S.J.D. Degree Requirements for Students Entering Prior to Fall 2016

The first year

An S.J.D. candidate will be appointed a faculty advisor who will supervise the candidate, organize an S.J.D. Candidacy Committee, and serve as a member of the S.J.D. Candidacy Committee.

Within a year, the Candidacy Committee will conduct a progress evaluation of the candidate including a review of the candidate’s: (1) candidacy paper; and (2) oral presentation of the candidacy paper. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine whether the candidate has demonstrated reasonable progress toward the completion of the degree requirements.

S.J.D. candidates may enroll in (as an auditor) Penn State Law or Graduate School courses that the candidate and Faculty Advisor determine will be useful in pursuit of the candidate’s research proposal.

In addition, candidates must be a physical resident at Penn State Law and while resident must complete at least two semesters (excluding summer session) in full-time student status.

During these two semesters, the candidate must:

• Enroll in Research Methods Seminar (SJDLW 901) 1- credit per semester.  This seminar provides S.J.D. candidates in residence an opportunity to present their work to faculty and others, S.J.D. candidates will enroll in SJDLW 900 (SJD Dissertation) for two consecutive (fall and spring) semesters; Note:  Effective for S.J.D candidates admitted Fall 2015 and after, the seminar will be Research Methods Seminar (SJDLW 902) 2 – credits with a one semester (Fall) enrollment requirement.
• Conduct research on or off site from Penn State Law as required by the candidate’s research proposal;
• Prepare a candidacy paper; and
• Complete annually a Self-Evaluation report that explains progress toward completion of the degree requirements.

Second Year (or after 2 semesters in residence)

After two semesters in residence, the Candidacy Committee will conduct a progress evaluation of the candidate including a review of the candidate’s: (1) candidacy paper; and (2) oral presentation of the candidacy paper. The candidacy paper must include a detailed bibliography, an outline, and first chapter of the dissertation. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine whether the candidate has demonstrated reasonable progress toward the completion of the degree requirements.

A candidate who is unable to complete these tasks within one calendar year of matriculation may apply to the Penn State Law Associate Dean for an extension of time for good cause.

A candidate is eligible to remain in the S.J.D. program after one calendar year of matriculation only if the Candidacy Committee concludes that the candidate’s work as of the Progress Evaluation shows reasonable progress towards completion of the requirements for the degree. The Candidacy Committee will assess the candidate’s progress by evaluating the quality and originality of the thesis and argument presented orally and in the candidacy paper, the depth and breadth of research, the adequacy and sophistication of research methodology, and the strength of writing.

Upon completion of the Candidacy Examination the student must submit the S.J.D. Candidacy/Dissertation Form to the Law School Registrar.

Candidates who at this point are not deemed eligible to remain in the program shall be dismissed.

The Dissertation

Candidates who are deemed eligible to remain in the program based on the Progress Evaluation must, within three calendar years thereafter, complete a dissertation of a quality which the Dissertation Committee deems suitable for publication by a leading academic press and defend the dissertation orally before the Dissertation Committee. Penn State Law does not guarantee, facilitate or bear responsibility for the publication of the dissertation either as a book/monograph or law review article(s).  A candidate who is unable to complete a dissertation within three calendar years following the Progress Evaluation may apply to the Penn State Law Associate Dean for an extension of time for good cause.

Upon completion of the Dissertation Defense the student must submit the S.J.D. Candidacy/Dissertation Form to the Law School Registrar. The passed Dissertation Defense document will include the following permission statement completed and signed by the student:

I hereby certify that I have obtained the necessary permission for copyrighted material included in my dissertation and choose that the document be placed in the Penn State Law eLibrary archives with the following status:

Open Access – Allows free worldwide access to the entire work beginning immediately after degree conferral.  Appropriate for the majority of dissertation submissions in fulfilling the requirement for making the work available to the public.

         Or

Restricted Access for a Period of 2 Years – At the end of the two-year period status will change to Open Access.  Intended for use by authors in cases of where prior public release of the work may compromise its acceptance for publication.

The Law School will assist candidates in their professional and career development throughout the process.

Research Services

University Libraries offers free courses on different tools for conducting research. For more information, visit the classes offered page of the University Libraries website.

Semester of Graduation

An S.J.D. student intending to graduate must notify the Law School Registrar. The following deadline dates are important to meet for the semester of graduation.  If these deadlines are not met the student will need to graduate a subsequent semester.

Fall Graduation – December 15

Spring Graduation – April 15 (the only semester that includes a formal graduation ceremony)

Summer Graduation – August 1