How to Apply

Graduate Programs at the Schulich School of Law begin each September.
There are NO Winter or Spring term admissions. 

Admission for September 2023 is CLOSED

Applications for September 2024 are now being accepted.

Be sure to apply online for September 2024 by:

Early Admission Deadlines

  • Complete the Online Application Form                  December 1st
  • Submit All Required Documents                             December 15th

*To be considered for early admission, applicants must also apply for Dalhousie’s Harmonized Scholarship Process or confirm that do not need financial support.

Final Application Deadlines

  • Complete the Online Application Form                   February 15th
  • Submit All Required Documents                              March 1st

*Note: Applicants are encouraged to apply for early admission, as spots in the program will start to fill up and financial support will be allocated before the final application deadline.

Our LLM is NOT compatible with the NCA requirements and can not be used as a method to achieve the required credentials to practice law in Nova Scotia/Canada.

Due to the Current COVID-19 pandemic, some processes may have been modified, for more information please visit the Facutly of Graduate Studies.

Follow these 3 steps to apply:

For all graduate applicants:

Step 1

Complete an online application and pay your C$115 application fee (payable by credit card).

Step 2

Arrange for the following documentation to be sent to the Schulich School of Law, Graduate Studies Office:

  1. Two copies of your official university transcripts (originals only – a notarized translation is also required for each non-English transcript in addition to an original transcript sent directly from the host university in a sealed envelope). You must include transcripts from every university degree program you've attended. They must be sent directly from the granting instiution to the Schulich School of Law Graduate Studies Office. In the case of institutions unable to send physical copies of transcripts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they can send an official electronic copy directly to lawgrad@dal.ca
  2. If you are an international student and your language of instruction was not English, results from your English language proficiency test.  These results must be sent directly from the office that administered the test.
  3. TWO letters of reference, preferably from academic specialists in law who are familiar with your work and your scholarly capabilities. You will have the opportunity to include the referee contact information on your online application, otherwise these letters must be sent directly from the referees to the Schulich School of Law Graduate Studies Office.

Graduate Studies Office (lawgrad@dal.ca)
Schulich School of Law
Dalhousie University
Room 441, 6061 University Avenue
PO BOX 15000
Halifax NS B3H 4R2
CANADA

For LLM applicants only:

Step 3

 


Send the following to the Schulich School of Law, Graduate Studies Office or via email to lawgrad@dal.ca:

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Motivation letter, stating why you are interested in the Schulich School of Law and what you hope to achieve with your degree.
  3. Completed Applicant Questionnaire
  4. All LLM applicants must include a preliminary major paper proposal or thesis proposal (depending on whether you are applying for the course or thesis based LLM). The proposal should be roughly 1,000 words and include:
  • A proposed title for the paper or thesis.
  • A brief description of the research topic to be explored.
  • A clear articulation of the research question(s) to be answered or the hypothesis to be tested.
  • A clear articulation of the research methodology or methodologies to be applied, and relevant theory to be explored.
  • A working draft of the bibliography that clearly identifies the background research the student has carried out to develop the proposal (not included in the word count).

This proposal will serve to inform the committee on the most appropriate supervisors for thesis students, and it will inform the committee's assessment of the applicant's academic writing ability. The final thesis proposal will ultimately be worked on with your supervisor during the program.

For PhD applicants only:

Step 3
  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Complete list of publications (if any)
  3. Writing sample, in English, of a legal essay (approximately 3000 words)
  4. Motivation letter, stating why you are interested in the Schulich School of Law and what you hope to achieve with your degree.
  5. Thesis proposal (maximum approximately 3000 words) should include:
  • A proposed title for the paper or thesis.
  • A brief description of the research topic to be explored.
  • A clear articulation of the research question(s) to be answered or the hypothesis to be tested.
  • A clear articulation of the research methodology or methodologies to be applied, and relevant theory to be explored.
  • A working draft of the bibliography that clearly identifies the background research the student has carried out to develop the proposal (not included in the word count).