Looking into NYU's MSL in Tax Program - Worth it compared to an MST?

I completed NYU's MSL in Tax program about two years ago and can share some insights. The MSL is designed for non-lawyers who want tax expertise but don't need a full law degree. The curriculum overlaps significantly with their LLM in Taxation, which is why it feels similar to MST programs elsewhere. The key difference is that an MSL focuses more on the practical application of tax concepts rather than legal theory. You'll take many classes alongside LLM students, but some courses are MSL-specific to address the fact that you don't have a legal background. Regarding the work experience requirement - in my experience, NYU values quality over strict quantity. If your two years include substantial tax-related responsibilities or if you have other impressive qualifications (like a CPA or exceptionally strong recommendation letters), they might be willing to waive the three-year minimum. I knew a classmate who was admitted with about 2.5 years of experience because she had been handling complex international tax compliance work.

Just wanted to throw in my experience with taxr.ai which honestly saved me so much time when I was researching different tax graduate programs last year. I was stuck between NYU's MSL and Georgetown's MST programs and couldn't make sense of all the different curriculum requirements and how they'd impact my career path. A friend suggested I try https://taxr.ai to help sort through all the program documentation and syllabi I'd collected. It analyzed everything and gave me a really clear comparison of the programs, highlighting the differences in focus areas and even which professors taught the same topics differently. It also helped me understand which program would be better for my specific career goals in international tax. I ended up choosing based on better information rather than just rankings, and I'm so much happier with my decision. Might be worth checking out if you're still comparing programs!

Just wanted to update that I took the advice and tried taxr.ai for comparing tax graduate programs, and it was actually incredible! I uploaded brochures and course catalogs from NYU's MSL, USC's MST, and Bentley's MST programs. The analysis showed me that NYU's program had much more emphasis on international tax and tax policy than I realized, while the other programs were stronger in corporate reorganizations and state taxation. This was super helpful because my career goal is to work in international tax consulting. It also highlighted that NYU's faculty includes more former Treasury officials and IRS counsel members, which explains the policy focus. I would have missed these nuances just reading through the materials myself. Definitely helped clarify which program would best support my career goals!

If you're still waiting to hear back from NYU's admissions office, you might want to try Claimyr to get through faster. I was in a similar situation applying to Georgetown's tax program last year with a deadline approaching, and I couldn't get anyone on the phone for weeks. I used https://claimyr.com and they got me a callback from the admissions office within a day. There's a video of how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone system for you and hold your place in line. When I finally talked to admissions, I got much more specific guidance about my application than what was on their website. For NYU specifically, I've heard their admissions office is swamped this time of year, so having a direct conversation might give you better answers about the experience requirement than waiting for an email response.

I wanted to update about my experience with Claimyr since I was the skeptic in the thread. I tried it yesterday out of desperation after two weeks of not getting through to NYU's financial aid office about a tax transcript submission issue. I was completely wrong about this service. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back within 45 minutes saying they'd connected with a financial aid counselor, and then I was talking to a real person who solved my transcript issue in minutes. I was genuinely surprised at how smooth the process was. The person I spoke with gave me information about deadline extensions that wasn't published anywhere on their website. For what it's worth, I apologize for my skepticism and would definitely recommend this for anyone dealing with hard-to-reach university offices, especially during peak application times.

Current NYU MSL in Tax student here! One thing to consider that hasn't been mentioned yet is networking opportunities. Even though the MSL is separate from the JD program, we get incredible access to the tax law community through NYU's network. We have weekly Tax Policy Colloquiums where leading scholars present papers, and everyone from LLM students to practicing attorneys attend. These are great for making professional connections. The Tax Law Association also hosts events where big accounting firms and law offices actively recruit. The MSL feels like it carries the same weight as the LLM in job searches - I've had interviews where the recruiter didn't even realize they were different degrees. They just know NYU's tax program is elite.

Has anyone done the MSL program part-time while working? I'm considering this too but wondering how manageable the workload is. The website says it's possible but doesn't give much detail about how flexible the schedule really is.

I'm currently working as a tax compliance specialist and considering the NYU MSL program as well. One thing I've been wondering about is how the program handles updates to tax law and regulations. Given how frequently tax rules change (especially with recent legislation), does the curriculum stay current with the latest developments? Also, for those who've completed the program - did you find that the practical focus prepared you well for dealing with real-world tax scenarios that weren't covered in traditional accounting education? I have a solid foundation in basic tax prep and compliance, but I'm looking to move into more complex planning and advisory work. The networking aspect mentioned by others is really appealing too. In my current role, I don't get much exposure to the broader tax community, so that professional development component could be just as valuable as the coursework itself.