College of Law Admission Requirements | HBKU
College of Law Admission Requirements

Admission and Application Requirements

JD:
Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with a minimum 3.0 GPA (out of 4).

LL.M. in International Economic and Business Law:
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree or Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a recognized university with a minimum 3.0 GPA (out of 4), with a preference given to candidates with at least a minimum 3.3 GPA (out of 4).

LL.M. in International Law and Foreign Affairs:
Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with a minimum 3.0 GPA (out of 4) in any of the following areas: Law, International Relations, Political Science, History, Economics, Business and Finance, Sociology, or Anthropology. A strong preference is given to candidates with at least a minimum 3.3 GPA (out of 4) in Law, International Relations, Political Science, or Economics.

S.J.D.:
JD or LL.M. degree preferably from HBKU’s College of Law. Exceptional candidates from other universities may also be considered. Candidates with an LL.B. degree from a recognized university require the LL.M. degree, again preferably from the College of Law, or in exceptional cases from a recognized university. Candidates should have at least a 3.0 GPA (out of 4) in their previous law degree with a strong preference for candidates with a 3.3 GPA (out of 4).

English Language Requirements:
All applicants are required to submit a valid IELTS score of 6.5 or TOEFL score of 79 in order to demonstrate their proficiency in English. Applicants may be exempt from this requirement if they provide an official letter confirming that they obtained their degree from a university where the medium of instruction is English.

Application

The completed online application form can be accessed here.  

Please note that this application is for admissions only, information on how to apply for funding (where applicable) is provided to students who have been admitted to the program. 
It is the applicant's responsibility to submit all required documents at the time of application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Academic transcripts

Official electronic copies of transcripts should be submitted as part of the online application. Final transcript and graduation statements are required for all previous university studies. All transcripts submitted should include an explanation of the grading system. 

For those who have not completed their current studies, transcripts must include results from the last completed semester of coursework. Transcripts in languages other than English or Arabic must be accompanied with an official translation.

Applicants who are admitted to the program based on copies of or incomplete transcripts will be required to provide original transcripts upon enrollment in order to register for courses.

Standardized test results

Official copies of standardized test results (where required) must be sent directly to HBKU. Please refer to the institutional codes below:

  • TOEFL: 4981
  • IELTS: No code required. Students should ask the IELTS center where they tested to send the IELTS TRF to Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar

Applicants should also submit copies of their test scores with the online application.

Letters of recommendation

Two letters of recommendation from previous or current professors, employers, or other individuals familiar with the applicant’s qualifications. Applicants will receive the link to request recommendation forms once they have submitted the online admission application.

Personal statement of interest

The personal statement (300-500 words) should introduce the applicant to the Admissions Committee. Topics that may be discussed include, among others, personal or professional goals and personal, academic or career history. The Committee looks beyond test scores and grade point averages in making selection decisions. The personal statement gives the Committee a means to consider a variety of factors in assessing applicants. Incomplete personal statements will not be accepted.

Research Proposal

LL.M.:
LL.M. applicants are required to submit a research proposal (1,000 words) that illustrates their readiness to explore a particular research question, along with their application.

S.J.D.:
S.J.D. applicants are required to submit a research proposal for the dissertation that illustrates their readiness to explore a particular research question in depth, in the areas covered in the S.J.D. program. The research proposal, which should not exceed 1,000 words, should describe a dissertation that can reasonably be completed during the duration of the program. The Admissions Committee considers the following: 

  • Does the proposal describe a dissertation that will make an analytical contribution to legal scholarship? 
  • Is the applicant qualified to complete this and do so in a way that will result in a publishable dissertation? 
  • Is a College of Law faculty member available to supervise in the subject area?  

Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Applicants should submit a copy of their current resume or curriculum vitae as part of the online application. This should include the following information, where applicable:

  • Academic Qualifications
  • Professional Experience
  • Publications
  • Research Projects
  • Academic Awards or Honors
  • Conference Presentations
     

Identification Document

All applicants should submit an electronic copy of their passport as part of the online application. Nationals and residents of Qatar should also submit their valid Qatari ID.

Tuition and Student Funding

The College of Law offers a limited number of partial tuition waivers for the JD program and the S.J.D. program, which are awarded on a competitive basis.

No tuition waivers or other forms of financial support are provided for the LL.M. programs.

To view tuition fees, please click here.

Admission inquiries


  • Please do not submit any additional application materials that are not on the list of required items. Any additional materials received will be automatically discarded.
  • HBKU cannot return documents to the applicant once they are submitted.
  • All documents submitted through the online application must be in PDF format. Any documents submitted in a different format will not be accepted.
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