LLM Ph.D. is an integrated dual degree course. It combines postgraduate-level LLM and doctoral Ph.D. programmes. LLM PhD dual degree can be pursued by students who come from different academic backgrounds. It is one of the best ways to develop the right amount of knowledge in the field of law. As people are becoming aware of their legal rights and responsibilities, the demand for law courses has increased among students. There are numerous specialisations offered in law courses such as international business law, patent law, civil law, human rights law, corporate law, and labour law.
The LLM course can be completed in one year, and from then onwards, you can start your Ph.D. The PhD after LLM duration will be of three to four years. A lot of people consider LLM to be the degree that you need to do if you are looking to teach a student in college or if you want to pursue a Ph.D. You need to keep reading the article to know more about this integrated PhD after LLM programme.
LLM PhD stands for Master of Legislative Law- Doctor of Philosophy. The Ph.D. topic depends on what subjects you have chosen in your LLM. The Ph.D. in legal studies helps students understand the advanced legal system of the country and the different policies that come into play to make juridical decisions. A candidate who is applying for an LLM course must be keen to study law and the various niches that the law offers.
Particulars | Values |
---|---|
Degree Name | Master of Legislative Law- Doctor of Philosophy |
Degree Type | Dual Degree |
Degree Duration | 4-5 years |
Entrance Exams | Direct admission based on degree scorecard |
Eligibility Criteria | Successful completion of LLB |
Fees for the entire duration | Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs. 6.3 lakhs |
Average Salary | Rs. 4.91 LPA |
Job Profiles | Advocate, Lawyer, Legal Advisor, Judge |
Employment Areas | NGOs, Media Houses, NPOs, Legal Firms, |
Top Recruiters | Tata Consultancy Services, AZB & Partners, EY, Deloitte, Khaitan & Co, ICICI Bank |
The fee structure of the LLM PhD integrated course is planned by the management authority of the academic institution. It may vary across colleges, depending on the facilities provided and previous academic records. The average LLM PhD fees range from Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs. 6.3 lakhs, based on the college choice.
The LLM PhD joint degree is suitable for all professionals. Whether you are a lawyer or a non-lawyer, it does not matter. LLM PhD dual degree is well recognised internationally and will stand the test of time. The masters of law are not only for lawyers who fight their cases in the courtroom. People in industrial business, academia, marketing, international diplomacy, and administration are some of the different opportunities in which you can kickstart your career with this master’s degree.
Every institute has its own eligibility criteria for the integrated LLM PhD course. we have provided you with the basic LLM PhD eligibility that every law school demands from the students.
For a person to pursue a PhD in law after LLM, one needs to have a good observational trait to look for even the smallest details. Also, they should be good at interpersonal skills and should be comfortable in running the debate. Below are some LLM PhD skills helpful to the students throughout the course.
Teamwork | Attention to Detail |
Creativity | Communication Skills |
Analytical Skills | Research Skills |
Presentation Skills | Networking |
Suppose you are interested in doing your LLM course along with a Ph.D. You need to make sure that you apply to all the top law schools that are present in the country. Also, when you are pursuing LLM, you need to take a specialisation in it. Below is the general LLM PhD application process followed at most colleges in India.
A cut-off is the minimum required score that determines the eligibility of candidates to offer enrollment in academic programmes. It is affected by three major factors: the number of candidates participating in the examination, the number of available seats, and the difficulty level of the examination. It is difficult to predict the LLM PhD cutoff, as it changes every year. Candidates are advised to check the college's websites for the publication of the LLM PhD cutoff.
There are several different LLM PhD subjects and specialisations, that you can choose when you are pursuing the course. Depending on your specialisation, the LLM PhD syllabus will be different for each course. Below is the LLM PhD curriculum which is followed at the Auro University, Surat.
Year 1 | |
Trimester-I | |
Comparative Public Law | Research Methods and Legal Writing |
Law, Justice & Ethics in the Globalising World | Judicial Process |
Trimester-II | |
Fundamental Rights & Directive Principle | Research Ethics and Writing |
Curriculum development Skills | Elective I |
Elective II | - |
Trimester-III | |
Dissertation | Teaching and Research Aptitude |
Year 2 | |
Ph.D. Course Work as designed by the University | |
Year 3 | |
Presentation on ‘Work in Progress’ | Presentation of Research Paper in National/International Conference |
Publication in Refereed Journal | - |
Year 4 | |
Presentation on ‘Work in Progress’ | Research Writing |
Presentation on the First draft of the thesis | - |
LLM PhD dual degree course allows students to learn new different core subjects, which can help in building a good law career. Given below are some of the law specialisations which you should be looking for when you apply for the LLM PhD integrated course.
There are a number of opportunities open up for you once you complete your LLM Ph.D. LLM courses will bring both respect and money into your life. There are a lot of public areas where the government needs an LLM course candidate to help them out. Graduates can work for the government as well as private organisations. Moreover, they can also open up their own consultancy or legal aid firm and become an entrepreneur. Pursuing a career as an academician is another choice you can opt for.
Given below, we have named some career options that you can choose after completing your LLM with an integrated Ph.D. Here is the list of LLM PhD career options that you can choose that can easily provide both social respect and a respectable annual salary.
Advocate:- You can have a great career both in India and abroad when it comes to becoming an advocate. You will be able to showcase your knowledge of Indian law. To succeed in this line, you need to have an astute for human behaviour and psychology.
Lawyer: A lawyer is a professional who practices law. He or she provided advice to clients on legal matters. He or she may advocate and represent clients in the courts. A lawyer interprets the legal terms to clients and interprets laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses. He or she conducts case studies and prepares legal documents.
Legal Advisor:- A legal consultant or legal advisor helps the company sign a legal contract with the new companies or with the new client. It requires you to have legitimate research, drafting, and research related to your company's projects.
Judge:- One of the highly reputed jobs in India can be taken up if you have completed your LLM PhD course. Surely you need to take an exam for that, but this course will help you prepare for it, and during the interview stage the postgraduate degree with a Ph.D. is going to help you pass the process with flying colours.
Several recruiters hire individuals with legal expertise directly through campus placements. These recruiters visit the campuses of premier law colleges like ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad, Saveetha University, Chennai, and RNB Global University, Bikaner. Some of the notable recruiters for LLM PhD courses are provided in the table below.
Tata Consultancy Services | AZB & Partners |
Deloitte | EY |
Trilegal | Talwar Thakore Associates |
Khaitan & Co | ICICI Bank |
Societe Generale | J Sagar and Associates |
We have provided below the salary details based on the law career job profiles. The salary offered to LLM PhD graduates may vary depending on their job profile and area of law specialisation and the structure of the employing organisation.
Job Profiles | Average Salary (per annum) |
---|---|
Attorney | Rs. 4.81 LPA |
Solicitor | Rs. 3.19 LPA |
Barrister | Rs. 8.70 LPA |
Lawyer | Rs. 4.52 LPA |
Source: Payscale
An LLM PhD is a higher level of qualification in the field of legal studies. Successful LLM PhD graduates can become law professors and start teaching in law colleges and universities. They can either start working with NGOs, media houses, NPOs, legal firms, or in the court of law. Note that, specific employment areas depend on the individual's specialisation, preference, and experience.
To get admission in LLM, you need to have a bachelor's in the same field, which is a legal study. You can get admission to LLM course postgraduate courses in some colleges. Still, top law schools require you to have previous experience in the field or a graduate degree.
Yes, when you enrol in an LLM course you have to choose a specialisation for your postgraduate. During this decision-making, you can choose criminal law, or family law as your specialisation. These will help you learn the core concepts of Indian law which will be beneficial for you in the long term when you need to represent your client in court.
You need to have work experience in this field and your bachelors have to be related to legal studies in one way or the other.
There are certain exceptions that can go beyond one year of the time period but mostly LLM course full-time programmes take one year to complete. Some schools do offer part-time and distance learning to their students so that LLM course can be done in two to three years depending on the law school.
Yes. You will need three or more years to complete LLM Ph.D. In this programme, a student needs to choose a topic for the research and come up with the solution and thesis along with the published paper at the end of the final year to complete the programme. LLM course is a postgraduate degree in law.
Yes, candidates can pursue an LLM PhD integrated course of four years. Note that, they must have a bachelor’s degree in law first.
Yes, you can apply for Ph.D. programme after one year of LLM, but make sure you have pursued LLM in full-time mode, otherwise, your application may not be considered.
Most colleges cover LLM PhD courses in four years, however, it can take up to five years as well, depending on the curriculum and specialisation.
The application process involves meeting educational requirements, appearing for an entrance exam (if any), and appearing for an interview.
No, there is no national-level exam for the LLM PhD integrated course.