Where Will Postgraduate Study in Law Lead You?
Overview
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Sydney Law School equips you for careers in advanced research, policy development, public service, tertiary teaching or professional leadership. You will benefit from a vibrant and dynamic research culture and engage with internationally renowned School members who are experts across a range of fields.
Subject areas
Shared pool
Your entry requirements
English language proficiency
Find out if you need to prove English language proficiency (depends on your country of origin and educational background).
For academic requirements check the ‘Admission requirements’ section on this page.
Your fee
How to apply
Please apply by 15 September for commencement on 1 March and 15 March for commencement on 1 July. If your application cannot be assessed in time for commencement, it will be considered for the next possible start date.
If you intend to apply for an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship, please submit a full admission application by the relevant RTP scholarship closing date.
Starting date
Research Period 2: 1 March and Research Period 3: 1 July
Please apply by 15 September for commencement on 1 March and 15 March for commencement on 1 July. If your application cannot be assessed in time for commencement, it will be considered for the next possible start date.
If you intend to apply for an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship, please submit a full admission application by the relevant RTP scholarship closing date.
Starting date
Research Period 2: 1 March and Research Period 3: 1 July
Research areas
Doctor of Philosophy researchers perform original research in an area of law or regulation involving legal or interdisciplinary methodologies under the supervision of a member of the University of Sydney Law School who is an expert in the subject matter.
Learn more about Sydney Law School research
What you'll study
The Doctor of Philosophy (Law) is awarded on the basis of a supervised thesis of a maximum 80,000 words. The thesis must make a substantially original contribution to the knowledge of the subject concerned. Students are also required to complete the compulsory research-support coursework units, LAWS6077 Legal Research 1 within the first 12 months of their candidature and LAWS7001 Legal Research 2 within the first 24 months.
Changes to higher degree research in 2021
From 2021, the University is introducing a new coursework curriculum to support research success. PhD students will complete 12 credit points of coursework and be able to choose from a pool of 270+ units from any faculty. The pool comprises a range of development opportunities that include specialist analytical methods, professional development units and discipline-specific subjects relevant for research students. Refer to the Interdisciplinary Studies handbook
There is no separate tuition fee cost for the coursework units of study you will undertake, it is part of the tuition fee for the course.
See the ‘Your Fee’ section for fee information. Additional non-tuition course costs vary depending on the units of study.
You will be able to see and enrol in any of the units available, subject to capacity constraints and your own background. Note that your faculty may elect to make certain units compulsory for a given PhD degree pathway.
Applying for admission
To apply for admission to a Doctor of Philosophy (Law) degree, you must submit a formal application for admission.
Expression of Interest (Optional)
While you are not required to submit an Expression of Interest before applying, Sydney Law School recommends that you do so before submitting a formal application, especially if:
· you are seeking funding assistance;
· have not identified a potential supervisor; or
· you are an international applicant.
Submitting an Expression of Interest will allow the School to support you in presenting a formal application and provide you with feedback on whether your application is likely to succeed.
The Expression of Interest form includes information about your intended research topic, academic and professional qualifications, and publications.
To allow the School to consider your information and provide you appropriate and timely guidance, applicants are encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest as early as possible and no later than:
Optional - Expression of Interest Submission Date |
Formal Application Closing Date |
Course Commencement Date |
30 June |
15 September* |
1 March |
31 December |
15 March* |
1 July |
*Note: If you intend to apply for an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship, please submit a full admission application by the relevant RTP scholarship closing date.
Formal Application for Admission
To apply for a Doctor of Philosophy (Law) degree, you will submit a formal application through the University's Online Application portal.
You must ensure that all required supporting documents are submitted with your application, including the following documents requested by Sydney Law School:
. expression of interest acceptance (if submitted one), otherwise please include evidence of consultation/comments from potential supervisors. The nomination of supervisors is determined by the Law Postgraduate Research Education Committee.
· full research proposal (approximately 10 pages) which outlines:
- aims of the proposed research thesis
- background to the research, including a brief reference to the relevant iterature and law (including case law where appropriate)
- a clear statement of the area to be researched
- rationale for the research and a statement of why it is significant
- working hypotheses or research questions
- research methodology including theoretical and empirical considerations for the research
- statement indicating how you will be able to sufficiently fund your proposed field work or overseas study/research. Explain why this work is essential for completion of your thesis.
· motivation statement
· time availability statement
· curriculum vitae
· list of publications (if available)
· timeline for completion of the thesis and the two compulsory units of study (LAWS6077 Legal Research 1 and LAWS7001 Legal Research 2)
· two referee statements in support of your application (in addition to the referee forms)
Before you apply, please check the University of Sydney’s eligibility criteria for admission to a research program at Apply for Postgraduate Research.
To Apply now
Scholarships
To be considered for a RTP scholarship, you must select “Yes” in the “Scholarship Details” field on your application form and apply by the relevant RTP scholarship closing date. Information about the Sydney Law School Postgraduate Research Scholarships in available here.
Completion requirement
To satisfy requirements of the degree students must:
- complete any specified probationary requirements;
- complete LAWS6077 Legal Research 1 and LAWS7001 Legal Research 2;
- conduct research on an approved topic; and
- write a thesis of a maximum 80,000 words embodying the results of the research.
Admission requirement
There are three main conditions of admission, namely:
(i) Academic qualifications
(ii) Research and publication experience and
(iii) Suitability of the proposed course of study and research. If you are not academically qualified to undertake a research degree, you may consider pursuing your research interests through coursework study before progressing to a research degree.
The coursework program provides you with an opportunity to enhance your expertise in the proposed area of research by allowing you to complete research projects in related units of study. Applicants require a Master's degree and/or Bachelor's degree with first or upper second class honours.
Domestic students
International students
