DOCTOR OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE (S.J.D.)

Georgetown offers a program of study leading to a doctorate in law (S.J.D.). Admission to the S.J.D. program is subject to rigorous requirements and is open only to outstanding applicants. Admission is based upon the applicant’s academic qualifications, scholarly potential, dissertation topic and the availability of a full time faculty member willing to supervise the applicant throughout the program.

Requirements for the S.J.D. Degree:
Complete a two-year full time course of study, research, and writing under the supervision of a full time member of the faculty. During this time, students are expected to be full time students and to limit any employment accordingly. For the first year, the candidate must be in residence in the Washington, D.C., area, and for the second year is normally expected to be in the area as well. In special circumstances, usually involving the nature of the research required for the dissertation, the candidate may complete the dissertation away from the Washington, D.C., area if given permission from his/her faculty supervisor and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs to do so. In this case, the candidate will be expected to return to the Law Center at least once a semester to meet with his or her faculty supervisor.
Complete during the first year an approved program of at least ten academic credits of coursework, with an average of “B” or better, and substantial written work. In appropriate circumstances, the Associate Dean, in consultation with the candidate’s dissertation advisor, may authorize the candidate to take fewer credits of course work. The reduction in the number of course credits taken does not affect the tuition that is charged. At the end of the first year, the candidate’s dissertation committee will decide whether to recommend that the student continue for the second year. A copy of the dissertation committee’s recommendation will be provided to the Office of the Registrar.
Submit a dissertation which is accepted by the candidate’s dissertation committee and complete an oral defense of the dissertation. The dissertation must make an original and substantial contribution to legal scholarship. Where the scholarship is truly exceptional, the committee may recommend that the degree be awarded with distinction.

Tuition
Tuition for the S.J.D. degree is charged at the full time LL.M. rate for the first year, and at a rate equivalent to four academic credits each semester for the second year. Beyond the first two years, students are charged a continuing registration fee equal to the rate for one academic credit.

Time for Completion of the Program
S.J.D. students are expected to complete their degrees within four years after commencing the program. Up to two additional years of study may be granted if the candidate obtains the consent of his/her faculty supervisor, and the request is approved by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Approval will only be granted under extraordinary circumstances and only where the student is making satisfactory progress.

Note: For the first two years of the program, S.J.D. students are expected to be full-time students and to limit any employment accordingly.