural resources law, food and agriculture regulations, justice reform, and more – students may tailor their degrees to meet their interests. Students may also choose to take courses as non-degree seeking for continuing education or to transfer to another institution.
The VLGS Online Learning Program provides access to the Master’s and LLM degree programs via an online classroom. The classes in the online program are parallel to the residential classes, and transcripts do not designate whether a class was taken on campus or online. The program was designed for working professionals and is also available to non-degree seeking students or students enrolled at other schools who wish to take online classes at Vermont Law and Graduate School.
Academics
As the premier environmental law school in the nation, Vermont Law and Graduate School offers degree programs and courses to produce leaders who want to change the world. Online students have access to nationally recognized centers, programs, and faculty – with experiential learning opportunities available from a distance.
Online Hybrid JD
Delivered through a mixture of online classes and three brief in-person residential sessions, the Online Hybrid JD offers the same rigorous legal education as the school’s residential JD, but with flexibility that allows working professionals to earn a law degree without giving up their ability to earn an income or having to move to Vermont.
Online Master’s Program
Vermont Law and Graduate School offers master’s programs that can be completed in less than two years for those who do not seek a professional law degree. VLGS’ degrees include the Master of Climate and Environmental Policy (MCEP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Arts in Restorative Justice (MARJ) and Executive Master of Environmental Policy (EMEP).
Online LLM Programs
LLM degrees from Vermont Law and Graduate School prepare post-JD students to specialize in animal, environmental, energy, or food and agriculture law. The programs are designed to enhance career options, enabling students to make a bigger mark on their communities and their world.
Online Graduate Certificate
VLGS offers a Graduate Certificate in Restorative Justice – a unique 9-credit program for students who wish to develop a career focusing on restorative justice or gain skills in restorative practices. Students pursuing the Graduate Certificate can take courses that cover topics such as critical issues in restorative justice, adversity, trauma, and victimization, and new approaches to domestic and sexual violence.
About Online Learning at VLGS
What are Online Learning Classes Like at VLGS?
Online Learning classes are taught sequentially (one at a time) in a compressed format. Each class runs for seven weeks and is conducted in an asynchronous format. This means you don’t have to be online at any one time: you can do the work at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., given what your schedule allows. Classes are highly interactive, with 2-3 assignments each week. These assignments require significant amounts of writing and require students to interact with their professors and each other several times during the week. You should expect to spend approximately 20 to 25 hours per week on your course. There are almost no traditional lectures, but instead conversations among students and faculty that build on material provided in class.
Application Process
To apply to an online degree program, prospective students must complete an application form and submit all official transcripts, essays, letters of recommendation, resumes, and an application fee.
Vermont Law and Graduate School offers several options to apply as a non-degree seeking student. Students may experience the curriculum without enrolling in a degree program.
Financial Aid
Paying for a graduate education doesn’t have to be daunting. Vermont Law and Graduate School is here to help students navigate the process to make their educational goals achievable.
Scholarships
Limited scholarships are available to online learning degree program students who demonstrate excellent academic achievement, promise, and financial need.
Applying for Aid
Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Financial Aid Office is available to prospective students to answer questions and assist throughout the process of applying for aid.
Student Services
As a member of the Vermont Law and Graduate School community, online students have access to the same resources, programs, and services as residential students. Their primary point of contact will be their Student Services Advisor, who works cross-functionally with the various institution-wide and departmental resources to ensure an excellent online student experience.
The Online Learning Program provides a curated page of Online Student Resources which is sent to each student upon enrollment and referenced in every online class. This resource list contains information about programs like the Academic Success Program, the Office of Career Services, the Virginia & Julien Cornell Library Services – which itself has collected a continuously updated resource for online students, Mental Health Services, the various Educational Centers, and more.
The Online Learning Program engages in personalized individual and general programmatic communications. This is in the form of direct phone, email, and messaging communication between the students and their Student Services Advisor, as well as general emails provided at regular intervals, reminding all students of deadlines, program updates, new opportunities, and other general information.
The Student Services team for the Online Learning Program is also committed to the success of their students, and constantly encourages engagement within the class spaces, both of students and their professors. The fast-paced nature of a 7-week online course requires regular engagement and participation, and the Online Learning Program at Vermont Law and Graduate School works to nurture that for our community.
Online Learning Forms
- Barrister’s Book Shop
- Certificate Declaration Forms
- Course Withdrawal / Drop Form
- Cross-Registration Request
- Deferral
- In-School Loan Deferment Request Form
- Intent to Enroll
- Intent to Graduate
- Leave of Absence
- Master’s Program Change Declaration Form
- Non-Degree Seeking Course Application Form
- Program Withdrawal Form
- Request for Accommodations
- Request Student ID Card
- Site Transfer Request (To/From Online Learning)
- For information related to site transfers, please contact your advisor.
- Scholarship Application Form
- Student Group Dues Payment Form
- Thesis / Project Registration Form
- Transcripts – Order Online
- Tuition Payment
