• Faculty of Law
  • law@um.edu.my
  • 03-7967-6503 / 6504
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PHD

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PH.D)

Programme Code: LVA
Programme Duration :
Min : 4 normal sem
Max : 12 sem (4 years)
Mode of Study : Research

The PhD programme is a full research programme leading to the submission of a thesis based on an individually supervised research. All research proposals must be approved and supervised by the Faculty.

ENTRY REQUIREMENT

  1. A Master’s degree by way of research; or

  2. A Master’s degree by coursework with CGPA of not less than 3.7; or

  3. A Master’s degree by coursework with CGPA between 2.0 and 3.69 and a Bachelor degree with CGPA not less than 3.0; or

  4. A Master’s degree by coursework with CGPA between 2.0 and 3.69 and a Bachelor degree with CGPA between 2.5 and 2.99 and one of the following criteria :

  • Relevant work experience;
  • Publication in the relevant field;
  • Applicant is a scholarship holder;
  • Applicant is a Universiti of Malaya graduate;
  • Applicant is a civil servant.

General Information: Registrations are open all year. However, selection of proposals will be made by the Taskforce Research Candidate Selection that convenes four (4) times a year - March, June, September, and December. For example, if you apply for our PhD programme in July, the committee will only convene in September and the decision will be made thereafter.
 
Below is our application process for the PhD programme and Master of Legal Studies.

  1. Receipt of application of PhD or MLS through Maya portal (to comply with all the requirements stated on our website).
  2. Selection of Proposal by PhD and MLS Committee members.
  3. If accepted, the proposal will be sent to the proposed supervisor(s) for their consideration.
  4. If the Taskforce and Supervisor(s) are agreeable to the student’s proposal, an offer letter will be issued to the student through our Maya portal.
  5. If the Taskforce or the proposed Supervisor rejects the proposal, the decision will be conveyed to the student through our MAYA portal.

 
Enrolment for the PhD and MLS programme are on:

Sem 1 – October (current year)
Sem 2 – March (current year)

Any application needs to be submitted with a 1000-words proposal in the following format:

  1. Introduction
  2. Problem Statement
  3. Literature Review
  4. Research Objectives
  5. Research Questions
  6. Methodology
  7. Conclusion

You do not need to name any Supervisor in your application form if you cannot decide or find anyone during the application process. Supervisor(s) will be assigned to you if you pass the Taskforce Committee stage and if the respective Supervisor(s) is agreeable to supervise you. Please also be informed that the assignment of Supervisors is subject to the Deputy Dean's (Post-graduate) approval.

English Language for Non-Malaysians
TOEFL – score 600; OR
IELTS (Academic) – band 6.00

Bahasa Malaysia for Malaysians
Passed in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)

Bahasa Malaysia for Non-Malaysians citizens
Required to attend at a satisfactory level and pass a course in Bahasa Malaysia conducted by the University before being conferred the Degree.

The PhD programme is a full research programme leading to the submission of a thesis based on an individually supervised research.  All research proposals must be approved and research be supervised by the Faculty. 

PhD candidates are required to register and pass a Research Methodology course (LVX8001) with 3 credits and complete the GLT7001- Bahasa Malaysia (for the Non-Malaysian candidates only). The Research Methodology class is compulsory and candidates are required to attend the Research Methodology class in person- physical class attendance in class.
For international students, you are required to make necessary arrangements and reside in Malaysia for at least six (6) months to be able to attend the Research Methodology class. Minimum attendance is at least 80% according to the visa requirement.

All international students are encouraged to reside in Malaysia throughout the duration of their PhD candidature although this is not compulsory.
At the end of the candidature, a candidate is required to produce a thesis not exceeding 100,000 words on the subject of  his/her research.

Faculty Seminars

Candidates are require to deliver three (3) Seminars

  1. Research Proposal seminar-to be delivered at the Second Semester. The candidates are required to submit a research proposal of 3,000 – 5,000 words.
  2. Candidature Defence seminar - to be delivered at the Fifth Semester. The candidates are required deliver a research progress report of about 10,000 words.
  3. The Third seminar,which is to be delivered prior to submission of the thesis, requires the candidate to submit a summary of the thesis of 3,000 to 5,000 words, and an abstract of 500 words.

Faculty's Policy on the Academic Residential Requirement :

"Notwithstanding any other existing regulations, an international candidate shall comply with the academic residency requirement and attend the Research Methodology class in person (physically). This means that the candidate is required to be in Malaysia for a minimum period of one (1) semester or six (6) months (whichever is later)."

During this period of time, the candidate is required to have a face to face (physical/in person) consultation with the respective Supervisor, both at the beginning and at the end of the Semester. The Student shall also abide to the Role and Responsibilities of Candidate attached.

Attachment B

University of Malaya’s Research Ethics Committee (UMREC)

Please refer to the website of University of Malaya’s Research Ethics Committee (UMREC) below for guidelines and policies pertaining to research involving human participants & etc prior to the beginning of your research work if applicable.

https://umresearch.um.edu.my/research-ethics/

File 1. (UMREC)
File 2. Ethics Approval Chart

PUBLICATION

  1. Candidates are required to show proof of acceptance for publication of: 
  2. at least one (1) paper in the Category of  Web of Science (WoS); or
  3. at least one (1) paper in the Category of  Scopus Q1/Q2; or
  4. at least one (1) paper in the Category Scopus/Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) / ERA Journal List (Australian Research Council); or
  5. at least one (1) paper in the Category Scopus and two (2) articles in UM Journal; or
  6. at least one (1) paper in the Category Web of Sclence (WoS) Master Book List or Universiti Malaya Publisher or Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka or Majlis Penerbitan Ilmiah Malaysia (MAPIM) or refereed journal recognized by the Faculty.

Last Update: 24/06/2024