Overview
The Kathmandu University School of Law (KUSL) offers a two-year Master by Research in Legal Studies to selected promising students who want to specialize in the area of Corporate Law, International Trade Law, International Investment Law, Intellectual Property Law and Energy, and Infrastructure Law. As a postgraduate degree, the Master by Research is designed to produce specialists in law in the given fields with advanced knowledge and skills in research. Further, the proposed programs aim at fulfilling the following objectives:
- To provide graduates with specialized knowledge in the given fields on which to build for further research and development;
- To create specialists in Nepal with practical knowledge and problem-solving skills in these fields to address critical problems faced by the business and investment communities in the corporate sector;
- To provide students with the global and local networks and connections to further their careers as specialists in the relevant industries; and
- To build Kathmandu University and the School of Law’s reputations as valuable contributors in research in these areas within the legal communities locally and globally.
Basic requirements for Admission
For the Master by Research, students will be required to have the prior five-year integrated BBM,LL.B degree of Kathmandu University or any other undergraduate degree in law from any recognized university or institution with at least 50 percent marks in aggregate or a GPA of at least 2.5. In addition to a law degree any other interdisciplinary education, internships, work experience, publications demonstrating interest in the subject shall be considered an advantage.
Application Process
The Application Process will consist of submitting an application to the School of Law according to KU Research Directives 2063 BS along with an Online/Paper Form, a research proposal (as described below), and other documents required for admission. In addition to such documents, students will be assessed on the basis of the following:
a) Entry Requirements for Potential Applicants:
Within equal opportunities principles and legislation, applications will be assessed in the light of an applicant’s ability to meet the following entry requirements:
- Online/ Paper Form;
- A CV/résumé;
- Interest/motivation towards the subject;
Work/experience;
Written work produced by the student. One piece of written work of 2,000 words in length is required. This may be an extract from a longer piece - in such cases, the piece should be prefaced by a note which puts the work in context. The work must be in English. This will be assessed for a comprehensive understanding of the subject area, understanding of problems in the area, ability to construct and defend an argument, powers of analysis, and powers of expression. The work must be on a legal topic. Academic work from the student's most recent qualification is preferred.
English language requirement: Applicants whose language of instruction at the undergraduate level is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English.
- References/letters of recommendation: The student's references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement and motivation. Academic references are strongly preferred, but a professional reference will be accepted as long as the students also provide some academic reference.
b) Research proposal:
The selection process will start with the submission of the Online/Paper Form and the research proposal as stated above by the student in his/her area of specialization. The research proposal should be approximately 600 words (around two pages) in length and should be written in English.
This will be assessed for:
- the coherence of the proposal
- the originality of the project
- evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
- the student's ability to present a reasoned case in English
- the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course.
It will be normal for students' ideas subsequently to change in some ways as students investigate the evidence and develop their projects. They should nevertheless make the best effort they can to demonstrate the extent of their research question, sources, and method at the current time.
It is not necessary to make contact with academic staff at the School of Law prior to submitting the application or the research proposal.
c) Entrance examination:
The School of Law may require the candidate to sit in the entrance examination on the subject of his/her research proposal.
d) Performance at interview(s)
A short interview will be conducted as a part of the application process to ensure that the applicants have the requisite level of English to complete the program as well as the ability to work independently. The interview will also allow assessment of the applicants’ communication skills and ability to be strong models for Kathmandu University and the School of Law upon graduation.
Other information:
Whether the student has yet secured funding for his/her research is not taken into consideration in the decision to make an initial offer of a place, but the initial offer of a place will not be confirmed until the student completed a financial declaration.
Degree requirement:
Students earn their Master by Research after completing a total of 30 credits during the 24 months academic cycle. Students must take 9 credit points of course work and 21 credit points of research work as a full-time student. In addition, they must also publish their thesis, or a significant article out of it, in a recognized peer-reviewed law journal to qualify for the degree.
