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LLM PhD Integrated Course, Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus, Subjects, Scope & Career Growth

What is LLM Ph.D.?

LLM Ph.D. is an integrated dual degree course. It combines postgraduate-level LLM and doctoral Ph.D. programmes. LLM PhD dual degree can be pursued by students who come from different academic backgrounds. It is one of the best ways to develop the right amount of knowledge in the field of law. As people are becoming aware of their legal rights and responsibilities, the demand for law courses has increased among students. There are numerous specialisations offered in law courses such as international business law, patent law, civil law , human rights law, corporate law , and labour law .

What is the LLM PhD Full Form?

Highlights - master of legislative law- doctor of philosophy (llm phd), llm phd fee structure, why choose llm phd, llm phd eligibility, skills required for llm phd degree, llm phd application process, llm phd cutoff, top law colleges accepting clat pg score, llm phd syllabus, llm phd specialisations, what after llm phd, careers opportunities after llm phd, top recruiters for llm phd, salary after llm phd, llm phd employing areas.

The LLM course can be completed in one year, and from then onwards, you can start your Ph.D . The PhD after LLM duration will be of three to four years. A lot of people consider LLM to be the degree that you need to do if you are looking to teach a student in college or if you want to pursue a Ph.D. You need to keep reading the article to know more about this integrated PhD after LLM programme.

LLM PhD stands for Master of Legislative Law- Doctor of Philosophy. The Ph.D. topic depends on what subjects you have chosen in your LLM. The Ph.D. in legal studies helps students understand the advanced legal system of the country and the different policies that come into play to make juridical decisions. A candidate who is applying for an LLM course must be keen to study law and the various niches that the law offers.

The fee structure of the LLM PhD integrated course is planned by the management authority of the academic institution. It may vary across colleges, depending on the facilities provided and previous academic records. The average LLM PhD fees range from Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs. 6.3 lakhs, based on the college choice.

The LLM PhD joint degree is suitable for all professionals. Whether you are a lawyer or a non-lawyer, it does not matter. LLM PhD dual degree is well recognised internationally and will stand the test of time. The masters of law are not only for lawyers who fight their cases in the courtroom. People in industrial business, academia, marketing, international diplomacy, and administration are some of the different opportunities in which you can kickstart your career with this master’s degree.

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Every institute has its own eligibility criteria for the integrated LLM PhD course. we have provided you with the basic LLM PhD eligibility that every law school demands from the students.

First, a student must have done a bachelor's in law or have some kind of degree in law, which could be either a BA LLB or BBA LLB from a recognised university or college.
Some colleges may have a higher minimum percentage when it comes to the admission process in LLM. But for most law schools, a minimum of 55 per cent of previous bachelors is required.
When it comes to the age limit, there is no specified age to take LLM courses in various colleges in the country. You only need to complete your graduation to pursue LLM.

For a person to pursue a PhD in law after LLM , one needs to have a good observational trait to look for even the smallest details. Also, they should be good at interpersonal skills and should be comfortable in running the debate. Below are some LLM PhD skills helpful to the students throughout the course.

Suppose you are interested in doing your LLM course along with a Ph.D. You need to make sure that you apply to all the top law schools that are present in the country. Also, when you are pursuing LLM, you need to take a specialisation in it. Below is the general LLM PhD application process followed at most colleges in India.

Candidates who want to get admission to the LLM course first need to appear for the national entrance exams. To get admission to the top law schools that the nation has to offer.
Once you have filled out the application form for the LLM course entrance test, you need to appear in the exam and score good marks. After the result is out, colleges will have their cut-off for the respective entrance exams, and you can apply for those colleges whose cut-off you have cleared.
After applying to college, you need to visit the campus for the final interview round, where the administration will ask you a general question and test your verbal skills.
Now, if you are selected for the college, you will start your LLM course and during those 12 months, you can choose the topic for your Ph.D. and submit a draft to the college.
Also, if you are interested in combining LLM courses along with a Ph.D., the whole admission process is the same. But, candidates also need to provide the working experience certificate, which needs to be off at least three to five years.

A cut-off is the minimum required score that determines the eligibility of candidates to offer enrollment in academic programmes. It is affected by three major factors: the number of candidates participating in the examination, the number of available seats, and the difficulty level of the examination. It is difficult to predict the LLM PhD cutoff, as it changes every year. Candidates are advised to check the college's websites for the publication of the LLM PhD cutoff.

The Common Law Admission Test-Postgraduate ( CLAT-PG) is an offline test at the national level that provides admission to various law-related courses. Across the country, there are many colleges and universities that accept CLAT-PG scores to provide admission. Below are some of the top colleges accepting CLAT PG scorecards.

There are several different LLM PhD subjects and specialisations, that you can choose when you are pursuing the course. Depending on your specialisation, the LLM PhD syllabus will be different for each course. Below is the LLM PhD curriculum which is followed at the Auro University, Surat .

LLM PhD dual degree course allows students to learn new different core subjects, which can help in building a good law career. Given below are some of the law specialisations which you should be looking for when you apply for the LLM PhD integrated course.

Business Law
Criminal Law
Human Rights
Taxation Law

There are a number of opportunities open up for you once you complete your LLM Ph.D. LLM courses will bring both respect and money into your life. There are a lot of public areas where the government needs an LLM course candidate to help them out. Graduates can work for the government as well as private organisations. Moreover, they can also open up their own consultancy or legal aid firm and become an entrepreneur. Pursuing a career as an academician is another choice you can opt for.

Given below, we have named some career options that you can choose after completing your LLM with an integrated Ph.D. Here is the list of LLM PhD career options that you can choose that can easily provide both social respect and a respectable annual salary.

Advocate :- You can have a great career both in India and abroad when it comes to becoming an advocate. You will be able to showcase your knowledge of Indian law. To succeed in this line, you need to have an astute for human behaviour and psychology.

Lawyer : A lawyer is a professional who practices law. He or she provided advice to clients on legal matters. He or she may advocate and represent clients in the courts. A lawyer interprets the legal terms to clients and interprets laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses. He or she conducts case studies and prepares legal documents.

Legal Advisor :- A legal consultant or legal advisor helps the company sign a legal contract with the new companies or with the new client. It requires you to have legitimate research, drafting, and research related to your company's projects.

Judge :- One of the highly reputed jobs in India can be taken up if you have completed your LLM PhD course. Surely you need to take an exam for that, but this course will help you prepare for it, and during the interview stage the postgraduate degree with a Ph.D. is going to help you pass the process with flying colours.

Several recruiters hire individuals with legal expertise directly through campus placements. These recruiters visit the campuses of premier law colleges like ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad , Saveetha University, Chennai , and RNB Global University, Bikaner . Some of the notable recruiters for LLM PhD courses are provided in the table below.

We have provided below the salary details based on the law career job profiles. The salary offered to LLM PhD graduates may vary depending on their job profile and area of law specialisation and the structure of the employing organisation.

Source: Payscale

An LLM PhD is a higher level of qualification in the field of legal studies. Successful LLM PhD graduates can become law professors and start teaching in law colleges and universities. They can either start working with NGOs, media houses, NPOs, legal firms, or in the court of law. Note that, specific employment areas depend on the individual's specialisation, preference, and experience.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

To get admission in LLM, you need to have a bachelor's in the same field, which is a legal study. You can get admission to LLM course postgraduate courses in some colleges. Still, top law schools require you to have previous experience in the field or a graduate degree.

Yes, when you enrol in an LLM course you have to choose a specialisation for your postgraduate. During this decision-making, you can choose criminal law, or family law as your specialisation. These will help you learn the core concepts of Indian law which will be beneficial for you in the long term when you need to represent your client in court.

You need to have work experience in this field and your bachelors have to be related to legal studies in one way or the other.

There are certain exceptions that can go beyond one year of the time period but mostly LLM course full-time programmes take one year to complete. Some schools do offer part-time and distance learning to their students so that LLM course can be done in two to three years depending on the law school.

Yes. You will need three or more years to complete LLM Ph.D. In this programme, a student needs to choose a topic for the research and come up with the solution and thesis along with the published paper at the end of the final year to complete the programme. LLM course is a postgraduate degree in law.

Yes, candidates can pursue an LLM PhD integrated course of four years. Note that, they must have a bachelor’s degree in law first.

Yes, you can apply for Ph.D. programme after one year of LLM, but make sure you have pursued LLM in full-time mode, otherwise, your application may not be considered.

Most colleges cover LLM PhD courses in four years, however, it can take up to five years as well, depending on the curriculum and specialisation.

The application process involves meeting educational requirements, appearing for an entrance exam (if any), and appearing for an interview.

No, there is no national-level exam for the LLM PhD integrated course.

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The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs.

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story.

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion.

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications.

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product.

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans.

Process Development Engineer

The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party.

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems.

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

Information Security Manager

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack

ITSM Manager

Automation test engineer.

An Automation Test Engineer job involves executing automated test scripts. He or she identifies the project’s problems and troubleshoots them. The role involves documenting the defect using management tools. He or she works with the application team in order to resolve any issues arising during the testing process.

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Using the LLM as a stepping stone to PhD study: How I came to PhD

By Luke Graham

My name is Luke Graham and I am coming towards the end of my second year of my PhD in the Law School at Lancaster University. I knew I wanted to do a PhD when I started getting really stuck into and enjoying my undergraduate dissertation a few years ago. I made this known to my dissertation supervisor Dr Amanda Cahill-Ripley and she really encouraged and guided me in the process of considering, and applying for, postgraduate study. After 3 years as an undergraduate I couldn’t afford to self-fund a PhD, and at the time the Government hadn’t yet extended the postgraduate loans to cover the cost of doing a PhD. So instead, I took advantage of the masters loan and studied a Masters degree to strengthen my chances of securing PhD funding from a Research Council.

Like my undergraduate degree, I studied for my Masters in the Law School. This was an incredible year for me. I was lucky enough to receive a number of opportunities to get involved with research projects and co-organise a conference alongside studying which gave me a firm footing. I applied for PhD funding to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) with the support and guidance of the Law School’s ESRC liaison, Dr Gary Potter. That’s the thing about the Law School, you can really build positive relationships with the staff and they genuinely do want to help students succeed. I found out in the March of my Masters year that I had been awarded funding and I know that this was partly due to the support I received from staff in the Law School.

The Masters year really allowed me to focus my studies and I was able to do much of my work with my PhD in mind. This meant that I was able to hit the ground running when I started my PhD. Even so, the transition between the two was not what I had expected. For the first time I had no short-term concrete deadlines and I’d say it took me a term to adjust into a PhD mindset. One piece of advice I’d give to anybody starting a PhD who will be based in Lancaster is to make use of your office space. I’ve made my office my own and I’m productive there. For me, it’s so important to have a clear divide between my PhD work and my personal life. I do my best not to do any PhD work outside of my office.

I view my PhD as training for my future career. Whether I end up as an academic or not, I know that the opportunities which I’ve been fortunate to experience alongside researching and writing have equipped me with, and bolstered skills, that employers are looking for. Plus, I’ll be a Dr! As a PhD student I’ve been fortunate enough to teach undergraduate students and to act as a writing tutor in the LAWs Clinic. These were new challenges and ones which I have really enjoyed and I have also secured a teaching qualification. I’ve also accessed training in relation to my PhD, with one of the benefits of being here at Lancaster being the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Research Training Programme.

I have been the representative for postgraduate research students in the Law School, sitting on the postgraduate committee. This has really allowed me to see how much work goes on behind the scenes to make the learning experience in the Law School as positive as possible for all students. As part of this role, I organised a writing retreat for the PhD students and the Law School funded this. The School regularly supports PhD student initiatives, for example the postgraduate conference that took place earlier this year (LINK).

Having studied for my undergraduate, Master’s and PhD at Lancaster, I have been here for 6 years now (almost all my adult life). I often say to people who ask me how I am not bored of being here yet, that taking on new challenges is the key to staying in any place for such a long time. Outside of studying, I’ve been fortunate enough to captain two different university sports teams, I’ve worked in Grizedale College as an Assistant Dean, I have undertaken research for staff in the Law School, and I even spent 15-months working in the student nightclub! The one thing all these experiences share is that I was working as part of great teams, and to me that’s incredibly important. So that would be my second piece of advice, find a sport or a society, find likeminded people, find something you love to do, and make sure it is separate to your studies. There's so much on offer at Lancaster it would be a real shame not to.

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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I chose to attend Yale Law School because I wanted to direct my own education. Twenty-five years later, freedom and flexibility are still the best things about this place. As a YLS student, you get to decide what you want to study.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree?

Earning a Ph.D. from a U.S. grad school typically requires nearly six years, federal statistics show.

How Long It Takes to Get a Ph.D. Degree

Caiaimage | Tom Merton | Getty Images

A Ph.D. is most appropriate for someone who is a "lifelong learner."

Students who have excelled within a specific academic discipline and who have a strong interest in that field may choose to pursue a Ph.D. degree. However, Ph.D. degree-holders urge prospective students to think carefully about whether they truly want or need a doctoral degree, since Ph.D. programs last for multiple years.

According to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, a census of recent research doctorate recipients who earned their degree from U.S. institutions, the median amount of time it took individuals who received their doctorates in 2017 to complete their program was 5.8 years. However, there are many types of programs that typically take longer than six years to complete, such as humanities and arts doctorates, where the median time for individuals to earn their degree was 7.1 years, according to the survey.

Some Ph.D. candidates begin doctoral programs after they have already obtained master's degrees, which means the time spent in grad school is a combination of the time spent pursuing a master's and the years invested in a doctorate. In order to receive a Ph.D. degree, a student must produce and successfully defend an original academic dissertation, which must be approved by a dissertation committtee. Writing and defending a dissertation is so difficult that many Ph.D. students drop out of their Ph.D. programs having done most of the work necessary for degree without completing the dissertation component. These Ph.D. program dropouts often use the phrase " all but dissertation " or the abbreviation "ABD" on their resumes.

According to a comprehensive study of Ph.D. completion rates published by The Council of Graduate Schools in 2008, only 56.6% of people who begin Ph.D. programs earn Ph.D. degrees.

Ian Curtis, a founding partner with H&C Education, an educational and admissions consulting firm, who is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in French at Yale University , says there are several steps involved in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. Students typically need to fulfill course requirements and pass comprehensive exams, Curtis warns. "Once these obligations have been completed, how long it takes you to write your dissertation depends on who you are, how you work, what field you're in and what other responsibilities you have in life," he wrote in an email. Though some Ph.D. students can write a dissertation in a single year, that is rare, and the dissertation writing process may last for several years, Curtis says.

Curtis adds that the level of support a Ph.D. student receives from an academic advisor or faculty mentor can be a key factor in determining the length of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. program. "Before you decide to enroll at a specific program, you’ll want to meet your future advisor," Curtis advises. "Also, reach out to his or her current and former students to get a sense of what he or she is like to work with."

Curtis also notes that if there is a gap between the amount of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. and the amount of time a student's funding lasts, this can slow down the Ph.D. completion process. "Keep in mind that if you run out of funding at some point during your doctorate, you will need to find paid work, and this will leave you even less time to focus on writing your dissertation," he says. "If one of the programs you’re looking at has a record of significantly longer – or shorter – times to competition, this is good information to take into consideration."

He adds that prospective Ph.D. students who already have master's degrees in the field they intend to focus their Ph.D. on should investigate whether the courses they took in their master's program would count toward the requirements of a Ph.D. program. "You’ll want to discuss your particular situation with your program to see whether this will be possible, and how many credits you are likely to receive as the result of your master’s work," he says.

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Ilana Kowarski May 15, 2018

Emmanuel C. Nwaodua, who has a Ph.D. degree in geology, says some Ph.D. programs require candidates to publish a paper in a first-rate, peer-reviewed academic journal. "This could extend your stay by a couple of years," he warns.

Pierre Huguet, the CEO and co-founder of H&C Education, says prospective Ph.D. students should be aware that a Ph.D. is designed to prepare a person for a career as a scholar. "Most of the jobs available to Ph.D. students upon graduation are academic in nature and directly related to their fields of study: professor, researcher, etc.," Huguet wrote in an email. "The truth is that more specialization can mean fewer job opportunities. Before starting a Ph.D., students should be sure that they want to pursue a career in academia, or in research. If not, they should make time during the Ph.D. to show recruiters that they’ve traveled beyond their labs and libraries to gain some professional hands-on experience."

Jack Appleman, a business writing instructor, published author and Ph.D. candidate focusing on organizational communication with the University at Albany—SUNY , says Ph.D. programs require a level of commitment and focus that goes beyond what is necessary for a typical corporate job. A program with flexible course requirements that allow a student to customize his or her curriculum based on academic interests and personal obligations is ideal, he says.

Joan Kee, a professor at the University of Michigan with the university's history of art department, says that the length of time required for a Ph.D. varies widely depending on what subject the Ph.D. focuses on. "Ph.D. program length is very discipline and even field-specific; for example, you can and are expected to finish a Ph.D, in economics in under five years, but that would be impossible in art history (or most of the humanities)," she wrote in an email.

Kee adds that humanities Ph.D. programs often require someone to learn a foreign language, and "fields like anthropology and art history require extensive field research." Kee says funding for a humanities Ph.D. program typically only lasts five years, even though it is uncommon for someone to obtain a Ph.D. degree in a humanities field within that time frame. "Because of this, many if not most Ph.D. students must work to make ends meet, thus further prolonging the time of completion," she says.

Jean Marie Carey, who earned her Ph.D. degree in art history and German from the University of Otago in New Zealand, encourages prospective Ph.D. students to check whether their potential Ph.D. program has published a timeline of how long it takes a Ph.D. student to complete their program. She says it is also prudent to speak with Ph.D. graduates of the school and ask about their experience.

Online Doctoral Programs: What to Expect

Ronald Wellman March 23, 2018

Kristin Redington Bennett, the founder of the Illumii educational consulting firm in North Carolina, encourages Ph.D. hopefuls to think carefully about whether they want to become a scholar. Bennett, who has a Ph.D. in curriculum and assessment and who previously worked as an assistant professor at Wake Forest University , says a Ph.D. is most appropriate for someone who is a "lifelong learner." She says someone contemplating a Ph.D. should ask themselves the following questions "Are you a very curious person... and are you persistent?"

Bennett urges prospective Ph.D. students to visit the campuses of their target graduate programs since a Ph.D. program takes so much time that it is important to find a school that feels comfortable. She adds that aspiring Ph.D. students who prefer a collaborative learning environment should be wary of graduate programs that have a cut-throat and competitive atmosphere, since such students may not thrive in that type of setting.

Alumni of Ph.D. programs note that the process of obtaining a Ph.D. is arduous, regardless of the type of Ph.D. program. "A Ph.D. is a long commitment of your time, energy and financial resources, so it'll be easier on you if you are passionate about research," says Grace Lee, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and is the founder and CEO of Mastery Insights, an education and career coaching company, and the host of the Career Revisionist podcast.

"A Ph.D. isn't about rehashing years of knowledge that is already out there, but rather it is about your ability to generate new knowledge. Your intellectual masterpiece (which is your dissertation) takes a lot of time, intellectual creativity and innovation to put together, so you have to be truly passionate about that," Lee says.

Curtis says a prospective Ph.D. student's enthusiasm for academic work, teaching and research are the key criteria they should use to decide whether to obtain a Ph.D. degree. "While the time it takes to complete a doctorate is an understandable concern for many, my personal belief is that time is not the most important factor to consider," he says. "Good Ph.D. programs provide their students with generous stipends, health care and sometimes even subsidized housing."

Erin Skelly, a graduate admissions counselor at the IvyWise admissions consulting firm, says when a Ph.D. students struggles to complete his or her Ph.D. degree, it may have more to do with the student's academic interests or personal circumstances than his or her program.

"The time to complete a Ph.D. can depend on a number of variables, but the specific discipline or school would only account for a year or two's difference," she wrote in an email. "When a student takes significantly longer to complete a Ph.D. (degree), it's usually related to the student's coursework and research – they need to take additional coursework to complete their comprehensive exams; they change the focus of their program or dissertation, requiring extra coursework or research; or their research doesn't yield the results they hoped for, and they need to generate a new theory and conduct more research."

Skelly warns that the average completion time of a Ph.D. program may be misleading in some cases, if the average is skewed based on one or two outliers. She suggests that instead of focusing on the duration of a particular Ph.D. program, prospective students should investigate the program's attritition and graduation rates.

"It is worthwhile to look at the program requirements and the school's proposed timeline for completion, and meet current students to get their input on how realistic these expectations for completion are," Skelly says. "That can give you an honest idea of how long it will really take to complete the program."

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Legal careers: Options after your LLM program

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Legal careers: options after your llm program.

Options after your LLM (Master of Laws) program

Think about what you enjoy

A good starting point is being true to yourself about what keeps you engaged when it comes to work. There’s no point slogging away in a law firm if you find it boring – life is too short! Besides, it won’t be long before your employer senses that your enthusiasm is flagging.

Whether you did your LLM right after your first degree or after years of work experience, your postgrad legal qualification can support your ambition to make a subtle change in career direction or leap into a completely new and exciting field.

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Law MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

UCL Laws has one of the most selective MPhil/PhD programmes in the UK, and produces graduates of internationally recognised quality. Ranked the top UK Law institution for research quality in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2021), UCL Laws attracts leading figures in the field to our extensive programme of events, informing debate on critical legal issues.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

Applications closed

Entry requirements

A minimum of a good upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. We have a strong preference for a recognised LLM or equivalent Master's degree and would normally expect a distinction overall, with evidence of first-class ability (or equivalent) in extended written work/dissertation.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3 Further details are available on the Faculty of Laws website .

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

UCL Laws has a strong international and multidisciplinary research environment, focused around all sixteen of our research centres, institutes and groups. Bringing together outstanding researchers from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds and jurisdictions, our research centres and institutes nurture individual research, but also actively encourage and support collaboration and partnerships that expand cross-disciplinary research.

Who this course is for

This programme provides specialist training on research methods in law. Specialised research centres ensure that the doctoral study experience is collaborative, while UCL Faculty of Laws provides opportunities and support for doctoral students to achieve real impact with their research.

What this course will give you

UCL Laws has been one of the leading centres of legal education in the world for almost 200 years. Rated as being Number 1 for research quality in the UK compared with all other Law Schools in the country by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), UCL Laws' community of intellectually dynamic scholars responds to today's global challenges. Through our research, we help to shape government policy, national and international law and practice.

Combining a strong theoretical foundation in the law with world-leading expertise in empirical legal studies and interdisciplinary research, UCL Laws offers an outstanding educational experience to our doctoral students, with special work-in-progress workshops, dedicated conferences, and teaching experience.

All students benefit from a year-long research methodology seminar series in their first year and will join a vibrant and active MPhil/PhD student community which, for example, runs its own weekly seminar series in term time.

The foundation of your career

A graduate from the UCL Laws PhD programme will have developed advanced skills in legal research, analysis and writing, public presentations and in almost all cases teaching at university level. Our graduates are well placed to pursue careers in the global academic world, but the research, analytical and writing skills obtained during the PhD also transfer easily to high level work in government, non-governmental organisations and the commercial sector.

Employability

Our PhD graduates have entered a wide range of careers including top academic positions in the UK and overseas, international organisations, private sector, NGOs and government. 'The international reputation and expertise of the Faculty is well known and is what first attracted me to UCL. I found the faculty to be a vibrant academic community in which to undertake research, with invaluable support to develop personal research skills, pursue cross-disciplinary research and to engage in empirical activities. After my doctoral studies I was delighted to join the faculty as a Lecturer. The community of support at UCL Faculty of Laws undoubtedly enhanced my research and enabled me to pursue avenues that may not otherwise have been possible'. Dr Anna Donovan Lecturer, UCL Laws

The Faculty has a longstanding reputation for high-quality legal research with real world impact. We have long-established links with the judiciary, the legal, public and private sector. This is reflected in the outstanding quality of our extensive annual programme of seminars, lectures, debates and conferences on a wide variety of critical legal issues. Through this programme our PhD students have the opportunity to engage personally with leading members of the judiciary, legal profession, commercial and financial sectors, government, NGOs and leading international academics.

Teaching and learning

A PhD from UCL Laws is essentially an independent piece of substantial work, making an addition to current knowledge, but you will receive support in various ways this endeavour. Firstly, through expert supervision, which will include regular meetings, feedback on your progress and your written work, and advice on your development as a researcher. You will also undertake research skills training in the Faculty of Laws, through which a supportive environment among the PhD cohort and your fellow research students is fostered. There will the opportunity to engage with the wider UCL community in training bespoke to your research and career aims too. Dissemination of your work, and building networks in your field of research, will be actively supported and encouraged by the Facult y . There is financial support available to engage with the wider academic community, to present your work to and receive feedback from scholars and academic events, such as conferences, nationally and internationally.

The PhD programme is examined by a thesis of up to 100,000 words, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline.

Full-time students can expect to meet their PhD supervisors at least once a month for progress meetings throughout their PhD (once every two months for part-time students). In year 1 of the PhD, there will be fortnightly research skills seminars. There will be research skills seminars in years 2 and 3 (for full-time students, years 2-5 for part-time students) too, but these will be less frequent. The majority of the PhD will be spent on independent research.

Research areas and structure

Antitrust, Regulation and Competition Law
Comparative and Foreign Law
Contract, Restitution and Tort
Corporate, Finance and Insolvency
Criminal Justice
Empirical Legal Studies
Environmental Law
European Law
Family Law and Bioethics
Human Rights, Employment and Equality Law
Intellectual Property
International Business, Insurance and Trade
International Commercial Law
Judicial Studies
Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
Law and Economics
Law and Ethics
Law and Religion
Law of the Sea
Legal Education
Legal History and Roman History
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Medical Law
Property and Trusts
Public, Admin and Constitutional
Public International Law

Research environment

UCL Laws is a world-leading community of intellectually dynamic scholars responding to today’s challenges. The Faculty was rated as the leading Law institution in the UK for research quality in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). As a Laws MPhil/PhD student, you will have the opportunity to learn from, and contribute to, this research culture.

The Faculty attracts the leading figures in the field to our extensive programme of events, informing debate on critical legal issues. Events we have held in the past include a series of seminars from the former President of the European Court of Human Rights and Judge of the General Court of the European Union. Our events reflect the diversity of teaching and research at UCL Laws, and our programme of lively seminars, lectures, debates and conferences cover a wide variety of engaging legal topics. Many events are CPD accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board and Intellectual Property regulation board (IP Reg).

A PhD at UCL Laws will allow you to pursue original research and make a distinct and significant contribution to your field. We are committed to the quality and relevance of the research supervision we offer and as an MPhil/PhD candidate; you could work with academics at the cutting edge of legal scholarship. Furthermore as a research student, you will be an integral part of our collaborative and thriving research community. Student-run ‘work in progress’ forums and an end-of-first-year PhD workshop will give you the opportunity to present and discuss your research with peers and academic colleagues. Tailored skills seminars will provide you with a supportive research environment and the critical skills necessary to undertake your research. To foster your academic development we also offer additional faculty funds, which can assist you with the costs of conferences and other research activities.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 3 years for full-time students.

You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9- 18 months after initial registration.

In your first year, you will be required to take part in a mandatory Skills Seminar Programme. Within three months of joining the programme, you are expected to agree with your supervisor the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work. You will produce and submit a detailed outline of your proposed research to your supervisor for their comments and feedback. We hold a PhD workshop at the end of your first year, which provides you with an opportunity to present your research before an audience of UCL Laws Academic staff and fellow PhD students.

In your second year you will be expected to upgrade from an MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

The PhD programme is expected to be completed within three years for full-time students.. If you are not ready to submit at the end of the third year, you may be permitted a further year to complete the PhD in the 'Completing Research Status' phase of the programme.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is 5 years for part-time students. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 15- 30 months after initial registration. In your first two years, you will be required to take part in a mandatory Skills Seminar Programme. Within six months of joining the programme, you are expected to agree with your supervisor the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work. You will produce and submit a detailed outline of your proposed research to your supervisor for their comments and feedback. We hold a PhD workshop at the end of your first year, which provides you with an opportunity to present your research before an audience of UCL Laws Academic staff and fellow PhD students. In your second or third year you will be expected to upgrade from an MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the faculty who acts as an independent assessor. The PhD programme is expected to be completed within five years for part-time students. If you are not ready to submit at the end of the fifth year, you may be permitted a further two years to complete the PhD in the 'Completing Research Status' phase of the programme.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

There are no programme-specific additional costs.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

There are a number of different scholarships available to fund your PhD. All are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and are competitive.

Full information about funding may be found on our website - www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/study/mphilphd/applying scholarships page. The Faculty also provides financial support to current students in the form of an annual Research Allowance, and there is a PhD Research Impact and Innovation Fund (PRIF) that students may apply to for funding for exceptional items such as delivering a paper at an international conference.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship (ROS)

Deadline: 12 January 2024 Value: UK rate fees, a maintenance stipend, conference costs and professional development package (3 years) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

Detailed information on the application process may be found on the Faculty of Laws website .

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

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5 routes to getting a Doctorate

While most of those studying for a PhD take the PhD by thesis pathway, there are five viable routes to achieving a Doctorate degree

PhD by thesis

This is the most common means of getting a Doctorate degree. Over the three or four years of research at university, your PhD supervisor will support you as you aim to produce a thesis based on your research proposal .

A thesis is typically 60,000-90,000 words in length - although this can vary between institutions. For instance, the University of Glasgow's College of Social Sciences expects a thesis to be 70,000-100,000 words including references, bibliography and appendices, while the University of Cambridge has set an upper limit of 80,000 words.

Once completed, you'll need to defend your PhD thesis in front of a panel of examiners during your viva voce .

PhD by publication

This route involves submitting previously published work - such as books, book chapters and journal articles, which together form a coherent body of work and show evidence of an original contribution to a particular field of study.

It's often taken by mid-career academics that haven't had the opportunity to undertake a standard Doctorate degree.

Generally, a minimum of five to eight published pieces are required, but this varies between institutions and depends on their length. The published work will be assessed to the same rigorous standards as a traditional PhD by thesis.

You must also provide a written supporting statement, which can range from 5,000 to 20,000 words, and present your work to an academic committee. A supervisor will assist you with selecting which publications to submit and with the supporting statement.

Some universities accept only their own graduates for a PhD by publication, while others restrict this route to their academic staff. In general, you should have graduated from your first degree at least seven years ago to be eligible.

For example, The University of Manchester has published its own Guidance for the PhD By Published Work , with eligibility only extending to current members of staff.

Professional Doctorate

Geared primarily towards current professionals in vocational sectors such as healthcare , teaching and education , and engineering and manufacturing , this type of Doctorate degree includes a significant taught component and a smaller research project.

Professional Doctorates are often taken on a part-time basis and can last between two and eight years. Like their standard PhD counterparts, they usually begin in October or January.

While you won't typically be looking to get an academic job , your research is expected to contribute to theory as well as professional practice. Projects often revolve around a real-life issue that affects your employer.

Several professional Doctorates, such as the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), are accredited by a professional body - for instance, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and The British Psychological Society (BPS) - and may also lead to a professional qualification .

Common titles for graduates of professional Doctorate degrees include:

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Doctor of Engineering (EngD)
Doctor of Medicine (MD).

Unlike many professional Doctorates, the EngD is typically offered as a full-time course and is aimed at young engineering graduates with little or no professional experience.

Explore what's currently available at Find a Professional Doctorate .

Integrated PhD

This four-year qualification, also known as the New Route PhD, involves studying a one-year research Masters degree (MRes) before progressing onto a three-year PhD.

Offered by a select number of universities across the UK, integrated PhDs are supported by the government and the British Council through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . Visit Research Council funding for further information on research and funding for different types of PhD.

The integrated PhD involves a combination of taught materials, practical experience and advanced research. This allows you to learn subject-specific methodologies, while building the transferable skills that will enable you to become a leader in your chosen profession.

Institutions can also develop personalised integrated PhD programmes to meet each student's needs. For example, universities may offer you the opportunity to gain a postgraduate certificate (PGCert) in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - perfect if you're considering a career as a higher education lecturer .

As PhDs are based primarily on independent research rather than time spent in lectures and seminars, distance learning has always been a viable route for many Doctoral students.

PhDs by distance learning offered by course providers such as The Open University are therefore a good option to consider if you've got family or work commitments or are an international student - as this gives you the chance to undertake Doctoral research without having to live close to your chosen institution. It's also a suitable mode of study if your subject requires you to be based in a specific location away from the university.

For the most part, you'll be in touch with your supervisor by phone, email or Skype/Zoom. You'll need to bear in mind that even if you opt for this form of research, you'll generally still need to attend university for one or two weeks of each academic year for meetings and to receive research skills training. Your final examination may be undertaken either face-to-face or virtually.

With online PhDs, you can usually register as a full or part-time student. The level of fees you pay varies between institutions - some charge the same as for a standard PhD while others offer a reduced rate.

Check that any funding you plan to apply for is available to distance learning students, as this isn't always the case.

Search for distance learning PhDs .

Find out more

Explore what is a PhD?
Sort out funding for postgraduate study .
Consider what to do after completing your PhD .

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How Long Does It Take To Get a PhD?

A PhD program typically takes four to seven years, but a variety of factors can impact that timeline.

[Featured Image] A woman in a library is holding a pen to her temple and looking at her laptop.

A PhD , or doctorate degree , is the highest degree you can earn in certain disciplines, such as psychology, engineering, education, and mathematics. As a result, it often takes longer to earn than it does for a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

While many PhD programs are designed to be finished in four or five years, the average completion time is much longer when you factor in the time it takes to research and write a dissertation. In 2020, for example, doctoral students took between six and twelve years to complete their PhDs [ 1 ]. By comparison, you can complete a master's degree in one to three years.

In this article, we'll explore the requirements of a PhD, what often ends up adding to the length of time, and important factors you should consider when deciding whether it’s the right choice for you.

PhD requirements + general timeline

Doctoral programs typically require PhD candidates to take take advanced courses, pass a comprehensive exam (sometimes called "comps"), and produce an original body of research, such as a dissertation, to obtain the degree. In some cases, you may also be expected to fulfill a teaching assistantship or research assistantship, both of which are meant to prepare you for a career in academia or research.

PhD requirements

The precise requirements you'll need to complete in order to get your PhD vary from one program to another, but some common tasks include:

Advanced coursework: Graduate-level coursework that explores a number of advanced sub-topics related to your field

Comprehensive exam: An exam that requires you to show knowledge of your field, such as its history, important figures, major theories or research, and more

Dissertation: An original body of research you contribute to your field

PhD timeline

The specifics of a PhD program vary by college and university, but the following estimates give you an idea of what to expect during your time in graduate school:

Year 1: Complete advanced coursework.

Year 2: Complete advanced coursework and begin preparing for your comprehensive exams.

Year 3: Study, take, and defend your comprehensive exams. Begin researching your dissertation proposal.

Year 4: Submit your dissertation proposal to your committee chair, and, once approved, begin working on your dissertation.

Year 5: Finish writing your dissertation and submit for committee approval. Defend your dissertation and apply for graduation.

Note that while this timeline gives a general timeline of how long it will take to complete a PhD program, it's very common for candidates to take more than one year to research and compose their dissertation.

Read more: Should You Go Back to School? 7 Things to Consider

PhD timelines by focus

Some PhD programs take longer to complete than others. For example, earning a doctorate in a science and engineering field typically takes less time than earning a doctorate in the arts or humanities, according to data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) [ 1 ]. The list below shows the median length of time it took doctorate students to earn their degree in 2020:

Physical and Earth Sciences: 6.3

Engineering: 6.8 years

Life sciences: 6.9 years

Mathematics and computer science: 7 years

Psychology and Social Sciences: 7.9 years

Humanities and arts: 9.6 years

Education: 12 years

Learn more: What Is a Terminal Degree and Do I Need One?

Why does it take so long to complete a PhD?

There are a few reasons why it takes more time to complete a PhD compared to other advanced degrees.

1. Dissertations

Once a doctoral student has successfully passed their comps, they are considered “All But Dissertation” or “ABD.” Yet, the number of students who successfully complete their PhD program remains low—estimates show that nearly 50 percent of students drop out, often after reaching the dissertation phase [ 2 ].

The dissertation phase can often take much longer to complete than the other requirements of a PhD. Researching and writing a dissertation takes significant time because students are expected to make an original and notable contribution to their field.

2. Assistantship obligations

Teaching and research assistantships are beneficial because they can help pay for a PhD program, but they may also take time away from working on your dissertation. Some students are expected to teach at least one class per semester on top of their other obligations as graduate students.

For universities that reduce the teaching or research load that students have as part of their assistantship, times to completion tend to improve. Humanities students at Princeton University began finishing their degree in 6.4 years (compared to 7.5 years) thanks to the institution's financial support and the reduced number of classes students taught [ 3 ].

3. Other responsibilities

Doctoral students tend to be older. Graduate students pursuing a PhD in science or engineering were an average of 31.6 years old by the time they earned their degree in 2016, according to the National Science Foundation [ 4 ]. In effect, some PhD students may have competing obligations, such as family. If a student’s funding has run out, and they have to find full-time work, it also may affect the time they can dedicate to writing their dissertation.

Is a PhD right for you?

People pursue PhDs for various reasons: Some want a job that requires the degree, such as teaching at a university, while others want the challenges or intellectual engagement that a graduate program offers. Identifying why you want to earn a PhD can help indicate whether it’s your best choice.

If your career aspirations don't require a PhD, it might be better to focus on gaining professional experience. Or if you're interested in an advanced education, a master's degree may be a better option. It takes less time to complete than a PhD and can lead to more career opportunities and larger salaries than a bachelor's degree.

Learn more: Is a Master’s Degree Worth It?

Benefits of a PhD

The primary advantage of earning a PhD is your increased demand and marketability in the workforce.

In 2018, less than 5 percent of the United States population had a doctorate degree, compared to about 48 percent with a bachelor's degree and 21 percent with a master's degree, according to the US Census Bureau [ 5 ]. As a member of this elite group, the potential for advanced roles, promotions, or pay raises may be greater.

Even before you have a degree in hand, working toward a PhD gives you opportunities to hone valuable skills , including writing, research, and data analysis . Furthermore, completing a PhD program can demonstrate to potential employers that you have specialized knowledge and the fortitude to finish such an advanced degree.

Costs of a PhD

Beyond the time they take to complete, PhD programs can be expensive. The average cost of a PhD program in the United States is just under $100,000. At some schools, the cost of a PhD can even exceed $200,000 [ 6 ]. While many institutions offer funding support in the form of assistantships or scholarships, many PhD students still graduate with student loan debt. In 2023, the average student loan debt for PhD was $134,797 [ 7 ].

Another factor to consider is the loss of income you might incur while you're working toward your degree. Some graduate students accept teaching or research assistantships to help fund the cost of their program, but these may not pay as much as full-time positions. Working on your education may also mean pausing the professional experience you’d gain in the workforce—and potentially losing out on promotions and raises. However, it’s worth noting that graduate degree holders earn much more over the course of their lifetime than bachelor’s degree holders, according to the US Social Security Administration [ 8 ].

Read more: How to Pay for Graduate School: 8 Ways

Set yourself up for success

A PhD is a major accomplishment. As you think about your long-term goals and whether a PhD will help you achieve them, it's important to understand ways you can set yourself up for success. According to the University of Georgia, success in a PhD program often means [ 9 ]:

Understanding the demands and expectations of the program

Receiving adequate program orientation

Getting support from peers and faculty

Feeling a sense of belonging as a member of an academic community

These conditions underscore the importance of choosing the right program and school to fit your personal and professional goals. Take time to research the ways your potential institution offers financial support, mental health support, and career placement support, among other program features.

An advanced degree can be a lucrative credential. You can earn your master’s in a number of in-demand fields from top universities on Coursera. Earn a degree in computer science , business , management , or public health , all while enjoying greater flexibility than an in-person degree program tends to offer. Earning your master's can also help you discern whether a PhD makes sense for your larger objectives.

Article sources

Survey of Earned Doctorates. " Path to the doctorate , https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf22300/report/path-to-the-doctorate." Accessed January 30, 2024.

International Journal of Higher Education. “ Who Are the Doctoral Students Who Drop Out? , https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1188721.pdf.” Accessed January 30, 2024.

The New York Times. " Exploring Ways to Shorten the Ascent to a PhD , https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/education/03education.html." Accessed January 30, 2024.

National Science Foundation. " Science and Engineering Doctorates , https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2018/nsf18304/report/age-at-doctorate-award-what-are-the-overall-trends-and-characteristics/characteristics-of-doctorate-recipients-sex.cfm." Accessed January 30, 2024.

US Census Bureau. " About 13.1 Percent Have a Master’s, Professional Degree or Doctorate , https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/02/number-of-people-with-masters-and-phd-degrees-double-since-2000.html." Accessed January 30, 2024.

Education Data Initiative. " Average Cost of a Doctorate Degree , https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-a-doctorate-degree." Accessed January 30, 2024.

Education Data Initiative. " Average Graduate Student Loan Debt , https://educationdata.org/average-graduate-student-loan-debt." Accessed January 30, 2024.

Social Security Administration. " Education and Lifetime Earnings , https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education-earnings.html." Accessed January 30, 2024.

A Data-Driven Approach to Improving Doctoral Completion. " Chapter 2: Description of Projects , https://cgsnet.org/cgs-occasional-paper-series/university-georgia/chapter-2." Accessed January 30, 2024.

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Graduate Program Handbook — Academics: LL.M. Candidates

Ll.m. course and writing requirements, recommendations, and options.

Note: Information in this section relates specifically to requirements for HLS degree completion. It does not relate to qualification for any bar examination or other professional licensing.

A. General Residency and Other Academic Requirements

To qualify for the LL.M. degree, students must spend the entire academic year — consisting of the fall, winter, and spring terms — in full-time residence and satisfactorily complete a course of study consisting of a minimum of 23 credits and a maximum of 28 credits in one academic year. The foregoing minimum and maximum include the one credit assigned for completion of the portion of the Legal Research, Writing and Analysis course that takes place during Orientation.

Minimum Credits by Term: As an academic matter, all LL.M. degree candidates must register for at least nine to 10 credits in the fall term, at least eight to 10 credits in the spring term, and at least two credits in the winter term. In some cases, different minimums may apply for visa purposes.
Maximum Credits by Term: LL.M. students may register for up to 13 credits in the fall term, up to 12 credits in the spring term, and up to three credits (in a single offering) in the winter term, not to exceed 28 credits for the academic year. Students typically enroll in nine to 11 credits in each of the fall and spring terms and two to three credits in the winter term. Any questions about academic requirements and maximum credits should be directed to the Graduate Program.

Students enrolled at the law school may not be simultaneously enrolled, either full-time or part-time, in any other school or college either within Harvard University or at any other institution (provided, however, that LL.M. candidates may maintain an inactive enrollment status in a Ph.D. program at another institution).

In accordance with Harvard Law School policy, students may not be employed for more than 20 hours of work per week during the academic year while classes are in session.

LL.M. students must complete degree requirements for the LL.M. within 36 months of first matriculating at the law school. A leave of absence will not extend the period for completing degree requirements.

The typical study program consists of a balanced arrangement of courses and seminar work, subject to the approval of senior Graduate Program staff, acting under the direction of the Graduate Committee. Graduate students normally enroll in seven to nine courses/seminars in an academic year. Courses can carry from one to five credits, are taken for a grade, and often require exams but are sometimes assessed in other ways (papers, presentations, etc.) depending on the particular offering. Seminars are typically worth two credits, are taken for a grade, and are usually assessed through a designated type of written work (research papers, reaction papers) and/ or presentations, and have small enrollment totals. Reading groups are usually worth one credit, are graded on a credit/fail basis, entail intensive reading (as well as, in some cases, additional assignments) and classroom discussion, and generally have enrollment smaller than that of a seminar. It should be noted that law school classroom offerings — courses, seminars, and reading groups — are frequently referred to with the generic term “courses.”

All degree candidates must register for a full-time schedule of course and/or seminar credits in each term and regularly attend all class sessions. Failure to do so will preclude eligibility for graduation. Please refer to the online Course Catalog for course information and requirements at: hls.harvard.edu/courses .

Additional course requirements for LL.M. students are described below. The Written Work Requirement is described below. The cross-registration process and guidelines for courses outside of the law school are described in the section on Course Registration and Course Changes.

All degree candidates must register for a full-time load of course and/or seminar credits in each term and regularly attend all class sessions. Failure to register for a full-time load of credits for any term or to attend classes on a regular basis will preclude eligibility for graduation. Please refer to the online Course Catalog for course information and requirements.

Additional course requirements for LL.M. students are described below. The Written Work Requirement is also described below. The cross-registration process and guidelines for courses outside of the Law School are described on in the section on Course Registration and Course Changes .

B. U.S. Law Course Requirement, International Students

LL.M. candidates who do not hold a J.D. degree from a law school in the United States (including Puerto Rico) are required to take one core course, of at least three credits, in U.S. law from the following list of “primary” courses:

Antitrust Law and Economics Contracts* Civil Procedure* Constitutional Law: First Amendment Constitutional Law: Separation of Powers, Federalism, and the Fourteenth Amendment Corporations Criminal Law* Evidence (sections worth three or more credits) Family Law Legislation and Regulation* Property* Separation of Powers Taxation Torts*

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are first-year courses in the J.D. curriculum. The remaining courses on the list above are part of the upper-level curriculum. Descriptions of these courses can be found in the online Course Catalog .

Students who have significant grounding in U.S. law or in a substantially similar common law equivalent (as determined by the Committee on Graduate Studies) may petition the Committee on Graduate Studies to substitute another substantive course in U.S. law.

The Committee on Graduate Studies strongly recommends that each LL.M. candidate also take at least one course focusing on legal history, legal theory, policy analysis, or legal process.

C. Course Requirements for U.S.-Educated Students

Students who hold a J.D. degree from a school in the United States, including Puerto Rico (“U.S.-Educated Students”) must attend the anti-plagiarism session of the Legal Research, Writing and Analysis course that takes place during Orientation, and complete all associated training modules. They may sit in on the rest of the course, but may not receive credit for it.

U.S.-Educated Students who hope to embark on a law teaching career are strongly encouraged to take at least one course that is primarily focused on legal theory or jurisprudence. Students may consult with Catherine Peshkin or Nancy Pinn for further discussion of possible course selections in these areas.

D. Written Work Requirement

1. description.

All LL.M. candidates must register for and successfully complete a paper that involves independent reflection, formulation of a sustained argument, and, in many cases, in-depth research. The paper written to satisfy the Written Work Requirement must be an individual effort: group projects, works of joint authorship, and the like do not qualify for the Written Work Requirement. The paper may be written in conjunction with a law school course or seminar that already requires a paper that would satisfy the writing requirement — commonly referred to as writing “in conjunction” with a course or seminar — or as an independent paper supervised by a member of the law school faculty (including instructors with Harvard Law School teaching appointments). Where a student seeks to write a paper “in conjunction” with a course or seminar, it must be clear that the offering already requires a paper that would otherwise satisfy the LL.M. Written Work Requirement, (ii) the paper is not in lieu of an exam or other assignment(s) of the course (unless such option is specified in the syllabus and available to all enrollees in the course on an equal basis), and (iii) the paper is an individual assignment and not part of a group project. Where there is no course or seminar in the field in which a student wants to work, candidates generally will be able to find a faculty member who will be available to guide research in the particular field.

LL.M. students, other than U.S.-Educated Students, may select either of the two options described below. The parameters for paper length and corresponding credits are as follows:

25-Page Paper: one credit if written independently; no additional credit (beyond the associated course credit) if written in conjunction with a course that requires a paper
50-Page Paper: two credits if written independently; one credit if written in conjunction with a course that requires a paper

U.S.-Educated Students must write a 50-Page Paper.

The Written Work Requirement cannot be satisfied with a series of shorter papers or journal entries, works of joint authorship, moot court briefs, or clinical work product. As the foregoing list of exclusions is not exhaustive, students should confirm with the Graduate Program that the proposed format for their required written work meets the requirement.

2. Registration for Required Written Work

All LL.M. students must formally register for the Written Work Requirement by submitting the LL.M. Written Work Requirement Registration and Proposal Form to the proposed faculty supervisor for signature and, once reviewed and signed, submitting the completed paperwork to the Graduate Program by no later than the published dates set forth in the Harvard Law School Handbook of Academic Policies 2023-2024, and as also specified in this section. Details about the proposal will be provided by the Graduate Program. Faculty members may require additional preliminary information, such as a discussion of the subject matter, an outline, or a longer description. A student should submit the Registration and Proposal form, as well as any other material requested, to the faculty member well in advance of the published deadlines since faculty members may require additional preliminary work before accepting a proposal.

Students writing the 50-Page Paper, or the 25-Page Paper in the fall term, must submit the signed Registration and Proposal Form to the Graduate Program by October 16, 2023. Students writing the 25-Page Paper in the spring term must submit the signed Registration and Proposal Form to the Graduate Program by February 5, 2024. Students who fail to register for the LL.M. Written Work Requirement by February 5, 2024 may be removed from the May 2024 degree list.

3. Supervision of Required Written Work

Students may ask any Harvard Law School faculty member or instructor with a Harvard Law School teaching appointment to supervise written work. Faculty on certain types of leave may not be available in a given term.

Writing credits under the supervision of a visiting faculty member ordinarily must be registered for and completed during the term(s) of the visitor’s appointment; many visitors have Harvard Law School appointments for only one term. Students who are contemplating supervision by visiting faculty for projects that might fall outside of that faculty member’s term of appointment should contact the Graduate Program staff for guidance on this point.

4. Prohibition against Compensation

Students may not receive academic credit for written work for which they also receive compensation.

5. Multiple Use of Papers

Occasionally students seek to submit one paper for two or more courses or seminars. In such cases, the paper must be of sufficiently greater scope or depth to warrant such multiple credit. In order to assure compliance with this requirement, any student planning to submit the same or similar written work in more than one academic offering must first obtain the approval of the Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs by submitting a memo that documents the project plan. The instructors involved should discuss appropriate ways to make sure that the submitted work meets this greater burden. This memo must be signed by the instructors for both courses and must set forth the way in which the paper will meet the added requirement described in this paragraph.

Once the Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs approves the project, the memo must then be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the student is accorded the requested credits. This rule applies to submission of work in any offering whether at the law school or elsewhere. A student who submits the same, or substantially the same, work in more than one course without such prior permission will be subject to disciplinary action.

6. Human Subject Research

Law School projects involving human subjects are reviewed by the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects (CUHS) within the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR), which serves as the University-wide Institutional Review Board (IRB). Students considering research projects that fall under IRB purview, i.e., regulated research with human subjects (including surveys or interviews) should review the University’s policies on use of human subjects in research available on the Committee’s website ( cuhs.harvard.edu ) and discuss their work with the Law School’s Director of Research Administration. Note that students should allow sufficient time for IRB review; late requests for review may not be granted. Requests are triaged within CUHS; please email [email protected] or call (617) 496-2847.

In addition, students whose research involves the collection or storage of human subject information must establish data security procedures that reflect the sensitivity of the data and in accordance with the Harvard Research Data Security Policy. Students should consult their faculty supervisors and the Information Technology Services (ITS) Department (at [email protected] ) for additional information.

7. Credit Adjustments

1. An LL.M. student writing the 25-Page Paper may seek to extend the work to a 50-Page Paper provided that (1) the student has the faculty supervisor’s advance approval for the change, (2) the faculty supervisor confirms that the final paper significantly exceeds the original parameters in form (at least 25 additional pages) and in substance, (3) the additional credit would not cause the student to exceed the maximum credit parameter for the term or the year, (4) approval is confirmed by the Graduate Program and noted to the Office of the Registrar, and (5) all such steps are completed by no later than April 13, 2024. The foregoing is the only circumstance where an additional credit may be considered and granted.

2. An LL.M. student who has registered for the 50-Page Paper and whose writing plans change may reduce the project to a 25-Page paper provided that (1) the student has the faculty supervisor’s advance approval for the change, (2) the final paper fulfills the narrower scope of a 25-Page paper in form and in substance, (3) the credit reduction would not cause the student to fall below the minimum credit requirement for the term and the year , (4) the student has not taken part in the Winter Term Writing Program, (5) approval is confirmed by the Graduate Program and noted to the Office of the Registrar, and (6) all such steps are completed by no later than April 13, 2024.

E. Winter Term Writing Program

Students who wish to devote the winter term exclusively to pursuing their research and writing on a single piece of written work worth at least two credits, while in residence, instead of doing course work, may apply to the Winter Term Writing Program (“WWP”). Information and applications will be available through the Graduate Program in October. Regardless of whether they plan to apply for the WWP, all students should register for a winter course since submitting an application does not guarantee admission to the WWP. If admitted, students will then have the opportunity to drop the winter-term course for which they had previously enrolled in order to take part in the WWP. The WWP itself does not confer credit. Hence, the work done during the winter term must be part of an independent 50-Page Paper for which the credits are assigned to the winter term. Participants in the WWP are expected to structure their own time and efforts during the term. However, there will be a mandatory group session on writing issues before the end of the first week of the term, and each participant will meet with a senior Graduate Program administrator partway through the term in order to share insights, discuss research objectives, and identify areas where additional assistance may be needed.

Optional Written Work

In addition to the Written Work Requirement, all students have the option of doing additional written work for credit. With the agreement of the instructor, a student may do such optional written work for additional credit related to a law school seminar or course, or on an independent basis with law school faculty supervision. These are excellent opportunities for pursuing topics in depth, for exploring issues beyond the formal curriculum, for developing publishable scholarship, and for tailoring the law school experience to the student’s personal interests.

LL.M. student optional written work may receive one or two writing credits and is expected to meet the standards for LL.M. Required Written Work in form (at least 25 pages of text, of the student’s individual work, for one credit) and in substance. The number of credits granted for a particular piece of writing must be arranged in advance between the student and the faculty supervisor.

B. Registration for Optional Written Work

Students must register for Optional Written Work by submitting the required registration form and proposal to the faculty supervisor for approval in advance and then to the Graduate Program by October 16, 2023 for fall term and by February 5, 2024 for spring term. Forms will be available online .

C. Research Assistant Work for Credit

Law School faculty members and instructors with a Harvard Law School teaching appointment have the discretion to give a student written work credit for writing done as a research assistant, subject to the following conditions:

In order to qualify for academic credit, the writing must be equivalent to work that would qualify for optional independent written work credit (which, for LL.M. students, is at least 25 pages of text for one credit). Research assistant work that does not qualify for academic credit includes cite-checking, research summaries without analysis, and compilations or summaries of data without analysis.
In no case may a student receive academic credit for research assistant work that is also compensated.

To register for Research Assistant Work for Credit, an LL.M. student must complete the required registration form and proposal and submit it to the Graduate Program in accordance with the section on Registration for Optional Written Work (above).

D. Moot Court Brief for Credit

Harvard Law School faculty members advising moot court teams have the discretion to approve written work credit for a student for writing done as part of a moot court team, subject to the following conditions:

In order to qualify for academic credit, the writing must be equivalent to work that would qualify for optional independent written work credit (which, for LL.M. students, is at least 25 pages of text of the student’s individual work for one credit).
An LL.M. student may seek no more than one credit for involvement in a moot court brief and must submit a narrative describing that student’s individual contributions — in terms of form and substance — to the final brief.

To register for a credit for a moot court brief, an LL.M. student must complete the required registration form and proposal and submit it to the Graduate Program in accordance with the section on Registration for Optional Written Work (above).

E. Required Consultation

LL.M. students must consult with Nancy Pinn, the Senior Director of Administration and Student Affairs for the Graduate Program, before seeking credit for optional written work of any kind, the writing of a Moot Court Brief for Credit, or Research Assistant Work for Credit.

Optional Graduate Academic Offerings

The Graduate Program organizes several optional academic offerings for graduate students throughout the year. These offerings, which have come to play a central role in the intellectual and community life of Graduate Program students, include the LL.M. Writing Workshop, the Law Teaching Colloquium, Byse Workshops, and the Empirical Legal Studies Series. Participation is optional, and does not result in academic credit. Dates, times, and other details for fall-term workshops and colloquia will be provided in early September where available. Schedules and information for such programs throughout the year will be announced on the HLS Administrative Updates site and forwarded through the Graduate Program Listservs (see the General section).

A. Writing Workshops

Writing Workshop for Long (50-page) Papers: Students writing the 50-Page Paper are strongly encouraged to participate in this workshop designed to support students engaged in complex writing projects. This Writers’ Workshop helps students identify a topic and research question, develop a research design, formulate a proposal, and structure the research and writing phases of their projects. Students also receive help in identifying resources from Harvard Law School, Harvard University, and the greater Boston area that may enrich their projects. The Workshop is organized in small groups led by workshop advisors on the basis of participants’ research interests. Peer learning through regular group attendance and oral presentation of proposals is strongly encouraged. The Writers’ Workshop is different from the Winter Term Writing Program (WWP). However, the writing workshop advisors for the groups provide support for students who wish to apply for the WWP, the application for which requires a more elaborate research proposal than the one submitted in October in conjunction with registration for the 50-Page Paper.

Writing Workshop for Short (25-Page) Projects: Students writing the 25-Page Paper are strongly encouraged to take part in the programming presented through the Workshop for Short Writing Projects. This Workshop offers guidance to students in such areas as choosing topics and supervisors, writing research proposals, addressing methodological and organizational issues, and the like.

B. The Byse Workshops

The Byse Workshops, offered in academic areas of particular relevance to graduate students, provide in-depth treatment of the scholarship in their fields. The Workshops, led by the Byse Fellows, meet approximately every one or two weeks during the course of a semester. Discussion is generally organized around reading materials and/or an exposition by a workshop participant or guest speaker. The Workshops are offered on a noncredit basis.

The following Byse Workshop will be offered during the 2023-2024 academic year:

Fall 2023 Activists, Rebels, and Beyond Angel Cabrera Silva

Spring 2024 Abolitionist Approaches to Criminal Justice: Perspectives and Debates Guy Rubinstein

C. The Law Teaching Colloquium

Offered in the fall and spring on a non-credit basis, the 2023-2024 Law Teaching Colloquium takes the form of four or more information sessions highlighting various aspects of law teaching. The first session is expected to take place in the fall. In the past, the Colloquium has drawn on the pedagogic expertise of faculty at Harvard Law School and other institutions to discuss issues such as pedagogical methods, how to develop research agendas, and various aspects of a career in law teaching. Topics may range from cutting-edge legal scholarship to internationalization to legal publishing to curricular issues. This Colloquium is designed for S.J.D., LL.M., and J.D. students who are contemplating a career in teaching and has traditionally served as an interactive forum for students from the various law school degree programs.

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Masters Programs /

LLM: Know All About Master in Laws

Updated on
Jun 19, 2022

“ No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it .” – Theodore Roosevelt. Every nation has a specified set of laws to regulate its smooth functioning as well as address any social or communal conflicts at times. Further, a career in Law imparts aspirants with immense responsibility since they are concerned with becoming a part of the apparatus of delivering justice. This is why the study of law is a rigorous and meticulous endeavour that one needs to undertake to attain the necessary certifications. After completing an LLB course, if you find yourself getting inclined to peruse this field, LLM is the ideal one to opt for. Through this blog, we aim to bring you a detailed guide on what a master’s degree in Law, i.e. LLM entails, the eligibility conditions you need to fulfil as well as the top universities you must consider.

Don’t Miss: How to Become A Lawyer

This Blog Includes:

Llm specializations, eligibility criteria, llm admission 2022, llm entrance exams, entrance exam dates, llm syllabus, llm subjects, top universities offering llm , llm international law, llm recommended books, career prospects & scope after llm, courses after llm, llm salary in india.

Also referred to as Masters of Law, LLM or Latin Legum Magister is a globally recognised degree with a total duration of 2 years, though some universities also offer it as a one-year course. Further, along with being an interdisciplinary degree, candidates are also provided with a plethora of specializations to choose from and concentrate on a specific one. Though the following paragraphs list down the major specialisations provided in an LLM degree, some of them include Taxation Law, Criminal Law, Human Rights, Environmental Law, International Trade, Jurisprudence, and Cyber Law amongst others. Also, a degree like LLM is generally studied by those wanting to expand towards the realm of international law and understand its intricacies.

It is critical to pursue an LLM course after graduating from a top legal school. An LLM programme will help you get started in your legal profession. A few of the most compelling reasons to pursue LLM programmes are listed below.

Prepares for a Profession in International Law: LLM degrees with a specialisation in International Law will assist students in making a name for themselves in in the international arena and, eventually, a career in the international legal area, ensuring a bright future.
Help you focus on your interests: Unlike undergraduate legal studies, which focus on broad law, the LLM permits you to specialise in a specific topic. This gradually allows you to focus on the issue and give it greater attention, allowing you to become an expert at it.
Various Specializations: The diversity of specialisations available in LLM courses can assist students in deciding on a professional path in areas such as international law, corporate law, labour law, and human rights, among others.
Pursue a Job in Legal Writing & Research : Depending on your LLM specialisation, pursuing LLD following your LLM can lead to a career in legal research and writing.
Better Job Opportunities : A master’s degree in law will earn you a higher wage and provide you with more prospects than a bachelor’s degree in law.

To help individuals anchor their focus on a specific field during the degree, LLM comprises of varied specialisations that one can choose from. Here is a list of these concentrations that you must know about:

Constitutional Law
Jurisprudence
Criminal Law
Insurance Law
Environmental Law
International Trade and Business Law
Intellectual Property Law
Taxation Law
Human Rights
Corporate Law and Governance

Though every law school might specify its own prerequisites for a master’s degree in Law, there are certain eligibility conditions that one needs to fulfil in order to apply for an LLM degree. Below we have listed the central requirements that you must know about before opting for this degree:

Candidates are essentially required to have completed their LLB degree. Further, some institutions also ask for your law school transcripts as part of the application.
English Proficiency test scores such as IELTS , TOEFL and PTE .
Various institutions may need GRE scores as well.
SOP s and LOR s
Some universities also prefer aspirants with prior work or research experience in Law.
Universities accept a candidate’s score on any national or university-level admission exam for law schools that he or she has taken.
On May 8, 2022, an LLM entrance exam similar to CLAT PG was held.
CLAT, IPU-CET, LSAT, DU LLM, AP LAWCET, and other top LLM entry examinations include:
For general candidates, the application price for LLM admission ranges from 750 to 2,000. The application fee for reserved classes would be INR 350.

Students who desire to take LLM courses must pass the admission exam required for the programme. Admission to LLM programmes is based on the results of the entrance exam and the interview stage, both of which are performed by the various universities.

There are various entrance exams to choose from, including CLAT PG, AILET, IPU CET, BHU UET, and others.

There are a plethora of globally recognised universities across the globe that offer master’s degrees in Law. Take a look at the table below which elucidates the top academic institutions and law schools as well as their prospective LLM courses.

The study of the laws of many countries and organisations is the focus of an LLM in International Law. LLM in International Law is a popular speciality in India since it provides students with options to work in other countries.

The following are some of the topics covered in the LLM International Law programme:

Comparative Law International Law and International Relations: Developments and Trends International Organizations International Dispute Resolution Bodies etc.

Completing an LLM degree, there is an array of career opportunities that one can opt for. It is quite a common conception that the legal arena has a limited set of professions. Today, the field of law has expanded its horizons into multifold branches leading to varied prospects. Further, you can also select a specialisation like Cyber Law or Energy and Climate Law during your master’s degree to establish your career in the same. Take a look at the below-mentioned list of career prospects that you can choose from after LLM:

Legal Consultant
Legal Document Reviewer
Advocate
Judge
Lecturer
Public Prosecutor
Law Reporter

A PhD in Law or LLD, commonly known as Doctor of Law, can be pursued after successfully completing an LLM degree. Several universities in India, including Nalsar Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur, and NLU Jodhpur, offer LLD admissions.

The following are the requirements for pursuing an LLD:

Students must have completed LLM with a minimum of 55 percent overall or an equivalent CGPA.
Students should be required to pass several university entrance tests.
Before enrolling students in LLD courses, several universities require prior job experience.

An LLM graduate’s compensation is determined by the type of employment he or she holds. Typically, an LLM graduate’s pay ranges between INR 4 to 12 LPA.

The standard abbreviation for a Master of Laws degree is ‘LLM.’ The acronym comes from the Latin term for the qualification, ‘Legum Magister,’ with ‘legum’ being the plural of ‘lex,’ which means law. Latin pluralizes the Master of Laws to ‘LLM’, as it does the ‘LLB’.

The level of the course is the primary distinction between LLB (Bachelors of Law) and LLM (Masters of Law). The LLB is a bachelor’s degree programme, whereas the LLM is a post-graduate programme for students who have previously finished their bachelor’s degree.

In the realm of legal studies, an LLM PhD is a higher degree of qualification. Successful LLM PhD graduates can go on to work as legal professors at law schools and universities.

Yes, LLM is a 2 years course.

Thus, we hope that this blog has helped you understand the varied essentials of LLM. If you are planning to study a master’s degree in Law abroad and don’t know where to begin, take the help of Leverage Edu ’s AI-based tool that narrows down a suitable course and university combinations as per your skills and aspirations and assists you in making an informed decision to sail further in your professional journey.

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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 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.

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LLM: Frequently asked questions

1. when can i apply to the llm.

Applications open in October for the following academic year.

2. Is there a deadline for applying?

We set no deadline in advance as we operate a system of rolling admissions, which means that we close to new applications when the programme is full. We therefore strongly recommend that you apply as soon as possible.

3. How do I apply?

You apply to the programme via the online application system.

see How To Apply .

4. How can I contact the Graduate Admissions Office?

Contact information can be found at the link below.

see Graduate Admissions .

5. What is the application fee?

Please see the Application pages of the LSE website.

6. What are the admission requirements?

The minimum entry requirement to the LLM Programme is a UK 2:1 or equivalent degree in law (LLB or equivalent) or a conversion degree.

Each application is considered on its own merits. In evaluating an application, the selectors take into consideration an applicant's grades and class rank, letters of reference, the coherence of an applicant's proposed programme of study and any significant professional accomplishments.

see Graduate Admissions .

see Country and Regional Specific information .

7. Can I apply if I do not have a law degree?

Students without a law background may apply to the LLM programme, but they need to demonstrate a high level of professional or academic experience in areas closely related to the subjects they wish to study. Recent graduates who have neither studied law nor passed a "conversion" course are only admitted in exceptional circumstances.

8. What is a law conversion course?

Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law (CPE/GDL) courses, commonly known as "law conversion courses", enable non-law graduates and in some instances, non-graduates to complete the foundations of legal knowledge required by the academic stage of training. (Note that these courses are not offered at LSE).

9. What is the English language requirement?

Minimum English language requirement for law

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 630 in the written test, 267 in the computer based test or 109 in the internet based test (with a minimum of 27 in writing, 24 in listening, 25 in reading and 22 in speaking) or

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum overall score of 7.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in the listening, writing and reading elements and 6.5 in the speaking element).

See English Language Requirements .

10. How much are the tuition fees and how do I pay them?

See How to Pay Fees .

11. What financial help and scholarships are available?

See Funding .

12. Can I study the LLM part-time?

Yes. The programme can be taken part-time over two or four years.

Students studying for the LLM over two years take two full units each year (four courses is equal to two full units);

Students studying for the LLM over four years (extended part-time) take one full unit each year (two courses is equal to one full unit).

13. Can I study the LLM programme online (distance learning)?

No, this is not an option.

14. How many courses do I need to take?

To satisfy the LLM Programme Regulations students are required to complete four units. All courses on the LLM programme are half units therefore students will take eight half units. All students take the compulsory LL4F9 Legal Research and Writing Skills course and select seven other courses from a wide range of LLM courses.

see LLM Programme Regulations .

15. What is an LLM specialism?

Students who take courses that fall predominately within one specialist area can request to have their specialism included in the name of their degree. The list of specialisms and the courses that are within those specialist areas can be found at the link below.

see Specialisms .

16. How many courses do I need to take to qualify for a specialism?

To qualify for a specialism you will need to take four courses from within that specialist area.

17. How are courses assessed?

Courses are assessed in one of three ways:

Examinations - the majority of LLM courses are assessed via written two-hour exam in the main examination period (May/June).

Essays - some LLM courses are assessed via an 8,000 word essay or similar to be submitted in May.

Dissertation - the compulsory LLM course Legal Research and Writing course is assessed via a 10,000 word dissertation to be submitted in August.

Further information can be found in the LLM Student Handbook which all students will receive at Orientation in September.

18. Where can I find course descriptions / reading lists?

Brief course guides can be viewed at the following link. (Note that these are the current academic year guides).

See Course Guides .

19. How are the courses taught?

Courses are normally taught in seminar groups, meeting for two hours each week. However, there are some - usually larger - courses which are taught by a combination of lectures and a smaller number of smaller follow-up classes.

20. How long does it take to complete the LLM degree programme?

The LLM programme is a full-time 12 month programme. The programme can also be taken on a part-time basis - 24 months part-time or 48 months extended part-time.

21. When / where do I need to register?

See Student Services - Registration .

22. What are the term dates?

See Term Dates .

23. When is orientation?

Orientation week usually begins the Monday before the start of the Autumn Term. Registration is usually the Friday before orientation.

See Student Services - Welcome .

24. What do LLM graduates go on to do?

The LLM programme is sufficiently flexible to make it appropriate for many different career paths. It allows prospective law teachers to develop expertise in a wide range of subjects or in a particular specialised area; it enables practitioners to cultivate expertise in new fields; it provides a basis for a career in the city of London or other financial centres; and it offers relevant education and training for those entering the foreign service of their governments, working for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or preparing for many other professions.

For more information see LSE graduate destinations .

LLM Home page

LLM Programme Structure and courses

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Student life at LSE Intellectual life, extracurricular activity, living in London

Applications / Contact us How to find out more about the LLM

School of Law

D'amore-mckim school of business, law and business administration (llm/mba).

In our LLM/MBA dual degree program, you'll position yourself to succeed by deepening your knowledge of the law and adding a complementary foundation of advanced business expertise. By building on your JD (or equivalent) degree, you'll develop a firm grasp of complex legal and business issues in a world increasingly driven by data and technology, enabling you to serve your clients' changing needs.

Expertise in law and business carries significant weight in today's interconnected global economy, and lawyers with advanced credentials in both areas are in high demand.

By earning your LLM/MBA degree from Northeastern Law and the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, you'll build on your JD (or equivalent) degree by exploring a legal specialty more deeply and cultivating a strong base of knowledge in sought-after areas of business. You'll also build your analytic skill set and strengthen your understanding of the role of data and technology in an evolving business world. This powerful fusion of disciplines will help you meet your clients' needs as they adapt to the new realities of doing business in a global economy.

The experience you'll gain in this program will set you apart, including an optional co-op semester of legal work in your chosen specialty, strengthening your learning as you make connections in your chosen field.

Dive deeper into the LLM/MBA program on the D’Amore-McKim School of Business website.

More Details

Unique features.

Build expertise by earning two advanced degrees in two years with an accelerated curriculum, saving time and money
Choose from a diverse list of law practice areas and in-demand business concentrations—including Northeastern's one-of-a-kind MBA x concentrations, which allow you to grow your network and knowledge base in a complementary area outside business and law
Pursue an optional semester of full-time co-op work in the legal field—a chance to collaborate with other lawyers in your area of expertise and make a real impact
Receive personalized support from your dedicated advisor in the Northeastern Law career development office
Work, study, and make connections in Boston, a well-known hub for the legal profession and home to seven companies in the Fortune 500

Program Objectives

The LLM/MBA dual degree allows you to build valuable business credentials while you deepen your knowledge in your chosen legal specialty. This program can be the pathway to a more prominent role in the legal field—or a way to expand your opportunities as you re-enter the workforce. It also provides a route for lawyers outside the United States to earn the credentials required to practice in this country.

By studying in both the Northeastern Law and the D'Amore-McKim School of Business—with the possibility of completing a semester of full-time legal work—you'll distinguish yourself as a multifaceted expert who understands issues from many different perspectives.

Your law courses will deepen your knowledge in a specific area of the law. In addition, your business courses will give you a comprehensive understanding of business principles and expertise in two focus areas that support your career goals.

Career Outlook

The LLM/MBA degree can be a path to becoming a senior decision-maker in the legal profession or in business. It can also build distinguishing credentials ahead of a return to the workplace or qualify those with international legal degrees to practice law in the United States.

Employers especially value D'Amore-McKim's signature emphasis on understanding the role of data and technology in the global marketplace. You'll graduate with a dual degree designed for a digital-first world, distinguishing you from your peers in the job market and creating opportunities in a wide range of professional fields.

Accreditation Information

Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International—the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.

Testimonials

Dan danielsen, professor of law and faculty director, program on the corporation, law and global society, looking for something different.

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-ranked university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Requirements

You must apply and gain admission independently to both Northeastern Law and the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. You'll enroll first in Northeastern Law before seeking admission to the D'Amore-McKim School of Business.

School of Law Admissions Requirements

You may submit your application through the Law School Admission Council or directly through the Northeastern Law website to apply to Northeastern Law.

Application form
Personal statement
Academic transcripts
One letter of recommendation (a second letter is optional)
TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test score report (If your first law degree was conducted in English, you do not need to submit an English language proficiency score report.)

D'Amore-McKim Additional Admissions Requirements

A personal statement (<=500 words) and a short essay (<=300 words)
One additional letter of recommendation
Kira online interview (by invitation, access is provided after submitting your application)

Northeastern University is test-optional for the 2024-2025 academic year and does not require applicants to submit GMAT or GRE scores to be considered for admission. For more information, review our admissions policies .

Are You an International Student? Find out what additional documents are required to apply.

Admissions Details Learn more about the School of Law admissions process, policies, and required materials.

Admissions Dates

You must be admitted to the School of Law before being admitted to D’Amore-McKim School of Business. Below are the application deadlines.

School of Law Application Dates

You're encouraged to apply by April 1 for priority consideration. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis after that date.

D'Amore-McKim School of Business Application Dates

Industry-aligned courses for in-demand careers..

For 100+ years, we’ve designed our programs with one thing in mind—your success. Explore the current program requirements and course descriptions, all designed to meet today’s industry needs and must-have skills.

View curriculum

There's no more powerful teacher than experience, which is why we've embedded opportunities for practice-oriented learning into all our programs:

Law co-ops Our law co-op program is nationally recognized for its robust and diverse base of 1,000+ employers, allowing you to create a singular work experience that propels you toward your goals. As an LLM/MBA student, you can pursue a semester of co-op work in your chosen legal field and make a meaningful contribution to your host organization. Learn more about our law co-ops .

The 360 Huntington Fund 360 Huntington Fund offers a fantastic opportunity to join an actual mutual fund management team in Northeastern's endowment. No matter your experience level with managing stocks, you'll learn invaluable skills in an environment that no simulated fund exercise can match. Learn more about the 360 Huntington Fund .

IDEA Student-Led Venture Accelerator Share your expertise by offering legal and business advice to aspiring entrepreneurs at IDEA, our student-led venture accelerator—and become part of a real startup's journey to the marketplace. Learn more about IDEA .

Global Consulting Project Through this transformative elective course, you'll work in a team to tackle a real business issue or opportunity for a multinational company. You'll travel to the company's international location for approximately one week, conducting research, analysis, and client interviews to inform your consulting recommendations. Learn more about working on a global consulting project .

Washington, DC, Residency This one-week, three-credit intensive course in Washington, D.C., showcases the intersection of government with business. Meet with current and former legislators and staff, senior civil servants, business executives, lobbyists, and other officials to learn firsthand how public policy affects companies, industries, and economies worldwide. Learn more about a Washington DC residency .

Global Field Study In this three-credit course, you can immerse yourself in the business practices and culture of another country through a semester of study and a ten-day trip abroad. Learn more about the global field study .

Our Faculty

Northeastern University faculty represents a broad cross-section of professional practices and fields, including finance, education, biomedical science, management, and the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside you to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

Todd M. Alessandri

Sonia Elise Rolland

Martin Dias, PhD

Marla Baskerville

Margaret Y. K. Woo

Dan Danielsen

By enrolling in Northeastern, you’ll gain access to students at 13 campus locations, 300,000+ alumni, and 3,000 employer partners worldwide. Our global university system provides students unique opportunities to think locally and act globally while serving as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions.

Below is a look at where our business alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.

Where They Work

Proctor & Gamble Company
Ropes & Gray
Wellington Management
U.S. Attorneys Offices

What They Do

Business development
Corporate law
Law firm legal practice
Public interest law

What They're Skilled At

Negotiation
Communication
Critical thinking

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What degree comes after LLM?

Doctor of juridical science - wikipedia, what comes after an llm, what is the best course after llm.

A judge: This is a widely esteemed position in every country's legal or judiciary systems. ...
Legal advisor: Contract summarisation, contract administration, legal study, writing, court cases and analysis relevant projects are assisted by court partner or law associate.

Is a JD higher than an LLM?

LawyerEDU defines the JD "as the initial, postsecondary law degree necessary to sit for the bar examination and practice as a lawyer in a US jurisdiction," and the LLM as "a secondary degree for lawyers who have achieved their JD and passed the bar exam, and who are interested in a focused, specialized course of study ...

What is a PHD in law called?

D.). The Doctor of Jurisprudence (Juris Doctor or J.D.) is the professional doctorate degree that is usually required for admissions to post-graduate studies in law. The first law degree was known until recently as the Bachelor of Laws (LL. B.).

Should I get an LLM (Masters of Law)

Can we do PhD after LLM?

Yes. You will need a masters to pursue PhD along with a UGC NET score . The LLM was reduced from a 2 yr to 1yr, but it still remains a masters.

Can I do LLD after LLM?

L.L.D or doctor of law is a specialised law degree which is a three years programme. Candidates can complete this course in a maximum duration of six years and L.L.D programmes include course work. To pursue this course candidates must have completed their LLM / PhD in law from a recognised university .

Does an LLM make you a lawyer?

An LLM will provide you with advanced training in law, but it doesn't qualify you as a licensed lawyer .

What is the salary of LLM?

The average salary of LLM graduates can range between INR 4 - 10 lakhs per year which can grow up to INR 45-50 LPA or even more with experience and expertise.

Can I do LLM without LLB?

Masters degree from open system without completing LLB will not be designated as LLM . As per the new rules, a Master's degree in any specialized branch of law that is offered in an open system will not be considered as LLM degree if the student has not completed LLB/BA LLB.

Can we do MBA after LLM?

You could star with a LLM degree and then take the MBA .

What are the advanced degrees in law?

If you desire to break into or advance in your academic career, consider the LL. M., followed by a legal doctorate, which is available in many different specialties. These degrees include the Doctor of Judicial Science (S.J.D.), Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.S.D.) or the Doctor of Comparative Law (D.C.L.) .

Which is better LLM or MBA?

Career: One must choose LLM if they want to pursue a career in law or MBA if they want to seek a career in administration or management . Students who are interested in management should pursue an MBA, but in other situations, an LLM should be prioritized.

Does LLM help to get a job?

LLM is a specialised degree, hence, LLM holders often land onto jobs which are subject oriented . Thus, pursuing an LLM degree opens promising career avenues in the legal sector. After completion of the LLM degree, there are career options in the legal field pertaining to both the public and private sectors.

How long is Phd in law?

D. in Legal Studies is a three years full-time doctorate programme within the field of Law.

How can I become advocate after LLM?

If you wish to become a practicing advocate in courts, you must have graduated with either a 3-year LLB course or a 5-year BBA LLB or BA LLB course . This will make you eligible for becoming an Advocate in India. Every law graduate needs to do an internship under a law firm or a senior advocate.

Do you put LLM after your name?

“LL. M” refers to a “Masters in the Letters of Law.” It is an advanced law degree after someone completes a “J.D.” An “LL. M” is often pursued by students who are interested in gaining expertise in a concentrated area of the law.

Can I do PhD in law?

One needs to have a LL. M degree inorder to pursue PhD in Law with minimum 55% aggregate from a recognized university . Candidates who have qualified UGC NET/JRF ,SLET etc need not to appear in university entrance exam and can directly take admission in PhD. There are ample of benefits of doing PhD .

Is PhD and LLD same?

Doctor of Laws is another name for a research-level degree programme in law. A Doctor of Laws or LLD degree is a dedicated postgraduate degree for candidates who already have a PhD . An LLD programme usually lasts three years long and admission into it is selective and highly competitive.

Is an LLM a doctorate?

While the Juris Doctorate ('JD') degree may be the most commonly known law degree in the US, it's not the only one. Another popular degree choice among aspiring legal professionals? The Legum Magister ('LLM') . Here's a closer look at these law degrees and why they are great paths to a career in law.

Is LLM necessary for PhD?

As a rule, an LLM is a precondition to admission to the PhD . Students without an LLM should apply to the Research LLM. If accepted, they can subsequently apply to advance to the PhD after their first year of study.

What is salary after PhD?

PHD Student salary in India ranges between ₹ 0.3 Lakhs to ₹ 10.4 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 4.2 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 113 salaries received from PHD Students.

Who earns more MBA or lawyer?

Same goes for salary, generally the salary of a law aspirant is around 5 LPA and for MBA candidates it can be around 7 LPA .

Which MBA is best after law?

MBA after LLB is a good option for pursuing higher studies in management, or make a career switch to the field of management. The job options available after MBA include HR Manager, Business Analyst, Marketing Manager, Finance Advisor, Investment Banker, etc.

PhD Law: Course Details, Eligibility, Admission, Fees, Syllabus, Colleges, Jobs 2022

Zollege Team

Content Curator

20 April, 2024 : THSTI Ph.D Admission 2024 is Open till April 30, 2024.
12 April, 2024 : Calcutta University Ph.D Admission 2024 is Open till April 30, 2024.
12 April, 2024 : SMVDU Ph.D Admission 2024 is Open for the Odd Semester till April 20, 2024.
12 April, 2024 : MIT-WPU Ph.D and BA Admission 2024 is Open till May 31, 2024.
10 April, 2024 : IIT ISM M.Tech and Ph.D Admission 2024 is Open till April 21, 2024.

PhD, or Doctor of Law degree, is a three-year specialized law degree. The PhD curriculum comprises classroom work, and aspirants can complete the program in as little as six years. Candidates who have finished their LLM/ PhD in Law from a recognized university are eligible to study PhD as a course. Some universities also need hopefuls to have prior teaching or academic experience in order to enroll in the PhD program.

Most institutions admit students to their PhD programs based on their achievement in an entrance exam. The research proposal and technique are usually evaluated as part of the PhD admissions process. In addition to these phases of application, some universities undertake a personal interview round to narrow down applicants for admission.

The cost of a PhD course at a government university like NLSIU Bangalore or CNLU Patna is usually between Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.75 lakh.

Table of Content

PhD Law Couse Highlights

Phd law: eligibility criteria, about the couse: phd law, phd. program in law.

4.1 Direct Admission

4.2 Admission on the basis of merit

PhD Law: Entrance Exams

Phd law: distance education.

6.1 PhD Law Distance Education Colleges

PhD Law Syllabus

PhD Law: Top Colleges in India

PhD Law: Jobs

Phd law: faqs.

Candidates should be aware that different universities have varied qualifying requirements for the PhD course they provide. Some colleges indicate that individuals who have earned an LLM in Law from a recognized university in India or overseas, as well as significant experience in the field of law, are eligible for admission to their PhD program. If candidates wish to attend the PhD course given by a college, they must have at least 5 to 10 years of teaching experience and academic excellence in the field of law.

Candidates who have finished their LLM from a recognized college with a minimum of 50% aggregate are also eligible to apply for the PhD program.

A PhD in Law's curriculum and syllabus can differ depending on the specialization and academic institution. In the first year of a PhD in Law, students get to focus on the coursework of their specializations with their prospective Advisory Committees. Along with this, it also comprises a seminar regarding legal scholarships and methodologies. Students are required to present a report on the subject in the second semester.

They will have the opportunity to collaborate with the faculty dissertation committee throughout the second year. Students must deliver their dissertation in the form of a manuscript that is nearly a book length or three articles that can be published as part of their portfolio. Following that, the committees will give their feedback on one's dissertation prospectus and, if they like the topic, will give their mark of approval. Aside from the extensive research effort required for a PhD in Law, students should be required to participate in teaching activities such as teaching assistantships, co-teaching with professors, and so on.

In their third year, students can either continue teaching as a professor of law or continue working on their dissertation.

Admission to a Ph.D. program in law can be obtained in one of two methods. Direct admission or merit entrance are also options.

Direct Admission

You must get an application form from the college or university for direct admission. It is available both offline and online.
To obtain an application form, go to the institute or college's official website and fill out the form there. You can upload it right away.
After you've finished filling out the application form, you'll need to go to the college for counseling and a round of personal interviews.

Admission on the basis of merit

JMI Law Entrance Exam, CLAT, AILET – All India Law Entrance Test, PET – PhD Entrance Test are some of the significant exams used to determine merit-based admission.

These tests are available to students both in-person and online. On their official websites, you may get the forms for the various tests.
The subsequent grades acquired by students in these exams will be used to determine admission.

A PhD in law is one of the doctoral programs that can be completed entirely online. There are a number of good and well-regarded universities that offer PhD in law programs via correspondence or part-time study. The most intriguing aspect of this school is that a PhD in law in India offers a cyber law and corporate law education.

PhD Law Distance Education Colleges

Listed below are a few of the best colleges that offer a remote learning PhD in law program:

A PhD in Law's curriculum and syllabus can differ depending on the specialization and academic institution. The following are the core subjects covered by the PhD in Law curriculum:

PhD Law: Top Colleges in India

A PhD in law graduate who has completed the course satisfactorily can get work in practically any sector in India. They can also apply for work with the government. A few of the career opportunities are listed below, along with their respective salary:

Ques. Which is the superior degree between a JD and a PhD?

Ans. When comparing the two, a PhD degree comes out on top. Candidates can easily complete the JD program because it just takes three years to complete. PhD programs, on the other hand, often last 5 to 6 years, with the second part requiring students to work harder and conduct original research.

Ques. Is a law degree worth it?

Ans. A PhD indicates that you are an expert in your field, which can make you particularly appealing to specialist governmental organizations or niche law firms. This is very encouraging and may assist you in finding work in your field of interest. It may also provide the potential for a career in academia.

Ques. Is an LLM equivalent to a PhD?

Ans. In the field of legal studies, an LLM with a PhD is a higher degree of qualification. Successful LLM PhD graduates can go on to become law professors and begin teaching in law schools. But LLM is not equal to a PhD

Ques. What is the aim of obtaining a PhD in Law?

Ans. The main goal of a PhD in Law program is to provide students with a solid foundation in research, legal theory, jurisprudence, methods, policy, and dissertation writing.

Ques. What does a law doctorate entail?

Ans. The PhD in Law is meant to provide additional training for exceptional graduate students who have already earned a Master of Laws (LLM) or its equivalent. Coursework, comprehensive tests, a dissertation proposal and defense, a dissertation, and an oral dissertation exam are all part of the degree requirements.

Ques. How do I get a Doctorate in Law?

Ans. To pursue a PhD in law, one must hold an LL. M degree from a recognized university with a minimum aggregate of 55 percent. Candidates who have passed the CLAT, JMI, ILET, and other entrance exams do not need to take the university entrance exam and can apply for PhD immediately. There are numerous advantages to pursuing a PhD.

Ques. What is the difficulty level of a law PhD?

Ans. Yes, all PhDs are difficult. It doesn't matter if you're highly motivated, gifted, or have excellent counsel; it's still difficult. There is an additional stumbling block in the form of the law. If all you want for your dissertation is to be about the law, that's not a problem because you can get a PhD in political science in no time.

Ques. How long does it take to get a PhD in law?

Ans. The three-year PhD in Law Studies is a full-time doctorate degree in the discipline of law that lasts three years. The program's eligibility requirements are a qualified Master's degree.

Ques. What courses are comparable to a PhD law degree?

Ans. PhD (Doctor of Law) and M.Phil in Law are two courses that are connected to or similar to a PhD in law course.

Ques. What are the prospects for a job after completing a PhD in law?

Ans. An aspirant can pursue careers as an author, lawyer, judge, or notary.

Ques. What is the difference between a PhD in law and a LLD in law?

Ans. A PhD in law is a research degree that can be sought after completing an LLM, while an LLD is a higher research degree that can be pursued after completing a PhD in a related discipline.

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Doctor of laws [ll.d.], similar colleges you might be interested in.

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Sample Questions

The Ph.D (Law) programme offers candidates an opportunity to contribute to the academic field in their chosen areas of study. As a part of the programme, candidates are also provided an opportunity to teach or participate in ongoing research at NLSIU, in areas related to their dissertation, allowing for deeper integration with the NLSIU community and providing diverse feedback opportunities.

Eligibility for Ph.D. (Law)

The following candidates shall be eligible to apply for the Ph.D. (Law) programme:

a) Candidates having a 5-year/ 10-semester/ 15-trimester bachelor’s degree programme in Law through regular mode from a recognized University having secured a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed (70% of marks or its equivalent grade in case of SC/ST/OBC- NCL/Persons with Disability.)

b) Candidates having a 3-year/ 6-semester/ 9-trimester bachelor’s degree programme in Law (LL.B.) through regular mode from a recognized University having secured a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed (70% of marks or its equivalent grade in case of SC/ST/OBC-NCL Persons with Disability); and

c) Candidates having a Masters in Law degree (LL.M.) through regular mode from a recognized University having secured an aggregate of at least 55% marks or its equivalent grade (50% of marks or its equivalent grade in case of SC/ST/OBC-NCL)/ Persons with Disability);

d) Candidates having passed the Solicitors Examination conducted by the Bombay Incorporated Law Society and having a completed a bachelor’s in Law (LL.B./LL.B. (Hons.)) degree from a recognized University through regular mode; or

(e) Candidates having a Master of Business Laws (MBL) degree from the National Law School of India University with minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 4.00 and having completed a bachelor’s degree from a recognized University through regular mode.

Provided that candidates in their final year of study in the respective degrees in (a), (b) and (c) shall be eligible to apply, subject to the candidate securing the minimum marks or equivalent grade prior to July 2024.

International Students

Candidates can apply for the NLSAT – International Examination for “international student” category, if they fulfil the following conditions:

They should be a citizen of a country other than India; AND
They should have completed a minimum of ten years of their education in a school/college/university outside India.

For more details, click here.

Admission Process

Admission to the programme will be through an all-India written admissions test, the National Law School Admissions Test (NLSAT-PhD). Candidates shall submit the application form duly filled up along with a research proposal of about 6-8 pages. The application form is available here.

The research proposal should contain: i. Tentative Title ii. Statement of the problem and the background information on the subject. iii. A brief outline of the research design including a set of research questions, a brief review of the relevant literature on the issue identified for research, a research hypothesis (where applicable) and the proposed methodology. Students who demonstrate a firm grasp of these foundational issues will be awarded higher marks.

The NLSAT-PhD shall have the following scheme: a) Research Aptitude: 50 marks b) Essays/Answers on relevant topics pertaining to law/ other disciplines: 50 marks

Candidates securing not less than 50% marks on the aggregate in the written test will qualify for evaluation of their Research Proposal and making an oral presentation before a Panel of Experts on the date specified by the University.

Selection Process

Candidates will be selected based on the marks obtained by the candidate in the NLSAT- PhD, the research proposal, and the oral presentation. The weightage of each score component shall be as follows:

a) NLSAT-PhD: 50% b) Research Proposal: 35% c) Oral Presentation: 15%

Important Dates

The National Law School Admissions Test-PhD (NLSAT-PhD) will be held on March 17, 2024 (Sunday), from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm in specified centres across the country. The duration of the test shall be 150 minutes.
Application deadline has been extended to 11:59 pm IST, on February 28, 2024. View official notification. An application fee of Rs. 3000/- (Rupees Three Thousand Only) shall be payable at the time of submission of the application.
The dates for the oral presentation shall be announced after the completion of the NLSAT-PhD. They are likely to be held in April – May 2024.
Classes for coursework component of the Ph.D. programme shall commence in the University in July 2024.

The maximum number of Ph. D seats for the Academic Year 2024-25 are 8 (Eight). This includes 4 in Ph.D (Law) and 4 in Ph.D (Interdisciplinary). The University reserves the right not to fill all the seats where sufficient candidates do not satisfy the admission requirements.

PhD Regulations

Regulations governing the PhD programme are available here. Candidates should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the programme, before applying.

The admission notification for AY 2024-25 is available here.

For Indian Nationals

For international students.

The total amount payable at the time of admission by foreign students for AY 2024-25 is Rs. 2,55,000/- as provided below:

Registration Fee – one time 90,000/- Course Work Fee – one time 90,000/- Annual Fee 75,000/- Total fee – per annum 2,55,000/-

* Fees mentioned above are provisional and subject to ratification by the University Governing Bodies.

Sample questions for NLSAT 2024 will be released to candidates who have registered through the admissions portal prior to the admissions test.

The University’s PhD programme in the previous year was offered in terms of the Ph.D. Degree Programme Regulations, 2021. The Regulations have been revised since the Academic Year 2023-24.

The FAQs below reflect the Ph.D. Degree Programme Regulations 2023.

NLSIU currently offers two Ph.D programmes:

– The Ph.D. (Law) programme allows a candidate to contribute academically in the field of law; – The Ph.D. (Interdisciplinary) involves research across disciplines to arrive at a more comprehensive perspective and solution for a particular problem.

Yes, they may apply for the Ph.D (Law) programme.

No, there is no age limit to apply for the programmes.

Candidates will have to appear for the admission test NLSAT – Ph.D, conducted by the University. To apply, visit admissions.nls.ac.in

Note: While submitting the application for the admission test, candidates should also submit a research proposal of about 6-8 pages. The research proposal should contain: i. Tentative Title ii. Statement of the problem and the background information on the subject. iii. A brief outline of the research design including a set of research questions, a brief review of the relevant literature on the issue identified for research, a research hypothesis (where applicable) and the proposed methodology. Students who demonstrate a firm grasp of these foundational issues will be awarded higher marks.

No. Candidates may apply for either Ph.D (Law) or the Ph.D (Interdisciplinary) programme.

To apply for the Ph.D programmes, visit admissions.nls.ac.in

The University shall conduct a written test (NLSAT-Ph.D) along the following scheme:

a) Research Aptitude – 50 marks b) Essays on relevant topics pertaining to law/ other disciplines – 50 marks

The list of selected candidates as above shall be displayed on the NLSIU website.

Candidates are required to be present at the NLSIU campus for the duration of their coursework spread over three trimesters. Course work is compulsory for all the Ph.D. candidates.

The first component of the course work must be completed during the first trimester upon their admission. The remaining two trimesters of the course work needs to be completed within the first two academic years.

a) The candidate will have to complete a minimum of three (3) years’ research in their chosen subject, including the mandatory course work as provided in these Regulations.

b) Maximum period: The maximum duration of the Ph.D. programme shall be six (6) years* from the date of admission in the Ph.D. programme, subject to the fulfilment of the requirements per the Regulations.

*- Provided that candidates who are Persons with Disabilities (having more than 40% disability) may be allowed a relaxation of upto two (2) years; however, the total period for completion of a Ph.D. programme in such cases should not exceed eight (8) years from the date of admission in the Ph.D. programme; – Provided further that female Ph.D. candidates may be provided Maternity Leave/ Child Care Leave for up to 240 days in the entire duration of the Ph.D. programme; however, the total period for completion of a Ph.D. programme in such cases should not exceed six (6) years and eight (8) months from the date of admission in the Ph.D. programme.

c) Failure to complete the course within the maximum period set out in point (b) above will automatically result in cancellation of registration.

There are a total of six courses that a doctoral candidate has to complete. Three of these are compulsory taught courses. Each taught course will extend for around 10 weeks and will be held on campus.

The first compulsory taught course is to be completed in the initial trimester on admission to the programme. The second compulsory taught course can be completed in the initial or any subsequent trimester (depending on when the course is offered). These two taught courses have to be completed prior to the first presentation before the Research Advisory Committee. In addition, there are also two course requirements relating to review of literature and fine-tuning of the proposal which need to be completed under the guidance of the Supervisor prior to the first presentation before the Research Advisory Committee.

The third compulsory taught course has to be completed prior to the second presentation before the Research Advisory Committee. In addition, candidates also will also need to complete the course requirement relating to teaching/research assistantships as will be decided by the Supervisor/relevant University body of the University.

There is a Research Advisory Committee for each Ph.D. scholar consisting of a Supervisor and two members (one from within NLSIU and one external member).

Please refer to the fee tab on the respective programme pages for fee details.

Yes, the University will release sample questions at a later date.

We do not offer rolling admissions to the PhD programme. New students are admitted once a year, to begin studying at the start of the Academic Year in July.

Yes, but only in the next academic year. Candidates will have to appear for the NLSAT after applying for the programme in any given year.

Yes. The University will notify a ‘Campus Open Day’ for you to visit us and familiarize yourself with the campus before applying for any programme through the NLSAT. Follow our website for further updates.

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LLM PhD Integrated Course, Full Form, Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus
The PhD after LLM duration will be of three to four years. A lot of people consider LLM to be the degree that you need to do if you are looking to teach a student in college or if you want to pursue a Ph.D. You need to keep reading the article to know more about this integrated PhD after LLM programme.
Using the LLM as a stepping stone to PhD study: How I came to PhD
After 3 years as an undergraduate I couldn't afford to self-fund a PhD, and at the time the Government hadn't yet extended the postgraduate loans to cover the cost of doing a PhD. So instead, I took advantage of the masters loan and studied a Masters degree to strengthen my chances of securing PhD funding from a Research Council.
Ph.D. Program
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].
Coordinated JD/PhD Program
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 Coursework. 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.
How many years PhD after LLM?
How many years PhD after LLM? The average Ph. D. in Law program takes three to four years to finish and may take longer depending on if the students is enrolled part-time or full-time. A doctoral degree in law may also be earned alongside a Juris Doctorate as a dual degree program.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree?
Kee says funding for a humanities Ph.D. program typically only lasts five years, even though it is uncommon for someone to obtain a Ph.D. degree in a humanities field within that time frame ...
Legal careers: options after your LLM program
Whether you did your LLM right after your first degree or after years of work experience, your postgrad legal qualification can support your ambition to make a subtle change in career direction or leap into a completely new and exciting field. Find your PERFECT LLM PROGRAM Related articles. Master Of Laws Overview. Career Advice For LLM Students
Law MPhil/PhD
In year 1 of the PhD, there will be fortnightly research skills seminars. There will be research skills seminars in years 2 and 3 (for full-time students, years 2-5 for part-time students) too, but these will be less frequent. The majority of the PhD will be spent on independent research. Research areas and structure
5 routes to getting a Doctorate
This is the most common means of getting a Doctorate degree. Over the three or four years of research at university, your PhD supervisor will support you as you aim to produce a thesis based on your research proposal. A thesis is typically 60,000-90,000 words in length - although this can vary between institutions.
How Long Does It Take To Get a PhD?
Costs of a PhD. Beyond the time they take to complete, PhD programs can be expensive. The average cost of a PhD program in the United States is just under $100,000. At some schools, the cost of a PhD can even exceed $200,000 [6]. While many institutions offer funding support in the form of assistantships or scholarships, many PhD students ...
MPhil/PhD Law
Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Law. Home students: £4,829 for the first year (provisional) Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year. The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend.
LL.M. Tuition and Financial Aid
A year in Harvard Law School's LL.M. program is expensive. Tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year is $77,100; in addition, health insurance and health services fees, the LL.M. activities fee, dental insurance, the costs of housing, food, books and supplies, and personal and travel expenses for a single student come to at least $39,400, for a total of at least $116,500.
Graduate Program Handbook
Students writing the 25-Page Paper in the spring term must submit the signed Registration and Proposal Form to the Graduate Program by February 5, 2024. Students who fail to register for the LL.M. Written Work Requirement by February 5, 2024 may be removed from the May 2024 degree list. 3. Supervision of Required Written Work.
LLM: Course Details, Specialisations, Top Universities
Duration : New York University School of Law: Traditional LL.M. 1 year: Georgetown University Law Centre: General Studies LLM: 1 year: ... Courses After LLM. A PhD in Law or LLD, commonly known as Doctor of Law, can be pursued after successfully completing an LLM degree. Several universities in India, including Nalsar Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur ...
DPhil in Law
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 ...
PDF 1. APPLICATION DEADLINE
than 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on December 1 (and preferably by November 15). Please note that the application deadline of December 1 will be strictly observed. It is your responsibility to make certain that all supporting materials (e.g., unofficial transcript, recommendations, TOEFL report) reach the Graduate Program office by the deadline.
LLM: Frequently asked questions
Students studying for the LLM over two years take two full units each year (four courses is equal to two full units); Students studying for the LLM over four years (extended part-time) take one full unit each year (two courses is equal to one full unit). 13. Can I study the LLM programme online (distance learning)?
LLM/MBA Dual-Degree Program
The LLM/MBA dual-degree allows students with a first law degree to obtain an LLM and an MBA in a 24-month accelerated time frame. certificate check classroom doctorate hybrid masters minus online plus search star x . Search only programs ... PhD Programs. Northeastern offers 33 doctoral programs—in emerging fields within the sciences ...
What degree comes after LLM?
Can I do LLD after LLM? L.L.D or doctor of law is a specialised law degree which is a three years programme. Candidates can complete this course in a maximum duration of six years and L.L.D programmes include course work. To pursue this course candidates must have completed their LLM / PhD in law from a recognised university.
How to get a phD in Law after GDL and LPC : r/UKLawStudents
This was my understanding too, though I think it depends on the Uni. Most people have the masters since it shows they can do/are committed to research, but since many LLMs are taught courses it doesn't really even do that IMO. Having a bunch of other legal qualifications and a good project may be enough for some Unis. 1.
PhD Law: Course Details, Eligibility, Admission, Fees, Syllabus
PhD Law: Course Details, Eligibility, Admission, Fees, Syllabus, Colleges, Jobs 2022. 12 April, 2024 : Calcutta University Ph.D Admission 2024 is Open till April 30, 2024. 12 April, 2024 : SMVDU Ph.D Admission 2024 is Open for the Odd Semester till April 20, 2024. 12 April, 2024 : MIT-WPU Ph.D and BA Admission 2024 is Open till May 31, 2024.
Can I complete an integrated LLM PhD after BA LLB and how much time
You are eligible to pursue an integrated LLM PhD course after BA LLB. The duration of the course is four years. Some of the popular colleges offering the course are NALSAR University, Hyderabad, School of Law, AURO University, Gujarat etc. In order to take admission in a law college, either dial 1800-572-9877 (toll-free) or fill the Common ...
Ph.D (Law)
a) NLSAT-PhD: 50%. b) Research Proposal: 35%. c) Oral Presentation: 15%. The maximum number of Ph. D seats for the Academic Year 2024-25 are 8 (Eight). This includes 4 in Ph.D (Law) and 4 in Ph.D (Interdisciplinary). The University reserves the. right not to fill all the seats where sufficient candidates do not satisfy the admission requirements.
Introducing Meta Llama 3: The most capable openly available LLM to date
Those improvements resulted in an overall effective training time of more than 95%. Combined, these improvements increased the efficiency of Llama 3 training by ~three times compared to Llama 2. ... Additionally, CyberSecEval 2 expands on its predecessor by adding measures of an LLM's propensity to allow for abuse of its code interpreter ...