Loyola University Chicago

What you'll study

This PhD is a research degree with a structured core of advanced coursework and seminars followed by supervised independent research leading to a doctoral dissertation. The programme emphasises interdisciplinary approaches, comparative methods and critical gender analysis across domestic, regional and global legal systems.

• Core research training: advanced legal research methods, qualitative and quantitative approaches to socio-legal research, theory and methodology in comparative law.
• Thematic modules and seminars: feminist and queer legal theory, international human rights and gender, law and migration, gender-based violence and the law, reproductive rights and health law, intersectionality and comparative constitutional law.
• Comparative and international courses: transnational legal processes, comparative family law, international criminal law and gender, regional human rights systems (e.g. Inter-American, European, African).
• Professional development: academic writing and publishing seminars, pedagogy and teaching practicum, grant-writing and research impact training.
• Dissertation: after completing coursework and comprehensive examinations, students develop and complete a substantial original dissertation under the guidance of a supervisory team. The dissertation is expected to make an original contribution to scholarship in gender, international and comparative law.

Students typically engage in research collaboration with faculty, can participate in clinics or policy placements where appropriate, and are encouraged to present at conferences and publish during their candidature.

Entry requirements

• A strong academic record with a relevant graduate law degree (such as an LL.M., J.S.D./S.J.D., or a first law degree with demonstrated research experience). Exceptional candidates with a related postgraduate degree and significant legal or research experience may also be considered.
• A detailed research proposal that demonstrates a clear research question, methodology and fit with the programme’s strengths in gender, international or comparative law.
• Academic writing sample (typically a published article, dissertation chapter, or substantial research essay) that shows capacity for sustained legal analysis and argumentation.
• Two or three academic references that attest to the applicant’s research potential and capacity for doctoral-level work.
• Evidence of English language proficiency for applicants whose first language is not English (e.g. recognised test scores or equivalent institutional evidence), where required by the university.

Admission is selective and based on a combination of prior academic achievement, the quality and feasibility of the proposed research, and the availability of suitable supervisors.

Career prospects

Graduates of this PhD programme pursue careers across academia, policy and practice. Typical pathways include:

• University faculty positions in law schools and interdisciplinary departments (gender studies, international relations, comparative law).
• Research and senior policy roles in international organisations, intergovernmental bodies and human rights institutions.
• Leadership and research positions in non-governmental organisations working on gender justice, refugee and migration law, sexual and reproductive health rights, and transitional justice.
• Legal policy analysis and consultancy for governments, think tanks and advocacy organisations.
• High-level roles in legal education, clinical programme leadership, and research centres focused on comparative or international law.

Why study at Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Chicago offers doctoral researchers an environment grounded in a Jesuit commitment to social justice and public interest scholarship, which aligns strongly with work on gender and international law. The university’s location in Chicago provides access to a diverse legal community, courts, NGOs and policy organisations, facilitating practical engagement alongside academic research.

Doctoral students benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration across departments (for example, International Studies, Sociology and Gender Studies), access to research support and professional development, and mentorship from faculty with expertise in international human rights, comparative constitutionalism and feminist legal theory. The School of Law supports public-facing scholarship, clinical opportunities and networks that help translate doctoral research into impact beyond the academy.