Get a PhD in International Law?

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A doctorate in international law requires a JD and LL.M. and takes 3-5 years to complete. Students must take advanced courses in international law and write a dissertation. The degree can be referred to as SJD, LL.D., JSD, or Dr. iur.

A doctorate in international law is the terminal or most advanced degree in international law and is awarded after a candidate has completed a dissertation that is an original contribution to this academic field. The doctorate in international law is completed after the candidate obtains the JD, or Juris Doctor, and the LL.M., or Master of Laws. Obtaining an international law will likely take between three and five years, depending on the coursework required and the amount of research and writing.

A candidate for a doctorate in international law must first obtain the JD and LL.M. The JD is a professional graduate degree in law that takes three years to complete. After the student finishes his graduation, he can apply to the law school.

A law school applicant must have an undergraduate degree, a high GPA, and a high score on the LSAT, or Law School Admissions Test. Once admitted, the typical law school student will take core courses such as criminal law, civil procedure, and legal research and writing. Students who want to earn a doctorate in international law must take several courses in that area of ​​law or work at an academic legal journal dedicated to the field while attending law school.

Beyond the JD is the LL.M., a degree that requires the student to focus on international law specifically and research that area in depth. The LL.M. vary between programs, but most take at least a year to complete. The LL.M. it typically requires the successful completion of some advanced courses and a research thesis that can later serve as a stepping stone to a doctoral dissertation.

A doctorate in international law can take at least three years to complete, in addition to the four-year minimum required for the JD and LL.M. Requirements vary significantly between doctoral programs and most are very selective. Most beneficiaries of this type of PhD law become lawyers or professors.

A candidate for this legal degree will typically have to complete advanced courses in international law. A written or oral exam is also a common requirement. Upon completion of all required courses, the student will begin writing a dissertation under the supervision of a committee of law professors or a consultant.

A dissertation that makes a unique contribution to the field of international law is required for the PhD. A student will develop a research project under the guidance of their advisor or committee. Once the project is completed, the dissertation is submitted to the committee, which can accept or reject it. An oral defense of the project is a typical part of the submission process.

A doctorate in law may be referred to by different names in different countries and at different universities. The American university of Stanford uses the term postdoctoral or the acronym SJD for Scientiae Juridicae Doctor. Other countries and universities may refer to this degree as an LL.D. or Legum Doctor; JSD, or Doctor of Legal Sciences; or Dr. iur, or Doctor of Laws.




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