Overview

The Law program from Columbia University fosters opportunities for distinguished scholarship through advanced seminars and colloquia, facilities for independent research, and guidance from faculty advisers.

Opportunities

Columbia Law J.S.D. students benefit from Columbia University’s abundant resources, world-class faculty, and commitment to cultivating a richly diverse and intellectually curious scholarly community.

Programme Structure

To earn the degree, candidates must, within six years of enrollment in the program:

Complete a minimum of one academic year of full-time study and research in residence at the Law School, where they will be provided with a workspace.

Submit a dissertation (either one unified work or a set of three articles).

Pass an oral defense of the dissertation.

Complete any necessary revisions of the dissertation, as required by the candidate’s advisory committee.

Dissertation Defense and Grading

Once a candidate’s J.S.D. research and writing is complete, the candidate, in consultation with her advisory committee, will establish a time for her defense. Upon satisfactory defense of the dissertation, the relevant advisory committee will notify the Office of Graduate Degree Programs, who will help the candidate prepare her dissertation for deposit with the University’s Dissertation Office.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-17 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

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4.9/5 student rating

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Manhattan, United States

Disciplines

International Law Public Law Legal Studies View 21 other PhDs in International Law in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Eligibility

J.S.D. applicants must hold either a Columbia Law JD or an LL.M. from Columbia Law or another university (or be in the process of obtaining an LL.M.). An LL.M. degree earned through correspondence coursework or distance learning does not suffice for admission. The admissions process prioritizes applicants who are completing or have completed their LL.M. at Columbia Law, but candidates with exceptional credentials from another institution might be admitted.

Admission Standards

Admission for the J.S.D. degree is normally restricted to applicants who are interested in a career in law teaching. You must present evidence of impressive achievements in undergraduate law study or in subsequent scholarly or professional activities, with special emphasis on your capacity for innovative legal research and writing.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year
Out-of-State

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year

Living costs

Manhattan

United States

2638 - 5751 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Law.

Available Scholarships

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About

Overview

Opportunities

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying Law

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Manhattan

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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