Law and Society (PhD)

University of Victoria

Canada, Victoria

University Rank:#358

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Duration5 year(s)

Tuition Fee

CAD 4,143 / Year

Next IntakeSeptember 1, 2026

Law and Society (PhD)

About

In our PhD program, you’ll study applied legal methodology and conduct original research. You’ll work closely with your supervisor as well as experts in other disciplines, such as political science, Indigenous governance or sociology.

You’ll study for a candidacy exam and work on a doctoral dissertation. You’ll defend the culminating work in an oral defense.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Admission requirements

Program specific requirements

Please note that the minimum language requirements for the Faculty of Law admissions are higher than the minimums set by the University of Victoria.

You must demonstrate sufficient undergraduate and graduate educational background in law.

As part of your application, you must submit:

A curriculum vitae
A full dissertation proposal (five-page maximum) that indicates your area of research interest and states your research question and proposed methodology.
- You should reference the literature that you propose to examine and highlight the interdisciplinary dimension of the project, explaining how your research will engage with the relationship between law and society.
A sample of your research writing, e.g. a completed segment of a master’s thesis or published article
The names and email addresses of two references. Your references should be professors or another authority familiar with your academic work

Program specific requirements

Please note that the minimum language requirements for the Faculty of Law admissions are higher than the minimums set by the University of Victoria.

You must demonstrate sufficient undergraduate and graduate educational background in law.

As part of your application, you must submit:

A curriculum vitae
A full dissertation proposal (five-page maximum) that indicates your area of research interest and states your research question and proposed methodology.
- You should reference the literature that you propose to examine and highlight the interdisciplinary dimension of the project, explaining how your research will engage with the relationship between law and society.
A sample of your research writing, e.g. a completed segment of a master’s thesis or published article
The names and email addresses of two references. Your references should be professors or another authority familiar with your academic work

Career

Outcomes

Students in this program will:

develop a deep and advanced interdisciplinary specialization within the scope of their dissertation project
apply appropriate discipline and project specific methods
acquire broader disciplinary knowledge
gain the ability to understand and evaluate past and emerging research within their research field
acquire foundational knowledge and experience for an academic or research-intensive career
gain skills to effectively communicate disciplinary knowledge to legal community and broader public

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

4,143 / year

Law and Society (PhD)

University of Victoria

Canada, Victoria

Go to Official Website