Program
Advance legal research through original, thesis‑based study at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan. This Master of Laws (LL.M.) brings together a small group of students and faculty to support close supervision and in‑depth research in areas such as Aboriginal, commercial, constitutional, criminal, and human rights law. Funding support is available to help students complete advanced research and a thesis.
Why choose USask for a Master of Laws?
- Build original, publishable research with supervision across diverse areas of law.
- Strengthen scholarly focus in a small, collegial program with close engagement with faculty supervisors.
- Advance academic and professional goals with access to courses, seminars, guest lectures, office space, and funding support.
Quick facts
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Expected length Thesis-based Course-based LL.M. 16 months - Degree requirements
- Class delivery in-person
- Supervisor not required to apply
- Deadlines and admission details below
Leaders in advancing legal research
Develop original research in a focused, supportive environment. Work one‑on‑one with faculty to explore legal issues that matter to you and your community.
Master of Laws program
The Master of Laws (LL.M.) is a full‑time program completed over approximately 12 to 16 months and includes a 12‑month residency requirement. Admission is intentionally limited to support close supervision, meaningful faculty engagement, and a collegial learning environment. Students benefit from funding opportunities such as scholarships and travel grants, access to graduate‑level courses, seminars, and guest lectures across the University, and dedicated office space within the College of Law.
The LL.M. is a thesis‑based program, offering supervision in a wide range of research areas, including the following:
- Aboriginal law and Indigenous peoples' rights
- Business organizations law
- Commercial law (domestic or international)
- Comparative constitutional law
- Corporate law
- Criminal law (domestic or international)
- Environmental law
- Family law
- Human rights law
- International trade and investment law
A full list of potential supervisor research interests can be found below.
Research supervisors
It is not necessary to find a potential supervisor before beginning your application. The list below may be helpful for learning about the research interests of our faculty; however, not all are available to supervise graduate students each year. During an open application cycle, you may contact law.gradstudies@usask.ca to inquire about available research areas for that year.
| Name | Research areas |
|---|---|
| Secured financing; commercial liens; sale of goods; mercantile agency; transfers of securities and financial assets; set-off; bankruptcy and insolvency; judgment enforcement | |
| Canadian constitutional law; charter of Rights; criminal law (domestic) | |
| Constitutional law; criminal law; human rights | |
| Canadian constitutional law; charter of rights; criminal law (domestic); criminal procedure; evidence; legal theory; police powers | |
| Legal personhood; public international law; private international law; human rights, systems theory of law | |
| Legal education, dispute resolution, legal risk assessment, business organizations law; contract law; corporate law; energy law; international trade; natural resource law and development | |
| Administrative and municipal law; property law; aboriginal law and indigenous peoples rights | |
| Dispute resolution, negotiation and mediation; litigation risk assessment; legal education; legal ethics | |
| Health, disability, and elder law; tax law and policy | |
| Indigenous Nation Building Theory; Rematriation and Repatriation of Indigenous ancestors and cultural items; and Indigenous-specific racism in the academy. | |
| Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Adult ADHD, Psychopharmacology, Spirituality & religiosity in forensic patients, mental health, psychiatry | |
| Contract law; corporate law; international investment law; natural resource law; human rights law; public international law. | |
| Access to justice; child protection and child welfare law; clinical law; Indigenous law; property law | |
| Environmental, natural resources and resource development, and agricultural law; property law | |
| Criminal law; evidence; legal ethics and the legal profession; legal theory | |
| Aboriginal law; administrative law; Canadian constitutional law; environmental law; human rights law; natural resource law and development; sentencing Law | |
| Body ownership and use, law and the dead, legal theory, medical law, medico-legal history, private law and biomaterials, law and humanities | |
| Children's law; family law; gender law and policy; legal theory; poverty law; poverty and access to justice |
Tuition and funding
Funding
Many factors are involved in assessing funding assistance and the amount of available funding varies from year to year. If you are accepted to our LL.M. program, the College of Law Graduate Committee will provide information to you regarding the amount of funding you may expect. LL.M. Scholarships start at $20,000 per year and the committee makes every effort to provide funding assistance according to the available resources. The online application asks you to indicate if funding will be required; at the time of application no other documentation or scholarship application is required.
Scholarships
Graduate students at USask can receive funding from a variety of sources to support their graduate education.
Tuition and fees
Thesis or project-based master's program
Graduate students in a thesis or project-based program pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program.
| Term | Canadian students | International students |
|---|---|---|
| September 1 - December 31, 2025 | ||
| January 1 - April 30, 2026 | ||
| May 1 - August 31, 2026 | ||
| Total per academic year |
Student fees
In addition to tuition above, students also pay fees for programs like health and dental insurance, a bus pass, and other campus services. The amount you need to pay depends on if you are taking classes full time or part time, and if you are on campus or not. The table below assumes you are on campus full-time.
| Fall 2025 | Winter 2026 | Spring 2026 | Summer 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student fees | $578.45 CAD | $804.73 CAD | $36.75 CAD | $36.75 CAD |
Tuition information is accurate for the current academic year and does not include student fees. For detailed tuition and fees information, visit the official tuition website.
Admission requirements
Master of Laws (LL.M.)
- Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English*
- A Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws degree, or equivalent, from a recognized college or university
- A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units)
*Language requirements set by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies represent the minimum scores required to be considered for admission to a graduate program. In order to be competitive for admission, it is recommended applicants to the Master of Laws program achieve greater than the minimums, a TOEFL (IBT) overall score of 90, or IELTS overall score of 7; or Duolingo (DET) overall score of 115 with no less than 95 in each area.
Application process and deadlines
Deadlines and important dates
| Start Term | Application Deadline |
|
Fall |
December 15 Documents due: December 15 |
Submit an online application
International students - Master's and doctoral students applying for a study permit do not need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma students, as well as Visiting Research students studying over six months, still need a PAL. Review federal international study permit policies before you apply.
Before beginning your online application, be sure that you have carefully reviewed all program information and admission requirements on this page.
During the application, you'll be asked for:
- Personal information such as your name, address, etc.
- Contact information of your three referees
- For your letters of recommendation, two of your referees must be academic contacts, and the third may be academic or professional
- Your complete academic history from all previous post-secondary institutions
The application takes about 30 minutes to complete. You may save your application and return to it later.
At the end of the application, you will need to pay a non-refundable application fee: $125 for domestic students and $145 for international students. Your application will not be processed until payment is received.
Submit required documents
Once you've submitted your online application, you will have access to upload your required documents, and provide the contact information for your references. To do this, go to the "Supplemental Items & Documents" tab in your application.
Preliminary Statement of Marks
- Once you have submitted your application for admission and paid the application fee, you will be required to upload unofficial PDF copies of your academic transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended. This requirement will appear as Preliminary Statement of Marks or Additional Prelim. Statement under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
- The uploaded transcript can be an unofficial copy of the transcript issued by the university or college and must include a grading key/legend.
- All pages of a transcript must be uploaded as a single PDF document.
- Uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial or preliminary. Official copies of your transcripts will be required only for applicants offered admission. This requirement will appear as Post-secondary Transcript under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
- Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
For students who are required to provide proof of English proficiency:
- Completing a relevant test with the appropriate score is required before the application deadline.
- Tests are valid for 24 months after the testing date and must be valid at the beginning of the student's first term of registration in the graduate program.
- Applicants will be required to upload a PDF copy of any required language test score. Uploaded test scores will be considered unofficial or preliminary.
In addition to the above official documents, please upload the following documents:
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- Statement/letter of intent: explain your reasons for pursuing an LL.M., how your background prepared you to succeed in a rigorous academic program, and your objectives in completing the degree
- Research statement: two to five pages describing: 1) the specific topic or area of legal research you propose to explore in your thesis; 2) the jurisprudence or literature that provides the foundation for your proposal (i.e. what work has already been done on this topic and how would your research build on it? What is the body of legal material that you will use to complete your thesis research?); 3) outline your proposed research question and the research you plan to complete to investigate this question.
- Writing sample: this should be 20-50 pages in length and must have been written by you, in English. Ideally this will be a published article or law school research paper. If an English language article is not available the Graduate committee will consider your application on the basis of your proposal alone.
- Undergraduate degree preliminary OR master's degree certificate: if the awarding of your degree is not clearly indicated on the post-secondary transcript you will also be required to upload a PDF copy of the degree certificate(s). Official copies of your degree certificates will only be required once you have been offered admission.
Shortlisted applicants may be invited to participate in an online interview before final admission decisions are made.
Contact
College of Law
15 Campus Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A6
Graduate Program Contact
Email: law.gradstudies@usask.ca
Graduate Chair, College of Law
Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research
Email: law_graddirector@usask.ca
- College of Law
Learn more about the academic unit offering this program - Program and Course Catalogue
To view official admission and program requirements