UBC LAW AT ALLARD HALL GRADUATE PROGRAM Admissions Guide
UBC Law is one of Canada s leading Law schools. We offer an inspiring environment that combines rigorous professional legal training with a comprehensive awareness of the role of law in society. We are committed to being one of the world s great centres for legal education and research.
Welcome from the Dean We are proud of our graduate degrees at UBC s Faculty of Law at Allard Hall and I am pleased to invite you to learn more about them. The programs are rich in the spirit of enquiry, committed to supporting students to produce scholarship of the highest quality, and they rank among Canada s finest. Every year, we attract a culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse group of students from many different legal backgrounds. The students come to UBC Law to learn from and work with an outstanding group of faculty members who are internationally recognized teachers and experts in their fields of study. As part of one of the world s leading teaching and research universities, UBC Law at Allard Hall is an intellectually exciting, challenging and rewarding place to pursue graduate studies. Our newly constructed building provides state of the art technology and teaching facilities, including a beautiful, light-filled graduate student lounge along with modern, designated study areas. The Faculty is deeply committed to its graduate students and believes in the important contributions they make to society. Graduate students also have the benefit of extensive student service support, including professional advice on life after graduation through our Career Services Office. This commitment to graduate study, coupled with the people and facilities at UBC Law, make for an unsurpassed graduate school experience. I hope that you will consider joining our vibrant community of scholars in the coming year. Sincerely, Mary Anne Bobinski Dean and Professor of Law
1 UBC s PhD program in Law is exceptional. I have had access to some of the most engaging, insightful and progressive legal minds as well as a vast array of resources to enhance my research, leadership and interpersonal skills. Most of the professors that I have encountered are simply inspiring. Among many other qualities, they teach with passion and conviction, they help to nurture your mind and unearth your potential, and challenge you to reach for the sky. I feel very lucky to be part of this environment. Unquestionably, studying at UBC has been a life-changing experience. Ama Hammond, PhD Candidate 1 EXPLORATION UBC Law at Allard Hall is home to one of Canada s oldest, largest and most wellestablished graduate programs in law. The Faculty has strengths in many areas of law, with centres in Asian legal studies, business law, feminist legal studies, Indigenous legal studies, and law and the environment. In the course-based LLM Common Law program we enable foreign-trained lawyers and law students to immerse themselves in Canadian common law and to work towards eligibility for legal practice in Canada. We also offer an LLM Taxation program, which provides practical training in tax law to prepare graduates for specialized work in the private or public sectors. Our library, one of the largest in Canada, provides outstanding reference and research support. Its extensive on-site and electronic collection includes legal materials from the major common law jurisdictions of the world, civil materials from Québec (in English and French), and comparative and international law materials, including one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian legal materials in Canada.
course-based degrees Master of Laws, Common Law (LLM CL) The LLM CL is a 12-month, course-based master s program that provides foundational training in Canadian common law for foreign-trained lawyers. The program, the first of its kind in Canada, offers students the opportunity to complete an LLM while also working towards the course-work requirements for the practice of law in Canada. Students complete 30 credits of course-work, including at least one of the following five-credit courses: Canadian Public Law; Canadian Private Law; and/or Canadian Criminal Law and Procedure. Students must also complete a substantial research paper in one of their seminar or workshop classes. Students choose the remaining credits from the many graduate level or upper-year JD courses, including those courses commonly required by the National Committee on Accreditation to practice law in Canada. Master of Laws, Taxation (LLM Tax) The LLM Taxation is a one year, full time, non-thesis degree, with a part-time option. Students in the LLM Tax program complete 30 credits, consisting of 16 required credits in tax law and policy courses, at least 8 elective credits in tax law and policy courses and up to 6 elective credits in other law courses. For most full-time students, two academic terms plus an introductory intensive course taught in August will be required to complete the course requirements. The LLM Tax program provides graduates with a depth of knowledge and level of technical expertise beyond what can be acquired from a basic law degree. The curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in core areas of tax law and practice, with the ability to develop expertise in a specific area of interest. research-based degrees Master of Laws (LLM) The LLM is a research-intensive degree that prepares graduates for opportunities in law teaching, legal research, policy development, public service and the practice of law. The curriculum includes a dedicated seminar and coursework, but the focus of the degree is a faculty-supervised master s thesis. The 36 credits are assigned as follows: Seminar (4 credits) Course work (12 credits) LLM thesis (20 credits) Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) The PhD program provides rigorous and advanced training for outstanding graduate students who have already obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) degree or its equivalent. It is a researchintensive degree, culminating in a dissertation that is intended to make a significant contribution to the chosen field of study. The degree includes two dedicated seminars and a comprehensive examination that provide students with a broad theoretical base from which to undertake their dissertations. Students then work closely with a supervisory committee to produce a major piece of original legal scholarship. other Distance Learning Program The Distance Learning Program presents a unique opportunity for foreign-trained law students and lawyers to work towards the accreditation requirements for practicing law in Canada. Designed by UBC Law faculty members and leaders in the field, these online courses give students the flexibility to take graduate-level law courses outside of a formal degree program and from anywhere in the world. important note: A faculty member must agree to supervise an applicant to the LLM or PhD program before they will be admitted. Applicants to the LLM and PhD degree programs are encouraged to contact faculty members working in their areas of proposed study before applying. To learn more about these programs, please visit: law.ubc.ca/graduate.
UBC Faculty of Law s beautiful building, Allard Hall, provides students with an inspiring place to learn. A dedicated graduate lounge offers a calm space for discussion, reflection and study, with stunning views of the ocean and mountains. Graduate Student Life The Graduate Student Society (GSS) promotes the interests of graduate students across the University. It organizes events and operates the Thea Koerner House Graduate Student Centre. UBC Law s active Graduate Law Student Society organizes social events as well as career seminars and other academic events for Law graduate students. Its members sit on various Faculty committees to represent the student body on issues such as curriculum, admissions and examinations. Graduate students are eligible to apply for membership in UBC s graduate student residential colleges, Green College and St. John s College, which provide housing on campus as well as the opportunity to engage with graduate students from around the world pursuing studies in other disciplines. Graduate Pathways to Success Program (GPS) The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies offers a variety of workshops, seminars and other activities designed to complement academic training through its GPS Program. Graduate students can choose from a wide range of personal and professional development topics to help develop some of the skills and competencies needed to thrive as professionals and to make meaningful contributions to society. Learn more about the many other services offered to graduate students by visiting the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website: grad.ubc.ca.
2 In UBC Law I have found an open space to express my ideas and to listen to interesting and diverse ideas. One of the things that I value the most is the community. I have met extraordinary people who have taught, guided, listened to and supported me in so many different ways. From the associate dean who always has the door open to listen, to my supervisor who has been beside me on every step sharing his extraordinary knowledge, the engaging and inspiring members of the Faculty, the program coordinator who is always there to help find solutions, and my colleagues, whose different academic and cultural backgrounds make every conversation an opportunity to learn. People are what make an ordinary place extraordinary and you will find many extraordinary people at UBC Law. Erika M. Cedillo, PhD Candidate 2 COMMUNITY UBC Law is committed to fostering an inspiring and collaborative environment that supports a community of outstanding students and a space for shared intellectual enquiry. Each year we welcome students from around the world with impressive academic achievements and work experience. Many of the friendships that are formed in the graduate program last well beyond the years of study and become part of a growing, international network of alumni. Every year the graduate students work with the Graduate Program to host the annual Interdisciplinary Legal Studies Graduate Student Conference. The 2014 conference, Law as a Bridge, marked its nineteenth consecutive year. Organized by graduate students and drawing students from across Canada and around the world, the conference offered several days of vigorous and stimulating intellectual exchange in a friendly environment.
3 I thoroughly enjoyed my year at UBC Law at Allard Hall. The program provided me with the opportunity to study multiple areas of law at a graduate level, and allowed me to take advantage of the diverse and comprehensive legal curriculum offered to UBC s Juris Doctor students. I was particularly impressed with the ability to access the outstanding Career Services Office resources that helped me find an articling position in downtown Vancouver, and the extracurricular opportunities available to all law students at the Faculty of Law. I recommend this program to anyone who wants a complete immersion in Canadian law after studying law in another jurisdiction. David Roberts, LLM (Common Law) Graduate 3 SUPPORT UBC Law is committed to attracting outstanding graduate students who have the potential to become leaders in their fields of research. To that end, both the University and the Faculty of Law have fellowship and scholarship opportunities for students in the research-intensive degrees. All applicants are automatically considered for some awards while other awards require specific applications. Most external funding agencies set application deadlines in early fall for programs that begin the following September. We strongly encourage applicants to seek out funding opportunities and not to leave applications to the last minute. Funding application deadlines usually precede program application deadlines by several months. For details of internal and external awards, visit: law.ubc.ca/graduate/finances.
awards, scholarships & financial aid UBC Law has a number of generous funding packages to support full-time students in the research-based LLM and PhD degree programs, and tuition support for students in the LLM CL and LLM Tax degree programs. The graduate program automatically considers all applicants for the PhD and research-based LLM degree programs for the following award: UBC Four-Year Fellowships (FYFs) UBC s FYFs provide outstanding PhD students with $20,000 per year plus tuition. In addition, the following UBC-administered awards are available to incoming and continuing research-based LLM and PhD students by application: Killam Doctoral Fellowships & UBC Affiliated Fellowships Incoming and continuing students apply through UBC Law to the annual UBC Affiliated Fellowship competition in the fall for funding that begins the following September. Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) An important funder of research, the SSHRC provides graduate scholarships for LLM and PhD students. Applications may be made directly to SSHRC or through the graduate program. Deadlines are in September/ October. Eligible students in the research-based programs are encouraged to apply for SSHRC funding before applying to the graduate program. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students, candidates for these awards of $50,000 per year for 3 years must be nominated by a Canadian university and the Vanier Scholarship must be held by the student at the nominating university. The program is open to domestic and international students. Deadlines are in September/ October for funding beginning the following September. The following financial aid is available: LLM CL/ LLM Tax Tuition Awards & Bursary Support Students in the LLM CL or LLM Tax programs are not eligible for general UBC or Faculty of Law scholarships and awards, but all applicants are considered for the Faculty s tuition awards. Domestic LLM CL students with student loans are eligible for bursary support through the Law Faculty s LLM CL bursary fund. Teaching Assistant (TA) & Research Assistant (RA) Opportunities Graduate students in the research-based LLM and PhD programs may apply for work as a TA in the JD program, and all graduate students are eligible to work as a RA in grantsupported research projects. Positions are posted as they become available. Conference & Research Travel Funding Full-time students in the research-based LLM and PhD programs may apply to UBC Law each year of their program for conference travel and research travel support. Other funds are available, by application, through the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Office of the Vice President Research & International at UBC. The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies maintains an excellent awards database for internal and external awards here: grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/scholarshipsawards-funding.
Admissions Information The Graduate Program seeks students who have demonstrated the capacity for advanced study in law. Superior academic performance is undoubtedly important, but the Graduate Committee reviews all elements of each application package, particularly the thesis or dissertation proposal (for research-based LLM and PhD applicants), the personal statement (for LLM Tax applicants), letters of reference and transcripts. The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes minimum academic standards for all incoming students. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements but who have had other significant formal training, relevant professional experience or otherwise possess demonstrable knowledge or expertise that would prepare them for successful study in a specific graduate program may be granted admission. Contact the Faculty for further information. Admission Requirements Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) Admission to the PhD program requires a first degree in law as well as an LLM (or equivalent) from a recognized institution indicating a superior level of academic performance in a field of specialization that will support the applicant s PhD research. Master of Laws Program (LLM) Applicants for the research-intensive LLM program must have a Bachelor of Laws degree or its equivalent from an approved university. Master of Laws, Common Law (LLM CL) Applicants for the course-based LLM CL program must hold a Bachelor of Laws degree or its equivalent from a university outside of Canada or hold a Bachelor of Civil Laws from a Canadian university. Students who hold a JD or LLB from a Canadian common law university are not eligible. Master of Laws, Taxation ( LLM Tax) Applicants to the LLM Tax program will generally be required to hold a JD or LLB. However, applicants with a relevant undergraduate degree, a superior academic record, and significant work experience in the field of tax will also be considered. Distance Learning Program UBC Law s distance learning courses are only open to unclassified students and LLM CL students. Unclassified student applicants must normally hold, or be in the process of completing, a first law degree (LLB, JD, or equivalent) and meet the UBC English Language Requirement. Visit students.ubc.ca/enrolment/courses/ non-degree/unclassified for details about admission as an unclassified student. English Language Proficiency Applicants with undergraduate training at a university where English is not the primary language of instruction must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency through one of the approved English language proficiency examinations. Students must arrange for the examining body to send results directly to the Graduate Program in the Faculty of Law. Fees and Deadlines Tuition for our degree programs is highly competitive among similar programs in North America. For more information about programs and admissions, please visit law.ubc.ca/graduate.
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Faculty of Law at Allard Hall the university of british columbia 1822 East Mall Vancouver BC Canada v6t 1z1 graduates@law.ubc.ca law.ubc.ca/graduate