Program Overview

Doctor of Philosophy in Law

Program Overview

Ajman University's College of Law was established to be a cornerstone of legal education at both the local and regional levels, aiming to fulfill its role among UAE's higher education institutions in preparing legal professionals capable of contributing to society.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Law program was approved starting from the academic year.

Program Objectives

• Deepen the student's knowledge of legal specializations and their connection to societal issues.
• Provide the community with qualified graduates capable of assuming teaching and planning responsibilities and developing their institutions.
• Enable the student to conduct specialized comparative legal research and studies that enrich legal knowledge.
• Instill a spirit of creativity and continuous knowledge development in the field of law in the student.
• Empower students to achieve high professional goals and hold leadership roles in the UAE society.
• Prepare students to address legal issues and challenges.
• Enable students to develop critical thinking skills.
• Contribute to the development of the UAE community and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) communities.
• Qualify Emirati citizens to the highest degree in all legal specializations needed by the job market, contributing to the ongoing community development.
• Encouraging scientific competencies to promote creativity and innovation, as well as directing and advancing scientific research to address the issues of the Emirati society and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) communities.

Admission Requirements and Procedures

To be admitted into the program, the student must meet the following conditions:

• Hold a Master's degree in Public Law or Private Law, or equivalent, from a recognized university by the Ministry of Education - Higher Education Affairs in the UAE, with a GPA not less than Very Good (3 out of 4) or its equivalent.
• Achieving a minimum score of (500) in the TOEFL test, (5) in the academic IELTS, or an equivalent score in another approved standardized test such as IESOL with a B1 level, provided that the certificate is valid at the time of submission.
• Submit two recommendation letters from professors who have taught the student at the Master's level.

Program Duration

The minimum duration to obtain a Ph.D. degree is not less than three academic years and does not exceed five, calculated from the student's enrollment in the program until the date of the supervisor's submission of the thesis for defense. The summer semesters are not included in this duration, and approved periods of enrollment suspension are excluded. In exceptional cases, the college council may consider individual situations.

Program Learning Outcomes

The outcomes of the Ph.D. program in light of the UAE National Qualifications Framework can be categorized into three main areas:

Cognitive Skills

• In terms of capacity, graduates can compare legislative, jurisprudential, and judicial perspectives.
• In terms of type, they can connect legal specializations with societal issues.

Intellectual Skills (Mental or Cognitive)

• In terms of scope, they are capable of conducting original comparative legal research.
• In terms of selection, they can draft legal memos, judgments, and legal texts.

Competency Aspects (Specialization)

• In terms of independence and responsibility, they can provide professional opinions for resolving legal issues.
• In terms of self-development, they use self-directed learning to contribute to their professional development.
• In terms of personal development, they adhere to the legal ethics when practicing law and serving in judicial roles.
• In terms of their role in the context, they can lead a legal team to accomplish professional legal tasks.

Study Plan

The study plan for the Doctor of Philosophy in Law program consists of a total of 57 credit hours.