PhD in Juridical Science is a doctorate in Natural Sciences programme taught at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar. The programme runs for 3.5 years. Tuition for international students is QAR 150,000 per total (QAR 150,000 per total for local students).
HBKU's Doctor of Juridical Science, the College of Law's most advanced degree, is one of the first fully research-intensive law doctorates in the MENA region and among a small number offered outside the United States. The program aims to build a community of legal scholars who go on to teaching, research and government positions across Qatar, the wider MENA region and beyond.
Innovative seminars and courses connect the degree to real-world practice, preparing candidates to apply legal knowledge across multiple convergent legal systems. Its main strengths lie in the flexibility it offers for interdisciplinary research, a strong focus on high-quality academic work, and close integration with the College of Law's other degree programs.
Completed over three and a half years, the SJD emphasizes research methodology and legal ethics in a globalized world, pushing candidates toward rigorous, interdisciplinary and comparative research on fundamental and contemporary legal questions.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Applicants may submit up to two graduate program applications per academic year. The HBKU admissions team performs a preliminary review for completeness and eligibility before forwarding the application to the relevant college for assessment. Accepted applicants receive an official offer letter. The international application deadline is 1 February; Qatari and resident applicants who wish to apply for funding must apply by 15 March. Need-based financial aid, including tuition waivers and stipends, is available to qualifying graduate students.
