Boston,
MA,
United States
Type
Private
Degrees offered
Bachelor's Degree
Doctor of Juridical Science - Civil Rights and Human Rights Law in Boston United States | Suffolk University
Suffolk University
|
Boston United States
Visit institution website
for more information
Qualification
Doctor of Philosophy
Languages
English
Delivery Mode
On-Campus
Tuition (2025)
USD
57,192
Attendance
Full-time
Full-time Duration
48 months
For students aiming to delve into the scholarly aspects of law through extensive research and writing, Suffolk Law provides a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) program. Comparable to a PhD in other disciplines, the SJD represents the highest level of legal education, demanding consistent academic achievement along with prior completion of both a JD and LLM.
Suffolk Law's SJD program is an intellectually demanding course of study that encourages students to broaden their perspectives and innovate within legal scholarship. Participants benefit from guidance by seasoned professionals and immersion in an environment rich with influential legal thinkers. Admission to the SJD program requires candidates to produce a comprehensive, publishable dissertation that offers novel insights to legal scholarship as a degree requirement.
Advance your legal education, discover innovative approaches, and achieve your utmost professional ambitions in the legal field.
For those driven by idealism and a desire to create positive change, careers in civil rights and human rights advocacy offer profound fulfillment.
Work domestically or globally on cases involving discrimination based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability; address police misconduct, free speech concerns, genocide, children's rights violations, modern slavery, human trafficking, war crimes, and other critical issues covered by the U.S. Bill of Rights and UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While civil and human rights litigation can be intensely demanding and often disheartening, it rarely yields substantial financial gain. Nevertheless, the personal satisfaction is immense. Major cases in these fields require navigating intricate intersections of political, ethical, humanitarian, and legal considerations. Success demands not just dedication and enthusiasm, but also inventive thinking and vision. This career path offers unmatched opportunities to make a difference while applying one's abilities to serve clients who lack adequate legal representation.
Destination of Study
Subjects of Study
Language Requirements
English
IELTS 6.0
Qualification Requirements
We require for admission to the SJD program minimum TOEFL scores of 100 for the internet-based test, 250 for the computer-based test or 600 for the paper-based test.
Submit a 10-15 page substantive research proposal that will serve as the basis for beginning the dissertation research. It is very important that this research proposal be carefully written and well-organized.
Submit two letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be from a full-time member of a law school faculty and another of which must be from a professor or faculty advisor of your LL.M. program.
Submit a letter or email from the proposed Committee Chair. The Committee Chair should agree to serve as the Committee Chair for the applicant's dissertation committee, recommend admission, and provide comment on evaluating the research proposal.
Submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts (including your first degree in law and your LL.M. degree or equivalent from a U.S. law school accredited from the ABA, or from a non-U.S. law school with equivalent standards). Applicants who graduated from a non-U.S. law school with equivalent standards must utilize either the Law School Admission Council's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) or World Evaluation Services (WES) at for a credential evaluation.
Provide a curriculum vitae.
Provide TOEFL or IELTS scores (if English is a second language), The TOEFL/IELTS score used in conjunction with your LL.M. application is sufficient. If you did not submit a score with your LL.M. application, please sit for one of these tests.
Submit a 10-15 page substantive research proposal that will serve as the basis for beginning the dissertation research. It is very important that this research proposal be carefully written and well-organized.
Submit two letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be from a full-time member of a law school faculty and another of which must be from a professor or faculty advisor of your LL.M. program.
Submit a letter or email from the proposed Committee Chair. The Committee Chair should agree to serve as the Committee Chair for the applicant's dissertation committee, recommend admission, and provide comment on evaluating the research proposal.
Submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts (including your first degree in law and your LL.M. degree or equivalent from a U.S. law school accredited from the ABA, or from a non-U.S. law school with equivalent standards). Applicants who graduated from a non-U.S. law school with equivalent standards must utilize either the Law School Admission Council's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) or World Evaluation Services (WES) at for a credential evaluation.
Provide a curriculum vitae.
Provide TOEFL or IELTS scores (if English is a second language), The TOEFL/IELTS score used in conjunction with your LL.M. application is sufficient. If you did not submit a score with your LL.M. application, please sit for one of these tests.
Tuition
USD
57,192