Specializations and variants
Program Requirements M.A. Legal Studies (5.0 credits)
M.A. Legal Studies with Collaborative Specialization in Accessibility (5.0 credits)
M.A. Legal Studies with Collaborative Specialization in African Studies (5.0 credits)
M.A. Legal Studies with Collaborative Specialization in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (5.0 credits)
Ph.D. Legal Studies (4.5 credits)
Ph.D. Legal Studies with Collaborative Specialization in Political Economy (4.5 credits)
Program pathways and conditions
These tables reproduce the source requirements for the indicated period. Official interpretation is the responsibility of the university.
Pathway 1
| Requirements - Thesis option (5.0 credits) | ||
| 1. 2.0 credits in LAWS | 2.0 | |
| 2. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| LAWS 5000 [0.5] | Theories of Law and Social Transformation | |
| LAWS 5001 [0.5] | Legal Method and Social Inquiry | |
| 3. 2.0 credits in: | 2.0 | |
| LAWS 5909 [2.0] | M.A. Thesis | |
| Total Credits | 5.0 |
Pathway 2
| Requirements - Thesis pathway (5.0 credits) | ||
| 1. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| ACCS 5001 [0.5] | Critical Disability Studies | |
| ACCS 5002 [0.5] | Accessibility and Inclusive Design Seminar | |
| 2. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| LAWS 5000 [0.5] | Theories of Law and Social Transformation | |
| LAWS 5001 [0.5] | Legal Method and Social Inquiry | |
| 3. 1.0 credit in LAWS | 1.0 | |
| 4. 2.0 credits in: | 2.0 | |
| LAWS 5909 [2.0] | M.A. Thesis (in the specialization. Includes an oral examination) | |
| Total Credits | 5.0 |
Pathway 3
| Requirements - Thesis pathway | ||
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| AFRI 5000 [0.5] | African Studies as a Discipline: Historical and Current Perspectives | |
| 2. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| LAWS 5000 [0.5] | Theories of Law and Social Transformation | |
| LAWS 5001 [0.5] | Legal Method and Social Inquiry | |
| 3. 0.0 credit in: | ||
| AFRI 5800 [0.0] | Scholarly Preparation in African Studies | |
| 4. 1.5 credits in LAWS | 1.5 | |
| 5. 2.0 credits in: | 2.0 | |
| LAWS 5909 [2.0] | M.A. Thesis (in the specialization, including an oral examination. See Note, below) | |
| Total Credits | 5.0 |
Pathway 4
| Requirements - Thesis pathway (5.0 credits) | ||
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| LACS 5000 [0.5] | Interdisciplinary Approaches to Latin American and Caribbean Studies | |
| 2. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| LAWS 5000 [0.5] | Theories of Law and Social Transformation | |
| LAWS 5001 [0.5] | Legal Method and Social Inquiry | |
| 3. 0.0 credit in: | 0.0 | |
| LACS 5800 [0.0] | Scholarly Preparation in Latin American and Caribbean Studies | |
| 4. 1.5 credits in LAWS | 1.5 | |
| 5. 2.0 credits in: | 2.0 | |
| LAWS 5909 [2.0] | M.A. Thesis (in the specialization. Includes an oral examination) | |
| Total Credits | 5.0 |
Pathway 5
| Requirements: | ||
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| LAWS 6000 [0.5] | Doctoral Seminar in Legal Studies | |
| 2. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| LAWS 6001 [0.5] | Proseminar in Legal Studies | |
| 3. 2.0 credits in: | 2.0 | |
| LAWS 6095 [1.0] | Field Comprehensive | |
| LAWS 6096 [1.0] | Thesis Proposal | |
| 4. 1.5 credits in approved courses, at least 0.5 of which must be chosen from | 1.5 | |
| LAWS 6002 [0.5] | Law, Regulation and Governance | |
| LAWS 6003 [0.5] | Human Rights, Citizenship and Global Justice | |
| LAWS 6004 [0.5] | Crime, Law, and Security | |
| Students will normally be required to take the course which relates to their field of study. Optional courses will be selected from a list approved annually by the department. Students may complete up to 1.0 credit of approved courses offered in other departments. Students may also choose directed reading courses with the core faculty of the program | ||
| 5. 0.0 credits in: | ||
| LAWS 6909 [0.0] | Ph. D. Thesis (must be successfully defended at an oral examination.) | |
| Total Credits | 4.5 |
Pathway 6
| Requirements: | ||
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| LAWS 6000 [0.5] | Doctoral Seminar in Legal Studies | |
| 2. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| LAWS 6001 [0.5] | Proseminar in Legal Studies | |
| 4. 2.0 credits in: | 2.0 | |
| LAWS 6095 [1.0] | Field Comprehensive | |
| LAWS 6096 [1.0] | Thesis Proposal | |
| 5. 0.5 credit from: | 0.5 | |
| LAWS 6002 [0.5] | Law, Regulation and Governance | |
| LAWS 6003 [0.5] | Human Rights, Citizenship and Global Justice | |
| LAWS 6004 [0.5] | Crime, Law, and Security | |
| 6. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| PECO 6000 [0.5] | Political Economy: Core Concepts | |
| 7. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| A relevant political economy course from the approved list | ||
| 8. 0.0 credits in: | 0.0 | |
| LAWS 6909 [0.0] | Ph. D. Thesis (In the specialization. Must be successfully defended at an oral examination.) | |
| Total Credits | 4.5 |
Courses
These courses were identified on the program source page. Their presence does not mean they are all required in every pathway.
Sources and references
Reference year : 2026-27
Dates and sources are retained to help you verify the information. Translations are provided to facilitate reading; the official source governs conditions and requirements.
Source reference : https://calendar.carleton.ca/grad/gradprograms/legalstudies/