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The Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) program allows for the development of substantive and original contributions to legal research and knowledge under the supervision of a faculty member. Doctoral candidates normally plan to pursue an academic career and develop their approach to pedagogy, research and writing while at McGill.

D.C.L. candidates may be associated with the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, the Quebec Research Centre of Private and Comparative Law, the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy, or one of the specialized Research Chairs at the Faculty of Law. For more information, see our Website: /law-gradprograms/programs/dcl/.

The degree will be awarded, at the earliest, after the completion of three years of residence in the Faculty. In the case of a candidate holding an LL.M. from McGill or an equivalent degree from another university, the residency requirement may be reduced to two years of study beyond the Master's degree, with the approval of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office, upon recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Faculty of Law.

The core of the D.C.L. program is a substantial thesis of up to 400 pages that makes a significant contribution to legal scholarship, evidencing in concept and execution the original work of the candidate. Its form must be suitable for publication. The thesis must be submitted within four years of completion of the residency requirement.