Florida International University

What you'll study

This doctoral pathway combines advanced doctrinal and socio-legal study with comparative and international perspectives on gender. Candidates follow a mix of taught seminars and independent research, progressing to a major original dissertation. Typical seminar topics and course emphases include:

• Feminist and gender theory in law — theoretical frameworks for analysing law through gendered lenses.
• International human rights and gender — treaties, compliance mechanisms, and gendered interpretations of international obligations.
• Comparative family, labour and criminal law — cross‑jurisdictional studies of laws that disproportionately affect women and gender minorities.
• Migration, refugees and gendered displacement — legal protection, intersectionality and policy responses.
• Transitional justice and gendered harms — remedies, reparations and adjudication after conflict.
• Law and social policy — intersections of law with health, reproductive rights, violence against women, and social welfare.
• Research methods for socio-legal and comparative research — qualitative, quantitative and doctrinal methods, archival research, fieldwork design and ethical issues in gender research.

The programme typically requires completion of prescribed doctoral seminars, passing comprehensive examinations or candidacy assessments, fulfilment of any language requirement relevant to comparative research, and submission and defence of a doctoral dissertation supervised by faculty with expertise in gender, international and comparative law. Students often gain teaching experience and are encouraged to publish and present at conferences.

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally hold a strong first law degree (JD or equivalent) and a relevant postgraduate degree such as an LLM or MA, or demonstrate equivalent research experience. Typical admissions criteria include:

• Academic record: evidence of excellence in prior legal or social‑science study.
• Research proposal: a clear, feasible dissertation proposal that aligns with faculty expertise in gender, international or comparative law.
• References: academic references that comment on research potential and readiness for doctoral study.
• Writing sample: a substantial piece of legal scholarship, such as a law review article, master’s thesis or other academic paper.
• English language proficiency: for applicants whose first language is not English, acceptable proof of proficiency is required.
• Interview: some candidates may be invited to interview with prospective supervisors or an admissions committee.

Applicants without a formal law degree but with strong social‑science credentials and demonstrable legal research orientation may be considered in line with the programme’s interdisciplinary character.

Career prospects

Graduates from this concentration pursue careers across academia, public policy, advocacy and international institutions. Common career paths include:

• University teaching and research positions in law schools and interdisciplinary departments.
• Senior research or policy roles in international organisations (e.g. UN agencies), regional bodies and governmental ministries focusing on human rights, gender equality and justice reform.
• Leadership and research posts in NGOs and advocacy groups working on women's rights, gender-based violence, migration and development.
• Legal consultancy and advisory work for intergovernmental organisations, foundations and think tanks undertaking comparative legal assessments and reform projects.
• Judicial clerkships or positions in courts and tribunals that deal with human-rights and gender-sensitive litigation, where relevant experience and qualifications apply.

Why study at Florida International University

Florida International University is situated in a global crossroads with strong links to Latin America and the Caribbean, making it particularly well positioned for comparative and transnational research. The university and its law faculty offer interdisciplinary collaboration with centres and programmes in international law, human rights and gender studies, and access to clinical programmes and partnership networks for applied research.

Students benefit from faculty expertise in comparative constitutional law, human rights and migration, a diverse student body, and research resources including comprehensive law library collections and opportunities for community engagement in a multilingual urban setting. The programme’s emphasis on both rigorous theoretical grounding and practical policy relevance helps equip graduates to influence scholarship, law reform and practice across jurisdictions.