PHD of International Law

The China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) is a “Project 211” university-a government honor bestowed upon China's finest institutions of higher education. CUPL is well known for its legal studies and also enjoys a distinguished reputation in arts, history, philosophy, economics, management, and education. Under the supervision of the State Ministry of E..

The Program

The program is formally known as PhD in International Law, majoring in International and Comparative Law. The program welcomes research proposals in a wide range of research areas, such as international law, comparative law, commercial law, human rights law, maritime law, law of WTO, law of the seas, international environmental law etc. A PhD degree normally takes about three years to complete. An extension of time may be available upon the request by the relevant candidate, and the maximum period of study is six years from the date of admission.

Purpose

The purpose of the program is to provide advanced academic trainings to candidates who feel more comfortable in using English as a medium of study. To promote advanced and high-level legal exchange and co-operation between CUPL and foreign students or academics is also one of the major concerns of the program.

Admission Requirements

The program is open only to foreign nationals. The applicant must possess a formal master degree recognized by the Ministry of Education of China, and demonstrate an ability to pursue independent academic researches in the area of study as proposed by him/her. Due consideration will be given to the relevance between the applicant’s educational backgrounds and working experiences on one hand, and the proposed research area on the other.

Curriculum and Credits Awarded

A PhD candidate must obtain a minimum of 16 credits to fulfill the requirements for the award of the PhD degree. A candidate may obtain credits by attending designated courses and writing research papers as directed by his/her supervisor. The courses offered to PhD students are set out as follows:

Introduction to Chinese Law（compulsory）       2 credits，

Legal Research and Writing                                 2 credits，

Selected Issues of Public International Law         3 credits，

Selected Issues of Private International Law       3 credits，

Selected Issues of International Economic Law   3 credits，

Besides the compulsory course of Introduction to Chinese Law, the supervisor of a PhD candidate shall direct the candidate to take any of the courses offered in the LLM program as she/he deems necessary for the completion of the proposed PhD research. The supervisor may also decide to offer a special course relating to the area of research as proposed by the candidate. Each PhD candidate must submit at least two study reports and two annual research papers during the term of his/her candidacy. Each of such report or paper is worth 1 credit. A candidate must obtain a minimum of 16 credits by attending taught courses and writing study reports and annual research papers to be qualified for the submission of his/her PhD dissertation.