With the complexities of today’s health care industry, specialized knowledge is necessary to navigate the ins-and-outs of the system. Drexel University Kline School of Law’s online LLM in Health Care and Pharmaceutical Compliance is designed to help lawyers gain the expertise they need to successfully establish themselves as trusted specialists in the health care field.
An LLM (a Master of Laws) is a secondary degree available to those who hold a Juris Doctor (JD) or international equivalent. This is an advanced, specialized degree that lets you delve deep into a specific area or topic of law. Drexel’s online LLM focuses on compliance in the health care and pharmaceutical industry, with the curriculum highlighting topics like food and drug law and the regulation of pharmaceutical and medical device sales and marketing. An online LLM in Cyber Law and Data Privacy is also available.
Learn more about the program by completing the Request More Information form.
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Because you need to have a JD or equivalent law degree to earn an LLM, most graduates of LLM programs are practicing attorneys working at law firms, for the government, or as in-house counsel for pharmaceutical and insurance companies and health systems. Graduates can also work in compliance or in other roles that are responsible for making sure their organization can navigate the relevant legal systems within the health care and pharmaceutical industries.
Although salaries can vary based on organization and location, the following median incomes provide an idea of the salary you can earn after graduation.
Professional Role
Median Salary*
Lawyer
$119,250
Compliance Manager
$105,610
Compliance Officer
$71,540
*2017 figures via Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*Net
While a JD, an LLM and an MLS are all law-adjacent degrees, they differ in terms of scope. A JD is the only postgraduate degree that gives law school graduates the ability to sit for a bar exam. A state bar exam must be passed in order to practice law in the United States. An LLM is an advanced, specialized degree designed for those who already have a JD or international law degree. LLM programs provide a deeper dive into a specific area of the law. A Master of Legal Studies (MLS) is a graduate degree for those that may or may not have a JD. An MLS program focuses on how laws and regulations work and how to properly conduct business within them, focusing on areas such as risk assessment, compliance, and ethics. You cannot practice law with only an MLS degree.
To be considered for Drexel’s online LLM in Health Care and Pharmaceutical Compliance, domestic students need to have earned a JD from an ABA-accredited law school. International students must have earned a Bachelor of Law (LLB) or its equivalent.
The Kline School of Law is the only law school in Pennsylvania accredited by PACLE (Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education) to provide distance learning CLE credits. Lawyers admitted to practice in Pennsylvania who take online graduate level or advanced degree courses at Kline may claim CLE credit as permitted by PACLE regulation 5(f) governing Credit for Law School and Graduate Level Courses.
Drexel University offers a variety of Graduate Minors that can be added to any master's degree program. State restrictions may apply to some programs.
This program is organized into four 10-week quarters per year (as opposed to the traditional two semester system) which means you can take more courses in a shorter time period. One semester credit is equivalent to 1.5 quarter credits.
| Required Courses | ||
| LSTU 551 | Compliance Skills: Auditing, Investigation & Reporting | 4.0 |
| LSTU 554 | Risk Assessment and Management | 4.0 |
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Foreign-trained students may also be required to complete one or more of the following:
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LSTU 550
|
Introduction to the Legal System | |
|
LSTU 553
|
Legal Research and Analysis | |
| Electives* | 24.0 | |
|
LSTU 552
|
Ethics and Professional Standards | |
|
LSTU 555
|
Compliance Communications | |
|
LSTU 570
|
Health Care Fraud: Regulation, Investigation, and Enforcement | |
|
LSTU 571
|
Legal Issues for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare | |
|
LSTU 600
|
Health Care Rules and Regulations | |
|
LSTU 601
|
Health Care Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management | |
|
LSTU 602
|
Patients and Privacy: HIPAA and Related Regulations | |
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LSTU 603
|
Legal Regulation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Research and Development | |
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LSTU 604
|
Legal Regulation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sales and Marketing Practices | |
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LSTU 605
|
Food and Drug Law | |
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LSTU 660
|
Information Privacy Law | |
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LSTU 661
|
The Law and Strategies Surrounding Cybersecurity | |
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LSTU 662
|
European Union Data Privacy and Protection | |
|
LSTU 998
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Thesis I –Scholarly Legal Writing: Planning and Preparation | |
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LSTU 999
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Thesis II – Scholarly Legal Writing: Writing, Refining, and Presentation | |
| Total Credits | 32.0 | |
* Substitutions can be made upon approval.
With multiple ways to submit documents, Drexel makes it easy to complete your application. Learn more by visiting our Completing Your Application Guide.
For the academic year 2025-2026, students enrolled in an online graduate academic program will be charged a graduate online program fee of $125 per year.
2025-2026 Academic Year
Term
Classes Begin
Classes End
Exams Begin
Exams End
Fall 2025
September 22, 2025
December 6, 2025
December 8, 2025
December 13, 2025
Winter 2026
January 5, 2026
March 14, 2026
March 16, 2026
March 21, 2026
Spring 2026
March 30, 2026
June 6, 2026
June 8, 2026
June 13, 2026
Summer 2026
June 22, 2026
August 29, 2026
August 31, 2026
September 5, 2026