Doctor of Philosophy in Commercial Law

Summary

The PhD is a globally recognised postgraduate research degree and the highest level of degree you can achieve. PhD students are critical, curious, creative thinkers who undertake original research over at least 3 years.

This course is also offered at overseas locations.

Commercial Law

Commercial Law means the laws that govern business activities. All businesses use commercial law to create wealth, and to identify and mitigate risks.

Studying Commercial Law will give you an array of skills that are valued highly in business. It will develop your analytical and critical thinking skills, improve your written communication skills, and help you to think strategically about business opportunities and risks.
Commercial law is taught in various undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the University of Auckland Law School. Commercial Law is also a major in the Bachelor of Commerce, studied at the Business School.
Our staff are leading academics in their fields, many combining academic excellence with experience as practitioners in leading New Zealand firms. Their expertise spans all areas of commercial law, including corporate law, intellectual property and information technology, governance, insolvency, international trade, securities markets, finance, insurance, and taxation.

Research opportunities

When you undertake your doctorate in Commercial Law at the University of Auckland, you’ll join a high calibre community of internationally-recognised researchers. You’ll have opportunities to publish your research and present it at international conferences. You may also be actively involved in supporting industry and government initiatives.

We welcome research proposals in topics relating to our key research specialisations:

• Governance and financing of business enterprises
• Taxation and regulation
• Intellectual property, innovation and information
• Data privacy law
• Law and artificial intelligence
• Employment law

Programme structure

The University of Auckland PhD is a three-to-four year full-time advanced research degree.

On possible to the PhD programme, you will be enrolled provisionally. By the end of your first year, you must meet a number of goals to be confirmed into the PhD programme, including developing a full thesis proposal. After confirmation, you will continue to work on your research before submitting your thesis for examination after three years and within four years of your start date. The examination process includes an oral exam.

As part of your PhD study, you can take part in our doctoral skills programme, designed to help you achieve success in your research and develop skills for your future. We have a dedicated postgraduate careers advisor, and our library service includes specialist subject librarians to help you in your research. The central School of Graduate Studies provides dedicated support and advice for the doctoral community.

Where could this programme take you?

Our PhD graduates are successful in a wide range of fields and careers, as well as the traditional academic research career path. The PhD gives you extensive specialist and transferable skills, which are sought after in many sectors, including industry and government, and can even help you to develop entrepreneurship skills to run your own startup.