Frequently Asked Questions

LLM Program: To be eligible for admission, the candidates normally must possess an academic degree in law with at least the equivalent of a B average in the last two years of full-time study. Candidates must also possess the ability to work with legal materials in the English language.

PhD Program: To be eligible for admission to the PhD Program, candidates normally must possess a graduate academic degree in law (LLM) with a minimum of a B average in the last two years of full-time study.  Candidates must also possess the ability to work with legal materials in the English language.

Refer to the York University’s Graduate Admissions webpage for more details.

Our programs (both the Research LLM and PhD) are highly competitive. Each program has space for approximately 10-12 students each year with only a few of those spaces open to international students.

Each year, we may have additional spaces for students who do not require financial assistance from the school. Please email resgpa@osgoode.yorku.ca if you do not require financial assistance.

Research LLM: Students applying to the Research LLM program who do not have an LLB or JD may be considered on an exceptional basis. If admitted, they may also be required to take additional courses, at the discretion of the Graduate Program Director on the advice of the student’s supervisor.

PhD: As a rule, an LLM is a precondition to admission to the PhD.

Students may apply for the Research LLM program while finishing their JD program, or the PhD program while completing their LLM. Current program completion must be achieved before the start of the applied program. When applying, you must upload your unofficial transcript showing your course enrolment and grades to date when you apply. If admitted, you must send the official transcript indicating that your degree has been conferred as soon as it is available.

Proof of English language proficiency is mandatory for applicants whose first language is not English; who do not live in an English-speaking jurisdiction or do not have a degree from an institution that provides instruction in English.

Please check the Admissions website for the most up to date information on language requirements.

Graduate tuition at York University is competitively low, as part of our commitment to access to education.  Tuition at York University is paid per term, and there are three terms per year.  You can see both domestic and international tuition rates, applicable to Osgoode’s Research programs, at the Office of Student Financial Services webpage and selecting either “Masters” or “PhD” under the Graduate column.

Every graduate student must maintain continuous registration (i.e. register and pay fees for fall, winter and summer terms) until the program has been completed.

Osgoode Hall Law School offers significant funding assistance for tuition and living expenses for almost all of our full-time graduate students.

Funding to help meet the financial needs of graduate students is comprised of one or more of the following internal and external funding sources: fellowships, teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships, scholarships and awards, and research assistantships.

All full-time students who receive funding support from York can expect a standard funding package of approximately as listed on the York Graduate Fellowship webpage. Funding packages for Master’s students do not include a Teaching Assistantship, while packages for PhD students do.

All graduate student funding is contingent on continuous registration as a full-time student, continued satisfactory academic performance, and fulfilment of any funding-related employment obligations.

Please visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for more information, including internal and external scholarship opportunities.  Many of our students receive significant fellowships and scholarships to assist with the cost of their education.

Students can apply for scholarships and bursaries throughout the year. Depending on the source of the funding, some scholarships may be paid on top of the funding package (which will provide more total funds to the student overall), while other may be treated as part of the funding package (which will not increase the total funding to the student).

More details on graduate funding can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

International applicants are also strongly urged to explore other possibilities, particularly the Commonwealth Scholarships offered by your own government to promote study abroad.