Application Information for Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) Program

Financing S.J.D. Study at Harvard Law School

A year in Harvard Law School's S.J.D. program is expensive. Regular tuition for a first-year student in 2007-2008 is $39,325; first-year students who were eligible to and did waive the LL.M. degree pay reduced tuition of $1,000. In addition, the costs of dormitory housing, food, medical fees, books and supplies, activity fee, and personal and travel expenses for a single student come to at least $23,097. For the 2007-2008 academic year, the standard budget for married students calls for at least another $12,540 in living expenses for the spouse, $7,212 for the first child, and $7,116 for each additional child.

Current Harvard Law School LL.M. students applying to the S.J.D. program are permitted to "waive" the LL.M. degree by so indicating in their application for admission. If admitted, an applicant who waives the LL.M. degree will not be awarded the LL.M. degree. However, he or she will be permitted to count the tuition paid for the LL.M. year in satisfaction of the Harvard University requirement that a student pay at least one year's full tuition for every degree that he or she receives. For the first year of S.J.D. studies, students who have waived the LL.M. degree are charged tuition of $1,000 rather than $39,325.

Students who cannot afford the cost of such a year are eligible for financial aid from the Graduate Program. All financial aid awards are based on the applicant’s demonstrated financial need, and no student admitted to S.J.D. candidacy has been unable to pursue his or her studies for lack of financial resources. We offer financial aid in the form of both grants (scholarships) and loans. In addition to our grant funds, we are able to offer students with financial need access to loans on favorable terms through Harvard University’s own loan funds and through the University’s special loan program with Citibank. Financial aid is not available to cover the tuition charges of first-year students who had the opportunity to waive the LL.M. degree but did not do so.

All applicants who wish to apply for financial aid should complete the financial aid forms appearing in the application materials and return them with their application for admission to the S.J.D. Program. Because the processes for making admissions and financial aid decisions are completely separate, your application for financial aid will have no impact on your application for admission.

In addition to our need-based financial aid funds, the Graduate Program has limited funding available for Graduate Program Fellowship positions such as LL.M. Advisor, Teaching Assistant, Coordinator of the Law Teaching Colloquium, and the like. Selection for these positions are made based on a separate application process held in the spring of each academic year. Application materials for these positions become available in April.

Finally, the Graduate Program offers a limited number of Byse Fellowships, named in honor of Byrne Professor of Law Emeritus Clark Byse, each year. These fellowships are intended to help fund the dissertation work of S.J.D. students who have completed their oral examinations. Fellows are expected to teach a one-semester Graduate Program workshop of their own design and to be in residence for the entire year of their appointment. Each Fellowship carries a stipend of $15,000. The Program selects Byse Fellows for the coming academic year in May of each year and for the coming calendar year in December of each year. Application materials for these positions become available in April and November, respectively.

Given our funding limitations, prospective applicants are encouraged to seek other sources of funds early in the application process.

Other Sources of Funds

Applicants seeking financial assistance should investigate funding sources in their home countries well in advance. Examples of such sources include employers, government agencies and foundations. Loans from private lending institutions in the U.S. may also be available to international applicants.

The United States Embassy or consulate in an international applicant's home country may have information on U.S. government grants under the Fulbright program and other information on fellowship opportunities. Applicants who are from certain countries or who meet certain specific criteria may be eligible for a number of scholarships administered by Harvard University's Committee on General Scholarships. Please note that many of these scholarships have their own application procedures and deadlines, and students must apply for some of these funds by contacting committees or agencies in their home countries.

In some cases it may be possible for students to undertake part-time paid employment on campus, e.g., working in the Law School Library or as research assistants for faculty members. Generally speaking, students can expect to earn up to a total of $3,500 over the course of the academic year in return for 10–12 hours of work per week. These positions cannot be arranged through the Graduate Program Office. Admitted applicants interested in such employment must seek out such positions after arrival at Harvard Law School. Off-campus employment during the year of study is not permitted for international students.