New Doctoral Program in Legal Studies

Carleton University is pleased to announce the establishment of the Ph.D. in Legal Studies which will begin in September, 2011.

Based in the Department of Law, the Ph.D. in Legal Studies is designed for students with advanced research interests in the interdisciplinary study of law and its role and potential in the context of social, economic, political and cultural structures and practices. The doctoral program will build upon the established strengths of the department’s M.A. in Legal Studies in providing a distinctively interdisciplinary, rigorous, well-grounded graduate program of legal studies, and will further the development of legal studies as a unique academic discipline in Canada.  The doctoral program seeks to further the distinctive intellectual project of legal studies and to deepen its links with related social scientific, historical, theoretical and policy fields. Students will concentrate their studies in one of the following areas: Crime, Law and Security;  Human Rights, Citizenship and Global Justice; or Law, Regulation and Governance.

Recognized for its leadership in the interdisciplinary study and teaching of law, Carleton’s Department of Law is committed to the diverse and polyvocal traditions that link social, political and legal theory into the discipline of legal studies, including Weberian, Marxian critical theory, postmodernism, post-colonial theory, and feminism, and their counterparts in critical legal theory, legal history, jurisprudence and sociological traditions in law.  It also includes analytical, normative, doctrinal and historical perspectives on legal theory.  The commitment to theoretical, methodological and conceptual diversity and to productive engagement across traditions is a distinct strength of our faculty and we seek to encourage theoretical competency and engagement in our doctoral students.

For further information about the program and application procedures visit the website or contact:

Andrew Squires, Graduate Programs Administrator
Department of Law, Carleton University
Tel: (613) 520-2600, Ext. 7596
Email: Andrew_Squires@carleton.ca