PhD in LL.D. (Comparative Law) Program in Law and Political Science

Tuition fees are 535,800 JPY per year.

Nagoya University, described by the institution as a comprehensive research university in the Tokai region of Japan, offers the LL.D. (Comparative Law) Program in Law and Political Science at its Aichi campus. The university points to a free and vigorous academic culture that has produced a range of research outcomes and trained graduates who go on to contribute to society. This doctoral program is taught in English, runs for three years, and admits students in either April or October, giving applicants two points of entry each year. At the doctoral level, comparative law study moves beyond coursework into sustained original research, typically requiring candidates to identify a research question that compares legal frameworks, doctrines, or institutions across two or more jurisdictions. Students work closely with faculty supervisors to develop a dissertation, drawing on methods from legal history, political science, and international law. Topics commonly explored in comparative law doctoral work include constitutional design, judicial review, human rights protections, and the interaction between domestic law and international legal obligations. The political science component of the program encourages attention to how legal outcomes are shaped by governmental structures and political processes. Doctoral graduates in comparative law typically move into academic positions, senior roles in government and international bodies, or advanced legal practice requiring cross-jurisdictional expertise. The three-year timeline reflects the depth of independent research expected at this level. Based in Aichi, a prefecture associated with manufacturing and industry, students have access to a research environment shaped by both the university's academic traditions and the surrounding region's economic character.