Peking University School of Transnational Law
2023 J.D. and J.M. Dual Degree Program
(For International Students)
1. Program Overview
Peking University School of Transnational Law (STL) is the only law school in the world that combines an American-style Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) with a China law Juris Master degree (J.M.). STL provides an academically rigorous, bilingual four-year program of legal education that prepares students for the mixture of Common Law, civil law, and Chinese legal traditions increasingly characteristic of the global economy.
Peking University
Peking University (“PKU”) is one of the most distinguished research universities in the world. 2023 The Times of Higher Education has named PKU the number 2 university in China, the number 2 university in all BRICs nations, the number 2 university in all of Asia, and the 17th most academically renowned university in the world.
Students and Faculty
Students at STL represent the highest-qualified candidates from a range of backgrounds and disciplines. International students at STL are classmates with students who are among the most academically talented in China.
STL has assembled a distinguished multinational faculty of leading scholars and practitioners from China, the U.S., the E.U., and elsewhere. The faculty includes scholars of international trade law, food safety policy, public international law, investment treaty arbitration, intellectual property, securities regulation, comparative corporate governance, law and economic development, Chinese legal history and philosophy, innovation in legal services, China civil law, and several other important fields.
Cutting-Edge Curriculum
STL’s curriculum emphasizes lawyering skills and knowledge for the 21st century: (i) transnational law and practice, (ii) cross-cultural competence, (iii) the ability to contend with the complex legal and factual issues characteristic of advanced economies based on technological innovation and global financial services, and (iv) the professional responsibilities of lawyers in these contexts.
Global Leaders
STL equips students with deep knowledge and understanding of Chinese and Western legal, commercial and cultural traditions, knowledge that is essential for leadership in today’s inter-connected world and that is prized by the world’s leading law firms, companies, government offices, NGOs and universities.
Shenzhen-A Dynamic City
STL is located in Shenzhen, renowned as China’s “Silicon Valley” and one of the world’s leading centers of innovation and finance. Just forty years ago, Shenzhen was a small agricultural and fishing village. Its transformation began in 1980, when Deng Xiaoping declared the city China’s first “Special Economic Zone,” intended to lead the “opening” of China to the West. Between 1980 and 2016, Shenzhen’s GDP in real terms grew at an average annual rate of 22 percent, the highest in China, and the city transformed from an economy based on agriculture to one based on manufacturing, and then from manufacturing to one based on technological innovation and services. Today, Shenzhen’s population is approaching 20 million, and it is home to such world leading technology giants as Tencent, Huawei, DJI Drones, BGI, BYD and ZTE.
2. Program Structure
STL’s four year J.D. and J.M. dual degree program is rich in cutting-edge courses designed to equip STL graduates of all nationalities for law practice and leadership in advanced economies based on technological innovation, global financial services, and internationalization. J.D. courses are taught in English and China law J.M. courses are taught in Chinese.
3. How to Apply
Application Prerequisites
Applicants must comply with PKU's policy as well as STL's requirement.
1. Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid passport before April 30, 2017, and have attained a bachelor’s degree.
2. Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency-TOFEL or IELTS scores.
3. Applicants must take the LSAT or GRE before March 2023.
Application Procedures
All application materials must be submitted by March 15 , 2023, 24:00pm, Beijing Standard Time. We recommend applying by March 1, 2023 to avoid the application fee and the rush of last minute applications.
1. Please apply online using the PKU portal (http://www.studyatpku.com/member/login.do). After you successfully complete your application you will receive a confirmation report. Please print a copy of the report for your records. You will need to provide a copy of this report when you submit your hard copy application.
2. In addition to the online application, please send all application materials to admission@stl.pku.edu.cn. Please include a copy of the confirmation report mentioned immediately above in #1.
3. Please also send the materials listed in the “Application Checklist” below to the following address (please track delivery) before March 15, 2023:
J.D. and J.M. Admissions Office, Room 410
STL Building, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
University Town, Xili, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518055, CHINA
Tel: (86 755) 2603 2287
Application Checklist
Applicants must submit the materials listed below. Applications will only be reviewed after all materials are received. All documents should be prepared in English. If the documents are not in English, they must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.
1. Peking University School of Transnational Law Application Form (download form from PKU portal, complete and sign).
2. Personal statement. Please explain your reasons for pursuing a J.D. and J.M. degree at STL and why you believe STL’s program will advance your professional goals (no more than 1200 words, please).
3. Academic Records. Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions, and official degree certificates (original or notarized documents with English translations if documents are not in English).
4. Resume or Curriculum Vitae.
5. Letters of Recommendation. At least two signed letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or others familiar with your academic and professional qualifications.
6. Proof of English Competency. Copy of results of TOEFL or IELTS. Alternatively, you may attest that English is your native language or that you attended university and received your received your undergraduate degree in an English speaking country.
7. A copy of LSAT or GRE score.
8. Proof of Chinese-language competency sufficient for graduate-level academic work. Score of HSK-6 satisfies the requirement with PKU's policy.
9. Copy of passport or identification card.
Application Fee
Applications received prior to March 1, 2023 do not require a fee. All other applications require a fee of 800 RMB that may be waived at the discretion of STL for financial need.
Deadline for Application
The deadline to apply for AY2023-24 admission to STL is March 15, 2023.
Interview
The Admissions Committee will review each application and decide whether to invite the applicant to interview with the Committee. Interviews typically occur in person in Shenzhen, but the Committee has arranged video interviews for students unable to travel to China.
Admission Decisions
The Admissions Committee will make decisions on a rolling basis.
Accommodations and Services
Most international students choose to live on Peking University’s modern and attractive graduate school campus, which permits convenient access to the many on-campus community, dining, and sports opportunities, as well as close proximity to the STL Building and mass transportation serving the entire city and region. Single and double rooms are available in graduate student housing. Students may also choose to live off campus.
Tuition and Costs
The tuition fee for STL’s J.D. and J.M. degree is 120,000 RMB per year. The cost of living on campus is low in comparison to top university programs outside of China. For example, the current annual cost for a single room with private bathroom and small balcony is 12,000 RMB.
Applicants also are encouraged to consider scholarships for which they are qualified.
Contact Us
Kim ZHONG, Director of Admissions and Communications
Email: zhongxj@stl.pku.edu.cn
Tel: (86 755) 2665 7647
Carrie TAN, Assistant Director of Admissions
Email: tanph@stl.pku.edu.cn
Tel: (86 755) 2603 2287
