PhD in Legal Studies

To be admitted to the PhD programme in Legal Studies, applicants must meet the general admission requirements for doctoral studies in Legal Studies, as defined in particular by Articles 115, 117, and 119 of the Decree of 7 November 2013, as well as the specific conditions set by the Doctoral Commission in Legal Studies (CDJ). These include having obtained at least a distinction in a second-cycle degree and/or having demonstrated academic excellence through a scientific publication;

Obtain the agreement of a supervisor who formally commits to personally and actively overseeing the candidate’s doctoral research;

Submit a doctoral research proposal that meets the criteria outlined in the application guidelines;

Have their research project approved by the supervisor, who must also provide a letter of motivation specifying, among other things, the resources they can make available to support the candidate.

Pursuing a PhD represents a significant commitment for the candidate, the supervisor, and the institution. For this reason, international graduates who do not yet have a confirmed supervisor are asked to first complete an Advanced Master’s programme or an additional training at our institution. This preparatory phase will help assess whether pursuing a PhD at UCLouvain aligns with both your academic project and the expectations of our research community.