As the highest degree offered in the field of law, the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) program offers candidates an intellectually challenging opportunity for academic specialization.
SJD candidates conduct advanced research and produce original scholarship under the guidance of the internationally renowned faculty at the James E. Rogers College of Law. The first year requires full-time, in-residence study, taking part in a minimum of 24 units of coursework. The following years include research and writing. The SJD dissertation phase culminates in an in-person defense of the dissertation.
The SJD candidate must have attained a JD from an American Bar Association approved law school in the United States, or foreign equivalent, and have completed a Master of Laws (LLM) or foreign equivalent. (A foreign equivalent law school is one approved by the government or other accrediting authority in the nation in which it is located.) Candidates for whom English is not their first language must demonstrate fluency in English (generally, TOEFL paper-based test scores of 100 IBT (internet-based), equivalent to 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based).