All LLM programs are twelve months in duration. 

Students writing a long thesis must:

  • Complete 8 credits of coursework, including the mandatory graduate seminar Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship (3 credits), and the LLM Seminars (1 credit)
  • Write a 16-credit thesis (approximately 175 pages or 52,000 words) under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.

Students writing a short thesis must:

  • Complete 20 credits of coursework, including the mandatory graduate seminar Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship and the LLM Seminars (1 credit),
  • Write a 4-credit thesis (approximately 45 pages or 13,000 words) under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.

Thesis credits

The Faculty offers thesis students some flexibility regarding their thesis credits.  Short thesis students can choose to write a slightly longer thesis for additional credits, while long thesis students can choose to write a slightly shorter thesis for fewer credits.  The chart below outlines the permissible deviations, no further deviations can be allowed.  Students who wish to reduce or increase their thesis credits should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator before the Fall Add/Drop deadline.

Program

Total credits

Word Count

Page Number

SHORT THESIS

4

13, 000

45

5

16,250

55

6

19,500

65

LONG THESIS

14

45,500

155

15

48,750

165

16

52,000

175

The required word count/page number provided above are minimums from which students cannot deviate. However, where necessary, students can exceed the contemplated word/page limits by a maximum of a 10%. Please note that 1 footnote equals 1 word. Please also note that the limits above do not include bibliographies or acknowledgements (which are in addition to the minimum). 

Thesis are to adhere to the SGS formatting conventions: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/academic-progress/program-completion/formatting/

Courses

Candidates choose the remainder of their courses from those available in the JD program. Graduate students usually choose upper-year courses, seminars, and specialized and intensive courses, which often require the preparation of a research paper.

The coursework and the thesis will be graded on the graduate grading scale. You must obtain a B- or greater in every course and on the thesis.  All course selections are subject to approval by the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies. Students are encouraged to balance their course load between the terms.  We cannot guarantee that all your course selections will be assigned, although thesis-intensive students will get special consideration for courses in their area of research.

Note:  An LLM does not qualify foreign-trained candidates to practise law in Ontario, and LLM students are not permitted to take courses from the first year JD program. For information about requalifying to practice law, please see NCA Options at the Faculty of Law.

Thesis Submission Deadlines

 

BY

TO DO

Early October

SJD advisor assigned to each LLM student.

November 29

LLM student has met with supervisor and SJD advisor; SJD advisor submits LLM thesis progress report form.

February 26

LLM student has prepared a 15 page narrative outline or draft chapter of thesis and submitted to SJD advisor. 

March 7

SJD advisor submits LLM thesis progress report form and gives feedback to LLM student.

May 30

Draft of complete thesis (short thesis)/chapters (long thesis) submitted to faculty supervisor. LLM student submits thesis progress report form.

July 2

Second reader lined up (only for long thesis students).

July 31

Deadline for submission of final, approved thesis by all LLM students.

*NOTE: if any of the dates above fall on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline is the last working day BEFORE the original deadline.