Program Structure
JD-PhD Course of Study
Students can select a doctoral program in any discipline, provided they can incorporate their interest in law with their graduate research, and they can complete a dissertation that draws on both disciplines.
Northwestern JD-PhD students have come from a range of PhD programs, including: African-American Studies; Anthropology; Biomedical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil Engineering; Communication; Computer Science; Economics; Engineering Sciences & Applied Math; Finance; History; Media, Technology & Society; Neuroscience; Political Science; Philosophy; Psychology; Religion; and Sociology.
The JD-PhD Program has a strong relationship with the American Bar Foundation (ABF), a research institution dedicated to the study of law and legal institutions through the lens of social science. Several ABF researchers teach at Northwestern University and are eager to work with JD-PhD students.
Typical Program Structure*
| Year One | Graduate School course work |
| Summer - Graduate School research | |
| Year Two | Graduate School course work |
| Summer - Graduate School research | |
| Year Three | At the option of the department: Graduate School research or Law School course work |
| Summer - Graduate School research or Law School work experience | |
| Advancement to PhD candidacy before start of year four | |
| Year Four | Law School course work (first year for departments with a 3-year requirement; second year for department with a 2-year requirement) |
| Summer - Submission of prospectus before start of year five and/or Law School work experience | |
| Year Five | Research at the Graduate School or third year of Law School |
| Summer - Submission of prospectus before start of year six | |
| Year Six | Writing and completion of dissertation or completion of the third year of law school. |
| Year Seven | Writing and completion of the dissertation. |
Graduation Requirements
If a student opts to spend two years in residence at the Law School, both the JD and PhD are awarded concurrently after all degree requirements are satisfied for both programs, including completion of:
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Two years of Law School credit hours in addition to the 14 credit hours awarded for law-related interdisciplinary graduate course work,
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All Law School requirements apart from course hours, and
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All course work and other requirements, including the dissertation, that are necessary for the PhD.
- 12 credit hours will be awarded toward the JD upon completion of the dissertation
If a student opts to spend three years in residence at the Law School, the JD degree will be awarded at the end of the 3rd year in residence at the Law School, provided all law school requirements have been fulfilled. The PhD will be awarded upon completion of the dissertation.
JD-PhD students are required to have a member of the Northwestern Pritzker Law faculty on their dissertation committee. Doing so satisfies the Law School writing requirement.