Course Aims
The degree of Doctor of Legal Science (SJD) is a doctoral research programme which comprises a research thesis with a coursework component. It is mainly intended for students who are interested in conducting research in the field of law and who would like to benefit from a more structured research programme to assist them in writing the doctoral thesis. It is modelled on new developments in Australian universities, which in turn were borrowed from US law schools. A student may in exceptional circumstances be permitted to take some courses from the undergraduate courses taught in the Faculty, or from courses offered in other faculties of the University. A factor in course selection must be preparation for the student’s area of research.
In the first instance, registration for this degree will be provisional. If the student obtains sufficiently high grades in his or her courses, registration for the degree will be confirmed. The student may then proceed to the dissertation, which is between 50,000 and 60,000 words long. This is shorter than normally expected for a doctorate degree by research alone, but is nonetheless required to be an original piece of research of publishable standard.
Mode of Attendance
Full-time: 4 years
Coursework
SJD students are required to satisfactorily complete the Faculty courses prescribed for their respective fields of study/degrees, i.e. (a) 1 compulsory course and at least 2 research methodology courses as prescribed in the Faculty Coursework Requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy; and (b) 5 elective courses from the syllabus of the master degrees offered by the Faculty of Law, with at least an average grade of B in all courses by the end of the probation period.
Entrance Requirements
Applicants should hold any one of the following qualifications:
(i) an LLB degree or equivalent from this or any other approved University with honours and a taught Masters degree in law from this or any other approved University; or
(ii) an LLB degree or equivalent from this or any other approved University with normally First Class Honours or equivalent; or
(iii) any other qualification accepted by the Senate on the recommendation of the Faculty of Law in an individual case.
For applicants who seek admissions on the basis of a qualification from a university or comparable institution outside Hong Kong of which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English, s/he should satisfy the University English language requirement. Preference will be given to those who obtain one of the following recognized English tests:
(i) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (internet-based test) – a score of 97 or above; or
(ii) International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic Module) – an overall band score of 7 or above with no sub-test below 6.5
For admissions purposes, the above test score report is regarded as valid for two years.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit their applications to HKU directly via the Graduate School’s application platform. Do not engage an agency or third party to submit your application.
Application procedure and supporting documents
Please visit HKU Graduate School at https://gradsch.hku.hk/prospective_students/application/how_to_apply for details.
In addition to the supporting documents required by the Graduate School, there are discipline-specific requirements to be fulfilled. Applicants should prepare and submit the information below in English in their application for HKU Law PhD programme:
1. A research proposal
2. A brief CV
3. Official statement of class rank, if available
Deadline of Application
For 2026/27 admissions to the SJD programme
Faculty of Law’s Deadline for Application: 15 November 2025 (HKT 23:59, GMT+8)
Main Round: 1 September 2025 – 1 December 2025 (HKT 23:59, GMT+8)
Enrolment in the HKU Law’s SJD programme is highly competitive. Applications will be considered in the Main Round only. Please submit application on or before the Faculty of Law’s deadline as stated above (i.e. 15 November 2025).
Admission
Applications are considered by a Faculty committee. It is not necessary to identify and contact a supervisor before applying.