Doctor of Philosophy in Law

We offer an advanced graduate program in law leading to the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy in Law) to a small number of highly qualified candidates.Applicants must spend at least one full academic year (12 months) in full-time residence at Dalhousie after registration for the PhD program. The Graduate Studies Committee of the Schulich School of Law reserves the right in certain cases to require the completion of a second year of residency. It is to be noted, however, that consistent with other doctoral programs at Dalhousie University, PhD candidates must pay fees at the full-time rate for two years regardless of whether they have been required to spend a second year in residence at Dalhousie.

Applicants for admission to the PhD program must have demonstrated superior academic ability during their previous legal education. Normally it will be necessary to have:

(i) attained at least the equivalent of a Dalhousie A- (3.7 GPA) average at the JD level, and
(ii) completed a Master's degree in law.

Preference will be given to applicants with published scholarship of a professional calibre. This will often be reflected on an applicant's CV.

The ability to conduct independent research and work easily in the English language is a prerequisite for admission. Candidates from outside Canada whose native language is other than English will be required to pass an English language proficiency test (TOEFL, 600/250/100) (IELTS 7.5 or higher).
In an application package there should be TWO letters of reference, preferably from academic specialists in law who are familiar with your work and your scholarly capabilities.

In applying for admission, an applicant must submit a preliminary Thesis Proposal (maximum approximately 3,000 words). The Proposal should outline the proposed research, address existing literature in the area and methodological and theoretical approaches which will be employed. The Proposal should be sufficient to enable the Graduate Studies Committee to assess the suitability of the topic for development of the doctoral thesis, as well as the availability of supervisory resources and the capability of the applicant to undertake the project.