Doctoral study in Law

The PhD is an advanced degree awarded for an original contribution to research and academic debate in a student’s chosen legal specialisation, with the findings published in a substantial thesis. A PhD is necessary if you wish to pursue an academic or research career, but also offers the opportunity to develop depth of expertise in relation to a particular issue and can open up other career opportunities.

Your thesis can be completed within three to four years of full-time study or on a part-time basis.

The PhD is a thesis-only research degree programme, and your research will be guided by an appointed supervisor (usually a senior academic from Auckland Law School) and co-supervisor.

Auckland Law School has New Zealand’s largest community of legal academics and is an active and vibrant research institution. Its members regularly publish articles and books in New Zealand and around the world, and also serve as editors of a range of publications. The faculty hosts a number of research centres and maintains close cooperation with the Legal Research Foundation. The faculty’s work is supported by the Davis Law Library’s extensive collection of legal materials.

The Law School attracts research students from around the world. We can offer supervision at the cutting edge of research in a diverse range of subject areas and topics. Examples include, Indigenous Rights, Technology and the Law, International Disarmament Law, Counterterrorism Law, Freedom of Expression, Class Actions, Restorative Justice, Banking and Finance Law, Taxation, Intellectual Property, Environmental Issues and the Law, Violence Against Women, Consumer Law, Health law, Social Security Law, Law and Global Governance and Legal Theory. We are able to organise across Faculty supervision for interdisciplinary research topics - for example, partnering with supervisors from business, population health, politics or science (among many other disciplines across the university) to ensure that we can match supervisory capacity to the challenges of your topic.

The faculty welcomes enquiries from prospective research students. The faculty’s core subject areas include:

• Constitutional, Administrative and Public Law
• Contract, Torts, Equity and Private Law
• Corporate and Commercial Law
• Criminal Law and Justice
• Human Rights Law
• Indigenous Peoples and the Law
• International and Comparative Law
• Land and Environmental Law
• Legal History and Theory
• Civil Law and Justice, including Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Family and Relationships Law.
  

University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships

Each year, the Auckland Law School will award two University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships to a student whose application best serves the strategic aims of the School. These strategic aims include:

• Promoting PhD research on original topics that could contribute to a shift in thinking or cast a light on current issues that we face in law and society.
• Supporting excellent PhD students and their research aspirations.
• Supporting Māori and Pacific PhD students.
• Supporting PhD students from equity groups.

Students who wish to be considered for this scholarship should complete the appropriate section in the Law School’s Statement of Research Intent. You can find more information about this scholarship.

Decisions about the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships for law are likely to be made in the first scholarship round in each calendar year. The first scholarship round for each year closes on 1 November of the previous year. This means, for example, that applicants who would like to be considered for a scholarship in 2026 should apply for the PhD programme and a University of Auckland scholarship by 1 November 2025.

Professor Brian Coote Memorial Scholarship

The Scholarship was established in 2021 and is funded by a significant bequest left to the Auckland Law School by the late Professor Coote.

There is no formal application for this scholarship. The scholarship is awarded on the recommendation of the Auckland Law School or the University of Auckland committee once your application for doctoral studies is accepted. For more information about the awarding process for this scholarship, please download a copy of the Professor Brian Coote Memorial Scholarship regulations.

Ngā Ara Whetū PhD Scholarships

The University of Auckland will award three doctoral scholarships for transdisciplinary research on Climate Change and/or Biodiversity and Society starting in 2023. The University seeks applications from scholars with high-quality track records in research who wish to pursue doctoral projects combining law and other disciplines. Applications to this scholarship have not closed.

There are several scholarships you may be eligible for when you decide to pursue your doctoral studies in Law.

University of Auckland Law School’s Dean’s Doctoral Scholarships.

If you want to chat further about your studies, either email lawphd@auckland.ac.nz or click below to get in contact.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure the information we have supplied is correct and up to date. However, the regulations take precedence over all other material.

You are strongly advised to read the relevant scholarship regulations for complete information, to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for scholarship consideration, and that you understand the implications of any regulations, awarding value and selection criteria.