PhD in Law (PhD)

Tuition is Tuition and fees are available in the current catalog; students have access to Lexis Advance® online library with no hourly usage charges..

This programme offers a distance-learning Doctorate in Law with a focus on independent research and advanced legal analysis. Students engage with materials from elite U.S. law schools, including casebooks, treatises, and recordings by prominent professors. The curriculum emphasizes self-directed study with faculty guidance, using electronic assignments and asynchronous learning. Real-time interaction is optional, and all coursework is completed online without fixed login times.

The programme requires completion of 44 to 45 weekly lesson assignments per academic year, plus a three- to four-week review period. Final examinations, which make up 60% of the course grade, are taken after the 48th week and must be completed by the 52nd week.

Graduates pursue advanced legal research, academic teaching, or high-level legal advisory roles in government and private institutions.

Applicants must hold a Juris Doctor degree or equivalent. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Submission of transcripts, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation is mandatory.

Online, asynchronous, with start dates every month for Independent Study and specific dates for Directed Study; part-time study is available. For international students, tuition is well below the median for US programmes.

Since 1984, Taft Law School, an educational division of The Taft University System, has provided distance learning in legal education. Its programs are designed for qualified applicants managing work and home responsibilities, including students for whom location or finances make traditional study difficult. The school focuses on legal analysis, black-letter law, legal theories, legal issues, and the practical elements of applied law. Its Juris Doctor Attorney-Track program offers a rigorous curriculum intended to build a substantial foundation in legal knowledge.

Students complete the Attorney-Track program 100% online through one of two learning modalities. Directed Study follows fixed course dates, weekly assignments reviewed by faculty, online discussions, and regular interaction with faculty and classmates. Independent Study suits students who cannot follow a fixed weekly schedule and uses written examinations for grading. Both formats cover the same material and include the same midterm and final examinations, with a significant time commitment required in either format. Taft also offers a Juris Doctor Executive-Track program for non-lawyers seeking legal education connected to areas such as business, accounting, healthcare, compliance, law enforcement, or education. Transfer students are welcome, no LSAT is required, and financial aid is available to those who qualify. For international students, the fully online format means study can take place without relocating to a campus, while the Attorney-Track program's stated bar-examination pathway relates to California.