Faculty of Law

Degree Programs

Doctor of Legal Science - Entry Requirements(SJD)

COURSE OVERVIEW | COURSE STRUCTURE

Persons may be accepted as candidates for the degree of Doctor of Legal Science (SJD) if they have:

  • completed an LLM, MJuris or MBL degree from a recognised university; or
  • in the opinion of the Dean, demonstrated outstanding research and writing skills in published and refereed works.

In addition to the above requirements, candidates for the SJD degree must satisfy the Dean that they have the academic, research and writing abilities (IELTS score of 7.0) to produce in English a major dissertation of not more than 50,000 words which represents a contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the field of study concerned.

Students wishing to study for an SJD degree who do not hold a Masters degree can be admitted to the LLM, MJuris or MBL degree, or a postgraduate diploma (where they satisfy the relevant entry requirements) and they will be transferred to an SJD program when they have demonstrated appropriate capacity. Students following the above procedure must have an undergraduate degree from a recognised institution or have a professional qualification in law and at least three years of post admission practical experience. Application may be made for transfer after completion of three subjects. For transfer to the SJD program, students will normally be expected to obtain a mark average of at least 75%.

All postgraduate students who wish to present a dissertation or thesis must submit a preliminary written proposal on the dissertation or thesis topic, together with an outline of the research methodology to be used, for the consideration of the Dean. The Dean will consult with potential supervisors, who may discuss the proposal with the candidate before a formal appointment is made. The Dean will formally appoint a supervisor or joint supervisors for the work. The candidate and the supervisor(s) will then finalise the appropriate thesis topic. This may require considerable refinement of the initial proposal. It is expected that there will be considerable discussion between the candidate and the supervisor. This is particularly important in the initial research stage, as each chapter or section is finalised and while the thesis as a whole is finalised. It is the responsibility of the candidate to keep in regular contact with the supervisor. Supervisors must fulfil their responsibilities towards candidates in a timely manner. The supervisor appointed will report each year on the approved form. These forms are sent to Academic Senate, which will then determine whether to allow continuation of the candidature or termination, under the appropriate University Regulations. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that the Bond University Research Ethics Committee first approves research involving human subjects.