Law, SJD
The Doctor of Juridical Science Program (SJD) is the most advanced degree in law, designed primarily for individuals pursuing careers in legal academia, high-level policy work, or advanced scholarly research. Often considered the equivalent of a Ph.D. in law, the SJD program is research-intensive and requires candidates to produce a dissertation that makes an original and substantial contribution to legal scholarship.
SJD candidates typically hold an LLM (Master of Laws) degree and have demonstrated exceptional academic potential and a strong foundation in legal research. The program involves close mentorship from faculty advisors, who guide students through the development of their dissertation topics and research methodologies. While coursework may be limited, students often engage in seminars, academic writing, and presentations to sharpen their scholarly expertise.
Curriculum
SJD candidates are expected to complete and submit a dissertation within three years of the start of their program. To fulfill the degree requirements, the dissertation must be equivalent in scale and quality to a scholarly book, an extended monograph, or a series of articles. It must reflect intensive and creative research and be of publishable quality in both content and form.
For more information: https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/grad/sjd.php
Curriculum
The principal requirement for the Doctor of the Science of Law (SJD) is a dissertation that makes an original and substantive contribution to legal scholarship and an oral defense of that dissertation before the dissertation committee. This requirement can be satisfied by work equivalent in scale and quality to a book, extended monograph, or series of scholarly articles reflecting intensive and creative research with respect to a specific topic, problem, or area of law. The work, both in content and form, must be of publishable quality.
All SJD candidates are required to be in residence at Penn for the first year of the program. Residency after this period is encouraged as it is highly conducive to completion of the dissertation.
During their first year, SJD candidates must enroll in six semester hours of LAW course work, which will be graded and appear on their law school transcripts. With faculty permission, SJDs may unofficially audit law school classes. Auditing students will receive access to Canvas course materials, but the course will not appear on their transcripts. Students may not take a course outside of the Law School’s course offerings.
Ideally, the SJD dissertation will be completed within three years of matriculation. At their discretion, advisors may grant an extension of up to one year. Under exceptional circumstances, additional extensions are permissible if a candidate is making adequate progress toward completion of the degree.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| LAW Coursework | 6 | |
| Annual Written Reports for Academic Progress | ||
| Dissertation Research and Writing | ||
| Oral Defense of Dissertation | ||
| Dissertation Defense | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 6 | |
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.