Ph.D. in Judicial Studies

Prospective students must:

• be full-time judicial officers,
• be graduates of an ABA-accredited law school, and
• meet the admission requirements of The Graduate School

Exceptions may be made for full-time sitting international judges, full-time judges who graduated from recognized federal law schools of non-accredited American law schools and have been admitted to the Bar.

Judges seeking the MJS degree can apply online to the University's Graduate School. Applications are accepted throughout the year, but preference is given for applications received by the priority deadlines.  

A complete MJS application consists of:

• Baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.00 GPA
• Law School and/or Master's degree with a minimum 2.50 GPA
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume
• Statement of Purpose
• Two letters of recommendation

Application deadlines

Fall application priority deadline: July 1
Spring application priority deadline: Dec. 1

Our students and graduates report many benefits. Some simply want to be better judges. Others want additional credentials to support appointment or election efforts. Some aspire to write or teach as a "next career" or as they move into retirement. Others are lifelong learners. However, most report the biggest benefit is the intimate and peer-intensive learning experience and being able to network and develop lasting relationships with faculty and judicial colleagues from all over the world. Many students describe the experience as "rejuvenating."

Students can expect to spend three to five years beyond their Master's to complete additional coursework and their dissertation.

The dissertation is generally the equivalent of writing three law review articles and specifying how the three are related.  The judge-student’s own analysis will make the dissertation a unique contribution to the literature. Judges could also create substantial “best practices” manuals or other practical and unique written contributions.

The MJS and Ph.D. programs offered by the Judicial Studies Graduate Degree Program at the University of Nevada, Reno are far more affordable than law school.

The cost of the degrees at the University of Nevada, Reno depends on a few factors:

• The degree can be completed entirely at the University or can be a combination of University courses and courses from the National Judicial College and/or National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  The three entities each have their own tuition and fees (and the University charges a small fee to transfer credit from these entities). 
• The University's tuition rate is (as of 2027) $395/credit. There is no out-of-state tuition as with other graduate programs.
• There are various other fees (e.g., application fee, thesis filing fee, graduation fee) that are approximately $80 each (subject to change).
• In addition to tuition and fees charged by the University, judge-students who choose to take in-person courses should also budget for housing, travel, meals, etc. 

Overall, most students report costs to complete the program are very reasonable. For instance, if a judge-student earns an MJS entirely through University of Nevada, Reno courses, they would take 32 credits at $395/credit, plus various other fees. That total would be approximately $13,300. In comparison, the average Master’s degree in 2026 in the US is $62,820.   

Many jurisdictions provide funding for judges’ continuing education, and some states offer tuition funding to all residents (even for out-of-state programs). The GI Bill can be used by veterans. Judges can also use 529 savings plans to fund their own tuition. Thus, some judges have few out-of-pocket costs.

We get no state funding, relying only on tuition, grants and donations. We strive to provide the highest level of post-law school education possible. 

No. The entire MJS and Ph.D. programs can be completed online.  However, many judges enjoy taking in-person courses and engaging in extended interactions with faculty and other judges. 

The Master's in Judicial Studies does not require a thesis; however, there are three degree tracks:

1. Complete a 6-credit thesis. A formal thesis requires a thesis committee's approval of a pre-prospectus, writing a thesis-length manuscript, editing according to the committee's feedback and, if necessary, a verbal defense of the thesis.
2. Complete a comprehensive (written) exam. Although each exam is different, a possible exam question could ask judges to a) summarize and reflect on their coursework, b) indicate how it could have affected their past experiences and how they will apply the coursework in their future as judges, c) define the academic field of "Judicial Studies", and d) write a short paper on any judicial studies topic that brings together knowledge learned from multiple courses .*
3. Complete a professional paper. Students take an academic writing course and write a single paper, typically much shorter than a formal thesis. The paper is usually in the form of a law review article, on the topic of their choice (approved by their advisor).*

*The comprehensive exam and professional paper options are only 3 credits and thus require 3 credits of additional coursework.  All options are 32 credits. 

The Ph.D. in Judicial Studies requires a dissertation. This is typically the equivalent of writing three law review articles and specifying how the three are related. The judge-student’s own analysis will make the dissertation a unique contribution to the literature. Judges could also create substantial “best practices” manuals or other practical and unique written contributions. 

Judges can study any topic related to the law or legal system. You can review the list of past thesis and dissertation titles.

Many judges also take courses in academic writing, which allow them to do independent research on topics of their personal interest.