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PhD in Law —3 years to your PhD

Your own research under the guidance of an academic supervisor.A research internship abroad, publications and a dissertation defence.On a state grant — a stipend of 262,500 ₸ a month.

Check my eligibility →About the programme

3 yearsfull-time study

180credits, ⅔ research

Twicea year — admission

Kazakh · Russianlanguages of instruction

Summer admission

annually

Application and documents3 July – 3 August
Entrance exam4 – 20 August
Enrolment15 – 28 August

Winter admission

annually

Application and documents28 October – 10 November
Entrance exam19 November – 11 December
Enrolment26 December – 10 January

30 seconds

Are you eligible?

Answer four questions and we will show whether you can apply.

Master’s degreeresearch-and-teaching or specialised master’s

At least 9 months of work experienceconfirmed by a document under Art. 35 of the Labour Code of the RK

Foreign language certificateIELTS Academic 5.0+, TOEFL iBT 35+, Duolingo 80+, etc.

KAZTEST certificateissued by the NTC; not required for foreign citizens

Your result

Answer four questions

We will show what is missing and what to do first.

List of documents

PrerequisitesAdditional courses: whether you need them depends on your master’s degree

Prerequisites are taken after enrolment on a fee-paying basis. Choose your master’s degree:

Research-and-teaching master’s in lawNot required

No prerequisites are assigned.

Research-and-teaching master’s in another fieldRequired · 12 credits

Theory and practice of applying civil and civil procedure legislation4
Current issues in applying criminal and criminal procedure legislation4
Current issues of the civil service in the Republic of Kazakhstan4

Cost: 444,720 ₸

Specialised master’sRequired · 30 credits

History and Philosophy of Science4
Higher Education Pedagogy4
Teaching practice4
International cooperation against transnational cybercrime in the digital age4
Issues in the use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement5
Legal regulation of the digital environment4
Current issues of customs law of the Republic of Kazakhstan5

Cost: 1,111,800 ₸

Field of study 8D042 Law · programme group D078 Law

Doctoral programme

The programme trains legal researchers. Two thirds of the workload is research for the dissertation.

3years

8D04202 Theoretical Jurisprudence

degree — Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

For master’s graduates ready to conduct their own research, publish and teach at university.

Research areas

Constitutional law and legal reform

Constitutional stability and the dynamics of legal reform.

constitutional complaintconstitutional limits of the digital statelegal reform

Civil service and public administration

Legal status of civil servants and personnel procedures.

meritocracydecentralisation and elected akimsproactive public services

Criminal law and criminal procedure

Humanisation of criminal law, evidence and the presumption of innocence.

criminalisation and decriminalisationcorruption offencescybercrime

Civil law and civil procedure

Freedom of contract and the public interest, good faith as a principle.

circulation of digital rights and assetsliability for the use of AI

Cross-cutting theme — the legal consequences of digitalisation and the use of artificial intelligence.

Programme structure

Coursework, teaching and research practice45

Research, internship, dissertation123

Final attestation — dissertation defence12

Total, academic creditsat least 180

Research internship abroadA mandatory part of doctoral research. The university chooses the host institution and dates based on the dissertation topic.

What you will learn

formulate and justify a research problem in law
conduct independent research, including comparative and empirical legal analysis
assess Kazakhstan’s legislation and law-enforcement practice and propose solutions
carry out legal expert review of draft legislation
publish results in journals indexed in international databases
teach at university and supervise student research

Where graduates work

university law lecturerresearch fellowlegal expert on draft legislationhead of a government departmentjudgeadvocate, legal consultant

Why Omir Innovation University

Law has been our focus since 1993

30+

Years of training lawyers

Founded in 1993.

2031

University accreditation

Certificate AD-IA No. 00691, valid until 14.05.2031.

Where our alumni are now

A judge, a vice-rector, lecturers and practising lawyers.

Baishev Ruslan Zholymbetovich

Judge of the Criminal Division, Almaty City Court

Defence2024 · Turan University

Dissertation topicThe consumer loan agreement in the system of contracts of the Republic of Kazakhstan: issues of theory and practice

Begazova Gulnapisa Zhandarovna

Pro-Chancellor for Scientific Research, Omir Innovation University

Defence2024 · Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Dissertation topicLegal status of business partnerships and features of corporate governance

Rakhimova Gakku Nurlanovna

Senior Lecturer, Department of Jurisprudence, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University

Bolashak scholarshipZhas Galym research grant

Defence2024 · Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Dissertation topicCriminal penalties not involving isolation from society (criminal-law and penal-enforcement aspects)

Syurikpaeva Asel Oralovna

Associate Professor of Law, Omir Innovation University

Defence2026 · Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Dissertation topicProblems and prospects of the legal mechanism for consumer rights protection

Srapilov Sultanmurat Mukhamedovich

Practising lawyer, member of the Almaty Chamber of Legal Consultants

Defence2025 · Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Dissertation topicTheoretical and legal issues of modernising executive authorities in the information society

Tasybaeva Saule Kenesbaevna

Head of the Department of Industrial Internship, Business Career and Informal Education, Omir Innovation University

Defence2026 · Al-Farabi Kazakh National University

Dissertation topicJudicial protection of the labour rights of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Through the entrance exam

How to apply: 3 steps

Admission runs twice a year, in summer and winter.
The procedure and dates are set by the Model Rules for Admission.

Submit your application and documents

Summer: 3 July – 3 AugustWinter: 28 October – 10 November

To the university admissions committee and via the National Testing Center system

app.testcenter.kz →

You choose only once: the application names one university and one group of educational programmes.

Core documents

Master’s diploma with transcriptsoriginal
Identity cardor an electronic document from the digital documents service
KAZTEST certificate issued by the NTCexcept foreign citizens
Foreign language certificateat or above the threshold — see the table below
Medical certificate, form 075/u
6 photos, 3×4 cm

Experience and research

Document confirming employmentunder Art. 35 of the Labour Code of the RK; except foreign citizens
Research plan and essaywhat to include — see the FAQ

If available

List of research publications for the last 3 calendar years

Package: 0 of 8

Only complete packages are accepted. If anything is missing, the admissions committee will not accept the documents. Documents cannot be added after the deadline.

Threshold scores for language certificates

Certificate	Threshold
IELTS Academic	5.0
TOEFL iBT	35
TOEFL ITP	417 · plus an extra NTC test before the exam, pass mark 75 of 100
TOEIC	550
Duolingo English Test	80
DSH · TestDaF	B1 or higher
DELF · DALF · TCF	B1 or higher
TFI	B1 or higher in reading and listening

Take the entrance exam

Summer: 4 – 20 AugustWinter: 19 November – 11 December

Interview

run by the university · 20 minutes · date and time as scheduled

Online, by video link
Professional and personal qualities
Potential for research

30 points

Interview schedule, PDF

Essay and subject questions

run by the NTC · 190 minutes · date and venue in your personal account

Essay — 20 points
3 subject questions — 50 points:
Question 1 — 10
Questions 2 and 3 — 20 each

70 points

Exam programme, Russian Exam programme, Kazakh

Exam format and fee (in Russian)Rules of conduct (in Russian)

The threshold score is 75 out of 100. It is the minimum to compete for a grant and to enrol on a fee-paying basis. The passing score for a grant is set by the competition: 88 in summer 2026.

Results — the next day

An electronic certificate is published on the NTC website and sent to your personal account.

How to check results (in Russian)

Appeal

A statement of disagreement with the results is addressed to the chair of the appeals committee.

Appeal procedure (in Russian)

Enrolment

Summer: 15 – 28 AugustWinter: 26 December – 10 January

State-funded places are awarded by competition. With 75 points or more you can enrol on a fee-paying basis. Enrolment is formalised by order of the rector.

International applicants

No entrance exam — admission by interview

Tuition is fee-based. Free study is possible only if an international treaty of the Republic of Kazakhstan provides for it.

How to apply

Interviewwith the university admissions committee, at any time during the calendar year
Documentsthe full package, to the admissions committee
Enrolmentfive days before the next academic period starts
Diploma recognitionafter enrolment, during the first academic period

Documents

Passport
Master’s diploma with transcripts (original)
Medical certificate, form 075/u
6 photos, 3×4 cm
Research plan and essay
List of research publications for the last 3 years (if any)

Documents in a foreign language must come with a notarised translation into Kazakh or Russian.

International applicants do not need KAZTEST or proof of employment.

Tuition

Grant or fee-paying

State-funded places

Places are awarded by competition to applicants with the highest entrance exam scores.

Places in D078 Law, summer 2026 admission (in Russian)2

Passing score, summer 202688 out of 100

If scores are equal, priority goes to the applicant with:

the higher subject exam score;
the higher essay score;
stronger research achievements in the field: publications in Q1–Q2 Web of Science journals, certificates for research outputs, research scholarships and grants, conference and competition diplomas.

Stipend on a grant

262,500 ₸a month

State doctoral stipend; the amount is set by the Government of Kazakhstan (2026).

Competition results 2026–2027, summer (in Russian)

Fee-paying study

Tuition3 years2,223,600 ₸a year

Prerequisites (who needs them)37,060 ₸ per credit

Work obligation after graduationnone

Didn’t win a grant? With 75 points or more, apply to the admissions committee during enrolment while your exam certificate is valid:

summer exam — until 1 December;
winter exam — until 1 March of the following year.

The admissions office will explain the contract terms and payment procedure.

Ask about fees on WhatsApp

FAQ

Answers in advance

Didn’t find an answer? Write to the admissions committee — contacts below.

How much does it cost?

2,223,600 ₸ a year; the programme lasts 3 years. On a state grant tuition is free and doctoral students receive a stipend of 262,500 ₸ a month.

I scored 75. Will I get a grant?

Not necessarily. 75 is the threshold that lets you take part in the competition. State-funded places go to the highest scorers; in summer 2026 the passing score was 88 out of 100.

With 75 points or more you can enrol on a fee-paying basis.

Is work experience required?

Yes. PhD programmes admit master’s degree holders with at least nine months of work experience, confirmed by a document under Art. 35 of the Labour Code of the RK.

What if I have no language certificate?

Documents are not accepted without one. Book the test early: you need the result when you submit your documents. Threshold scores are in step 1.

Can I apply to several universities?

No. The application names one university and one group of educational programmes.

What goes into the research plan and essay?

The research plan is a short outline of your future dissertation: topic and relevance, aim and objectives, object and subject, novelty, methods, expected results, sources and a three-year timeline.

The essay submitted with your documents explains your choice: why you are applying, how your experience relates to the programme and what problem you want to research. It is not the essay you write at the exam.

Do I need publications?

No, the list is submitted if you have one. But if scores are equal, research achievements count — above all publications in Q1–Q2 Web of Science journals.

Do I need to agree my topic with a supervisor in advance?

Not to apply: supervisors are assigned after enrolment. But a topic discussed in advance makes the interview and the first year easier. Write to us and we will help match your topic to the department’s research areas.

How long is the exam certificate valid?

Summer exam certificates are valid until 1 December; winter ones until 1 March of the following year.

I am a foreign citizen. How do I apply?

On a fee-paying basis, after an interview with the university admissions committee, at any time during the calendar year. Dates and documents are in the section for international applicants.

Do I have to work off a grant?

Yes. Kazakhstani citizens who studied on a state-funded place must work for three years; if state funding covered a shorter period, the obligation is reduced proportionally. See the Rules on job placement of specialists (in Russian); compliance is monitored by the Financial Center (in Russian). Fee-paying students have no work obligation.

For doctoral students