The Degree of PhD (Law) [Graduate]

Program Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of ★9 in coursework and a thesis

Coursework

LAW 696
Two ★3 graduate-level courses which may include
- LAW 695 - Research Paper
- LAW 699 - Graduate Seminar on Specialized Legal Topics (may be taken more than once, provided new subject matter is being offered)
- graduate courses in other faculties with the approval of their supervisor and the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies), Faculty of Law, after consideration of the candidate’s needs and experience and the availability of courses.

Thesis

Registration in 900-level THES. After passing the oral candidacy exam, the candidate will submit a dissertation approximately 250 to 350 pages (62,500) in length, inclusive of footnotes or endnotes, and make an oral defence of the dissertation.

PhD Dissertation Proposal

Students must write a detailed dissertation description and outline on a dissertation topic selected in consultation with their supervisory committee and with the approval of the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies.

Candidacy Exam

Students must pass an oral candidacy examination concerning the dissertation description and outline. Students are normally required to complete all course work before taking the oral candidacy examination.

Ethics Requirement

All students are required to complete the FGSR Academic Integrity and Ethics Training Requirement . The Faculty of Law provides three hours of ethics training. Students are also required to complete the Graduate Ethics Training (GET) Course through FGSR.

Professional Development Requirement

Students in the PhD program must satisfy the FGSR Professional Development Requirement .

Residence Requirement

The residence period will ordinarily be one academic year (i.e., Fall and Winter terms), assuming an LLM upon entry from a university other than the University of Alberta. Candidates who hold a University of Alberta LLM may secure a waiver of residency, upon recommendation of the supervisory committee and approval of the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies), Faculty of Law.

Length of Program

The time required to complete the PhD will vary according to previous education and experience of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken; however, a minimum of two calendar years of full-time study is normally required.

The maximum time to complete the PhD program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is six years.