Doctorate (PhD)
The Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree is a higher doctorate and one of the University's most prestigious qualifications. It is awarded only to individuals who have published original contributions of special excellence in the history, philosophy, exposition or criticism of law. It is expected that an applicant will either be an Otago graduate or have had some formal association with the University.
There is no requirement for coursework or a supervised piece of original research. Rather, an intending candidate must lodge a formal application that includes books published by major companies, papers published in peer reviewed serials and, if approved by the Senate, unpublished reports. Copies of the submitted work will be sent to subject experts of national and international eminence for examination.
Conferral of the LLD is a mark of the high esteem in which the candidate's work is held by his or her peers in New Zealand and internationally.