phd law requirements

Ph.D. Program

The ph.d. in law degree.

The Ph.D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through a doctoral program aimed at the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing under the close supervision of a three-member faculty dissertation committee. Unlike programs designed for students who wish to learn about law from the disciplinary perspectives of the social sciences or the humanities, the Ph.D. in Law is directed at students who wish to pursue advanced studies in law from the perspective of the law. This program offers emerging scholars an opportunity to contribute to the development of law as an academic field, and it provides an alternate pathway into law teaching alongside existing routes such as fellowships, advanced degrees in cognate fields, legal practice, and clerkships.

Because our entering Ph.D. students will have already completed their J.D. degrees, the anticipated course of study toward the Ph.D. in Law degree is three academic years and two summers in residence. In their first two semesters, Ph.D. students will enroll in courses designed to help them acquire the background and research skills needed to complete a dissertation in their field of interest and to prepare them for qualifying examinations that test the depth and breadth of the literacies and skills they have acquired. During their second year, students will prepare a dissertation prospectus and begin work on a dissertation. The dissertation may take the form of either three law review articles or a book-length manuscript and will make up a portfolio of writing that will be essential for success in the job market. Ph.D. students will also gain experience in the classroom, and receive the full support of Yale Law School’s Law Teaching Program , which has had remarkable success in placing graduates in tenure-track positions at leading law schools.

Ph.D. students receive a full-tuition waiver, a health award for health insurance coverage, and a stipend to cover their year-round living expenses, as well as support for participation in national and international conferences.

Applications for admission to the Ph.D. in Law program are available starting on August 15. The deadline for submission of all materials is December 15. Applicants to the Ph.D. in Law program must complete a J.D. degree at a U.S. law school before they matriculate and begin the Ph.D. program. Any questions about the program may be directed to Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, at [email protected] .

Watch Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, describe the Ph.D. program at Yale Law School.

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Now it is time to pivot and ask, where are your extraordinary gifts needed? How do you make this legal world that you are entering a better world? One where no one is shut out; one where the weak and vulnerable are not exploited; one that produces fair results based on the merits of the issues before it.

Doctor of Science of Law (JSD)

January 2023, JSD cohort with Professor Amalia Kessler, Associate Dean for Degree Programs

The Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD) is the Law School’s most advanced law degree, and is considered a doctorate equivalent to a Ph.D. It is designed for those interested in becoming scholars and teachers of law including interdisciplinary approaches to law.

Study toward the degree is open only to a small number of exceptionally well-qualified students who hold a JD or LL.B earned outside the United States. Students in the program develop substantive expertise in one or more fields of law and have the opportunity to pursue substantive and methodological training in allied disciplines across the broader university, including but not limited to, the social sciences, humanities, and engineering. The program culminates in the student producing a dissertation under the personal supervision of a Faculty committee comprised of law school professors as well as, where appropriate given the student’s interests, faculty from other departments of the university.

There are two different tracks for admission into the JSD program. A minimum of two students will be admitted from among students who have completed the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS) at Stanford Law School. In addition, students at Stanford and at other law schools in the United States who will have completed LLM degrees prior to the commencement of the JSD program are encouraged to apply for admission and will be seriously considered. To be competitive, students applying from LLM programs must have completed (and must submit) a serious piece of independent, original research demonstrating their scholarly potential.

Admission to the JSD program is on a highly selective basis. Please note that admission to SPILS or to any Stanford LLM program does not imply a commitment by Stanford Law School to accept a student into the JSD program.

Some need-based funding, as well as funding to conduct research and attend conferences is available to admitted JSD students.

Questions concerning the JSD program should be directed to [email protected] .

HOW TO APPLY

JSD Candidates

Luis Bergolla

JSD Candidate
Teaching Fellow, LLM Program in International Economic Law, Business and Policy (IELBP)
Lecturer in Law

Silindile Buthelezi

Rolando Garcia Miron

Yutang Hsiao

Tai-jan huang.

Takuma Iwasaki

Maria Palacio

Michael Thorburn

Having a jsd from stanford law school opens up countless career opportunities..

Teaching in US Academia

Teaching Outside the US

Working in the Public Interest Sector

Working in the Private Sector

The PhD in Law program prepares students who have earned a JD from an American Bar Association accredited law school to enter law teaching or other careers that require a scholarly mastery of law. The program is designed to provide a broad foundation in the canonical texts and methods of legal scholarship and to support students in producing original scholarship in the form of a dissertation. The program strongly encourages, but does not require, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of law.

Programs of Study
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
Yale Law PhD Program

Robert Post

Director of Graduate Studies

[email protected]

Gordon Silverstein

Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs

[email protected]

Thais Sobczak

Departmental Registrar

[email protected]
203-432-1696

Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is not accepted.

Program-Specific Application Requirements

A writing sample and a research proposal are required by this program.

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Academic Information

GSAS Advising Guidelines

Academic Resources

Academic calendar.

The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

Featured Resource

Registration Information and Dates

https://registration.yale.edu/

Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

Financial Information

Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally full-funded for a minimum of five years. During that time, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

PhD Student Funding Overview
Graduate Financial Aid Office
PhD Stipends
Health Award
Tuition and Fees

Alumni Insights

Below you will find alumni placement data for our departments and programs.

School of Law

Ph.D. Admissions

The application for autumn 2025 Ph.D. admission will open on Sept. 1, 2024, and the deadline is April 1, 2025. Admissions for entry to autumn 2024 have closed and late applications will not be accepted.

The Ph.D. Program at the University of Washington School of Law is highly competitive. Only a handful of applicants may be admitted in any given year.

Eligibility Requirements

Entry to the Ph.D. program requires an LL.M. degree or equivalent advanced degree in exceptional circumstances. The LL.M. degree may be counted toward the credit necessary for the Ph.D. program.

Preference will be given to:

University of Washington School of Law students who want to continue their studies with an identified faculty member who agrees to serve as chair of that student’s committee; or
Extraordinary students from other institutions with strong support by a UW Law faculty member who agrees to chair the student’s Ph.D. committee, provided their application is as competitive as those from UW Law candidates.

Application Process

The application process to the Ph.D. Program is online through the University of Washington Graduate School. Fill out an online application , upload the following documents, designate recommenders, and pay the application fee.

To be considered complete by the admissions committee, an application must contain:

A letter of recommendation from a UW Law faculty member in which they commit to chairing the Ph.D. committee and supervising the applicant for the duration of their Ph.D. studies, including information about the novelty and significance of the proposed topic as well as other committee members chosen ahead of time and with sufficient and continuous connection to the law school.
Letters of recommendation from committee members who have already agreed to serve. To identify the chair and committee members in the application, applicants are provided instructions within the application to designate them.
Statement of Purpose (1–2 pages). Please state the reasons for wishing to undertake Ph.D. studies, your area(s) of research interest and future career plans.
Writing Sample . The writing sample should be an original piece of legal scholarship (an LL.M. paper or a published article), authored solely by the applicant and no more than 30 pages in length. An excerpt from a longer essay or article may be submitted.
Dissertation Proposal (8-10 pages). The proposal should be detailed enough to show your understanding of your field of interest and the need for new, original research and must include a topic that is novel and significant, as detailed in a written prospectus, to include research questions, significance of topic to existing literature, and methodology.
Study Plan . A mapped-out plan for academic study, including specific courses across UW departments that provide the requisite body of knowledge for the proposed dissertation topic, and estimated timeline.
Resume listing educational qualifications, work experience, date of admission to legal practice (if applicable) academic honors and awards and any other professional affiliations relevant to the application.
Transcripts and Degree Statements (including date of graduation and title of academic degree awarded) from all colleges and universities attended. This includes transcripts for in-progress degrees and also for degrees that were attempted but not completed. Admitted students will be required to have one of their official transcripts with degree statement (usually LL.M.) sent directly to the UW Graduate School from the degree granting institution for verification.
Admissions interviews may be required to determine if the topic is novel and significant; if the prospectus is complete; and if the proposed methodology will get the project from questions to answers.

LANGUAGE ABILITY

International and foreign-educated applicants are expected to have a high level of ability in reading, writing and delivering presentations in English.

Applicants whose native language is not English:

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit English Language Proficiency scores or documentation that satisfies the UW Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements . Please self-report your scores in the application and electronically submit your test scores to the UW using the following instructions. Offers of admission cannot be made until the UW receives the official scores electronically :

Have ETS send your official TOEFL score electronically using Institution Code #4854.
Have Duolingo electronically report your score to the UW.
Have IELTS electronically report your score to the UW via the IELTS system (E-TRF), using the University of Washington’s organization ID 365.
For the full details of the English proficiency requirement, please see the UW Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements .
Minimum scores: TOEFL 80, Duolingo 105, IELTS 6.5. Scores required to clear AEP requirement : TOEFL 92, Duolingo 120, IELTS 7.0
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The PhD programme

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The PhD is awarded after three to four years of full-time research (or five to seven years of part-time study) on the basis of a dissertation of 80,000 words (exclusive of footnotes, appendices and bibliography, but subject to an overall word limit of 100,000 words exclusive of bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter). Examination for the PhD involves an oral examination (viva) by two examiners.

Research students who intend to undertake PhD research are in the first instance automatically registered for a one-year research training programme leading to the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (CPGS) in Legal Studies. They are assigned a supervisory team by the Degree Committee of the Faculty, ordinarily consisting of a supervisor (who is principally responsible for directing and assisting the research) and an advisor (who provides a second point of contact for academic advice). At the end of the first year, the Degree Committee decides whether students should be registered for the PhD. This decision is taken on the basis of the student’s personal progress log, first-year dissertation of 15,000 words, viva conducted by two assessors from within the Faculty, and outline of plans for the full research project. Candidates who successfully complete the requirements of the CPGS and the first-year progress review are retrospectively registered for the PhD.

All full-time PhD students are ordinarily required to be resident in Cambridge for the duration of their research (save where given leave to work away from Cambridge for academic reasons or whilst undertaking fieldwork), and during the first year in particular must attend weekly research training sessions in the Faculty.

This overview of the PhD programme must be read in conjunction with the detailed information available under the 'Courses' section (see, in particular, the Course Directory) of the Postgraduate Admissions website . Further information on postgraduate admission to research courses in the Faculty of Law is available from [email protected] or +44 (0)1223 330039.

The Faculty of Law The David Williams Building 10 West Road Cambridge CB3 9DZ United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 1223 330033 Email: [email protected]

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Coordinated JD/PhD Program

Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Coordinated JD/PhD Program is designed for students interested in completing interdisciplinary work at Harvard University and is founded on the belief that students’ legal studies and their arts and sciences graduate studies can be mutually enriched through this pursuit. Students completing the coordinated program receive a JD from Harvard Law School (HLS) and a PhD from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). It is expected that these students will be strong candidates for teaching posts at law schools and in arts and sciences programs, as well as for other positions in law and academia. Prospective students interested in the coordinated program may reach out to HLS J.D. Admissions and the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Admissions to learn more. Current and admitted students interested in the coordinated program are encouraged to contact April Pettit , in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS for questions about the JD program, or Dan Volchok , Assistant Dean of Student Success at Harvard Griffin GSAS for questions about the PhD programs.

Prospective students must separately apply to and be admitted to both HLS and a Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD program in order to participate in the coordinated JD/PhD program.

Students enrolled in HLS, but not yet admitted to Harvard Griffin GSAS, must apply to Harvard Griffin GSAS no later than the 2L year, meeting the Harvard Griffin GSAS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
Students enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS, but not yet admitted to HLS, should apply to HLS no later than the G3 year, meeting the HLS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
Please see below for details about participation in the coordinated program for Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year.

Once admitted to both schools, students must submit a proposed Plan of Study to the coordinated program no later than October 1 of the academic year following admission to both schools. Students should submit the Plan of Study to April Pettit in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS.

Please note: Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply to and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year at Harvard Griffin GSAS must then separately apply to the coordinated program. The application to the coordinated program should include (1) a statement detailing the way in which the student plans to integrate his or her legal studies with his or her graduate studies including how work done at HLS will inform the dissertation work and vice versa; and (2) a letter of support from the primary Harvard Griffin GSAS advisor; and (3) the Plan of Study.

The JD/PhD committee will review the applications to determine admission to the coordinated program.

Students will be registered in only one School during any given semester/term. Pursuant to ABA rules, students must complete all requirements for the JD degree within seven years of the date they first enroll in HLS ; they may graduate from HLS before completing the PhD. Students must have satisfactorily completed at least 16 half courses in their Harvard Griffin GSAS department to receive the PhD. Students in the coordinated program will have two primary faculty advisors, one at HLS and one at Harvard Griffin GSAS, who will jointly advise students.

Students will be expected to complete the first-year program, three upper-level fall or spring semesters, and two winter terms at HLS, for a total of five fall and spring semesters and three winter terms. In lieu of the sixth HLS semester generally required of JD students, students in the coordinated program may take a semester at Harvard Griffin GSAS, completing courses or dissertation work pre-approved by HLS, and equivalent to at least 10 HLS credits. This Harvard Griffin GSAS semester may be taken only after a student has matriculated at HLS and completed their entire first year of study there. Students and their faculty advisors will determine the most appropriate sequencing for each student’s course of study, keeping in mind the HLS course, credit, and residency requirements for this program.

Course and Credit Requirements

First-year program.

The first year at HLS consists of (1) Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legislation and Regulation, Property, and Torts; (2) First-year Legal Research and Writing; (3) January Experiential Term; and (4) a spring upper-level elective at HLS of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 classroom credits.

Upper-Level Years

Credit and residency requirements.

Students must earn no fewer than 52 credits beyond the first year, including 36 HLS classroom credits. Classroom credits include those connected to courses, seminars and reading groups, but not writing or clinical credits. The 36 required classroom credits also include the required minimum of two credits to satisfy the Professional Responsibility Requirement and credits from the required winter terms (provided that the course chosen offers classroom credits). Of the remaining 16 required HLS credits, a maximum of ten are earned through courses or tutorials taken in Harvard Griffin GSAS and/or for dissertation writing (see below). Note that students must have their advisor’s approval before engaging in a semester of Harvard Griffin GSAS dissertation writing that is expected to count toward the HLS credit requirements . The remaining six required HLS credits may be earned in classroom, writing or clinical courses.

While at HLS, students must be enrolled in a minimum of ten total credits each semester in HLS or Harvard Griffin GSAS, with no fewer than eight of these being HLS classroom credits toward the requirement of 36 HLS classroom credits.

Winter Term Requirement

Students also must enroll in the HLS winter term two times during their upper-level years in the program. Each of the winter terms must follow a fall term enrollment or precede a spring term enrollment at HLS. Students may register for a course of two or three credits. JD/PhD students will be permitted to spend one of the winter terms in the HLS Winter Writing Program, provided they are engaged in written work for HLS credit according to the rules of that program.

Written Work Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the JD Written Work Requirement. Students are permitted to satisfy the requirement with a portion of their dissertation, provided this work meets HLS standards for written work. However, any portion of the dissertation counted toward the JD Written Work Requirement cannot also be used as part of the 10 HLS-equivalent credits earned during a student’s Harvard Griffin GSAS semester. Further information about the J.D. Written Work Requirement and the Winter Term Writing Program is available from the HLS Registrar’s Office .

Pro Bono Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the HLS Pro Bono Requirement of 50 hours of public service.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of two years of full-time study in residence is required for all PhD programs in the Harvard Griffin GSAS. During the period of registration at HLS, coordinated JD/PhD students will have “study-at-another-Harvard-school” status in Harvard Griffin GSAS.

Structure of Academic Work

Students will ordinarily be enrolled for at least four years (8 terms) in Harvard Griffin GSAS. They must complete at least 16 half courses to receive their PhD. Students may cross-register for a limited number of Harvard Griffin GSAS courses during their upper-level terms at HLS. Depending on the Harvard Griffin GSAS department, these courses may count toward the PhD. However, JD/PhD students may count a maximum of 10 credits from Harvard Griffin GSAS coursework or dissertation writing toward the JD. Therefore, students planning to spend a semester enrolled at Harvard Griffin GSAS taking courses or writing the dissertation for which they will earn 10 HLS credits may not also count cross-registered Harvard Griffin GSAS courses toward the JD.

General Examinations

In most departments, once having completed the required coursework, students must pass a general examination or other preliminary or qualifying examinations before undertaking independent research on a dissertation. Normally, when the nature of the field and previous preparation permit, students should pass these examinations by the end of the second year of full-time academic residence.

PhD Dissertation

The student’s dissertation prospectus must be approved by the department. A student who wishes to present as a dissertation a published article, series of articles, book or other document, or a manuscript that has been accepted for publication, must have the approval of the department concerned. In no case, however, may a dissertation be presented that has already been submitted toward another degree, either at Harvard or elsewhere. The Dissertation Acceptance Certificate must be signed by at least three readers approved by the student’s department, two of whom must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). FAS emeriti (including research professors) and faculty members from other schools at Harvard who hold appointments on GSAS degree committees are authorized to sign the Dissertation Acceptance Certificates as FAS members. GSAS strongly recommends that the chair of the dissertation committee be a member of FAS. The third reader may be a member of the HLS faculty.

Requirement of Satisfactory Status

Continuous registration, a satisfactory grade record, and evidence that satisfactory progress is being made toward the degree are required of all candidates for graduate degrees offered by FAS. All students in Harvard Griffin GSAS must be making satisfactory progress in order to be eligible for any type of financial aid and teaching. The following five provisions are the general definition of satisfactory progress during registration in Harvard Griffin GSAS:

During the first two years of graduate study any student who has completed expected requirements is considered to be making satisfactory progress.
In each of the first two years, a student must have achieved the minimum grade-point average required by the faculty, a B average. (see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies: Grade and Examination Requirements ).
By the end of the third year, a student must have passed general examinations or the departmental equivalent.
By the end of the fourth year, a student must have obtained approval of a dissertation prospectus or its departmental equivalent.
By the end of the fifth year and each subsequent year during which a student is allowed to register, they must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation.

For more information about satisfactory progress, please see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies .

Other Requirements

Ordinarily, programs will have a language requirement and an expectation of teaching. Students should consult with their Harvard Griffin GSAS departments for more information about these requirements.

There are a number of possible academic schedules for students pursuing both degrees. Three sequences are outlined below, but students may propose alternative sequences. In considering their courses of study, students should be aware that their financial aid packages might be affected at the school in which they defer enrollment.

Year 1: HLS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: HLS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: HLS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: HLS Year 6: 1st term, HLS Year 6: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: HLS Year 2: HLS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Updated Plans of Study

By October 1 each year, current JD/PhD students should submit an updated Plan of Study to April Pettit, in the HLS Office of Academic Affairs.

Other Academic Information

Faculty advising.

Students in the program will have primary faculty advisors at both HLS and at Harvard Griffin GSAS. If possible, HLS faculty advisors should be selected before the completion of the 2L year. The HLS faculty advisor must sign off on any dissertation writing a student expects to use for JD credit. In some Harvard Griffin GSAS departments, the director of graduate studies serves as the faculty advisor during the first two years of study. Faculty advisors will supervise students’ academic work, advise students on their courses of study and on specific classes appropriate for their PhD work, and approve the courses of study for their students on an annual basis. If appropriate, the HLS advisor will be the third reader on the student’s dissertation committee, with at least two readers required to be members of FAS.

Leaving the JD/PhD Program

If a student fails to make adequate progress toward the PhD, the student’s faculty advisors will be permitted to withdraw the student from the program. In such cases, in order to receive the JD degree, a student will still need to meet the graduation and credit requirements for the JD degree.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Harvard law school.

Students must pay five semesters of full tuition. Students will be eligible for HLS financial aid for all semesters during which they pay tuition to HLS. For more information on Financial Aid, visit the Student Financial Services Financial Aid webpage .

Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The minimum financial requirement for the PhD is at least four terms of full tuition followed by two years of reduced tuition and a facilities fee unless the degree is completed in less than four years. The financial aid awarded upon admission to the PhD program is available during those terms in which the student is enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should refer to their notice of financial support provided by their department upon admission to Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should consult with their GSAS departments for more information.

Administrative Information

The HLS Registrar’s Office, the FAS Registrar’s Office, the GSAS Assistant Dean of Student Success, the HLS Associate Director of Academic Affairs, and the appropriate financial aid officers, will coordinate on students’ registration status and updated plans of study.

Housing and Student Life

GSAS and HLS will work together to ensure that the student services offered by both Schools are available to JD/PhD students during all their years in the Coordinated Program, including career and counseling offices, financial aid offices, student centers, and alumni offices. Students in the coordinated program will have email accounts at both schools throughout the program. Disability services and visa requirements will be coordinated on a case-by-case basis by the HLS Dean of Students and Registrar and by the Harvard Griffin GSAS Assistant Dean for Student Success. Students may apply for housing through either School for the years in which they are enrolled for at least one semester/term at both Schools. In all other years, students must apply for housing to the School in which they are enrolled.

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PhD Programme in Law

The opportunity to undertake advanced legal research at one of the world's best law schools.

The London School of Economics is a world centre for advanced research and teaching with an outstanding reputation, with a campus situated in the heart of London, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Only a short distance from Europe's financial, legal and cultural centres, LSE stands at the crossroads of international debate, a location that is fundamental to our identity as an outward looking institution with an active involvement in UK and world affairs. Each year the School attracts many influential outside speakers. Regular events and seminars involving politicians, regulators, practitioners and academics take place to complement your studies.

LSE Law School is one of the UK's pre-eminent research institutions for law. Our academics are the authors of influential and often path-breaking scholarship, and many have globally leading reputations. LSE Law is also one of UK's largest law schools, with over 70 academic members of staff. It is a uniquely cosmopolitan academic community, with staff and students coming from all over the world. Our academics draw on a wide range of literatures and traditions, and pursue analyses that seek to situate the law within the political, social and economic context within which it is formed and operates.

PhD Programme

The PhD programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science offers the opportunity to undertake advanced legal research at one of the world's best law schools. Students in our PhD programme receive excellent training and work under the supervision of leading scholars with strong international, comparative and interdisciplinary commitments. Our doctoral students become members of a lively academic community which is at the cutting-edge of legal scholarship and which plays a major role in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world.

We hope that the questions you have about our PhD programme will be answered in these web pages. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us , or see our Frequently Asked Questions ...

PhD Funding

PhD Current research

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Graduate School

Ph.d. requirements.

Academics & Research
Programs & Requirements

Brown University awards more than 200 doctor of philosophy degrees annually.

The Brown Ph.D. is primarily a research degree. Teaching is an important part of many doctoral programs, and many departments require candidates for the Ph.D. to have teaching experience.

Brown University offers substantial financial support to doctoral students. All incoming doctoral students are guaranteed five years of support, which includes a stipend, full tuition remission, health-services fee, and a health-insurance subsidy. Doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences are guaranteed six years of support. All promises of student support are subject to students making satisfactory academic progress, as determined by their programs of study. Please see related links for additional details regarding the University's commitment to doctoral education.

Ph.D. Funding

Funding guarantee, four general requirements for the doctor of philosophy.

The candidate must be formally admitted to his or her degree program.

The normal residency requirement is the equivalent of three Academic Years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree. Students who enter a PhD program at Brown already holding a master’s degree in a related field have a residency requirement equivalent to two Academic Years of full-time study upon entering the PhD program at Brown. Use of a previously earned master’s degree to reduce PhD residency requirements is contingent upon approval of the program Director of Graduate Study. Graduate work done at other institutions and not used in fulfillment of the requirements for any doctoral degree elsewhere may, on the approval of the program Director of Graduate Study, be counted in fulfillment of up to, but not exceeding, one year of the residency requirement. A student who desires credit for work done elsewhere should file a timely application with the program Director of Graduate Study; transfer credit forms are available through the Office of the Registrar .

A student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. when he or she has completed satisfactorily all the requirements, departmental and general, requisite to beginning work on the dissertation. Candidacy is determined by the department or program of study and certified by the Registrar. Most departments require a preliminary examination before advancing any student to candidacy. Most departments also require a final examination or defense. The examination is conducted by professors in the department and by such other members of the faculty as may be appointed.

The candidate must present a dissertation on a topic related to his or her area of specialization that presents the results of original research and gives evidence of excellent scholarship. The dissertation must be approved by the professor or committee under whose direction it is written and by the Graduate Council. All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within five years after advancement to candidacy.

Faculty Member Leaves Brown

If a faculty member working with a doctoral student leaves Brown for any reason before that student has completed his or her degree requirements, it may not always be possible for that faculty member to continue working with the student as an advisor. In such cases, departments will work with students to help them locate a new advisor.

Additional Requirements

Individual departments and programs may have additional requirements regarding the number of courses to be taken, proficiency in foreign languages, special examinations, and theses. The department should be consulted for specific information.

DPhil in Law

Entry requirements
Funding and Costs

College preference

How to Apply

About the course

The Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) is the most prestigious of the Law Faculty's research degrees. It entails writing a thesis over a period of three, or at most four years (six to eight years for part-time students).

All students will be admitted to Probationer Research Student (PRS) status in the first instance, and all students except those who have previously completed the faculty's MPhil in Law programme will undertake a course in legal research methods during the first year as a full-time student or in the first two years as a part-time student. This provides training in legal research methodology, but it will also expose you to the diversity of and intellectual challenges involved in legal scholarship and serves as a forum of peers in which you can discuss the methodological challenges involved in your own research. The course comprises seven compulsory two-hour seminars during Michaelmas term while in Hilary term, students must attend eight hours of seminars from a wider range of options, including seminars offered by other social sciences departments and the faculty’s Centres for Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies. Students must also attend the course conference at the start of Trinity term.

The Faculty can provide supervision for a wide range of different topics and a list of completed doctorates gives a general sense of the breadth and depth of the research undertaken by its students.

A typical week for a student during their first two terms will involve attendance at a legal research training methodology class and perhaps participating in a discussion group (of which there are over 30) or auditing a BCL seminar that relates to their own research topic; apart from which they will be spending their time engaged in their own research. You will also meet with supervisors to discuss your work as explained in the supervision section below. After the third term (providing you transfer to full DPhil status) you may undertake fieldwork and research trips, depending on the nature of your research topics, and there may be opportunities to undertake paid research assistance or to teach undergraduate students.

If you are a part-time student, you will be required to be physically present in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days per year, normally coinciding with the full terms of the academic year, to be arranged with the agreement of your supervisor. You should expect to meet with your supervisor (either in person or, where available, online) up to nine times throughout the academic year, and in the first two terms, you will be required to undertake the legal research training methodology course (either in person or, where available, online).

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Law Faculty and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Law Faculty.

On admission as a research student, you will be assigned a supervisor with whom you should meet regularly to discuss your work and provide feedback and advice. Students generally meet their supervisors nine times per year. For the DPhil, there is likely to be a greater concentration of meetings during the first two terms, while you are in the process of defining your research topic, and in the final stages leading up to submission of the completed thesis.

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a full-time PRS student (eight terms as a part-time PRS student), you will be expected to apply for, and achieve, transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status by submitting a research outline and a substantial piece of written work. These are assessed by two members of the Law Faculty, who will also interview you about your work. This application is normally made by the third term for full-time students (sixth term for part-time students). A similar exercise then takes place between your sixth and ninth terms (twelfth and fifteenth terms for the part-time pathway) when you will apply for Confirmation of DPhil status.

After three or at most four years (no later than eight years for the part-time pathway), your thesis will be read by two examiners, who conduct an in-depth oral examination known as a viva voce. The thesis must make a significant and substantial contribution to its field. On the basis of the examiners’ report, you will either be awarded the DPhil (which may be subject to major or minor corrections) or referred back to make revisions to the thesis.

Graduate destinations

DPhil students will pursue a range of career paths after completion of the doctorate. Many will take up academic posts, or pursue postdoctoral research of one sort or another. Some will enter legal practice as solicitors, barristers, advocates, and judges; others will become legal advisors advising government departments, non-governmental organisations and private companies.

The University of Oxford has an excellent careers service with which the department has close ties. The Careers Service organises a number of events of specific interest to students wishing to pursue a career in law, and offers one-to-one advice from members of staff with knowledge and experience specific to the legal sector.

The Law Faculty has an extensive network of relationships within the legal profession and each year offers a number of talks and events run by law firms and barristers’ chambers.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying.

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

a first-class undergraduate degree with honours in law. Exceptionally, students with first-class honours in other subjects may be considered if the subject is relevant to the proposed area of research.

In the absence of an undergraduate degree in law, candidates may be admitted with a postgraduate diploma or master's qualification in law at distinction level.

Most students admitted to the programme have a previous master's qualification but this is not a formal requirement.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

Part-time applicants will also be expected to show evidence of the ability to commit time to study and, if applicable, an employer's commitment to make time available to study, to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules. Where appropriate, evidence should also be provided of permission to use employers’ data in the proposed research project.
Publications are not expected. They may, in certain circumstances, advantage an application but it is appreciated that the opportunity to publish may vary considerably depending on factors such as the stage the student has reached in their graduate career and the structure of the course(s) they have studied. Consequently, a lack of publications will not be assessed negatively.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References and supporting documents submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about how applications are assessed .

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of the University’s pilot selection procedure and for scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about processing special category data for the purposes of positive action and using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions .

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.

The Law Faculty is fortunate to have outstanding library facilities provided by the Bodleian Law Library. As part of the Bodleian, the Law Library shares in all the advantages of being part of the largest university library in the country, including the receipt, under legal deposit legislation, of legal material published in the UK and Ireland.

The Law Library offers the vast majority of its holdings - some 550,000 items - on open shelves across four floors. Selected low-use material is housed in a book storage facility and is retrievable within half a day. The library serves a large community of graduate readers and academics in their research requirements. The strength of the collection lies in the depth of its UK holdings, combined with extensive holdings for European and Commonwealth jurisdictions. In addition the library holds materials relating to international law, Roman law, and jurisprudence. To complement the paper collection, the Law Library provides a wide range of online legal resources. The Bodleian’s collection of Official Papers is also housed in the Law Library.

The library has 40 reader workstations, which provide access to the internet, legal databases, Microsoft Office applications and Endnote. There is a Graduate Reading Room, a large seminar room, two IT rooms and three small ‘discussion rooms’ for private study or group work. The wireless network extends throughout the library. The law librarians offer a range of classes and one-to-one sessions to support the specific research needs of graduate students.

Oxford’s Faculty of Law, one of the largest in the UK, offers you the opportunity to study alongside some of the best law graduates of your generation, under the direct supervision of some of the world’s leading legal scholars.

Oxford's reputation for master's-level legal education has few equals. All of the courses on offer involve intensive work to a very high academic standard, and the BCL and MJur are exceptional in their use of tutorials as a principal means of course delivery. Both of these programmes offer an extensive variety of options and the opportunity to specialise in certain fields or to select a diverse combination of courses. For those with more specialist interests, the faculty also offers the MSc in Law and Finance, the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice, the MSc in Taxation, and the Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice, the MSc in Intellectual Property, and the MSc in International Human Rights Law (formerly known as the MSt in International Human Rights Law and offered by the Department of Continuing Education).

For its research students, the faculty offers a wider range of legal and interdisciplinary specialisms corresponding to the diverse interests of faculty members. For many research students the ultimate goal will be a DPhil, the Oxford term for a doctoral qualification, but the faculty also offers a one-year MPhil course which can either be taken in its own right or as a route into the DPhil. As a research student, you can expect to work closely with a specialist supervisor who will help you develop your ideas and pursue your thesis to a successful conclusion.

Research students play a central role in the intellectual life of the faculty, collaborating in numerous discussion groups and colloquia and participating in many BCL, MJur and MSc course seminars.

Centre for Criminology Pursuing an innovative programme of criminological research and delivering high quality education.

The Centre for Criminology is an independent unit of the University’s Faculty of Law. The centre is dedicated to pursuing an innovative programme of criminological research and to delivering high-quality graduate education in criminology. It has a vibrant programme of research, aimed principally at fostering and developing clusters of research activity around seven substantive areas:

security, rights and justice
penal culture, policy and practice
politics, legitimacy and criminal justice
crime and the family
psychology, criminal justice and law
victims and victimisation
criminal justice, citizenship and migration.

Members of the centre are committed to:

connecting criminological work to the broader concerns of the social sciences;
thinking comparatively about crime and punishment;
bringing together sociological and normative approaches to the analysis of crime and justice; and
working at the intersections between criminology and public policy.

These approaches to the study of crime and criminal justice inform teaching and doctoral supervision in the centre. They create an intellectually stimulating and collaborative environment to pursue your study in criminology.

Centre for Socio-Legal Studies At the forefront of multidisciplinary research into the nature and role of law in society.

The Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) brings together scholars with diverse academic backgrounds and ambitions, who pursue their own research topics and are also encouraged to collaborate widely and develop multifaceted research programmes. Researchers address fundamental questions about the nature of law, its relations with morality, religion, and justice, and its role in regulation, government and community, the nature of rules and legalistic thought, the development of laws, legal systems and legal cultures, and the social character of the rule of law.

The CSLS welcomes students who wish to pursue research in any aspect of socio-legal studies, broadly defined. The centre's staff have a range of expertise in socio-legal research and methodologies and draw on a range of cognate fields, including anthropology, jurisprudence, political science, regulation studies, economics and sociology. Supervision can be offered in most areas of social-legal studies.

The CSLS has a community of around thirteen full-time research staff and thirty-three graduate research students. Links with leading scholars in Oxford’s Faculty of Law and throughout the University enhance the breadth of the centre’s research and the resources made available to students.

Courses offered by the faculty

View all courses View taught courses View research courses

The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the faculty's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Full-time study.

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Part-time study

Information about course fees.

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel and research expenses. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for grants from the Faculty or your College to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

Balliol College
Blackfriars
Brasenose College
Campion Hall
Christ Church
Corpus Christi College
Exeter College
Green Templeton College
Harris Manchester College
Hertford College
Jesus College
Keble College
Lady Margaret Hall
Linacre College
Lincoln College
Magdalen College
Mansfield College
Merton College
New College
Oriel College
Pembroke College
The Queen's College
Regent's Park College
St Anne's College
St Antony's College
St Catherine's College
St Cross College
St Edmund Hall
St Hilda's College
St Hugh's College
St John's College
St Peter's College
Somerville College
Trinity College
University College
Wadham College
Wolfson College
Worcester College
Wycliffe Hall

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

Before you apply

Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

applicants from low-income countries;
refugees and displaced persons;
UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to make contact with academic staff before you apply. However, it is suggested that you consult the list of research and subject groups on the Law website to check that your research interests fall within an area in which the Law Faculty has research expertise.

You may also wish to refer to the list of academic staff for details of individual Law Faculty members' research interests.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

If known, under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) who you would like to supervise your research. Otherwise, leave this field blank.

Referees: Three overall, academic strongly preferred

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Academic references are strongly preferred, but a professional reference will be accepted as long as you also provide two academic references. If you are currently completing a course at Oxford, then at least one reference must be from someone who has taught you on that course.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement and motivation.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

A CV/résumé is compulsory for this course. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Research proposal: A maximum of 600 words

You should submit a detailed outline of your proposed research, written in English. The overall word count may exclude any bibliography or footnotes.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This will be assessed for:

the coherence of the proposal
the originality of the project
evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
your ability to present a reasoned case in English
the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course.

It will be normal for your ideas subsequently to change in some ways as you investigate the evidence and develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.

Written work: One essay, a maximum of 2,000 words

An academic essay or other writing sample from your most recent qualification, written in English, is required. This may be an extract from a longer piece - in such cases, the piece should be prefaced by a note which puts the work in context.

The work must be on a legal topic and written in English. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or footnotes.

This will be assessed for comprehensive understanding of the subject area; understanding of problems in the area; ability to construct and defend an argument; powers of analysis; and powers of expression.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide Apply - Full time Apply - Part time

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 19 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2024-25

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Faculty of Law

Course page and FAQs on the faculty's website
Funding information from the faculty
Academic and research staff
Faculty research
Social Sciences Division
Residence requirements for full-time courses
Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 271496

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

Schools & departments

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Law

Upcoming Introduction to Postgraduate Study and Research events

Join us online on the 19th June or 26th June to learn more about studying and researching at Edinburgh.

Choose your event and register

Research profile

The Edinburgh Law School is a vibrant, collegial and enriching community of legal, sociolegal and criminology researchers and offers an excellent setting for doctoral research.

Edinburgh Law School is ranked 3rd in the UK for law for the quality and breadth of our research by Research Professional, based on the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021).

Our doctoral researchers are key to the School’s research activities, and we work hard to ensure that they are fully engaged with staff and projects across all of our legal disciplines.

You will find opportunities in the following fields:

company and commercial law
comparative law
constitutional and administrative law
criminal law
criminology and criminal justice
environmental law
European law, policy and institutions
European private law
evidence and procedure
gender and sexuality
human rights law
information technology law
intellectual property law
international law
legal theory
medical law and ethics
obligations
contract delict
unjustified enrichment
property, trusts and successions
Roman law and legal history
socio-legal studies

Training and support

Doctoral researchers enjoy full access to the University’s research skills training which the Law School complements with a tailored research and wider skills programme.

The training programme in Year One (six seminars) includes workshops on research design, writing and research ethics.

The focus of the training programme in Year Two and Three is on supporting the dissemination of work with opportunities to present work.

Opportunities are also available for research exchanges through the League of European Research (LERU) network, as well as an annual research training exchange programme with KU Leuven.

Find out more about the training and support available

Doctoral researchers are able to draw upon a fantastic range of resources and facilities to support their research.

The Law School has one of the most significant academic law libraries in the UK which offers outstanding digital resources alongside a world-leading print collection (almost 60,000 items including a unique collection for Scots law research).

You will also have access to the University’s Main Library which has one of the largest and most important collections in Britain, as well as the legal collection of the National Library of Scotland.

Career opportunities

Upon completion of the PhD, the majority of our students progress to postdoctoral research or lecturing and teaching roles.

Recent graduates have also found employment in roles as diverse as prison governor, solicitor and policy adviser for organisations including:

the International Criminal Court
Anderson Strathern
HM Prison Service

Our PhD programme

Edinburgh Law School can offer expert supervision across an exceptional range of subject areas for PhD study.

A PhD at Edinburgh Law School involves undertaking independent research, culminating in the submission of a thesis of up to 100,000 words, which should be an original piece of work that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of study and contains material worthy of publication.

As a doctoral student, you will join a diverse community of around 100 postgraduate researchers and will become an integral part of the intellectual life of the School.

Find our more about studying for a PhD at Edinburgh Law School

Studying for a PhD video

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

PhD Law: a UK 2:1 honours degree in law, arts or social sciences, and a UK Masters degree with at least 60% in the taught section and 65% or more in the dissertation, or their international equivalents.

The majority of our applicants have studied law, but we are a comprehensive Law School covering a range of approaches to legal topics including social science, historical and philosophical enquiry; applications from non-law students with relevant studies and experience will be considered and if you require further guidance please contact us.

Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

Entry requirements by country
English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other components. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 25 in writing and 23 in all other components.
C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 185 in writing and 176 in all other components.
Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 70 in writing and 62 in all other components.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding, featured funding.

School of Law funding opportunities
Research scholarships for international students
Principal's Career Development PhD Scholarships

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

your programme
the duration of your studies
your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

Search for funding

Further information

Postgraduate Research Office
Phone: +44 (0)131 650 2022
Contact: [email protected]
School of Law (Postgraduate Research Office)
Old College
South Bridge
Central Campus
Programme: Law
School: Law
College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Law - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd law - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

People/Staff

Enhance your knowledge of a highly specialised area of law by conducting your own research.

The PhD is suitable for students who have an interest in conducting independent and highly specialised academic research which may not be available as postgraduate courses. Our academics have expertise to supervise in an extensive range of legal topics which would enhance the professional expertise and standing of those who complete this degree.

The PhD is therefore suitable for law graduates and legal professionals who wish to enhance their knowledge of highly specialised areas and for those who wish to become legal academics.

Structure/ Programme

A candidate for a PhD qualification must successfully defend a research proposal within six months of registration (in the case of full-time candidates) or twelve months of registration (in the case of part-time candidates).

A Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded on the successful submission of a doctoral thesis which should make a substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field of investigation. The length of the thesis should be between 70 000 and 100 000 words.

The minimum period of registration for the PhD is two years (full-time) and four years (part-time). The maximum period of study is two years in addition to the minimum period of study.

Entry Requirements

A master’s degree or an equivalent qualification from Wits University or another university.

Your application should include a CV, an academic record (transcript) and a short proposal, also known as an expression of interest.

The short proposal is a document of 7 – 10 pages that outlines the applicant’s proposed research and the research questions to be investigated. It should include a provisional title as well as a provisional bibliography.

Applications are considered on the basis of candidates’ academic record, the strength of their expression of interest and the availability of an appropriate supervisor in the School.

Prospective research students are therefore further encouraged to approach potential supervisors in advance of their application, i.e. to find a member of staff in the School of Law who is willing in principle to supervise their proposed research. Profiles of our staff and their research and/or supervision interests, as well as their contact details are available on the School of Law website. You can also access a list of staff research and supervision areas .

If you do find a willing potential supervisor, indicate this on your expression of interest. You may however proceed with your application even if you do not find a potential supervisor beforehand. In that case, the Postgraduate Studies Committee will endeavour to allocate a supervisor to you in the event that your application is successful.

University Application Process

Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC) . Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
Please apply online . Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal .
Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal .
Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students , please check this section .

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits .

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here . Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.

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You are currently on: Doctoral study

Doctoral study in Law

Why study with us?

The University of Auckland and Auckland Law School is the highest-ranking university in New Zealand (QS World University Ranking by subject 2021).
The Davis Law Library is the largest law library in New Zealand.
Auckland Law School is home to a number of renound research centres.
Stimulating and rewarding, a PhD at the Auckland Law School requires a high level of self-motivation and discipline, providing an exciting opportunity to engage in independent, cutting-edge research.
The University of Auckland offers a range of scholarships and opportunities for incoming doctoral candidates.

Your PhD is an ideal qualification if you wish to pursue an academic or research career.

The PhD is an advanced degree awarded for an original contribution to research and academic debate in a student’s chosen legal specialisation, with the findings published in a substantial thesis.

Your thesis can be completed within three to four years of full-time study or on a part-time basis.

The PhD is a thesis-only research degree programme and your research will be guided by an appointed supervisor (usually a senior academic from Auckland Law School) and co-supervisor.

Research opportunities

Auckland Law School has New Zealand’s largest community of legal academics, with leaders in Corporate and Commercial Law, Public Law and International Law. With these and all other major areas of the law, we attract research students from around the world.

The University of Auckland Law School is an active and vibrant research institution. Its members regularly publish articles and books in New Zealand and around the world, and also serve as editors of a range of publications. The faculty hosts a number of research centres, and maintains close cooperation with the Legal Research Foundation. The faculty’s work is supported by the Davis Law Library’s extensive collection of legal materials.

The faculty welcomes enquiries from prospective research students. The faculty’s core subject areas include:

Constitutional, Administrative and Public Law
Contract, Torts, Equity and Private Law
Corporate and Commercial Law
Criminal Law and Justice
Human Rights Law
Indigenous Peoples and the Law
International and Comparative Law
Land and Environmental Law
Legal History and Theory
Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Family and Relationships Law

Our Supervisors

Scholarships.

University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships

Each year, the Auckland Law School will award one additional scholarship to a student whose application best serves the strategic aims of the School. These strategic aims include:

Promoting PhD research on consequential practical or theoretical problems in law
Supporting excellent PhD students and their research aspirations
Supporting Māori and Pacific PhD students
Supporting PhD students from equity groups

Students who wish to be considered for this scholarship should complete the appropriate section in the Law School’s Statement of Research Intent. You can find more information about this scholarship .

Professor Brian Coote Memorial Scholarship

The Scholarship was established in 2021 and is funded by a significant bequest left to the Auckland Law School by the late Professor Coote.

There is no formal application for this scholarship. The scholarship is awarded on the recommendation of the Auckland Law School or University of Auckland committee once your application for doctoral studies is accepted. For more information about the awarding process for this scholarship please download a copy of the Professor Brian Coote Memorial Scholarship regulations.

Ngā Ara Whetū PhD Scholarships

The University of Auckland will award three doctoral scholarships for transdisciplinary research on Climate Change and/or Biodiversity and Society starting in 2023. The University seeks applications from scholars with high quality track records in research who wish to pursue doctoral projects combining law and other disciplines. Applications to this scholarship have not closed.

There are several scholarships you may be eligible for when you decide to pursue your doctoral studies in Law.

University of Auckland Law School’s Dean’s Doctoral Scholarships

If you want to chat further about your studies, either email lawphd@auckland.ac.nz or click below to get in contact.

Apply for doctoral study

Every effort has been made to ensure the information we have supplied is correct and up to date. However, the regulations take precedence over all other material. You are strongly advised to read the relevant scholarship regulations for complete information, to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for scholarship consideration, and that you understand the implications of any regulations, awarding value and selection criteria.

Doctoral programmes

Doctor of Philosophy

Study at Cambridge

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Primary tabs

Overview (active tab)
Requirements
How To Apply

Course closed:

Law is no longer accepting new applications.

The PhD in Law may be awarded after three to four years of full-time study or five to seven years of part-time study (including a probationary period) of supervised independent research on the basis of a thesis not exceeding 100,000 words exclusive of bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter. Students are appointed a principal supervisor by the Faculty's Degree Committee as well as an adviser to act as a source of advice on matters relating to a student's research and research environment. If the project is interdisciplinary, a second supervisor may be appointed. It is a requirement of the first year of study that students attend, in term-time only, the research training classes provided by the Faculty's Research Training and Development Programme. While individual arrangements may vary considerably, PhD students may normally expect to receive one-to-one supervision once a month during the early stages of their research. Meetings may be less frequent thereafter.

A PhD thesis must take due account of previously published work on the subject and must represent a significant contribution to learning, through, for example, the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory or the revision of older views. A PhD research proposal of between 2,000 and 3,000 words in length should be submitted at the time of application for consideration and approval by the Faculty's Degree Committee. Candidates are initially registered for the Certificate of Postgraduate Study in Legal Studies and are required to attend the classes provided by the Faculty's Research Training and Development Programme, which aims to provide an introduction to advanced research techniques and methods in law and cognate disciplines.

Towards the end of May of their first year (or second year if registered part-time), candidates are required to submit three items for a progress review: a personal progress log, a 15,000-word thesis, and a short explanation of the proposed topic of the PhD. The work is formally assessed (normally by two teaching members of the Faculty) and students must attend an oral examination.

After this examination, the assessors' reports, along with a recommendation from the supervisor(s), are considered by the Faculty's Degree Committee whose members then decide whether the candidate be upgraded to doctoral status. The PhD registration date is normally backdated so as to include the period spent working on the Certificate.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the Postgraduate Open Day page for more details.

See further the Postgraduate Admissions Events pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, faculty of law, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Funding Deadlines

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

International Law PGDip
Legal Studies PGDip
Politics and International Studies PhD
Corporate Law MCL

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Discover more about Law at Manchester

PhD Law / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

View full page
Bachelor's (Honours) degree in a cognate subject at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 1 December 2023. If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.

For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024
For January 2025 entry: 30 September 2024

Programme options

Programme overview.

Immerse yourself in sustained, in-depth study into a specific topic.
Stimulate real change while you work across our core fields in terms of both legal and policy issues.
Join a community of established researchers and contribute to a diverse intellectual environment.
Receive research training in law and social sciences.

Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.

To find out what studying on a postgraduate research programme at Manchester is like, visit our Open days and study fairs page and explore our virtual open week or future on-campus and international events.

We will be conducting our PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out more about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393 International, including EU, students (per annum): £10,750

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards available to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Social Sciences studentships is 1 December 2023.

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting your funding application and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
School of Social Sciences PhD Studentships 2024 Entry
AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
PhD Studentship with the Stuart Hall Foundation (Social Sciences) - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry

Contact details

See: School Subjects

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

Attending an Unaccredited Law School: the Pros and Cons

Law schools not approved by the American Bar Association offer savings and convenience, but limited job prospects.

Pros, Cons of Unaccredited Law Schools

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More than 30 law schools in the U.S. and a few more international law schools overseas provide a legal education without ABA accreditation.

When people talk about law school , they generally mean one of the nearly 200 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association, which is the national organization of the legal profession. Any graduate of one of these law schools who has met the eligibility requirements may sit for the bar examination in any state.

To be accredited, law schools must comply with ABA standards, which cover everything from curriculum and faculty to facilities and services. The ABA frequently reevaluates and updates these standards.

For example, the ABA is currently debating whether to standardize law school curricula, allow law schools to take more students without the LSAT or GRE , and expand options for online J.D. programs .

To stay accredited, law schools file annual reports that contain data useful to applicants about factors like selectivity, diversity, bar passage and career outcomes. New law schools must meet these standards to gain accreditation, and law schools that don’t are placed on provisional status or ultimately de-accredited.

It is possible for law schools to operate without ABA accreditation, however. More than 30 law schools in the U.S. and a few more international law schools overseas provide a legal education without ABA accreditation . Most are based in California, where graduates of nonaccredited law schools can take the bar exam and qualify as lawyers.

A few other states, such as Alabama, also permit graduates of certain unaccredited law schools to take the bar.

Why Attend an Unaccredited Law School?

Unaccredited law schools tends to be much easier to get into than ABA-approved schools, making them the best option for applicants whose low grades or LSAT scores bar them from admission elsewhere.

Unaccredited law schools also tend to be cheaper and more convenient than accredited schools. Many unaccredited law schools offer flexible, part-time and online options that appeal to older applicants working full time.

Applicants may also choose unaccredited schools because of their location or other distinctions like their high levels of diversity. Some unaccredited schools have a religious bent or unconventional pedagogy that may appeal to like-minded students.

The Pitfalls of Unaccredited Law Schools

Even if graduates of unaccredited law schools save money in the short term, their postgraduate career prospects may suffer. Their overall rates of bar passage and postgraduate employment are significantly lower than for their peers from low-ranked but accredited law schools.

For example, a report by the State Bar of California found that 67% of graduates of ABA-accredited law schools passed the state bar in 2022, while state-accredited law schools had a bar passage rate of 21% and unaccredited law schools had a 9% bar passage rate. The report also found that students of unaccredited law schools are far more likely to drop out of law school.

Furthermore, there are few states that allow graduates of unaccredited law schools to take the bar and practice law. While California is a vast state with an outsize legal market, its bar exam is notoriously hard, with the lowest passage rate in the U.S. Its major legal markets are also highly competitive, attracting lawyers nationwide, putting graduates of unaccredited law schools at a disadvantage.

It is also worth noting that California is one of four states – along with Virginia, Vermont and Washington – that allow individuals to skip law school altogether and qualify for the bar exam after a traditional legal apprenticeship.

Weighing the Evidence

To be sure, graduates of unaccredited law schools who pass the bar exam can succeed in the legal field, and as practicing lawyers their legal education will fade from relevance. Many states even allow lawyers who passed the California bar and have practiced for a certain number of years – typically three to 10, depending on the state – to take their bar exam regardless of their education.

However, there are strong reasons to be wary that unaccredited law schools offer enough benefits to justify the time and tuition. Before matriculating to an unaccredited law school, ensure that it is on sound financial footing and that its graduates have a strong track record of success.

Rather than attend an unaccredited law school, consider gaining entry to an ABA-approved school by raising your LSAT score , gaining relevant work experience or improving your application essays. Even if you are denied the first time you apply, you can strengthen your candidacy as a reapplicant .

In the long run, investing in your application is a surer path to legal practice than accepting a seat at a law school that isn’t worth the cost of tuition .

Tips to Boost a Law School Application

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Tags: law school , graduate schools , education , students

About Law Admissions Lowdown

Law Admissions Lowdown provides advice to prospective students about the law school application process, LSAT prep and potential career paths. Previously authored by contributors from Stratus Admissions Counseling, the blog is currently authored by Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach , an admissions consultancy. Kuris is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has helped hundreds of applicants navigate the law school application process since 2003. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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What is a Master of Studies in Law? Explore the George Washington University Law School MSL

Several pages of a contract are displayed; a magnifying glass enlarges the word "contract" and the top of the first page.

You don’t have to be a lawyer to earn a living understanding and applying the law. Many professions require — or benefit significantly from — a thorough understanding of how the law impacts an industry or institution. The Master of Studies in Law (MSL), a graduate-level law degree designed for non-lawyers, can prepare you for a career interpreting and navigating legal situations.

You can earn an MSL 100% online from the George Washington University Law School (GW Law); you also have the option to take courses on-campus. The program offers specializations online in three areas: government procurement law, national security and cybersecurity law, and government procurement and cybersecurity law. The university’s location in the heart of Washington, D.C. enables students to benefit from access to the center of national legal and political activity — without ever having to leave their hometowns.

Gain Legal Expertise to Propel Your Career

Choose from three msl concentrations at gw law.

If you aspire to a career engaging with the law, you may be wondering whether a Master of Studies in Law is the right degree for you. How does the MSL differ from the Juris Doctor (JD), the law degree pursued by aspiring attorneys? What careers does each degree facilitate? This article explores those questions to help you decide which option better suits your career goals.

Master of Studies in Law vs. Juris Doctor: Decoding the Differences

A Master of Studies in Law is a master’s-level graduate degree in law and legal systems. A Juris Doctor is a terminal degree at the doctoral level that qualifies recipients to work in the courts as lawyers and judges. Admissions requirements, coursework, and career opportunities for the degrees differ substantially.

Applicants to GW’s MSL program must hold a bachelor’s degree and three to five years of professional experience relevant to the specialization they choose to pursue. Acceptance into a JD program requires a bachelor’s degree and an acceptable score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) .

Coursework in the degree programs overlaps somewhat, but the JD is undoubtedly the more comprehensive and detailed of the two. GW’s MSL program requires 24 credit hours of coursework, which can be completed in as few as 12 months (for full-time students). A JD requires 80 credit hours and includes a rigorous first-year law student curriculum, with courses such as Torts, Property, and Contracts. Full-time JD students typically take three years to complete their degrees, after which they must pass their state’s bar exam.

Your professional goals will dictate which degree you choose. JD graduates are trained to practice law (after successfully passing a state or DC bar examination); they typically pursue careers as lawyers, judges and legal scholars. An MSL can be helpful in professions in such varied fields as government, business, finance, real estate, court administration, mediation, insurance, policy, and nongovernmental organizations. Practically every field intersects with the law, creating career opportunities for MSL degree holders.

What Will You Learn in MSL Programs?

Graduates of George Washington University’s Master of Studies in Law are prepared to communicate with lawyers and competently address industry compliance and regulatory issues. Students pursue the specialization most compatible with their current professional experience:

Government Procurement Law examines how procurement systems operate and the laws and regulations that govern them in the U.S. and abroad. Classwork includes anti-corruption, intellectual property and procurement reform.
National Security & Cybersecurity Law thoroughly examines legal and policy issues surrounding national security, cybersecurity, AI, big data and new technologies. Classes cover internet law, foreign access to U.S. technology, and artificial intelligence law.
Government Procurement & Cybersecurity Law prepares professionals to address the rising demand for cybersecurity legal expertise in government procurement law. Topics include cybersecurity law and technology, consumer privacy and data protection, and government procurement of intellectual property.

In all fields, the MSL degree prepares graduates to address challenges from a legal perspective, communicate with lawyers and non-lawyers alike, and assess the legal ramifications of corporate and institutional issues.

Career Pathways with a Master of Studies in Law

An MSL can be especially beneficial for people who work in highly regulated fields, such as government, healthcare, education, nonprofits, manufacturing and finance. Anyone who communicates frequently with lawyers can also benefit from an MSL. Graduates of GW’s MSL program have gone on to work for various employers, including:

Department of Defense
Department of Homeland Security
General Dynamics
General Services Administration (GSA)
Lockheed Martin
Northrop Grumman

Is an MSL the Right Fit for Your Professional Goals?

The GW Law online MSL serves non-lawyer professionals whose work requires a detailed knowledge of the law. An MSL can benefit compliance officers, consultants, government managers, intelligence community analysts, journalists, policy analysts, and procurement specialists, to name just a few.

George Washington University Law School’sMSL program provides the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to apply the law to today’s organizational legal challenges. Located in our nation’s capital with flexible options to attend from any location, GW Law’s MSL degree delivers a strong law curriculum, respected faculty experts, academic peers from across the globe and over 33,000 living alumni for networking, advice and career development.

If you are ready to explore the law and find your place within it, contact an admissions adviser to learn more about the MSL program or start your application .

Become a Source of Valued Legal Insight in Your Workplace

Learn to identify and address legal risks.

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Sharing some details will help us customize your experience. A bachelor’s degree is required to attend.

Undergraduate Studies

Fields of study 2026.

Economic and Management Sciences

Engineering

Health Sciences

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

HEQSF alignment

All universities in South Africa were obligated by law to take part in a National Project driven by the regulatory bodies (Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), to align all qualifications with the Higher Education Qualification Sub Framework (HEQSF). The NWU is thus currently in an ongoing process of aligning our qualification and programme offering with the requirements of the HEQSF.

Prospective students must take notice of the fact that NWU qualification names, programme names as well as the composition of curricula may change due to the HEQSF Project, prior to registration for the 2025 academic year. Successful candidates are advised to contact the relevant faculty to ensure that they register for the correct qualification, programme and / or curriculum.

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Overall Course Requirements. Ph.D. students must successfully complete a minimum of 90 credits including at least 60 course credits and 27 dissertation credits (LAW 800—minimum two credit hours per quarter). With the approval of the Ph.D. Program Director and Steering Committee, an appropriate master's degree from an accredited institution ...
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Law
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Doctor of Philosophy (Law)
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PhD in Law
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