Law Faculty
Fall 2026

PhD in Law

Graduate | Study program 3-325-1-0

Overview and specifics

Full-time and Half-time
Plan of study
90 credits
Dissertation or thesis track
Program Type

Admissions

Admissions information

Overview

Options

Développez une expertise quant au rôle du droit dans la promotion, la gouvernance et l'encadrement de l'innovation, et ce, dans une perspective de droit comparé ouverte à la réalité des économies émergentes.
Note that the option you are interested in may not be offered during the session for which you wish to apply.

Admission requirements

Admission requirements

You studied
and have, or will obtain, a diploma from the following program or province:
and have, or will obtain, a diploma from the following program or country:

Be sure to select your choices to display the eligibility conditions that apply to you.

Additional documents to provide
  • A comprehensive curriculum vitae.
  • Two letters of recommendation from respondents (preferably university professors, including the candidate's master's thesis supervisor) who know the candidate personally and who can directly assess their research abilities by referring, ideally, to specific work produced by the candidate that the respondents were able to assess formally or informally.
  • A two-page (maximum) submission outlining the candidate's educational and professional goals in applying to the doctoral program, demonstrating their motivation to undertake a large-scale research program and explaining all the circumstances that may have affected their past academic performance.
  • A four-page (maximum) submission briefly describing their research project (even in an embryonic state).
  • A copy of a major research paper (100 pages minimum, excluding appendices) previously produced by the candidate (e.g., a master's thesis). Please email this document to the PhD technician.

The minimum duration of the program is six full-time sessions. The maximum duration of the program is 15 sessions or 18 sessions if you began your studies as half-time.

 

Students must be registered as full-time. In some cases, the dean may allow a student to register as half-time (in exceptional cases).

 

Note that the quantitative criteria indicated above does not replace a qualitative review of your application. These criteria are provided for information purposes only. Eligibility for a study program does not guarantee an offer of admission. Information on this page may change without notice.
Find out about eligibility for this program

Do you have all the information required to start your admissions process?

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Costs and financial aid

Permanent Quebec resident

Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
$2,117.74
Tuition fees:
$1,483.65
Other fees:
$634.09

These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.

* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2024-2025 academic year.
Information updated: June 5, 2024

Canadian non-Quebec resident

Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
$2,117.74
Tuition fees:
$1,483.65
Other fees:
$634.09

These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.

* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2024-2025 academic year.
Information updated: June 5, 2024

International student

Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
$9,753.94
Tuition fees:
$9,119.85
Other fees:
$634.09

These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.

Good news! You may be able to lower this amount!

As an international student, you have access to exemption scholarships granted by UdeM throughout your university program. Note that for ungraduated programs, you must be enrolled as a full-time student for two sessions and reside in Quebec in the case of exclusively online study programs. Find out more

* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2024-2025 academic year.
Information updated: June 5, 2024

Francophone student from France or Belgium

Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
$2,117.74
Tuition fees:
$1,483.65
Other fees:
$634.09

These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.

* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2024-2025 academic year.
Information updated: June 5, 2024

Program structure (3-325-1-0)

Version 06 (A17)

The doctorate program consists of 90 credits.

The PhD in Law has the following options:

- General (segment 70);

- Innovation, Science, Technology and Law (segment 71).

LEGEND
CR : credit

Segment 70 General option

Number of credits: 87 mandatory credits, of which 81 are for research and a thesis, and 3 credits from optional courses.

Students who have completed their legal education entirely abroad must take the course on the Quebec and Canadian legal systems (3 credits) or an equivalent course.

Block 70A

Mandatory – 6 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7001
PhD General Seminar
3.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7002
DRT 7002 Thesis Seminar
3.0

Block 70B

Optional – 3 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7003A
Theoretical and Legal Methodology
1.0
DRT 7003B
Theoretical and Legal Methodology
1.0
DRT 7003C
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7003F
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0
DRT 7003H
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0
DRT 7003J
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0

Block 70C

Mandatory – 81 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7009
Developing a Research Problem
6.0
DRT 7010
Developing a Thesis Project
6.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7011
Thesis
69.0
DRT 7700
PhD Comprehensive Examination
0.0

Segment 71 Innovation, Science, Technology and Law option

Number of credits: 78 mandatory credits, of which 66 are for research and a thesis, 9 to 12 credits from optional courses and a maximum of 3 credits from elective courses.

Students who have not studied law in Canada must take a complementary course in document retrieval. This is a non-credit course.

In addition, the program offers language courses to help students improve their knowledge of oral and written French.

Block 71A

Mandatory – 12 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7001
PhD General Seminar
3.0
DRT 7021
Advanced Legal Methodology
3.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7022
Reg.: Technological Innovations: Legal and Social Issues
3.0
DRT 7023
School: Innovation, Science, Technology and Law
3.0

Block 71B

Optional – maximum of 3 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7003A
Theoretical and Legal Methodology
1.0
DRT 7003B
Theoretical and Legal Methodology
1.0
DRT 7003C
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7003F
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0
DRT 7003H
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0
DRT 7003J
Theoretical and Legal Methodology Seminars
1.0

Block 71C – Field of specialization

Optional – minimum 3 credits, maximum 4 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7024
Digital Law
1.0
DRT 7025
Reg.: Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development
1.0
DRT 7026
Natural Resources Law
1.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7027
Law, Innovation and Health
1.0
DRT 7028
Special Projects in Law
1.0
DRT 7029
Intellectual Property Law
1.0

Block 71D – Conceptualization and integration

Optional – minimum 6 credits, maximum 9 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7009
Developing a Research Problem
6.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7032
Directed Readings – Comparative Law
3.0

Block 71E

Elective – maximum of 3 credits

With the permission of the dean or their representative, students may take a maximum of 3 credits from elective courses, chosen from the Master’s in Law degree of Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Law, or a master’s degree at HEC Montréal or École polytechnique of Université de Montréal.
Course
Title
CR

Block 71F – Research

Mandatory – 66 credits

Course
Title
CR
DRT 7010
Developing a Thesis Project
6.0
DRT 7033
Thesis
60.0
Course
Title
CR
DRT 7700
PhD Comprehensive Examination
0.0