Overview

Specifically, the program provides the opportunity for the SJD candidate to write a dissertation, taking the form of either a monograph or a series of articles suitable for publication, under the supervision of a law school faculty member.

Features

The Juridical Science program at George Washington University is tailored to lawyers who seek to become law professors, scholars, or jurists, or who otherwise seek to engage in areas of the law that require extensive research and writing.

Programme Structure

Curriculum:

Once admitted, the SJD candidate has three calendar years to submit a full draft of their dissertation and four calendar years to complete all SJD degree requirements, although candidates are encouraged to graduate sooner.

Five years will be allowed in exceptional circumstances and when the candidate is making consistent progress towards the completion of the research and writing required in a dissertation, according to the requirements outlined in the SJD Program Handbook.

A dissertation should be innovative and reflect the SJD candidate’s independent critical ability, arguments, and ideas.

It is expected that students will review the scholarly literature on the topic, involving different theoretical perspectives and schools of thought.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 60 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-20 00:00:00

Application deadline not specified.

Language

English

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Washington, D. C., United States

Disciplines

Public Law Business Law View 61 other PhDs in Public 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

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Other requirements

General requirements

Applicants must hold a BA or equivalent degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a JD and an LLM or equivalent degrees, both earned with excellent records, from law schools that are members of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) or approved by the ABA. (The requirement for an LLM may be waived in exceptional circumstances.)

Applicants must submit copies of their master’s thesis or one or more papers or articles they have written. Applicants must include a research proposal and dissertation topic approved by a full-time member of the law school faculty who has agreed to serve as the faculty adviser if the applicant is admitted.

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

15084 USD / year

≈ 15084 USD / year
Out-of-State

15084 USD / year

≈ 15084 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

15084 USD / year

≈ 15084 USD / year

Living costs

Washington, D. C.

United States

1705 - 2975 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 Juridical Science.

Available Scholarships

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

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