Overview

The Ph.D. Programme in Law at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) combines academic excellence with pragmatism and offers ideal conditions for the targeted implementation of solutions to challenging problems.

Features

The DLS programme thus enables its doctoral students to work in depth on a practically relevant, theoretically complex and substantively exciting project in an excellent research environment.

In addition to individual personal development, it provides a professional foundation for its graduates, who are optimally prepared for the professional challenges of a continuously changing working world with new competitive situations.

Programme Structure

As a part of a sophisticated educational concept, the programme consists of a coursework stage and a research stage:

Coursework stage (Ph.D. seminars, research proposal and colloquium)
Research stage (preparation of the doctoral thesis, thesis defence)

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 60 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-02-16 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-30 00:00:00
Starting 2028-09-15 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-04-30 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

St. Gallen, Switzerland

Disciplines

International Law Civil & Private Law Legal Studies

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

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®

Other requirements

General requirements

You can apply for Ph.D. in Law if you hold an equivalent Master's degree in Law from a recognised university. A minimum average grade of 5.00 (not rounded) is required.
A minimum average grade of 5.00 (not rounded) is required. This is equivalent to a 9.00 in Germany (at least the minimum pass grade in the first German State Examination), and a minimum average grade of 2.00 (not rounded) in Austria.
Letter of recommendation from your prospective doctoral supervisor

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items like Additional medical costs, Repatriation, Liability etc. Make sure your student insurance covers your needs.

Studyportals partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of St. Gallen (HSG) and/or in Switzerland, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

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

2158 CHF / year

≈ 2158 CHF / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

1258 CHF / year

≈ 1258 CHF / year

Living costs

Sankt Gallen

Switzerland

1540 - 2130 CHF / month

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

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Loading

Scholarships Information

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

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About