should i get a phd or law degree

Law Degree vs. PhD – a Waste of Time?

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Should I Go to Law School or Get a PhD?

The hypothetical question is: should I go to law school or get a Ph.D.? Which one is better for successful career – law degree vs. PhD? The short answer: it depends on your aspirations. Law degree vs. PhD choice depends on many factors I will mention in this blog post.

Juris Doctor is a professional degree where law student after passing the bar exam is allowed to practice law as an attorney. Ph.D. is essentially designation for a highly skilled researcher or professor in some areas.

In my opinion, unless you love the area for which you want to obtain a Ph.D., JD may offer some kind of career and a shot of getting paid, especially JD for tier 1 law school.

Well, some people compare law degree vs. Ph.D. and say that law school awarding Juris Doctor is better since JD is only three years and law school newcomers have it easier than PhDs. Then, after passing bar exam former law student, now law graduate, is allowed to work and practice law.

And Ph.D. is six years of low pay with no guarantee of a good-paying position. But comparing a Ph.D. to a law degree is like comparing apples to oranges – they are just different creatures. 

Should I go to law school or get a PhD? Of course, it depends on what you want to do. Do you know what lawyers do at work and not on TV? Many law graduates are surprised by the reality of law practice once they enter the legal world.

This is not what they expected. No glamour – just hard, grueling, stressful work. I do not recommend jumping into law school without first researching what legal work is. 

Same with Ph.D. – years of grueling work and ass-kissing and often no prospect of tenure job, or any job at all, depending on the field. On the other hand, Ph.D. in tech can make an absolute killing in terms of money. Read further below.

Our individual law subject courses start at $14.99!

Ph.D. is a Drag

PhDs are paid a little stipend, barely enough to make ends meet. They have to kiss the ass of a professor they research for. And in the end, there are not many job opportunities other than the university of some research center, and it is very difficult for new PhDs to find good employment at universities these days. 

They go into field work quite often. Usually, they are employed by labs for scientists and fields for engineers. Ph.D. itself is not always a solid credential for an employer at a company or in non-academia in general. I tend to think it depends on the field of Ph.D. 

In terms of practical application at work and a chance to have at least some flexibility of a career, JD probably beats Ph.D. But, I do know someone with Ph.D. in physics who breathes and dreams physics 24/7. They would never change to the law. PhDs do work very hard and a lot of hours. 

Law Degree vs. PhD And the College Rank

Another aspect is the rank of college where you are obtaining JD or Ph.D. Choosing between tier 4 law school for JD and Tier 1 college program for Ph.D., I may tend to say that Ph.D. might be a good option to try. And another way around is, well, another way around – college rank is a big factor in deciding because high college rank gives prestige and reputation and opens up work opportunities in the future. Low college rank – not that much. 

I would not rush into the decision. For a law school newbie, the law school also means incurring substantial student debt. What if you do not like the law? On the other hand, law school may lead to a more specific job opportunity than Ph.D. Ph.D. is even worse for jobs than law school. If I would have to choose between Ph.D. and law school – I would choose a law school.

But, take your time and think about it. One advantage of a Ph.D. is that if you can obtain a funded Ph.D., you can try for a couple of years without incurring student debt. Cannot do that with law school because it usually leads to student debt. 

Ph.D. in STEM degree then to law school

Tip: I saw on forums some commenters suggesting to obtain a Ph.D. in STEM areas then go and obtain their JD, to have a solid shot at making a killing as intellectual property attorneys – 6-figures to start from higher-ranked schools, and even jobs during law school at 50k-70k. 

Well, undergraduate degrees in STEM with few years of either fieldwork or Ph.D. also seem to open doors in law firms. I am talking about one of my former law school classmate-engineer, not even Ph.D., who got a 60K job offer while still in j=her second year of law scjool.

I am sure she got much more when she graduated and passed the bar exam. That could be a long-term but path to take. Non-STEM Ph.D. has almost no effect on the probability of finding a job after law school, except that employers may think this is gonna be one smart attorney employee.

Shall you decide to go to law school – check my detailed reviews of recommended LSAT preparation courses for getting a top LSAT score. 

Law Degree v. PhD not clear cut

Overall, it looks like if choosing between law school and Ph.D. one should either stay away from both or go with law school path unless a Ph.D. is in:

• Top school.

And, if one was admitted to tier 1 law school, then I can confidently say to just go ahead and obtain a law degree. Or, if one can go to lower-tier law school for cheap or practically for free, then law school may be more beneficial than Ph.D. care wise. But only if he or she wants to be an attorney. 

This is also reinforced by the serious lack of work opportunities for PhDs, where colleges are contracting due to a decline in applications, and obtaining tenure track teaching position nowadays is more difficult than becoming an astronaut. While a law degree is not without problems and the legal market is competitive, a law degree can open some doors even in the non-legal world. Ph.D. probably cannot offer that. 

Law school is also not a too practical degree, because law students do not learn how to practice law but rather learn general theory and a lot of it. PhDs will probably have an easy time in law schools after their doctorate program, because law school is not so brainy, and Ph.D. research, analysis, and writing skills can make law studies seem like a walk in the park. Some say that Ph.D. in philosophy will make law school seem like kindergarten. Law school admission test LSAT will also be relatively easy after Ph.D. But it all comes down to the job market, right?

Using job search web sites to evaluate law school v. Ph.D. prospects

Here is what I suggest you do: go to Indeed.com, or other major job search site like Monster.com, and type in “Ph.D.” to see how many Ph.D. positions are open. Then, type in “Ph.D.” and name of the field of your particular Ph.D. interest. And see market demand for yourself. 

I did that search and my impression is that Ph.D. in STEM, and/or quantitative areas are in demand by organizations and companies. This is in line with the overall trend of market demand for STEM graduates. Some positions offer up to $110,000 in annual salary. But others, offer as low as $22,000 per year for a person with Ph.D. Is it worth to spend 6-7 years on Ph.D. just to make $22,000? I do not think so. 

I also see that the overall number of job postings for PhDs is noticeably higher than the total sum of job postings for JDs and attorneys, where some of the latter probably show up in both searches for JD and attorney. But the problem with Ph.D. though is that the total number must be divided by many different Ph.D. specializations, and one should research carefully market demand for his or her particular field of interest. 

The holding: Ph.D. in tech or STEM probably trumps law school, but it is not necessary for a career

Undergraduate STEM degree from a good college may be enough for a nicely paid job and career. It can also give a major boost to law students. Ph.D. may open other opportunities, but this is so specific to each field, that I will need a separate website just to evaluate that.

But right now, law school v. Ph.D. or Ph.D. v. law school comparison comes down to few factors like school or college rank, the field of study as well as natural abilities, passions and career goals of the student.

Having said that, I saw a job posting for a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence or machine learning, offering $300k PLUS partnership equity. Wow, probably in a start-up. AI, machine learning and big data fields are booming right now and Ph.D. in those probably can yield very handsome annual salary.

The world has moved from social studies to tech and quantitative fields. Even me, trying to learn basic coding and database skills just to make sure I do not fall completely behind. 

My childhood career aspiration was biology. I know I would be happy doing that, but life happened and now I am a cynical legal professional. I earned my money, but I still look at science majors with some level of admiration and envy.

The grass is always greener on the other side, right? 

Choose your field wisely and do your research. Whatever you choose, make sure you like what you do – either money side or work side. This is the only way to be happy. Trust me, low paid happy person with passion in life will find more opportunities in life than an unhappy one. 

The other specific advice I will give you is to be very careful about incurring any student debt, even $10,000 or less. Make sure you get sufficient value for it because a modern college education is sometimes outdated and does not offer enough value to graduates.

Here is a good article on why PhD may be a waste of time and money.

Here is a link to MIT Sloan PhD which may be worthy check shall you pursue PhD. 

Ph.D. Program Details

Why a Ph.D. in Law?   •   Course of Study   •   Placement and Support on the Law Teaching Market   •   Tuition and Financial Aid

Why a Ph.D. in Law?

In addition to offering an opportunity to study and contribute to the evolution of law as an academic field of study, the Ph.D. in Law program provides an excellent pathway to a career in legal scholarship and law teaching. Whether it is right for any individual candidate depends on a variety of factors. If you are trying to decide between the Ph.D. in Law program and a fellowship or a visiting assistant professorship (VAP), you should keep in mind a number of considerations, including that the Ph.D. in Law program is a three-year course of study beyond the J.D. and that it provides a more structured program—including coursework, qualifying exams, and close faculty supervision—than do most fellowships or VAPs. The Ph.D. in Law program requires coursework, a written and an oral comprehensive exam, a dissertation—which may take the form of a traditional monograph or three law review articles—and teaching experience. You should also consider the availability of appropriate mentors in different programs. At Yale Law School, you will have a three-member faculty committee advising you throughout your time in the Ph.D. program, and you will have an opportunity to work closely with a wide range of Yale faculty in your courses and in your research and writing. In addition, you will have the opportunity to engage fully in the intellectual life of Yale Law School and Yale University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences .

If you are trying to decide between the Ph.D. in Law and a Ph.D. in another discipline, many of the same considerations come into play. Please keep in mind that Ph.D. programs in economics, political science, history, and other fields train scholars to produce research responsive to the questions central to those disciplines. The scholarship produced by law faculties—and expected of candidates for teaching positions at law schools—is largely motivated by different sets of questions. While many students are able to apply their training in other disciplines to the study of law, a significant advantage of the Ph.D. in Law program is that it is designed specifically to prepare students for careers in legal scholarship, rather than in scholarship in another field. We should also stress that the Ph.D. in Law program welcomes applications from candidates with interdisciplinary research interests—significant advanced training in other disciplines as a part of the Ph.D. in Law program is encouraged, where appropriate.

Course of Study

Applicants to the Ph.D. in Law program should know the area of law in which they would like to specialize and should be prepared to articulate that interest in a research proposal. Applicants’ research proposals, however, are not expected to be as refined as a dissertation prospectus, and it is anticipated that the nature of students’ projects and interests will evolve over their time in the program. Each student will have a faculty Advisory Committee, which will work with the student to develop the research project into a dissertation prospectus and, eventually, a dissertation—which may take the form of three significant, publishable articles that might appear in a leading law review, or a single, book-length manuscript.

The First Year

Most students will dedicate much of their first year in the program to coursework. Students will work with their Advisory Committees to select as many as six courses that will best prepare them to carry out their research projects. In cases where students have already completed relevant graduate training, their Advisory Committees may waive up to four of the six required courses.

All first-year Ph.D. candidates will be required to take a two-semester pro-seminar on legal scholarship and methodologies. The first semester of this pro-seminar will be dedicated to reading and discussing canonical works of legal scholarship. The second semester will be devoted to the presentation and discussion of student papers in a workshop format. The pro-seminar, required of all Ph.D. candidates, will be the cornerstone of a genuine intellectual and professional community, serving as well as an opportunity for students working in different areas of law to interact with and to learn from each other and from the faculty leading these and other seminars and workshops.

During their second semester, all Ph.D. candidates will complete the first of two qualifying examinations. The pro-seminar will constitute the primary preparation for this first, written, examination. During their second semester and first summer in the program, students will also work with their Advisory Committees to prepare for a second qualifying exam in their area of specialization. Unlike the first qualifying exam, which measures the breadth of a candidate’s knowledge, the second is an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the candidate’s area of specialization. The second qualifying exam will be conducted orally by the candidate’s Advisory Committee members and ordinarily will be administered at the beginning of the third semester in the program.

The Second Year

After passing the second qualifying exam, candidates will assemble a faculty Dissertation Committee. This committee often will—but does not have to—include the same faculty members who served on the candidate’s initial Advisory Committee. In their second year, students will work with their Dissertation Committees to bring their dissertation prospectus to fruition. The dissertation itself is expected to take the form of either a book-length manuscript or three publishable law review articles; it will usually constitute a portfolio of writing which students can use on the job market. Once the dissertation prospectus is approved, students are expected to spend the remainder of their time in the program, including summers, researching and writing the dissertation.

Each candidate in the Ph.D. in Law program also will gain training and experience in teaching, and will be required to participate in two semester-long teaching experiences. There will be a number of ways in which students may fulfill the teaching requirement. These may include (1) serving as a teaching assistant for a Law School course; (2) serving as a teaching assistant for a course in Yale College or another school at Yale; (3) co-teaching a class with a Yale Law School faculty member; (4) leading a Yale Law School Reading Group course; (5) teaching an independent seminar in one of the Yale Residential Colleges; or, (6) in unusual situations, teaching their own course. In all cases, students completing their teaching requirements will have faculty supervision, as well as close contact with and feedback from their advisors. The particular teaching assignment and the timing of this requirement will be determined by the candidate in consultation with his or her Advisory and/or Dissertation Committee, but ordinarily candidates will complete the first of their teaching requirements in the second semester of the second year of the program.

The Third Year

Those students interested in pursuing a career as a professor of law generally should expect to go on the job market during their third year in the program. Ph.D. candidates will be offered access to the same wide range of support in this endeavor as Yale Law School currently provides to its students, alumni, and fellows who enter the law teaching market. Students will otherwise devote the third year to completing their dissertation and, in many cases, completing a second teaching experience. Students will generally be expected to complete the program after three years, but requests to extend the course of study beyond three years will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In such cases, funding may be limited.

Placement and Support on the Law Teaching Market

Yale Law School has enjoyed tremendous success in helping its students secure law teaching positions. The Law School often places 25-40 of its graduates in tenure-track positions at law schools each year. Despite its relatively small size, Yale Law School has produced approximately ten percent of all professors currently teaching in American law schools. A recent study found that of the 189 faculty at the top sixteen law schools who had received their J.D. in the preceding fifteen years, a plurality—80 professors—graduated from Yale Law School. Many deans at law schools across the country and around the world also are Yale graduates.

The Law School provides comprehensive support to all its students, alumni, and fellows, guiding them through all stages of the legal teaching job market. Ph.D. in Law candidates enjoy access to the full range of support services currently available to Yale Law School students, alumni, and fellows.

For more information, consult the Law Teaching Program’s website .

Tuition and Financial Aid

Ph.D. in Law candidates will receive a full-tuition fellowship and a living stipend at an amount set by the Graduate School, Yale Basic Health coverage, and a Health Award covering the cost of hospitalization and specialty coverage. Financial support is conditioned on the student's making satisfactory academic progress. The Ph.D. in Law program is administered jointly by the Graduate School and the Law School. More information on financial aid and the cost of living in New Haven can be found on the Graduate School's  website .

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2024 Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 167 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 36,216 doctor's degrees in law to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Law School for Your Doctor's Degree

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to law students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of law students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Student Debt - How easy is it for law to pay back their student loans after receiving their doctor's degree.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized law related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for law students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Law Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings , including this Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Law in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in law. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Law

It is hard to beat University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in law. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Pennsylvania

Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in law has to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from University of California - Berkeley

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in law. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from Northwestern University

Harvard University is a good decision for students pursuing a doctor's degree in law. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from Harvard University

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. More information about a doctorate in law from Georgetown University

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Chicago

Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. More information about a doctorate in law from Columbia University in the City of New York

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. More information about a doctorate in law from New York University

Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from Stanford University

Located in the large city of Boston, Suffolk is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their doctorate from the law program report average early career income of $56,355.

Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Virginia - Main Campus

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from Vanderbilt University

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Southern California

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. More information about a doctorate in law from Washington University in St Louis

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Notre Dame

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. More information about a doctorate in law from Emory University

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. More information about a doctorate in law from University of California - Los Angeles

Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from George Washington University

Fordham U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Bronx. More information about a doctorate in law from Fordham University

Temple is a very large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia. More information about a doctorate in law from Temple University

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in law from Boston University

SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Santa Clara. More information about a doctorate in law from Santa Clara University

U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Coral Gables. More information about a doctorate in law from University of Miami

Rest of the Top Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools

Honorable mentions.

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools award.

Law by Region

View the Best Law Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best overall in law, highest paid grads in law, best for veterans in law, most popular in law, most focused in law, best value in law, best for non-traditional students in law, best online in law, most popular online in law.

View All Rankings >

Law Related Rankings by Major

Law is one of 4 different types of Legal Professions programs to choose from.

Law Concentrations

Majors similar to law, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ). More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

Compare your school options.

Coordinated JD/PhD Program

Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Coordinated JD/PhD Program is designed for students interested in completing interdisciplinary work at Harvard University and is founded on the belief that students’ legal studies and their arts and sciences graduate studies can be mutually enriched through this pursuit. Students completing the coordinated program receive a JD from Harvard Law School (HLS) and a PhD from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences  (Harvard Griffin GSAS). It is expected that these students will be strong candidates for teaching posts at law schools and in arts and sciences programs, as well as for other positions in law and academia. Prospective students interested in the coordinated program may reach out to  HLS J.D. Admissions  and the  Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Admissions  to learn more. Current and admitted students interested in the coordinated program are encouraged to contact  April Pettit , in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS for questions about the JD program, or  Dan Volchok , Assistant Dean of Student Success at Harvard Griffin GSAS for questions about the PhD programs.

Prospective students must separately apply to and be admitted to both HLS and a Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD program in order to participate in the coordinated JD/PhD program.

• Students enrolled in HLS, but not yet admitted to Harvard Griffin GSAS, must apply to Harvard Griffin GSAS no later than the 2L year, meeting the Harvard Griffin GSAS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
• Students enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS, but not yet admitted to HLS, should apply to HLS no later than the G3 year, meeting the HLS application deadline for matriculation the following year.
• Please see below for details about participation in the coordinated program for Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year.

Once admitted to both schools, students must submit a proposed Plan of Study to the coordinated program no later than October 1 of the academic year following admission to both schools. Students should submit the Plan of Study to April Pettit in the Office of Academic Affairs at HLS.

Please note: Harvard Griffin GSAS students who apply to and are admitted to HLS after the G3 year at Harvard Griffin GSAS must then separately apply to the coordinated program. The application to the coordinated program should include (1) a statement detailing the way in which the student plans to integrate his or her legal studies with his or her graduate studies including how work done at HLS will inform the dissertation work and vice versa; and (2) a letter of support from the primary Harvard Griffin GSAS advisor; and (3) the Plan of Study.

The JD/PhD committee will review the applications to determine admission to the coordinated program.

Students will be registered in only one School during any given semester/term. Pursuant to ABA rules, students must  complete all requirements for the JD degree within seven years of the date they first enroll in HLS ; they may graduate from HLS before completing the PhD. Students must have satisfactorily completed at least 16 half courses in their Harvard Griffin GSAS department to receive the PhD. Students in the coordinated program will have two primary faculty advisors, one at HLS and one at Harvard Griffin GSAS, who will jointly advise students.

Students will be expected to complete the first-year program, three upper-level fall or spring semesters, and two winter terms at HLS, for a total of five fall and spring semesters and three winter terms. In lieu of the sixth HLS semester generally required of JD students, students in the coordinated program may take a semester at Harvard Griffin GSAS, completing courses or dissertation work pre-approved by HLS, and equivalent to at least 10 HLS credits. This Harvard Griffin GSAS semester may be taken only after a student has matriculated at HLS and completed their entire first year of study there. Students and their faculty advisors will determine the most appropriate sequencing for each student’s course of study, keeping in mind the HLS course, credit, and residency requirements for this program.

Course and Credit Requirements

First-year program.

The first year at HLS consists of (1) Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legislation and Regulation, Property, and Torts; (2) First-year Legal Research and Writing; (3) January Experiential Term; and (4) a spring upper-level elective at HLS of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 classroom credits.

Upper-Level Years

Credit and residency requirements.

Students must earn no fewer than 52 credits beyond the first year, including 36 HLS classroom credits. Classroom credits include those connected to courses, seminars and reading groups, but not writing or clinical credits. The 36 required classroom credits also include the required minimum of two credits to satisfy the Professional Responsibility Requirement and credits from the required winter terms (provided that the course chosen offers classroom credits). Of the remaining 16 required HLS credits, a maximum of ten are earned through courses or tutorials taken in Harvard Griffin GSAS and/or for dissertation writing (see below). Note that students must have their advisor’s approval before engaging in a semester of Harvard Griffin GSAS dissertation writing that is expected to count toward the HLS credit requirements . The remaining six required HLS credits may be earned in classroom, writing or clinical courses.

While at HLS, students must be enrolled in a minimum of ten total credits each semester in HLS or Harvard Griffin GSAS, with no fewer than eight of these being HLS classroom credits toward the requirement of 36 HLS classroom credits.

Winter Term Requirement

Students also must enroll in the HLS winter term two times during their upper-level years in the program. Each of the winter terms must follow a fall term enrollment or precede a spring term enrollment at HLS. Students may register for a course of two or three credits. JD/PhD students will be permitted to spend one of the winter terms in the HLS Winter Writing Program, provided they are engaged in written work for HLS credit according to the rules of that program.

Written Work Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the JD Written Work Requirement. Students are permitted to satisfy the requirement with a portion of their dissertation, provided this work meets HLS standards for written work. However, any portion of the dissertation counted toward the JD Written Work Requirement cannot also be used as part of the 10 HLS-equivalent credits earned during a student’s Harvard Griffin GSAS semester. Further information about the J.D. Written Work Requirement and the Winter Term Writing Program is available from the HLS Registrar’s Office .

Pro Bono Requirement

JD/PhD students must complete the  HLS Pro Bono Requirement  of 50 hours of public service.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of two years of full-time study in residence is required for all PhD programs in the Harvard Griffin GSAS. During the period of registration at HLS, coordinated JD/PhD students will have “study-at-another-Harvard-school” status in Harvard Griffin GSAS.

Structure of Academic Work

Students will ordinarily be enrolled for at least four years (8 terms) in Harvard Griffin GSAS. They must complete at least 16 half courses to receive their PhD. Students may cross-register for a limited number of Harvard Griffin GSAS courses during their upper-level terms at HLS. Depending on the Harvard Griffin GSAS department, these courses may count toward the PhD. However, JD/PhD students may count a maximum of 10 credits from Harvard Griffin GSAS coursework or dissertation writing toward the JD. Therefore, students planning to spend a semester enrolled at Harvard Griffin GSAS taking courses or writing the dissertation for which they will earn 10 HLS credits may not also count cross-registered Harvard Griffin GSAS courses toward the JD.

General Examinations

In most departments, once having completed the required coursework, students must pass a general examination or other preliminary or qualifying examinations before undertaking independent research on a dissertation. Normally, when the nature of the field and previous preparation permit, students should pass these examinations by the end of the second year of full-time academic residence.

PhD Dissertation

The student’s dissertation prospectus must be approved by the department. A student who wishes to present as a dissertation a published article, series of articles, book or other document, or a manuscript that has been accepted for publication, must have the approval of the department concerned. In no case, however, may a dissertation be presented that has already been submitted toward another degree, either at Harvard or elsewhere. The Dissertation Acceptance Certificate must be signed by at least three readers approved by the student’s department, two of whom must be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). FAS emeriti (including research professors) and faculty members from other schools at Harvard who hold appointments on GSAS degree committees are authorized to sign the Dissertation Acceptance Certificates as FAS members. GSAS strongly recommends that the chair of the dissertation committee be a member of FAS. The third reader may be a member of the HLS faculty.

Requirement of Satisfactory Status

Continuous registration, a satisfactory grade record, and evidence that satisfactory progress is being made toward the degree are required of all candidates for graduate degrees offered by FAS. All students in Harvard Griffin GSAS must be making satisfactory progress in order to be eligible for any type of financial aid and teaching. The following five provisions are the general definition of satisfactory progress during registration in Harvard Griffin GSAS:

• During the first two years of graduate study any student who has completed expected requirements is considered to be making satisfactory progress.
• In each of the first two years, a student must have achieved the minimum grade-point average required by the faculty, a B average. (see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies: Grade and Examination Requirements ).
• By the end of the third year, a student must have passed general examinations or the departmental equivalent.
• By the end of the fourth year, a student must have obtained approval of a dissertation prospectus or its departmental equivalent.
• By the end of the fifth year and each subsequent year during which a student is allowed to register, they must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation.

For more information about satisfactory progress, please see Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies .

Other Requirements

Ordinarily, programs will have a language requirement and an expectation of teaching. Students should consult with their Harvard Griffin GSAS departments for more information about these requirements.

There are a number of possible academic schedules for students pursuing both degrees. Three sequences are outlined below, but students may propose alternative sequences. In considering their courses of study, students should be aware that their financial aid packages might be affected at the school in which they defer enrollment.

Year 1: HLS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: HLS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 2: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 3: HLS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: HLS Year 6: 1st term, HLS Year 6: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Year 1: HLS Year 2: HLS Year 3: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 4: Harvard Griffin GSAS Year 5: 1st term, HLS Year 5: 2nd term, Harvard Griffin GSAS (earning the equivalent of 10 HLS credits in dissertation work) Following year(s): Harvard Griffin GSAS until completion of dissertation

Updated Plans of Study

By October 1 each year, current JD/PhD students should submit an updated Plan of Study to April Pettit, in the HLS Office of Academic Affairs.

Other Academic Information

Faculty advising.

Students in the program will have primary faculty advisors at both HLS and at Harvard Griffin GSAS. If possible, HLS faculty advisors should be selected before the completion of the 2L year. The HLS faculty advisor must sign off on any dissertation writing a student expects to use for JD credit. In some Harvard Griffin GSAS departments, the director of graduate studies serves as the faculty advisor during the first two years of study. Faculty advisors will supervise students’ academic work, advise students on their courses of study and on specific classes appropriate for their PhD work, and approve the courses of study for their students on an annual basis. If appropriate, the HLS advisor will be the third reader on the student’s dissertation committee, with at least two readers required to be members of FAS.

Leaving the JD/PhD Program

If a student fails to make adequate progress toward the PhD, the student’s faculty advisors will be permitted to withdraw the student from the program. In such cases, in order to receive the JD degree, a student will still need to meet the graduation and credit requirements for the JD degree.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Harvard law school.

Students must pay five semesters of full tuition. Students will be eligible for HLS financial aid for all semesters during which they pay tuition to HLS. For more information on Financial Aid, visit the Student Financial Services Financial Aid webpage .

Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The minimum financial requirement for the PhD is at least four terms of full tuition followed by two years of reduced tuition and a facilities fee unless the degree is completed in less than four years. The financial aid awarded upon admission to the PhD program is available during those terms in which the student is enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should refer to their notice of financial support provided by their department upon admission to Harvard Griffin GSAS. Students should consult with their GSAS departments for more information.

Administrative Information

The HLS Registrar’s Office, the FAS Registrar’s Office, the GSAS Assistant Dean of Student Success, the HLS Associate Director of Academic Affairs, and the appropriate financial aid officers, will coordinate on students’ registration status and updated plans of study.

Housing and Student Life

GSAS and HLS will work together to ensure that the student services offered by both Schools are available to JD/PhD students during all their years in the Coordinated Program, including career and counseling offices, financial aid offices, student centers, and alumni offices. Students in the coordinated program will have email accounts at both schools throughout the program. Disability services and visa requirements will be coordinated on a case-by-case basis by the HLS Dean of Students and Registrar and by the Harvard Griffin GSAS Assistant Dean for Student Success. Students may apply for housing through either School for the years in which they are enrolled for at least one semester/term at both Schools. In all other years, students must apply for housing to the School in which they are enrolled.

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The academic path: becoming a law professor.

For lawyers who want to teach, postgraduate law degrees like the LL.M. or J.S.D. are one path, but not the only one.

If you want to become a law professor, there are several different routes. Most, however, start with two things: a first law degree and the ambition to teach law. You'll need both.

But then what? What qualifications and experience do you need to get hired as a law school professor?

Let's start with degrees. Here, the "classical" profile of a law school professor varies slightly in different parts of the world.

In the United States, for example, a doctorate or graduate degree isn't required to get a teaching job at a law school. This is because a J.D. is already considered a postgraduate degree, unlike first law degrees in other parts of the world.

An informal survey of a handful of US law schools – UCLA, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Emory, and Columbia – suggests that only around 10-25 percent of faculty have a Ph.D., J.S.D., LL.M., or D.Phil degree.

Meanwhile, graduate degrees are much more common among law professors elsewhere in world, including Britain, Continental Europe, Australia, and East Asia. In most of these countries, an undergraduate law degree qualifies one to become a solicitor, but many law schools will not typically appoint faculty with less than a master's degree.

Over 80 percent of the law professors at Melbourne University or Hong Kong University, for example, have a Ph.D., J.S.D., D.Phil, or LL.M..

“In general, if you want to continue your career as a scholar and academic, it's very hard without a Ph.D.,” says Hervé Tijssen of academic careers in Europe. Tijssen coordinates the research LL.M. and Ph.D. programs at Tilburg Law School in The Netherlands.

But becoming a professor is not just about collecting degrees; it's also about what you do and produce during your graduate studies. Tijssen says getting a Ph.D. is, of course, about developing specialized, theoretical expertise, but it's also about getting a broader understanding about interdisciplinary connections and the wider context of law in society.

“You become not just a specialist, but a generalist, as well,” says Tijssen.

Ph.D. students on Tijssen's program – like on other doctoral programs – get a chance to get teaching experience in the law school, which is a factor for law schools when hiring new faculty.

Perhaps most importantly, however, postgraduate research degrees lead to publications. Solid publications - along with a strong degrees (ideally from top-tier schools) – are probably the single-biggest factors for law school hiring committees. Without publications, it is tough to land any academic job – even with teaching experience.

"As between someone with extensive teaching experience and weak publications, on the one hand, and someone with no teaching experience and good publications, on the other, the job offer will go to the candidate with solid publications, every time," says W. Bradley Wendel, professor at Cornell Law School who maintains a popular website about academic careers.

"The thinking is that an inexperienced teacher can learn on the job," says Wendel, "but it's unlikely that an unpromising scholar will suddenly figure it out and become a good scholar."

Therefore, if you're looking for another academic qualification, it should facilitate research and getting published rather than focus on coursework and exams.

This is one reason why getting an LL.M. is not a common pathway to a teaching jobs in the United States. With the exception of a handful of US LL.M. programs – like Yale's LL.M. program or NYU's Legal Theory LL.M. – most do not give ample time for publishable research.

Many "Research LL.M.” programs, however, do provide students with this opportunity. Most of these programs can be found in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and more sporadically in Asia and Europe.

A few dozen law schools in the United States offer Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.S.D., also sometimes called S.J.D.) programs, including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Berkeley, Chicago, NYU, Yale, Cornell, and Duke. These two- to three-year J.S.D. programs are research-oriented, and designed for future professors. Graduates typically exit with at least one piece of substantial academic scholarship. Some programs also let students to hone their teaching skills with short-term adjunct opportunities.

W. Bradley Wendel, now at Cornell, finished his LL.M. and J.S.D. at Columbia University a decade ago. He suggests this experience was less about collecting two more degrees for his resume, but more about publishing and getting acclimated to the culture of legal academia.

"The primary benefit was having lots of time to research and write, and also hanging around in an academic environment and kind of soaking up the culture," says Wendel.

He singles out the faculty workshop series he was invited to sit in on as particularly beneficial.

"I learned so much from observing the question and answer process," says Wendel. "I really came to understand what makes a good versus a weak paper, what sorts of objections one might expect, how to defend a position in a constructive way (as opposed to being defensive), what sorts of topics are fruitful in terms of the engagement one might expect from the audience at a workshop, and so on."

But while LL.M.s remain relatively uncommon on US law faculty profiles, more aspiring professors are getting doctorates if not in law, then various “related” disciplines like economics, political science, and philosophy.

According to Lauren Endelman, associate dean at UC Berkeley's School of Law, this is “because law schools are recognizing the value of empirical research, and Ph.D. programs provide the tools to conduct such research, as well as more in-depth background in disciplinary literatures.”

“The Ph.D. is becoming a route into law school teaching that is an alternative to the more traditional law review / clerkship route,” says Endelman.

Berkeley offers a Jurisprudence and Social Policy (JSP) program, a Ph.D. program that emphasizes the interdisciplinary connections between law and other fields like economics, philosophy, sociology, and political science.

Yet another possibility for transitioning into legal academia is one of the growing number of Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) programs. These fellowship positions offered by some US law schools let aspiring professors spend one or two years researching and teaching before going out on the competitive academic job market and (hopefully) landing a tenure-track position. But lawyers embarking on any of these paths to becoming a law professor should know that academic job markets – like any other legal job market – can be fiercely competitive.

According to NYU Law's Academic Careers Program, each year around a thousand hopefuls register for jobs with the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The AALS, through its annual meeting – the so-called “meat market” – facilitates most law school faculty hires in the United States. Of those, only a fraction will land jobs.

And while the process won't be the same everywhere, it makes sense to consider what might make you a competitive candidate for a faculty job before starting down any one long path.  

The following resources might be helpful for lawyers interested in academic careers :

- W. Bradley Wendel's useful website about academic careers - University of Chicago's “Info for Academic Job Seekers” website - The Association of American Law Schools website

Image: uwgb admissions / Flickr (cropped) -  Creative Commons

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General election latest: Tories accuse Labour of 'flip-flopping' on tax - as Abbott row 'blows up' more than Starmer expected

The Tories are going on the attack, aiming punches at Labour's "chaotic" economic policy and tax plans. Meanwhile, the row over whether Diane Abbott will stand for Labour rumbles on, with the veteran MP vowing to remain in parliament "by any means possible".

Thursday 30 May 2024 08:07, UK

• General Election 2024

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Election news

• Tories accuse Labour of 'flip-flopping' on tax and plotting VAT 'raid'
• Labour attacks Tory crime record - pledges to 'rebuild safety on Britain's streets'
• Abbott says she will stand in Hackney 'by any means possible'
• Live reporting by Ben Bloch

Expert analysis

• Sam Coates: Abbott row blew up more than Starmer expected - and polling suggests trouble
• Matthew Thompson: Why polls don't tell full story for Lib Dems
• Ashish Joshi: Labour's key advantage in NHS battleground

Election essentials

• Trackers: Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Campaign Heritage: Memorable moments from elections gone by
• Follow Sky's politics podcasts: Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more: What happens next? | Which MPs are standing down? | Key seats to watch | How to register to vote | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency's changing | Your essential guide to election lingo | Sky's election night plans

The Tories have pledged to unfreeze tax thresholds for those receiving the state pension to avoid them having to pay taxes.

We asked shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones what Labour's plans are around taxes on pensioners, and he replied that they are "in a bit of a tricky spot".

"The Conservatives have said they're going to make certain changes to their own policy on taxation that might affect pensioners with higher levels of income.

"But it's entirely unfunded - and Rachel Reeves has been very clear that we're not just going to kind of keep matching their unfunded, unsustainable policy offers in this election."

He accused the Tories of have "announced over £70bn of unfunded spending commitments in the first week of the general election alone".

He defended his use of big figures like £70bn, saying they come from Treasury analysis, and "people know what that means for their mortgages and their rent because they've had to do it because of Liz Truss not long ago, that's been a painful experience for people".

Mr Jones added: "There is a direct connection between unfunded Conservative policies and family finances."

We've just been speaking with Labour's shadow chief secretary to the Treasury as the party appears to be on the defensive after the Tories accused them of "flip-flopping" on tax ( more here ).

Responding to that accusation, Darren Jones told Sky News: "The Conservative Party are desperate to say that they've, you know, scored a point in this election campaign.

"But Rachel Reeves has been consistently clear that we have no plan to raise taxes on working people."

He said the reason for that is because "the burden of tax on working people is the highest it has been in the last 70 years because of the Conservative Party".

With the general election campaigns well under way, a slew of polling is coming in - feeding the ravenous appetites of those who want to know how the vote will turn out in six weeks' time.

But just a week in, there is already somewhat of a chasm between what different pollsters are saying in these voter intention surveys.

On the "narrow" side, JL Partners has Labour 12 points ahead of the Conservatives - three points closer than their last set of results from a month earlier.

At the other end of the spectrum is YouGov's poll for Sky News - their results  show a gap of 27 points  between the two main parties.

So what is causing this massive difference?

Our  political reporter  Tim Baker  explains:

By Jennifer Scott , political reporter

Rishi Sunak has been "a bad prime minister" since he took office two years ago, according to exclusive polling for Sky News.

The Great Britain poll  - conducted on Monday and Tuesday this week by YouGov - put the Conservative Party 27 points behind Labour as the general election nears.

The survey also showed discontent with the Conservative leader.

But Sir Keir Starmer didn't fare much better, according to the statistics, with 47% saying he would be "a bad prime minister" if he won the vote on 4 July.

In another blow for Mr Sunak, though, 19% of people who voted Conservative in 2019 said they would instead back  Reform  this time round, while 14% would go for Labour.

The polling also found 42% of the public felt worse off than they did six months ago, despite the prime minister and his team repeatedly saying the economy had "turned a corner".

Read more here:

Does Diane Abbott and the row over her future matter?

Sir Keir Starmer clearly calculated not so much, though I'm told it blew up far more than the leader's office expected, with the mess and delay a product of disagreements internally about what to do with her.

High-profile Labour politicians like Jess Phillips are now kicking off, and televised rallies in front of supporters in Hackney have undoubtedly obliterated the party's attempts to get messages out on NHS waiting times.

But does it move the dial politically - particularly when the party is 27 points ahead, according to the  latest Sky News/YouGov poll , and Sir Keir is keen to do all he can to preserve relations with the Jewish community?

Possibly not in the first instance. But it may have secondary effects.

Sir Keir is avowedly determined to present a "changed" Labour Party, away from the one that held Jeremy Corbyn in high esteem.

The decisions about Ms Abbott are part of that wider strategy. There are still parts of the party nostalgic for this era, however, and Sir Keir famously won the leadership trying to keep them onside.

But there's a paradox in the polling that suggests trouble ahead. Yes, if the polls are to be believed (and many Tories don't) Labour is on course for a decent majority and control of Number 10.

However, Sir Keir's own ratings are - less than stellar.

Read Sam's full analysis here:

Diane Abbott says she plans to stand in her Hackney North seat in the upcoming general election "by any means possible".

The Labour MP had the  whip restored to her  on Tuesday after being investigated for almost a year over a letter she wrote in The Guardian, suggesting Jewish people do not face racism.

But since then, there has been confusion over whether she would be allowed to stand for the constituency she has represented for over 37 years under the party's banner - or be banned from standing at all.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday following a report in The Times that Ms Abbott - the UK's first black woman MP - would be blocked from running in this election, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said "no decision has been taken to bar" her.

But during a rally in support of her in Hackney, east London, she refuted this, telling the crowd: "I was shocked to learn yesterday that I am going to be banned from running for the Labour Party.

"I have been selected by my local party members, many of whom are here today, but the national party is insisting that I be banned."

But she vowed to fight on, saying: "You have always stood with me, in good times and bad, and I will always stand with you. I am not going to allow myself to be intimated or frightened by forces beyond all of our control. I am going to be your MP as long as I am allowed to."

On day eight of the election campaign, the Conservatives will go on the attack - aiming their punches at Labour's "chaotic" economic policy.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt accused his opposite number, Rachel Reeves, of "buckling under pressure" to rule out raising VAT in the next parliament, having "carefully and deliberately" avoided doing so all week -  including in an interview with Sky News' Sam Coates .

After the minister wrote in the Telegraph that Labour would "raid" VAT to pay for its policies, Ms Reeves released a statement calling it "absolute nonsense", adding: "Labour will not be increasing income tax, national insurance, or VAT."

Mr Hunt then accused her of "flip-flopping" and saying what he believed was a change in policy "demonstrates that Labour don't have a plan for the economy".

Rishi Sunak will hit the campaign trail in the South East as he and his top lieutenants draw clear dividing lines in a bid to make up their poll deficit.

The PM is reiterating his pledge to lower taxes, arguing that voters should back his plans if they want interest rates to fall.

Hear both the Tory and Labour positions on the economy and taxation on Sky News Breakfast, where we will be speaking to:

• Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, at 7.15am;
• Jeremy Hunt, chancellor, at 8.30am.

Labour will promise to "get police back out in the community" as they focus their campaigning on tackling crime.

Speaking on Thursday, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper will  reiterate the party's pledge  to put 13,000 neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs "back on the beat in communities across the country", saying there will be "guaranteed neighbourhood patrols" to ensure their presence is visible to deter crime, as well as being able to catch criminals.

She will also vow to run a "hands-on Home Office" to regularly assess the department's progress against Labour's "missions" for government - which include cracking down on anti-social behaviour.

Ms Cooper said: "On Rishi Sunak's watch, 90% of crimes are going unsolved and knife-wielding muggers, phone thieves and pickpockets can get away with menacing our town centres and neighbourhoods.

"Ministers have done nothing to tackle the new organised crime wave that is hitting local shops and streets. That is the Tory legacy on law and order, and our communities are paying the price.

"Enough is enough. Labour will rebuild safety on Britain's streets."

But policing minister Chris Philp said the policy "isn't worth the paper it's written on", adding: "Only 3,000 of their proposed new officers would be full time officers with the power of arrest and 3,000 of them are officers this government has already recruited.

"Contrast that with the Conservatives who have recruited record police numbers with 20,000 more since 2019."

Read more here .

Good morning!

Parliament was dissolved at one minute past midnight, and there are no longer any sitting MPs - meaning the tooth-and-nail fight for all 650 parliamentary seats, and the keys to Number 10, is well and truly under way.

Political parties are spreading out across the country to get their message out ahead of polling day on 4 July.

Here's what you need to know as campaigning continues today:

• Sir Keir Starmer will be launching Labour 's campaign in Wales at a major event this morning, attended by many of the party's candidates, as well as shadow cabinet ministers and representatives elected to the Senedd;
• Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper will be out and about promoting the party's pledge to tackle crime and "rebuild safety on Britain's streets";
• But the party's message is being overshadowed by the continuing lack of clarity over whether veteran MP Diane Abbott will be able to stand as a Labour candidate - she told constituents last night she will be their MP for "as long as possible";
• And after repeatedly failing to rule out increasing taxes like VAT after multiple questions from journalists, such as Sky's Sam Coates, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves finally did so last night after an attack from the Tories;
• Anas Sarwar will also be out campaigning as Scottish Labour continues its push to take the fight to the SNP and win back seats;
• Rishi Sunak will hit the campaign trail in the South East as he seeks to make up his party's huge poll deficit;
• The Tories ' key focus is the economy, with the chancellor seemingly forcing Labour into ruling out any rises in VAT - and the PM pledging to lower taxes, arguing that voters should back his plans if they want interest rates to fall;
• The party is due to ramp up its criticism of Labour's economic plans, with new advertising due to be launched this morning;
• SNP leader John Swinney will be out meeting activists and talking to media this morning, before he faces First Minister's Questions in Holyrood at noon;
• The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, will be in Somerset highlighting his party's call for a mental health professional to work in every school, with data showing 336,886 children are on mental health waiting lists;
• The Green Party will launch its general election campaign in Bristol this morning as it launches its bid to win more parliamentary seats;
• And Reform UK is launching its immigration policy at an event at lunchtime.

And in other news...

• Lord Cameron is heading to Prague in his official capacity of foreign secretary to attend an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers marking the 75th anniversary of the alliance's founding;
• He will also hold a series of bilateral meetings on the margins as the business of diplomacy continues, despite the election campaign.

We'll be discussing all this and more with:

Stick with us for all the latest political news throughout the day.

Thanks for following along on the seventh day of election campaigning - ahead of polling day on 4 July.

Parliament will be dissolved on Thursday, at which point the race for the keys to Number 10 will be in full swing.

You can catch up with all the latest in our 10pm round-up - or click here !

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Should I Get a Master's Before a Doctoral Degree?

Do you need a master's degree to get a Ph.D.? No, but experts suggest considering these key factors before deciding.

Should I Get a Master's Before a Ph.D?

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A master’s eases the transition to graduate work and may make you more competitive when applying to doctoral programs.

Although it's not usually a requirement, earning a master’s degree before applying to a Ph.D. or other doctoral program can be a good way to get accustomed to graduate-level coursework while gaining valuable research experience and connections in your field.

But it can also be an expensive and time-consuming detour on the route to a doctorate, so it’s important to consider whether the benefits of earning a master’s before a Ph.D. outweigh the cost.

Here are some factors experts say you should weigh.

Reasons to Get a Master’s Degree First

Karin Ash, a graduate consultant at Accepted, a college admissions consulting firm, says the research experience students can gain through a master’s tends to give them an edge in doctoral admissions.

Master's studies can also expand opportunities for students who already have significant research work behind them. Ash notes that some students she works with have research experience but choose to explore other research areas through a master's before deciding on a focus for their doctoral studies.

If your undergraduate major was fairly different from what you plan to study at a graduate level, getting a master’s degree first can help bridge the gap, says Julie Posselt, a professor of education and associate dean of the University of Southern California Graduate School. Posselt, who earned her master's before pursuing doctoral studies, says master’s studies can also help you decide whether what you’re studying is right for your academic interests and career goals .

“I learned through my master's program that the field that I had started to pursue was much more narrow than what I wanted for the long term,” Posselt says. “So instead of investing five years in a field, I was able to invest a shorter amount of time – two years – and then make the decision that if someday I wanted a Ph.D., it was going to need to be in a broader field than the one that I had during my master's.”

Ash and Posselt say a master’s can be a good way to network with experts in your field of interest and make connections that will be valuable in a future career.

“A lot of STEM students tell me they don’t have professors who know them as their classes are large,” Ash wrote in an email. “Obtaining a master’s degree will allow them to develop relationships with professors who can then write substantive recommendation letters .”

Reasons to Go Straight to a Doctoral Program

Master's degrees can be expensive , and students often don't receive significant funding to complete their studies.

“My concern is the increasing debt that American students have from their undergraduate education," Posselt says, "and the fact that most master's programs don't fund them, and as a result, students have to take out significant loans" to complete a master’s.

"I always encourage students, if they're going to get a master's degree, to try to find a place where they can get funding along the way,” she says.

On the other hand, Ash says it’s common for Ph.D. programs to be fully funded , so it may be unnecessarily costly to earn a master’s degree first – especially if it means taking out student loans .

In addition to considering the tuition cost, Posselt says it’s important to consider the earnings you could lose by delaying the start of your career by a year or two to pursue a master’s degree.

It's also worth investigating whether the doctoral program you're considering will accept some of the credits you earn in a master's program, as that could shorten your doctoral studies. But Posselt says the transferability of master's-level coursework is relatively weak and varies by institution.

Even if you do apply master's coursework to your Ph.D., it may not be worthwhile.

"Many Ph.D. programs will accept credits from courses taken at the master's level if the coursework is relevant to the program," Ash says. "However, often the applicant is veering to a more specialized education and will need to take the appropriate coursework to become proficient in that subject area. This could mean they end up with many more credits than needed to graduate."

If you’re still unsure whether you should pursue a master’s first, Posselt says it’s important to consider the leverage the degree could have when it comes to doctoral admissions. A master’s is more valuable in some fields than others, she notes, so consulting with advisers and mentors from your undergraduate studies is a good way to determine how useful it will be when pursuing doctoral work.

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