Director: Assistant Dean Sara Faherty (sara.faherty@utoronto.ca)

The JD/PhD (Criminology and Sociolegal Studies) Program allows students to complement the internal study of law (jurisprudence, doctrinal analysis, legal theory) with an external study of criminal justice and law that uses social science methodologies and theoretical frameworks.  This program provides rigorous training in both, and yields graduates with enhances skills, perspective, and capacity to produce excellent interdisciplinary scholarship. 

The JD/PhD (Criminology and Sociolegal Studies) Combined Program allows students to meet the requirements for the JD and reach the “all but dissertation” stage of the PhD one year sooner than if the two degrees were taken sequentially. Successful candidates will qualify for the JD degree at the end of the fourth year of study.  They will also have completed their PhD comprehensive exam requirement.  In the summer after year 4 they will complete their dissertation proposal and achieve candidacy for the PhD.  They will qualify for the PhD degree upon completing a doctoral dissertation in the years following the fourth year of study. The program is offered jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Department of Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto.

Admission requirements:

Students applying to the JD/PhD in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies program must be admitted to both the Faculty of Law and the PhD in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies program. Candidates must, therefore, satisfy the admission requirements of both units independently, including the Law School Admission Test and all admission requirements of the PhD in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies program. Separate applications to each unit must be submitted.

Requirements:

  1. In the first year of the program, students will register at the Faculty of Law and complete all first year courses at the Faculty of Law.
  2. In the second year of the program, students complete Criminology and Sociolegal Studies coursework (4 half courses = 2.0 FCE’s) in accordance with the PhD requirements for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies.  Students will be registered in the Faculty of Arts & Science. 
  3. In the third year, students complete the requirements for the JD degree by taking 12-32 upper year Law credits, and work toward their PhD comprehensive exam requirement.  Students will be registered in the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts & Science. 
  4. In the fourth year, students complete the requirements for the JD degree by taking 12-32 JD credits, for a total of 48 law credits in years three and four.  Students also complete their PhD comprehensive exam requirement.  Students will be registered in the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts & Science. 
  5. In the summer after year 4, students will have completed their PhD comprehensive exam requirement and their dissertation proposal and achieved candidacy for the PhD.  The JD will not be conferred until the JD requirements are met, the PhD comprehensive exam is completed, and the dissertation proposal has been submitted.
  6. Subsequent to their fourth year, students will complete the PhD thesis.  Registration will be at the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Course Selection:

Students must meet all of the Faculty of Law’s graduation requirements.  They must meet the Law Faculty’s course selection deadline, notwithstanding the Department of Criminology and Sociolegal Studies course selection process. Students must submit their proposed course selections for years 2 to 4 of the program to the Director of the Combined Program prior to the applicable course selection deadlines in each year in each unit. Any subsequent course changes must be approved by the Director.

Registration and Financial Assistance:

  • In the first year of the program, students will be registered in the Faculty of Law and will receive a deferred acceptance into the doctoral program. They will pay Law School tuition and will be eligible for assistance under the Law School's financial aid program.
  • In the second year, students will be registered in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies. They will pay the fees applicable to the PhD in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies. They will be eligible for graduate assistance. They will not be eligible for financial assistance from the Faculty of Law.
  • In the third and fourth years, students will be registered again in the Faculty of Law, pay Law School tuition and be eligible for the Law School's financial aid program.
  • Following their fourth year, they will once again pay fees applicable to the PhD in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies.
  • Grading: Grading for students in the Combined Program will be the applicable grading scheme in force at the time at the Faculty of Law and the Department of Criminology and Sociolegal Studies.

Contact:

To apply to the JD Program at the Faculty of Law, see Application Procedure for the JD Program on this Web site.
 
For more information about this combined program, contact the:
 
Admissions Office
Faculty of Law
University of Toronto
84 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5S 2C5

Telephone: (416) 978-3716
Fax: (416) 978-7899
E-mail: admissions.law@utoronto.ca
 
Information about the PhD in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies can be obtained at https://criminology.utoronto.ca/contact-information/, or from:
 
Graduate Department of Criminology and Sociolegal Studies
University of Toronto
Jessica Chlebowski
crim.grad@utoronto.ca
Inquiries:  416-978-7124 Ext. 225
Fax:  416-978-4195