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School of Law

• Postgraduate research opportunities
• PhD by distance

PhD by Distance

The School of Law welcomes applications for PhD study by distance (without attendance at the University of Glasgow). Applicants must comply with the University Code of Practice for Doctoral Supervision and with any relevant guidance published by the College of Social Sciences.  

For whom is this programme appropriate?

We expect the majority of entrants on this route to be in professional employment which relates to the area of research, and to be in situations where it is not possible to leave that employment for the time required to follow a PhD programme by attendance. It is likely that candidates meeting this description would enter on the part-time route. 

In some cases applicants may be unable to be present at Glasgow University because of restrictions on the ability to travel imposed by legal or by personal circumstances. In these cases we may admit candidates to the programme at our discretion.

Undertaking a PhD by any route is a very substantial task, requiring dedication and determination. Candidates should think very carefully about their motivation and ability to follow this through over a number of years before applying to the programme. 

Entry to the programme

Entry to the PhD by Distance may take place in both October and January from October 2020. 

Admission to the PhD programme is governed by the same criteria and procedures whether you are intending to pursue research by attendance, or by Distance. The School of Law may admit appropriately qualified candidates where supervisory expertise and capacity is available.  

Supervision

Supervision sessions will be held by appropriate methods for at distance learning. The preference will be for supervision via Skype, or other similar platforms which permit audio-visual interaction. Normally supervision sessions will be timetabled within UK (GMT or BST) working hours on weekdays, although this may be varied by agreement between supervisors and candidates. Email exchange will not be considered to be a substitute for a supervision meeting. Candidates must maintain a record of supervision meetings, and report meetings to the School of Law PG administrator.  

Compulsory training

Candidates of the PhD by distance will be required to take the online course Research Methods offered by the School of Law.  

Supervisors may discuss training needs with candidates, including language training, but are not expected to be aware of locally available provision. It is the responsibility of candidates to make sure that they have the skills necessary to undertake the research required of the PhD.  

Postgraduate Research Committee

We will endeavour to ensure that a student on the PhD without attendance route is on the Postgraduate Research Committee of the School of Law.

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Law PhD / PhD by Distance Learning / MPhil / MJur

Annual tuition fee 2024 entry: UK: £4,786 full-time, £2,393 part-time International: £21,840 full-time; £10,920 part-time (distance learning only) More detail .

• Visit an Open Day
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• Course details
• Entry Requirements
• Employability

As a postgraduate researcher at Birmingham Law School you will be contributing to more than 85 years of research tradition, working alongside some of the country's most eminent legal scholars.

Our expertise spans a wide range of areas, including commercial law, criminal law, criminal justice, judicial administration, European law, public law, human rights, international law, private law, restitution, conflicts of law, international economic law, comparative law, health and social welfare, socio-legal studies, and legal theory.

ESRC funding for PhD students

The University of Birmingham is part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership, offering ESRC PhD studentships for campus-based programmes. ESRC awards are available for a range of social science disciplines including Applied Linguistics, Area Studies (African Studies), Economic and Social History, and Socio-Legal Studies.

Find out more

Postgraduate scholarships available

The College of Arts and Law is offering a range of scholarships for our postgraduate taught and research programmes to ensure that the very best talent is nurtured and supported.

Learn more about our scholarships

AHRC funding for PhD students

The University of Birmingham is part of the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M4C), offering Arts and Humanities Research Council PhD studentships for campus-based programmes. These include a number of Collaborative Doctoral Award opportunities. Each studentship includes research fees, a substantial maintenance grant and additional research training support. Applications are open until 12:00 (noon), 13 January 2021.

Scholarships for 2024 entry

The University of Birmingham is proud to offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate programmes. With a scholarship pot worth over £2 million, we are committed to alleviating financial barriers to support you in taking your next steps.

Each scholarship has its own specific deadlines and eligibility criteria. Please familiarise yourself with the information on individual scholarship webpages prior to submitting an application.

Explore our scholarships

As well as providing expert supervision from experienced members of staff, we offer a friendly and supportive environment for our postgraduate students and consider them an integral part of the School’s  research community .

• With supervision from academic staff, our PhD programme requires you to research and write a thesis of 80,000 words that makes an original contribution to knowledge. Full-time students are expected to complete their work within three years. This programme can also be studied by Distance Learning -  see whether distance learning is an option for you .
• The MPhil programme requires you to research and write a 60,000-word thesis under the supervision of academic staff. Full-time students are expected to complete their work within two years.
• The MJur programme requires you to research and write a 40,000-word thesis under the supervision of academic staff. Full-time students are expected to complete their work within one year.

Our current Law PhD students

To find out more about the range of research currently being undertaken by our PhD students and the academics providing supervision, read our  profiles of current doctoral researchers .

At Birmingham, I have the fantastic opportunity to work with talented people from across a range of different cultural backgrounds which broadens my horizons and helps me get to know the world better. My supervisors provide great support and assistance, while I can always find activities on campus that interest me outside of my research. Yunxiang

Why study this course?

• Academic expertise : You will be supervised by experts, internationally renowned for their research in the legal field. Many of our academics ‘wrote the book’ on their area of expertise, or have been commissioned by governments and other public bodies to carry out important applied legal research. The University of Birmingham is a Top 100 University in the World (QS 2024 Rankings).
• Postgraduate community : The postgraduate community at Birmingham Law School is lively and supportive. You will have the opportunity to organise and participate in a range of research events, as well as get involved in social events. It is not without significance that several members of the School’s academic staff were themselves postgraduate students here. You can also make the most of new, dedicated postgraduate study spaces in the Law School and neighbouring Frankland Building.  Read more about the postgraduate community at Birmingham Law School . 
• Employability : Birmingham is one of the top universities in the UK for graduate employment. Our Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER) offers support, whether you are looking to pursue a career in law, academia or elsewhere. 

The postgraduate experience

The College of Arts and Law offers excellent support to its postgraduates, from libraries and research spaces, to careers support and funding opportunities. Learn more about your postgraduate experience .

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2024 entry are as follows:

• UK: £4,786 full-time; £2,393 part-time *
• International: £21,840 full-time; £10,920 part-time (distance learning only)

The same fees apply to both campus-based and distance learning study. The distance learning programme also includes one fully-funded visit to campus in the first year of study.

The above fees quoted are for one year only; for those studying over two or more years, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

* For UK postgraduate research students the University fee level is set at Research Council rates and as such is subject to change. The final fee will be announced by Research Councils UK in spring 2024.

Eligibility for UK or international fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students .

Paying your fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding .

How To Apply

Application deadlines.

Applications are accepted at any time though we strongly encourage students to begin their studies at the start of the UK academic year (September).

Before you make your application

Full details of our requirements can be found on our Applications page . 

As part of the application for admission onto our MJur, MPhil and PhD programmes, you must prepare a research proposal outlining your proposed area of study. For more information, please see our  guidance on how to write a research proposal . 

Please also see our additional guidance for applicants to the PhD Distance Learning study mode . 

Making your application

• How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Standard Requirements

Our requirements for postgraduate research are dependent on the type of programme you are applying for:

• For MJur and MPhil programmes, entry usually requires a good (normally a 2:1 or above) Honours degree in law (or a subject related to the proposed area of research) or its international equivalent
• Typically, applicants for a PhD will also need to hold a Masters qualification at Merit level or above in law (or a subject related to the proposed area of research) or its international equivalent

Any academic and professional qualifications or relevant professional experience you may have will also taken into account.

If you are applying to study by distance learning, you will also be required to demonstrate that you have the time, commitment, facilities and experience to study by distance learning.

If your qualifications are non-standard or different from the entry requirements stated here, please email [email protected] .

International students

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries - use our handy guide below to see what qualifications we accept from your country.

English language requirements: standard language requirements apply for this course - IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band. If you are made an offer of a place to study and you do not meet the language requirement, you have the option to enrol on our English for Academic Purposes Presessional Course - if you successfully complete the course, you will be able to fulfil the language requirement without retaking a language qualification.

International Requirements

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 14/20 from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

Applicants who hold a Masters degree will be considered for admission to PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Diplomstudium/Magister or a Masters degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

• A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
• A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good post-2001 Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table)  ,  Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单参考 软科中国大学排名2022（总榜） ，  软科中国大学排名2023（总榜） ，以及 软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。  

Business School    - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)  

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学 学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education  (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies  全部硕士课程 International Development Department  全部硕士课程

  All other programmes (including MBA)   所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Please note:

• Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
• Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室   [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, or a GPA of 3 out of 4, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalár from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), or a good post-2002 Magistr (Masters), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters/ Magisterkonfereus/Magister Artium degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B, or a good one- or two-year Magistrikraad from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Holders of a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 4/5, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters/Maîtrise with a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, or a Magistère / Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies / Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées / Mastère Specialis, from a recognised French university or Grande École to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, from a recognised Greek university (AEI), and will usually be required to have completed a good Metaptychiako Diploma Eidikefsis (Masters degree) from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2.  Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés or Egyetemi Oklevel from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 3.5, or a good Mesterfokozat (Masters degree) or Egyetemi Doktor (university doctorate), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution, with 100 out of 110 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees.  Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of  2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50

Holders of a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10, or a post-2000 Magistrs, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 16/20 or 80% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, or a good post-2001 Magistras, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, or a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées (comparable to a UK PGDip) or Masters degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from the University of Malta with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons), and/or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10, and/or a good Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters, Mastergrad, Magister. Artium, Sivilingeniør, Candidatus realium or Candidatus philologiae degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.    

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Bachiller, Licenciado, or Título Profesional with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4 out of 5, dobry ‘good’, and/or a good Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Studiów Podyplomowych (Certificate of Postgraduate Study) or post-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus 'better than good', will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, and/or a good Mestrado / Mestre (Masters) from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree/Diploma de Master/Diploma de Studii Academice Postuniversitare (Postgraduate Diploma - Academic Studies) or Diploma de Studii Postuniversitare de Specializare (Postgraduate Diploma - Specialised Studies) to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Диплом Специалиста (Specialist Diploma) or Диплом Магистра (Magistr) degree from recognised universities in Russia (minimum GPA of 4.0) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/PhD study.

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’, and/or a good Inžinier or a post-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10, and/or a good Diploma specializacija (Postgraduate Diploma) or Magister (Masters) will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 7 out of 10 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for entry to our postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree or Mphil from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

• Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
• De La Salle University - Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25 

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.  Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree / Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised Ukrainian higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

• 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement 
• 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement 

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study.  Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.  Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Members of Birmingham Law School are active in research and publication, and many of their books have become standard works on numerous areas of law. Academics working in the School are well known for carrying out important applied legal research, much of it commissioned by the government and other public bodies.

Birmingham Law School staff research supervision areas

• Commercial and company law (include banking, international commercial law, corporate governance)
• Comparative law (including civil law)
• Constitutional and administrative law (including legal response to terrorism)
• Criminal law and criminal justice (including international criminal law and evidence) 
• Environmental law
• European Union law
• Health and health care law
• Human rights and civil liberties
• International law and global legal studies (to include conflicts,  international economic law, International sale of goods, international trade law, transitional justice, law and development, international economic law, international criminal law)  
• Jurisprudence and legal theory
• Law and society (disability law, law and religion, gender and sexuality) 
• Legal education and the legal profession (legal education, judicial administration)
• Private law (contract, tort, restitution and common law)
• Property law (including intellectual property)

The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report .

Your degree will provide excellent preparation for your future career, but this can also be enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University and the College of Arts and Law.

The University's Careers Network  provides expert guidance and activities especially for postgraduates, which will help you achieve your career goals. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated  careers and employability team  who offer tailored advice and a programme of College-specific careers events.

You will be encouraged to make the most of your postgraduate experience and will have the opportunity to:

• Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique, whether you are looking for a career inside or outside of academia
• Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations
• Attend an annual programme of careers fairs, skills workshops and conferences, including bespoke events for postgraduates in the College of Arts and Law
• Take part in a range of activities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers and enhance your CV

What’s more, you will be able to access our full range of careers support for up to 2 years after graduation. 

Postgraduate employability: Law

Postgraduate research students have the opportunity to benefit from extensive careers advice and employability support from the Law School. If you are interested in a qualifying as a lawyer, you have access to a wide range of events and activities, including regular visits from major law firms and barristers’ chambers. All of our careers and employability activities are organised through the Law School’s  Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research . Over the past 5 years, 83% of our postgraduates were in work and/or further study 6 months after graduation (DLHE 2012 – 2017).

If a career in academia is your goal, we have an annual lecture and exclusive advice sessions for postgraduate researchers, which includes support to develop you career profile and secure a job in higher education. It is not without significance that several members of the Law School’s academic staff were themselves postgraduate students here.

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MPhil/PhD Law

• Graduate research
• LSE Law School
• Application code M3ZL
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Closed
• Overseas full-time: Closed
• Location: Houghton Street, London

LSE Law is the UK's pre-eminent research institution for law. Our academics are the authors of influential and often path-breaking scholarship, and many have globally leading reputations. As one of UK's largest law departments, with over 70 academic members of staff, LSE Law is well known for its interdisciplinary and contextual approaches to the study of law.

Our PhD Law programme offers the opportunity to undertake advanced legal research at one of the world's best law schools. Students in our PhD programme receive excellent training, and work under the supervision of leading scholars with strong international, comparative and interdisciplinary commitments. Our doctoral students become members of a lively academic community which is at the cutting-edge of legal scholarship and which plays a major role in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world.

Students in our PhD programme work under the supervision of two academics. We also provide specialised training for PhD students, both through our own training course and through courses run by other units of LSE, especially the Department of Methodology and the PhD Academy. PhD students are also welcome to attend any other LSE course, subject to the approval of the lecturer. We aim to provide our PhD students with the opportunity to gain teaching experience, and also offer the opportunity to become involved with the organisation of mooting, academic conferences, pro bono work, and our working paper series. Each year two PhD students also serve as Masters advisers/PhD Representatives.

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd law .

Our normal minimum entry requirement is a completed LLM degree or other masters-level qualification, awarded with an average mark of 70% (distinction/first class honours) or equivalent. Exceptionally, we may admit students who do not meet this requirement, where there is strong, alternative evidence of your suitability for our PhD programme.

Although we accept applications from students who have not yet completed their LLM or equivalent degree by the application deadline, we give priority within the admissions process to students who have already obtained the required grade by this date. Strong candidates who are currently completing their LLM/other masters degree may therefore wish to defer their application until they have received the requisite grade. Offers of admission and funding that are made to applicants who are currently undertaking their LLM/other masters degree are made on a “conditional” basis, meaning that the offer cannot be confirmed until the minimum entry requirement has been achieved. Conditional offers must be confirmed by the end of July of the year of entry at the latest. This means that current master students who will not have their final grades/transcript by the end of July (including students on the LSE LLM degree) are not eligible to apply to the PhD programme, unless they already hold another masters degree with the requisite grade.

It must be emphasised that meeting the minimum entry requirement does not guarantee entry. The PhD programme is heavily over-subscribed, meaning that the large majority of applicants who meet this requirement each year do not receive a place. We select students based on a variety of factors, including past academic performance, motivation for doctoral study, the viability of the applicant’s research proposal and its anticipated contribution to legal scholarship, the availability of suitable supervisors, and the diversity of the incoming PhD cohort, including diversity of subject-areas.

Research proposal

Your application should give us a clear idea of what you want to research and why.

You should state the general area in which you wish to undertake research, and provide a detailed outline of the specific questions you intend to investigate within that field. You should indicate the ways in which your proposed study would be a significant and original contribution to knowledge. You should identify the materials you expect to need, where you expect to find them, and the methods and/or framework of analysis you propose to use. Finally, you should explain how your proposed project is a good fit with other research work done within the Law School.

More detailed information on the admissions requirements for the programme, and guidance on what is required to form a successful research proposal is available in the LSE Law PhD programme FAQs page .

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications from students whose proposed research projects complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate staff research interests before applying. Applicants may wish to approach potential supervisors at the Law School to gauge their availability in a particular year and/or their willingness to supervise a specific research topic. However, you are not required to contact potential supervisors before applying, and doing so provides no advantage in the admissions process. If your application is successful, two academic members of staff will be appointed to supervise you.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - outline research proposal - sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.  See our English language requirements .

In most instances, we hold a brief interview with shortlisted applicants as part of the admissions process. This is typically conducted by an applicant’s potential supervisors, it takes place virtually (e.g. over Zoom), and it lasts about half an hour. The purpose of the interview is to further assess both the applicant’s motivation for doctoral study and the feasibility of the proposed research project. No preparation is required for the interview, although we recommend that you look over the material that you have submitted with your application beforehand.

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 1 December 2023 . To be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that any necessary supporting materials (e.g. letters of reference sent by referees on their behalf) reach the LSE in good time, and are advised to start the admissions process as early as possible as a result.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover  living costs  or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Law

Home students: £4,786 for the first year Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (i.e. 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

LSE Law School nonetheless aims to ensure that all students have adequate funding for their studies, typically through the award of an LSE PhD Studentship . A Studentship covers the cost of the student’s tuition fees and also provides a generous annual maintenance stipend (£23,000 for 2023/24). Studentships come with a teaching requirement of approximately 100 hours of classroom teaching to be completed over the course of the candidate’s PhD studies. The Law School also offers an annual personal research allowance of £1,000, and other benefits such as access to our PhD Field Work fund.

There is no separate application process for LSE PhD Studentships, as funding awards are considered alongside admission to the doctoral programme. All applicants must apply by the ordinary application deadline of 1 December 2023 .

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

In addition to progressing with your research, you are expected to take the listed training and transferable skills courses. You may take courses in addition to those listed, and should discuss this with your supervisor. At the end of your first year (full-time), you will need to satisfy certain requirements and if you meet these, you will be retroactively upgraded to PhD status.

First year - Training courses

Doctoral Research Seminar (Compulsory) Equips students with the skills required to undertake advanced legal research. Law Department Seminar Series (Compulsory) One other relevant course: (Compulsory)

Second year - Training courses

Doctoral Research Seminar Series (Optional) PhD Seminar Series (Optional) Staff Seminar Series

Third year - Training courses

Doctoral Research Seminar Series (Optional) PhD seminar Series (Compulsory) Staff seminar Series (Optional)

Fourth year - Transferable skills courses

Doctoral Research Seminar Series (Optional) PhD Seminar Series (Optional) Staff Seminar Series (Optional)

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar , or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the   updated graduate course and programme information page ..

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision.

You will be assigned two supervisors who are specialists in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic. 

Progression and assessment

Full-time PhD students must complete their doctorate within four years, and part-time students must complete it within eight years.

At the end of the first year (or, in the case of part-time students, second year), your progress is formally assessed. Successful completion of this assessment then sees you registered as a candidate for the PhD degree.  As part of this assessment (or ‘upgrade’) process, you will present your work-in-progress at our Upgrade Conference, attended by academic staff and PhD students. Third year doctoral students also give a seminar on their work-in-progress, again attended by academic staff and PhD students.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Quick Careers Facts for the Law School

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £36,000

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Law and Legal Services  
• Government, Public Sector and Policy   
• Accounting and Auditing              
• Health and Social Care  
• Education, Teaching and Research

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

Once completed, the majority of our students undertake academic appointments, whether as lecturers or post-doctoral researchers. The remainder have received tenancies in barristers’ chambers or work in law firms, or NGOs and consultancies. Over the last four years, our PhD graduates have been appointed to lectureships at universities that include London School of Economics, City, Cardiff, Durham, King’s College London, Birkbeck, Liverpool, Middlesex, Queen Mary, SOAS, Southampton, University College London, Warwick and York, and outside the UK at the Graduate Institute of International Studies (Geneva), University College Dublin, Victoria University (New Zealand), Queen’s University (Canada) and St Thomas University (Canada). Other graduates have been selected for post-doctoral fellowships at the London School of Economics. New York University, Humbolt University,  the European University Institute and the University of Haifa.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mphil/phd international relations.

Code(s) M1ZR

LLM, Master of Laws

Code(s) M3U1, M3U4 (extended part-time – 48 months)

MRes/PhD Political Science

Code(s) M1ZN

MPhil/PhD Gender

Code(s) Y2ZG

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Key information

“The PhD certainly changed my life! Sussex has enabled me to find the profession I am passionate about, and helped me develop the confidence and skills needed to succeed.” dr Anne Wesemann  Head of Department, Open University Law School

From the effects of the internet on society to the impact of hate crimes on minority communities – Sussex Law School is a vibrant, exciting environment for doctoral research.

You benefit from first-class facilities and support, and work with researchers who engage beyond the academic community, working with NGOs, parliaments, professionals and private institutions. 

Areas of study

Our world-renowned faculty explores issues across a range of areas including, among many others:

• child and family law
• criminal law
• dispute resolution
• environmental law
• healthcare law
• human rights

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Masters and P h D events

Meet us on campus or online

Book your place

Entry requirements

• UK requirements
• International requirements

Please select your country from the list.

Philippines

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

South Korea

Switzerland

United Arab Emirates

My country is not listed

If your country is not listed, you need to contact us and find out the qualification level you should have for this course. Contact us

English language requirements

Ielts (academic).

High level (6.5 overall, including at least 6.0 in each component).

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.  Find out more about IELTS

We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.

We do not accept IELTS Online.

Check full details of our English Language requirements and find out more about some of the alternative English language qualifications listed below

Alternative English language qualifications

Proficiency tests, cambridge advanced certificate in english (cae).

169 overall, including at least 162 in each skill.

We would normally expect the CAE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Find out more about Cambridge English: Advanced

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

We would normally expect the CPE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Find out more about Cambridge English: Proficiency

LanguageCert Academic SELT

High level (70 overall, including at least 65 in each component).

LanguageCert Academic SELT scores are valid for two years from the test date. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.  Find out more about LanguageCert Academic SELT

We only accept LanguageCert when taken at SELT Test Centres.

We do not accept the online version.  We also do not accept the non-SELT version.

LanguageCert International ESOL SELT

High level (International ESOL SELT B2 with a minimum of 39 in each component)

LanguageCert International ESOL scores are valid for two years from the test date. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about LanguageCert SELT

We only accept LanguageCert when taken at SELT Test Centres. We do not accept the online version.

Pearson PTE Academic

High level (62 overall, including at least 59 in all four skills)

PTE (Academic) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about Pearson (PTE Academic)

We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test.

TOEFL (iBT)

High level 88 overall, including at least 20 Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking, 23 in Writing.

TOEFL (iBT) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about TOEFL (iBT)

We do not accept TOEFL (iBT) Home Edition.

The TOEFL Institution Code for the University of Sussex is 9166.

English language qualifications

As/a-level (gce).

Grade C or above in English Language.

Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)/ AS or A Level: grade C or above in Use of English.

GCE O-level

Grade C or above in English.

Brunei/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

Singapore/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

GCSE or IGCSE

Grade C or above in English as a First Language (Grade 4 or above in GCSE from 2017).

Grade B or above in English as a Second Language.

Ghana Senior Secondary School Certificate

If awarded before 1993: grades 1-6 in English language.

If awarded between 1993 and 2005: grades A-D in English language.

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)

 Level 4, including at least 3 in each component in English Language.

Indian School Certificate (Standard XII)

The Indian School Certificate is accepted at the grades below when awarded by the following examination boards:

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – English Core only: 70%

Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - English: 70% 

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

English A or English B at grade 5 or above.

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

Grades A - C in English language

Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 1119/GCE O-level

If taken before the end of 2008: grades 1-6 in English Language.

If taken from 2009 onwards: grade C or above in English Language.

The qualification must be jointly awarded by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

West African Senior School Certificate

Grades A1-C6 (1-6) in English language when awarded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Country exceptions

Select to see the list of exempt english-speaking countries.

If you are a national of one of the countries below, or if you have recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree or higher in one of these countries, you will normally meet our English requirement. Note that qualifications obtained by distance learning or awarded by studying outside these countries cannot be accepted for English language purposes.

You will normally be expected to have completed the qualification within two years before starting your course at Sussex. If the qualification was obtained earlier than this, we would expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have maintained a good level of English, for example by living in an English-speaking country or working in an occupation that required you to use English regularly and to a high level.

Please note that this list is determined by the UK’s Home Office, not by the University of Sussex.

List of exempt countries: 

• Antigua and Barbuda
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• The British Overseas Territories
• Trinidad and Tobago
• United Kingdom

** Canada: you must be a national of Canada; other nationals not on this list who have a degree from a Canadian institution will not normally be exempt from needing to provide evidence of English.

English language support

If you don’t meet the English language requirements for your degree, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course

• Visas and immigration

Admissions information for applicants

If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us

• How to apply

If you’d like to join us as a research student, there are two main routes:

• browse funded projects in this subject area
• browse our potential supervisors and propose your own research project.

Find out how to apply for a PhD at Sussex

Full-time and part-time study

Choose to work on your research full time or part time, to fit around your work and personal life. For details  about part-time study, contact us at  [email protected]

PhD or MPhil?

You can choose to study for a PhD or an MPhil. PhD and MPhil degrees differ in duration and in the extent of your research work.

• For a PhD, your research work makes a substantial original contribution to knowledge or understanding in your chosen field.
• For an MPhil, your work is an independent piece of research but in less depth than for a PhD. You’ll graduate with the degree title Master of Philosophy. You might be able to change to a PhD while you study for an MPhil.

Our supervisors

Dr giorgia baldi.

Lecturer in Law

[email protected]

View profile of Giorgia Baldi

Dr Stephanie Berry

Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights Law

[email protected]

View profile of Stephanie Berry

Prof Jo Bridgeman

Professor of Healthcare Law & Feminist Ethics

[email protected]

View profile of Jo Bridgeman

Dr Qingxiu Bu

Senior Lecturer in Corporate/CommercialLaw

[email protected]

View profile of Qingxiu Bu

Dr Elizabeth Craig

Senior Lecturer

[email protected]

View profile of Elizabeth Craig

Dr Helen Dancer

Senior Lecturer in Law and Anthropology

[email protected]

View profile of Helen Dancer

Dr Mark Davies

Reader In Law

[email protected]

View profile of Mark Davies

Mr Paul Eden

Senior Lecturer in Law

[email protected]

View profile of Paul Eden

Dr Simon Flacks

Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice

[email protected]

View profile of Simon Flacks

Dr Shahrzad Fouladvand

Senior Lecturer in International Criminal Law

[email protected]

View profile of Shahrzad Fouladvand

Dr Maria Frabboni

[email protected]

View profile of Maria Frabboni

Dr Tom Frost

View profile of Tom Frost

Dr Matthew Garrod

[email protected]

View profile of Matthew Garrod

Dr Gianluca Gentili

Lecturer In Law

[email protected]

View profile of Gianluca Gentili

Dr Ahmad Ghouri

Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law

[email protected]

View profile of Ahmad Ghouri

Dr Sabrina Gilani

Senior Lecturer in Law and Critical Theory

[email protected]

View profile of Sabrina Gilani

Dr Andres Guadamuz

Reader In Intellectual PropertyLaw

[email protected]

View profile of Andres Guadamuz

Dr Edward Guntrip

Senior Lecturer in International Law

[email protected]

View profile of Edward Guntrip

Dr Sirko Harder

Reader in Law

[email protected]

View profile of Sirko Harder

Prof Christian Henderson

Professor of International Law

[email protected]

View profile of Christian Henderson

Dr Bonnie Holligan

[email protected]

View profile of Bonnie Holligan

Dr Helena Howe

[email protected]

View profile of Helena Howe

Dr Pablo Iglesias-Rodriguez

Senior Lecturer in International Finance Law

[email protected]

View profile of Pablo Iglesias-Rodriguez

Dr John Jupp

[email protected]

View profile of John Jupp

Dr Ioannis Katsaroumpas

Lecturer in Employment Law

[email protected]

View profile of Ioannis Katsaroumpas

Prof Tarik Kochi

Professor of Legal and Political Theory

[email protected]

View profile of Tarik Kochi

Dr Phoebe Li

Reader in Law and Technology

[email protected]

View profile of Phoebe Li

Prof Emily Lydgate

Professor of Environmental Law

[email protected]

View profile of Emily Lydgate

Prof Donald Mcgillivray

[email protected]

View profile of Donald Mcgillivray

Dr Maria Moscati

Reader in Law and Society

[email protected]

View profile of Maria Moscati

Dr Aisling O'Sullivan

[email protected]

View profile of Aisling O'Sullivan

Dr Emanuela Orlando

Senior Lecturer in Environmental Law

[email protected]

View profile of Emanuela Orlando

Dr Tanya Palmer

[email protected]

View profile of Tanya Palmer

Dr Neil Partington

[email protected]

View profile of Neil Partington

Prof Amir Paz-Fuchs

Professor of Law and Social Justice

[email protected]

View profile of Amir Paz-Fuchs

Dr Charlotte Skeet

[email protected]

View profile of Charlotte Skeet

Dr Bal Sokhi-Bulley

[email protected]

View profile of Bal Sokhi-Bulley

Prof Lindsay Stirton

Professor of Public Law

[email protected]

View profile of Lindsay Stirton

Dr Ruth Stirton

Senior Lecturer in Healthcare LAw

[email protected]

View profile of Ruth Stirton

Mrs Teresa Sutton

[email protected]

View profile of Teresa Sutton

Dr Judith Townend

Reader in Digital Society and Justice

[email protected]

View profile of Judith Townend

Dr Kenneth Veitch

[email protected]

View profile of Kenneth Veitch

Prof Richard Vogler

Professor of Comparative Criminal Law & Criminal Justice

[email protected]

View profile of Richard Vogler

Prof Mark Walters

Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology

[email protected]

View profile of Mark Walters

Dr Lucy Welsh

Reader in Criminal Justice

[email protected]

View profile of Lucy Welsh

Dr Jo Wilding

[email protected]

View profile of Jo Wilding

Dr Jo Wilson

[email protected]

View profile of Jo Wilson

Funding and fees

How can i fund my course, funded projects and scholarships.

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals. Don’t miss out on scholarships – check the specific application deadlines for funding opportunities. Note that funded projects aren’t available for all our PhDs.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (for least developed countries and fragile states) for full-time doctoral study at a UK university.

Find out more

Applying for USA Federal Student Aid?

If any part of your funding, at any time, is through USA federal Direct Loan funds, you will be registered on a separate version of this degree which does not include the possibility of distance learning which is prohibited under USA federal regulations. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid .

Part-time work

We advertise around 2,500 part-time jobs a year so you can make money and gain work experience. We have a special scheme to employ students on campus, wherever possible.

Find out more about careers and employability

How much does it cost?

Fees for self-funding students.

Home students: Fees are not yet set for entry in the academic year 2025/26. Fees will become available once set by United Kingdom Research and Innovation.

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: Fees are not yet set for entry in the academic year 2025/26. Fees will become available once set by United Kingdom Research and Innovation.

International students: £22,575 per year for full-time students

Home PhD student fees are set at the level recommended by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) annually, rising in line with inflation. Overseas fees are subject to an annual increase - see details on our tuition fees page

Additional costs

Note about additional costs.

Please note that all costs are best estimates based on current market values. Activities may be subject to unavoidable change in response to Government advice. We’ll let you know at the earliest opportunity. We review estimates every year and they may vary with inflation. Find out how to budget for student life .

Empirical research costs

On top of your PhD fees and living costs, you may also need to cover some research and training costs, relevant to your research project. These costs will depend on your research topic and training needs, but may include: - travel (to archives, collections or scientific facilities) - a laptop - overseas fieldwork costs (travel and accommodation, and language training) - conference costs (travel, registration fees and accommodation) - laboratory consumables and workshop materials - participant costs - transcription or translation costs - open-access publication costs. If you have a scholarship from one of the UK Research Councils, your scholarship should cover these types of costs. You'll receive details of how to claim this additional funding. If you're self funded, or if your scholarship doesn’t cover these costs, check with the Research and Enterprise Co-ordinator in your School for details of School or Doctoral School funding that may be available.

• Living costs

Find out typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Explore our campus

Experience Sussex life in our virtual tour.

Start your virtual tour

PhD Information Sessions

Visit campus and chat to staff and students. Book your place

Online PhD Sessions

Join a live webchat. Book your place

International

Meet us in your country

Course enquiries

+44 (0)1273 876787

Send us a message

Admissions enquiries

If you haven’t applied yet:

+44 (0)1273 678655 lps@​sussex.ac.uk

Find out about the School of Law, Politics and Sociology

After you’ve applied:

+44 (0)1273 877773 [email protected]

Find out how to apply

Quick links

• Guide to PhD study
• PhD support
• Academic facilities
• Open Days and events
• Accommodation
• International students
• Student life
• Order a printed prospectus

What do you want to do next?

• Courses Browse our courses by subject area
• Sussex Life Find out about life at Sussex
• Visit Come to a PhD Open Evening
• Apply Find out how to apply

• Schools & departments

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Law

Introduction to Postgraduate Study at the University of Edinburgh

Join us online on 25 September to learn more about Scotland, the city of Edinburgh and postgraduate study at the University.

Find out more and register

Research profile

The Edinburgh Law School is a vibrant, collegial and enriching community of legal, sociolegal and criminology researchers and offers an excellent setting for doctoral research.

Edinburgh Law School is ranked 3rd in the UK for law for the quality and breadth of our research by Research Professional, based on the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021).

Our doctoral researchers are key to the School’s research activities, and we work hard to ensure that they are fully engaged with staff and projects across all of our legal disciplines.

You will find opportunities in the following fields:

• company and commercial law
• comparative law
• constitutional and administrative law
• criminal law
• criminology and criminal justice
• environmental law
• European law, policy and institutions
• European private law
• evidence and procedure
• gender and sexuality
• human rights law
• information technology law
• intellectual property law
• international law
• legal theory
• medical law and ethics
• obligations
• contract delict
• unjustified enrichment
• property, trusts and successions
• Roman law and legal history
• socio-legal studies

Programme structure

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses.

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Training and support

Doctoral researchers enjoy full access to the University’s research skills training which the Law School complements with a tailored research and wider skills programme.

The training programme in Year One (six seminars) includes workshops on research design, writing and research ethics.

The focus of the training programme in Year Two and Three is on supporting the dissemination of work with opportunities to present work.

Opportunities are also available for research exchanges through the League of European Research (LERU) network, as well as an annual research training exchange programme with KU Leuven.

• Find out more about the training and support available

Doctoral researchers are able to draw upon a fantastic range of resources and facilities to support their research.

The Law School has one of the most significant academic law libraries in the UK which offers outstanding digital resources alongside a world-leading print collection (almost 60,000 items including a unique collection for Scots law research).

You will also have access to the University’s Main Library which has one of the largest and most important collections in Britain, as well as the legal collection of the National Library of Scotland.

Career opportunities

Upon completion of the PhD, the majority of our students progress to postdoctoral research or lecturing and teaching roles.

Recent graduates have also found employment in roles as diverse as prison governor, solicitor and policy adviser for organisations including:

• the International Criminal Court
• Anderson Strathern
• HM Prison Service

Our PhD programme

Edinburgh Law School can offer expert supervision across an exceptional range of subject areas for PhD study.

A PhD at Edinburgh Law School involves undertaking independent research, culminating in the submission of a thesis of up to 100,000 words, which should be an original piece of work that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of study and contains material worthy of publication.

As a doctoral student, you will join a diverse community of around 100 postgraduate researchers and will become an integral part of the intellectual life of the School.

• Find our more about studying for a PhD at Edinburgh Law School

Studying for a PhD video

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

• PhD Law: a UK 2:1 honours degree in law, arts or social sciences, and a UK Masters degree with at least 60% in the taught section and 65% or more in the dissertation, or their international equivalents.

The majority of our applicants have studied law, but we are a comprehensive Law School covering a range of approaches to legal topics including social science, historical and philosophical enquiry; applications from non-law students with relevant studies and experience will be considered and if you require further guidance please contact us.

Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other components. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 25 in writing and 23 in all other components.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 185 in writing and 176 in all other components.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 70 in writing and 62 in all other components.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding, featured funding.

• School of Law funding opportunities
• Research scholarships for international students
• Principal's Career Development PhD Scholarships

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Postgraduate Research Office
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 2022
• Contact: [email protected]
• School of Law (Postgraduate Research Office)
• Old College
• South Bridge
• Central Campus
• Programme: Law
• School: Law
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Law - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd law - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

• Staff intranet
• Student intranet

Visit to apply

Key Information

Find a supervisor.

Mode of study

3 years full-time

6 years part-time

International £21,260

Entry requirements

Research profile

Over the years, Brunel Law School has established itself as a major player in the UK law research landscape and is ranked as one of the top law schools in the UK for research. 

The impact of our diversity within the Brunel Law School is evident in the breadth of our research activity which can be divided into public and private law. Our research activity embraces doctrinal, theoretical, critical, contextual and comparative approaches to the study of law. It reaches from the local to the global, addressing important challenges in domestic law as well as universal legal, economic, and social issues. We investigate in depth how best to create and maintain just societies that fairly balance both personal freedom and authority, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals and society. 

Find out about the exciting research we do in this area. Browse profiles of our experts, discover the research groups and their inspirational research activities you too could be part of. We’ve also made available extensive reading materials published by our academics and PhD students.

We also offer students the opportunity to undertake the Integrated PhD in Law programme.  

Learn more about research in this area.

Browse the work of subject-relevant research groups

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour .

Our researchers create knowledge and advance understanding, and equip versatile doctoral researchers with the confidence to apply what they have learnt for the benefit of society. Find out more about working with the Supervisory Team .

You are welcome to approach your potential supervisor directly to discuss your research interests. Search for expert supervisors for your chosen field of research.

While we welcome applications from students with a clear direction for their research, we are providing you with some ideas for your chosen field of research:

• Externalisation and Securitisation of Asylum and Migration, supervised by Ermioni Xanthopoulou
• Investigations into the law and ethics of biomedical technologies, supervised by Pin Lean Lau

Research journey

This course can be studied undefined undefined, starting in undefined.

Find out about what progress might look like at each stage of study here:  Research degree progress structure.

Research support

Careers and your future.

You will receive tailored careers support during your PhD and for up to three years after you complete your research at Brunel. We encourage you to actively engage in career planning and managing your personal development right from the start of your research, even (or perhaps especially) if you don't yet have a career path in mind. Our careers provision includes online information and advice, one-to-one consultations and a range of events and workshops. The Professional Development Centre runs a varied programme of careers events throughout the academic year. These include industry insight sessions, recruitment fairs, employer pop-ups and skills workshops.

In addition, where available, you may be able to undertake some paid work as we recognise that teaching and learning support duties represent an important professional and career development opportunity.

Find out more.

UK entry requirements

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1). Applicants will also be required to have achieved, or be on course to achieve a Master's Degree in Law (or relevant subject). We may consider substantial relevant work experience in place of a Master's Degree on a case-by-case basis.

An interview will be required as part of the admissions process and will be conducted by at least two academic staff members remotely via MS Teams, Zoom, or face-to-face.

Applicants will be required to submit a personal statement and a research statement. Please get in touch with your proposed supervisor, where possible, to receive feedback and guidance on your research statement before submitting it. Learn how to prepare a research statement here .

Please note that Law requires students to submit a 3000-word research statement as part of the application for a PhD programme. For information on completing your research statement please see our video guide here .

EU and International entry requirements

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by  UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list . This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

· IELTS: 7.0 (min 6.0 in all areas)

· Pearson: 64 (min 59 in all subscores)

· BrunELT: 68% (min 58% in all areas)

· TOEFL: 98 (min 20 in all subscores)

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our  English Language Requirements  page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our  Brunel Language Centre .

Please check our Admissions  pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

Fees and funding

2024/5 entry, international.

£21,260 full-time

£10,630 part-time

£4,786 full-time

£2,393 part-time

Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.

Some courses incur  additional course related costs . You can also check our  on-campus accommodation costs  for more information on living expenses.

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. Recently the UK Government made available the Doctoral Student Loans of up to £25,000 for UK and EU students and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.

Scholarships and bursaries

• Brunel Graduate Discount

Related courses

Postgraduate research students are usually registered initially for the degree of PhD. Your initial studies, under the guidance of an academic supervisor, will prepare you for confirmation of your PhD registration, which takes place within two years (full time), and provide you with the essential foundation to help you make an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen field.

Introducing your degree

PhD in Law (min 2 years) Gain expert knowledge in a specialist legal field, develop your research skills, and benefit from joining our academic community with its national and global networks, by joining our postgraduate research programme in Law. Foster your capacity for originality and analysis throughout this research degree to expand your knowledge of important and fundamental aspects of the law, working towards your PhD.

Programme Overview

View the doctoral programme profile for this course

What's related

• Research Centres and Institutes

Entry Requirements

Typical entry requirements, applying for a research degree.

The School of Law welcomes applications to undertake research from suitably qualified. candidates. Applications may be made at any time during the academic year, to commence study at any time, although it is usual to commence research at the start of the academic year.

What is required to apply?

• Completed application form - form available to download
• Research proposal - Advice on Writing a Research proposal
• 2 references, at least one of which must be academic, the other should be academic or relevant professional
• Your Academic transcript

Selection process

For further information on making an application please see the main University site, and for the on-line application for Research degree please see the application forms page.

This page contains specific entry requirements for this course. Find out about equivalent entry requirements and qualifications for your country.

Programme Structure

Typical course content.

The PhD has no modules per semester, instead it is an entirely research-oriented programme in which students conduct original research under the guidance of their supervisors.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees.

Fees for postgraduate research degrees vary across the University. All fees are listed for UK, EU and international full-time and part-time students alphabetically by course name.

Scholarships, bursaries, sponsorships or grants may be available to support you through your course. Funding opportunities available to you are linked to your subject area and/or your country of origin. These can be from the University of Southampton or other sources.

Study locations

Southampton Law School, Highfield Campus

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• Students and staff
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International, business and employers, alumni and supporters, events at aru, law mphil, phd.

Research ( full-time, part-time)

January, April, September

Distance learning supervision is available on this course.

For application deadlines  visit our how to apply page .

Join an international group of researchers and practitioners with expertise in the areas of Law and Society, Digital Economy and Arbitration Law, and Criminal Justice. Our PhD research programme will allow you to explore your own interests in law, supported by the expertise of our staff. As a PhD research student here, you will be affiliated with the Centre for Access to Justice and Inclusion and you'll be supported to undertake research that makes an independent and original contribution to knowledge and to progress into your future career.

Full description

Here at the Faculty of Business and Law, the goal of our research is to develop a better understanding of the challenges arising from the role and application of law in the community, especially challenges around access to justice and inclusion. You’ll find staff with expertise in three broad areas: Law and Society, Digital Economy and Arbitration Law, and Criminal Justice.

Our Law and Society researchers have addressed a range of contemporary social issues in the areas of human rights and vulnerable communities, family law, Sharia law and the regulation of sports. This research ranges from the impact of Brexit on the welfare rights EU Roma migrants in the United Kingdom to parents’ rights over their children’s religious upbringing in the context of the government’s PREVENT strategy, and issues of family law and the legal regulation of intimate relationships.

Our Digital Economy and Arbitration Law researchers have engaged with the pressing legal and regulatory implications of developments in the areas of International Arbitration, as well as Information and Communication Technologies, including strategies for bridging the digital divide, the regulation of online behavioural advertising on Facebook and other social networking sites, copyright reform, sports law, and foundational questions relating to authority and authorisation in international investment dispute settlement.

Our Criminal Justice researchers have engaged with the global challenges of international counter-terrorism and, in particular, the prosecution of members of Islamic State for international crimes against the Yazidis. This research strand has also focused on issues of criminal procedure, such as the role of precedent in international criminal courts and tribunals and the impact of scientific evidence, such as DNA evidence, on the criminal trial. Many of the research projects undertaken by our researchers have strongly interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological design.

We’ll allocate you two supervisors suited to your area of research, with additional staff members available if necessary, and provide you with a rich and stimulating environment in which to conduct your research.

As a PhD student here, you'll be affiliated with the Centre for Access to Justice and Inclusion , which engages in research, dialogue and policy initiatives to promote the important values of access to justice and inclusion. We also host and take part in many other research events, including regular Faculty and departmental research seminars, which will allow you to present your research in a safe and supportive setting. These events, along with our online environment, will help you connect with other research students from a range of disciplines.

All your subject-specific studies will be enhanced and supported by our university-wide training sessions, where you’ll gain important research expertise in areas like ethics, presentations, intellectual property and digital scholarship.

Completion times MPhil: full-time 1-3 years, part-time 2-4 years.

PhD via progression from MPhil, including that period: full-time 2.5-5 years, part-time 3.5-6 years.

PhD: full-time 2-4 years, part-time 3-6 years.

For further guidance on the duration of research degrees please refer to the Research Degrees Regulations .

Recognising genocidal intent against the Yazidis

Law research at ARU

Influencing policy across the digital divide

Supervision and support

Our permanent supervisory staff are recognised as experts in their fields, and have produced a large number of influential books, journal articles and edited collections. Our expertise in law includes:

Dr Ana Keglević Steffek : European contract law; Insurance contract law; Consumer law; Commercial arbitration

Dr Andrew Gilbert: Family law; Policy

Dr Egle Dagilyte : European Union law; Human rights law; Social security; Employment law

Dr Elina Konstantinidou : Criminal law; Criminal litigation; Corporate law; English legal system

Dr Helga Hejny : Discrimination law; European Union law, Transnational corporations; Human rights; Public law; Comparative studies

Dr Imranali Panjwani : Commercial Law; Human rights; Jurisprudence; Islamic Law

Dr Katerina Sidiropoulou : Employment law; Commercial law; Access to justice; Alternative/online dispute resolution; comparative studies

Professor Rohan Kariyawasam : Digital economy; Internet law; IP law; Competition law; Communications law; International development; the 'open society'; International trade and world trade law

Dr Ryan Hill : International human rights law; Theory and practice; The intersection between philosophy and law; Constitutional law and constitutionalism; Freedom of religion

Tom Serby : Sports law; Legal education; Business; Employment; Criminal law.

Where you'll research

Your department and faculty.

You want the benefit of a thriving and highly regarded school where you can develop your skills and confidence for a potentially complex and competitive career. Graduating with this kind of specialist knowledge makes you valuable to employers, confident that you’ve learnt the tools to do the job. You know what it takes to be a professional in your field and we design our courses to get you on the right track, and to get you practicing in a safe environment as soon as possible. With professional accreditation to back up the theory of your degree, you’ll stand out from the crowd of other applicants and be ready for your first graduate job.

• Visit your department

Where can I study?

Our campus is close to the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.

Explore our Cambridge campus

Fees & funding

Course fees, uk students, 2024/25 (per year).

£4,786

UK students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year)

£2,392

International students, 2024/25 (per year)

£15,900

International students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year)

£7,950

In some cases extra costs known as bench fees will be charged for a postgraduate research degree. These are to cover additional/exceptional costs directly related to a specific research project.

Some examples of these costs are (the list is not exhaustive): equipment hire, access costs to specialist equipment/workshops, volunteer expenses, specialist tissue/cell culture, specialist reagents or materials, specialist software, access to specialist databases, data collection costs, specialist media, recording or digital storage needs.

We charge bench fees in bands. They may apply for every year of your course. These bands are the same for full- and part-time students.

If you have to pay bench fees this will be made clear at your interview, and stated in your offer letter.

For 2024/25 the bench fee bands are:

£1,200

• £2,200
• £4,500
• £8,900

PhD by Published Work

Initial registration: £1,500 Full registration: £4,500

Writing up fees 2024/25

How do i pay my fees.

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in instalments – though you won't need to pay until you've accepted an offer to study with us. Find out more about paying your fees .

For advice on the Doctoral Loan and other sources of funding, including ARU scholarships, visit our finance guide for postgraduate researchers .

You might also find The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding helpful.

ARU research

ARU's academic excellence was recognised in 2021, as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), an exercise which assesses the quality of academic research. Sixteen areas of our work were classed as generating world-leading research . The results showed that we're making a significant impact on the societies we live in.

We’ll provide you with many opportunities for career development and training, in areas like writing up a paper for publication, placing an academic article, giving a conference paper, the doctoral writing style, updates on research methods and literature searches, internet training, editing skills for doctoral research, subsequent monograph publication and working with agents and publishers. You might also be able to take on teaching responsibilities, or organise research events.

In conjunction with the University’s research support, you can request specific support for writing-up, conference papers, general research methods and other research skills if you need it.

Contact details

If you're interested in finding out more about research study opportunities in this area, please email [email protected]

MPhil or PhD with progression from MPhil: You’ll need a Bachelors degree or  equivalent with first or upper second class honours, in a related subject area.

PhD: You’ll need a Masters degree or equivalent  in a related subject area.

Please note we consider candidates for PhD with progression from MPhil in the first instance. If you want to be considered for direct entry to the PhD route then this can be discussed at interview if you are shortlisted. Please note you’ll also need to provide academic justification for this request. 

If English is not your first language, you'll require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent test). If you don't meet our English language requirements, we offer a range of courses which could help you achieve the level required for entry.  

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the programme as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements. Contact our postgraduate research degree team  for more information about studying a PhD, MPhil or Professional Doctorate at ARU.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your research programme.

Get more information

Uk applicants.

01245 686868

International applicants

+44 1245 683680

Read this institution's report

York Law School

York Law School has a wide range of research expertise, spanning a diverse array of topics. We apply a variety of research methods, from doctrinal to philosophical, empirical, historical and critical. 

Your research

The PhD is an opportunity to pursue a significant independent research project, making an original contribution to your chosen field of legal knowledge. Your research will lead to a thesis of up to 100,000 words. You will be a part of the thriving research community, with access to training in research and transferable skills to support your career ambitions. The programme is available in all fields of expertise at York Law School, subject to supervisory availability.

[email protected] +44 (0)1904 325818

Related links

• Research degree funding
• Accommodation
• International students
• Life at York
• How to apply

A welcoming community

of postgraduate researchers and scholars, with a reputation for delivering high quality, multidisciplinary research.

A top 25 law school

for research according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

Explore funding for postgraduate researchers at York Law School.

Supervision

Your supervisors will provide expert advice, guidance and support.

Training and support

You will meet with your supervisors at least once every six weeks. This two-way relationship is something you both should benefit from, and will have a major influence on the progress of your research. Your supervisors will help to develop your intellectual interests by offering new perspectives on your chosen topic, suggesting appropriate academic contacts and events, and offering advice on publication.

As well as the main supervisors, a Thesis Advisory Panel (TAP) will be appointed to each student. The TAP meets with you and your supervisors twice a year, monitors progress and whether the supervisory relationship is working well, and offers advice where necessary. 

Careers and skills

Our dedicated careers team offer specific support, including a programme of professional researcher development and careers workshops , and 1:1 career support sessions. They will help you to build up your employability portfolio and to engage in activities that will build up your skills and experience within and outside of your research work.

Career opportunities

• University lecturer
• Legal policy
• NGO-related work
• Specialist practitioner

Course location

This course is run by York Law School.

York Law School is located on Campus East . Most of your training and supervision meetings will take place within the Law and Sociology Building, though your research may take you further afield.

Entry requirements

• An undergraduate degree in Law (or in a discipline related to the research area in which you intend to work) with an average of at least 65% overall, and a minimum of 65% in your dissertation (if applicable), as well as;
• A Masters degree in Law (or another discipline relevant to your research topic) with an average of at least 65% overall, and a minimum of 65% in the dissertation module (if applicable).

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of your ability.

Check your English language requirements

Apply for PhD

Take a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application.

Find out more about how to apply .

As part of the application process, you must include:

• A transcript of your undergraduate and, where relevant, Masters degree results
• A research proposal
• A sample of your written academic work

Discover York

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to deluxe.

Discover more about our researchers, facilities and why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Graduate Research School

Connect with researchers across all disciplines to get the most out of your research project.

Meet us online or on campus

Find out all you need to know about applying to York

Scholarships

Find scholarships to support your studies

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PhD by Distance

Our PhD by Distance programme allows you to benefit from our world-class support and the expertise of a Reading-based supervisor, while conducting your research in a location that suits your circumstances. 

The programme is available to candidates who need to study for most of their registration period at another site, whether in the UK, or worldwide. Acceptance for PhD by Distance is subject to the approval of the supervisors and the relevant school or department.

There are several reasons why you may wish to base yourself away from the University of Reading while undertaking your PhD:

• You have an extensive fieldwork element to your research
• You have responsibilities (e.g. caring or employment) that prevent you from attending on campus
• You are already based and/or employed in an environment that is relevant and conducive to their research
• You do not reside within travelling distance of the University
• You are based in a UK research organisation/institution with a collaborative agreement with the University of Reading in place  

What the programme offers

On the PhD by Distance programme, you will benefit from:

• the opportunity to study on  either a part-time (4-6 years duration) or full-time basis (3-4 years duration)
• supervision from one or more leading University of Reading academics, working at the forefront of their field
• access to a range of high-quality training, delivered on campus or online (see section below on Training)
• access to extensive online Library resources
• a PhD qualification which is delivered and examined at the same high academic standard as a campus-based PhD and a standard PhD degree certificate which does not state the mode of study on it.

Training for PhD by Distance students

The doctoral and researcher college provides a suite of generic researcher training open to all doctoral researchers at reading; this complements subject-specific training available via schools. the specific content of the programme changes from year to year but broadly includes the following: .

• Live online training (available off-campus) – A selection of our training sessions in the Reading Researcher Development Programme (RRDP) are delivered live online each year. UK time zone applies
• Recorded tutorials (available off-campus) – A small but growing selection of recorded tutorials on key topics such as managing data, academic English and research funding 
• Face-to-face training (available on campus only) - Other RRDP training sessions and selected longer programmes are offered face-to-face only. Students registered By Distance have access to face-to-face training when physically present on campus.     

By Distance study entails reduced access to training opportunities and on-campus experience. By Distance candidates are encouraged to discuss and mutually agree overall training plans with their supervisor and seek supplementary training external to Reading (e.g. via an employer or nearby institution) as appropriate.

Induction and physical attendance

A University-wide induction event is held by the Doctoral and Researcher College near the start of each term for all new doctoral researchers. PhD by Distance students studying at Reading in the first term are expected to attend. Where it is not possible for PhD by Distance students to attend in person (i.e. they are not on campus), a recording of the induction will be made available on the virtual learning environment.

Students registered By Distance will benefit from being physically present on campus for periods of time, for instance to attend induction and selected training, to meet their supervisor and peers, and to attend at key points such as Confirmation of Registration. It is strongly recommended that the first month of their programme be spent on campus. 

Eligibility

You must meet the following criteria:

• Satisfy the academic and English language entry requirements for PhD study
• The candidate has a research project which can be undertaken successfully by distance; regular access to campus should not be essential for successful completion of the research
• The candidate must be able to demonstrate that they have the time to undertake a PhD on the selected mode (full-time or part-time). Part-time doctoral study at Reading typically equates to between 50% and 60% of full-time
• The candidate has independent access to the resources needed to successfully complete their research; this will vary between candidates and projects but may include access to archives, facilities, data collection, digital infrastructure or space in their off-campus location
• The candidate is well motivated to work alone; they understand that By Distance registration is not an online learning programme and has reduced access to campus training
• The candidate and School/Department have discussed the suitability of their research project and personal circumstances for study by distance
• The candidate, where appropriate, has access to support from a local supervisor or mentor with experience in the academic field and also of supporting students or equivalent researchers. Advisors/mentors may be appointed to provide a regular point of contact, and are normally in a position to act as an ‘advocate’ and provide pastoral care if needed.
• Will study at least two-thirds of your minimum registration period off campus   

If you are intending to study in the Henley Business School, then please check with the  relevant Department within the Business School  about whether PhD by Distance is available before you apply.

A PhD by Distance is not suitable for all candidates. In offering a PhD By Distance programme specific consideration is given to the suitability of the research project, and whether it can be completed successfully without regular access to campus. Further consideration is given to areas of supervision, support, transferable and subject-specific skills training, research environment , progression milestones and the examination process in order to ensure off campus research students receive a comparable (although, not similar) experience to on campus students registered on ‘standard’ PhD programmes.

Fees for PhD by Distance programmes can be found on the fees webpage

• How to apply

Before starting your application, you are strongly advised to  navigate to the PhD webpages of your chosen school or department  to read the specific guidance on how to apply, as the requirements can vary. Once you have read the guidance, you will need to make a formal application through the University's  online application system , highlighting that you wish to study for a PhD by Distance (full or part-time). If you have questions about PhD by Distance in a specific school or department, then please contact the relevant School/Department PGR Administrator in the  School PGR Support Team . 

Immigration considerations for international students

PhD by Distance students must ensure that when visiting the University that they obtain the correct visa. The correct type of visa depends upon the period of time which a student intends to spend physically at the University.

PhD by Distance students can visit the University for up to six months within each academic year with a maximum of eighteen months in total for the duration of their programme. Students must discuss their intentions with the Doctoral Research Office (DRO) well in advance of any planned visit to the University. The DRO is well-placed to provide information on a range of immigration-related matters related to Postgraduate Research Programmes [email protected]

Examination

The normal expectation is that the viva of a PhD by Distance student will take place in Reading. Where this is not feasible, online examinations will be arranged.

Further information

Further information on PhD by Distance study can be found in the University's guidance on PhD by Distance .

Take the next step

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UCL Faculty of Laws

• Fees and scholarships

A PhD at UCL Laws will allow you to pursue original research and make a distinct and significant contribution to your field

Skip to:   A community of scholars |  Research culture |  Academic development |  Networking and social events  |  Facilities and resources |  Recent successes of PhD students |  Recently completed PhDs

YouTube Widget Placeholder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_wrD7py4Xg

We are committed to the quality and relevance of the research supervision we offer and as an MPhil/PhD candidate, you will work with academics at the cutting edge of legal scholarship.

Furthermore as a research student, you will be an integral part of our collaborative and thriving research community. Student-run ‘work in progress’ forums and PhD workshops will give you the opportunity to present and discuss your research with peers and academic colleagues.

Tailored skills seminars will provide you with a supportive research environment and the critical skills necessary to undertake your research. To foster your academic development we also offer additional faculty funds, which can assist you with the costs of conferences and other research activities.

A community of scholars

UCL Laws is a world-leading community of intellectually dynamic scholars responding to today’s challenges. As a Laws MPhil/PhD student, you will have the opportunity to learn from, and contribute to, this research culture.

The UCL Laws Faculty is rated the top law school for research quality in the UK ( REF 2021 ).

The UCL Laws PhD programme has approximately 60-70 outstanding research students at any one time. The programme accepts applicants with external funding, and puts forward its most outstanding applicants for UCL scholarships.

Research culture

UCL Laws was ranked first in the UK for its world-leading research environment in the most recent Research Excellence Framework and our commitment to our research culture is mirrored in our postgraduate research environment. As a research student here you can take advantage of a range of opportunities to make the most of your studies, and get the best start in your career.

A vibrant and brilliant student community 

“UCL Laws truly is an amazing place and I am glad that it is where I have decided to undertake my doctoral studies. At UCL, I have been encouraged to pursue innovative and original research that might not have been possible in other places.

"The PhD student community is vibrant and made up of utterly brilliant fellows from around the globe. I gained a lot simply by spending time with these people in seminars, in the common room and at the pub.  All in all, UCL Laws is a top-rate institution to pursue graduate studies.”

Jean-Frédéric Ménard , former UCL Laws PhD student

From opportunities to teach, develop your skills, and present your work, to networking and social events, alongside dedicated research student support facilities, you can find the resources to help you make a distinct and significant contribution to your field.

Academic development

We nurture the development of your research skills from the very beginning of the programme with our skills seminar series. Providing initial support and information about the research process, these seminars will advance your critical skills in research methods and theory as well as fostering your legal and academic career skills.

Our skills seminars culminate in our First-Year Research Presentation Workshop. Here you will have the chance to present your work in front of peers and academic colleagues, gaining both valuable feedback and experience of presenting academic papers in a friendly and supportive environment.

“[The research presentation workshop] gave all new PhD candidates the chance to reflect on their work and to present it, for some of us for the first time, to colleagues and faculty members. It was great to see so many supervisors attend – they provided constructive feedback and words of encouragement. This workshop provided valuable insights into effective academic presentation skills and helped anticipating what presenting at conferences would be like in the years to come.”

Christina Lienen , former UCL Laws PhD student

The Work in Progress Forum is a seminar series led by current PGR students, and is an excellent opportunity to present and discuss your research in a supportive environment. All students are encouraged to be involved, and you may have the chance to convene the forums during your PhD.

“The PhD Work in Progress Forum is an integral part of the experience as a research student at UCL Laws. It provides opportunities for students to discuss their work with peers and to hone their skills as discussants in a rigorous yet supportive environment. Convening the Work in Progress Forum offers the chance to learn how to organise academic events. Last, but certainly not least, the Forum shapes the academic community of PhD students that is so vital to successful research.”

Lea Raible , former UCL Laws PhD student

The UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence is edited and published by graduate (LLM and PhD) students at UCL Laws. Featuring scholarly contributions from academics, researchers and practitioners, it also showcases outstanding research by post-graduate students at UCL. As a research student here you will have the unique opportunity to contribute to the journal, both editorially and through submitting research for publication.

Where possible, we offer research students the opportunity to provide tutorial teaching on the LLB and LLM. UCL offers training in teaching skills through its UCL Arena One programme.

“The opportunity to become a teaching fellow at UCL while completing your research comes with several benefits. When teaching I felt part of the academic community in two ways: as a teacher and as a student. I was able to learn constantly from both sides and the skills I acquired have shaped me both personally and professionally. This experience is integral to the preparation of any career, whether it be in scholarship, teaching or something completely outside of academia.”

Sara Razai , former Teaching Fellow

Research students can take part in our mentoring programme designed to assist LLM students with their dissertations. Each mentor is assigned a list of students, and will offer encouragement and advice on the form and style of dissertations, as well as provide feedback on draft work at face-to-face meetings and by email.

We recognise that conferences are crucial for you to meet other scholars, gain feedback on your research and ideas, and to engage in the academic world. Because of this, we encourage students to participate in both national and international conferences and to present their work in front of varies audiences, both within and outside of UCL. We also encourage students to organise their own conferences, workshops and reading groups where appropriate. To support conference attendance the faculty provides each research student with a generous Personal Research Allowance, with the opportunity to apply for additional funding too (see below).

The Laws faculty has an active public events calendar, and as part of Legal London we attract the leading figures in the field to contribute to our vibrant programme of events, informing public debate around social, legal, environmental and economic issues. Through this you will have the opportunity to hear cutting edge research and be part of a dynamic research community.

For upcoming events, see our events page .

The Doctoral Skills Development Programme is open to all graduate research students at UCL. The purpose of the programme is to give you the opportunity to expand your generic research skills and personal transferable skills. These skills are intended to help your research at UCL and also to enhance your life skills and employability. To find out more,  see the website here .

The UCL Law Journal Blog is the online platform of the  UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence  – UCLJLJ.

Much like our sibling UCLJLJ, the UCL Law Journal Blog is edited and published by graduate (Masters and PhD) students of UCL Laws. The Blog publishes scholarly contributions from academics, researchers and practitioners, as well as showcasing outstanding research of post-graduate students at UCL.

We accepts submissions and contributions in all areas of law and jurisprudence, reflecting the diverse and innovative areas of research at UCL Laws and UCLJLJ.

The Blog’s primary aim is to make a high-quality contribution to current debates on local and global issues of law and jurisprudence, and offer these contributions in a free, accessible, and updated platform, covering up-to-date events, developments, debates, cases, and more.

Finally, the Blog, much like the Journal, seeks to add to the content, research, an contributions of UCL, one of world’s leading law schools.

• View the latest blog
• Follow us on Twitter @ucljlj

Guidelines for Submission

The UCLJLJ Blog editorial board welcomes any contribution that concern the law and legal developments. We welcome reports on proceedings, case notes, book reviews, articles, interviews, and more.

We do not have any preference as to the methodology, and theoretical, doctrinal, interdisciplinary, empirical, and any other methodology – is welcome. Similarly we have no limitation, nor preference, to a particular field of law or jurisdiction nevertheless, in some cases certain contribution may be edited or coupled so to form a theme.

Not only contributions advocating a certain position are encouraged, but also comprehensive critical analyses, replies and reviews. Moreover, active debate is welcome on the blog, ensuring the possibility of all parties to be heard and a common symbolic space of dialogue to be established.

For further information on our blog guidelines, see our blog guidelines page .

Current editors-in-chief

• Leon Vincent Chan

My favourite things about studying at UCL Laws

"There are three things I particularly enjoyed about studying at UCL Laws. The first was the rest of the PhD community. The small size of the PhD cohort and the range of interesting topics being worked on at any one time helps foster a vibrant and supportive research environment where everyone learns from each other. The second was being situated in Bentham House. Having excellent research facilities and dedicated study space in the heart of London is invaluable, especially as it allowed me to attend talks and conferences throughout the city. The third was the opportunity to engage more widely with the work being undertaken by the UCL Law Faculty and UCL as a whole. The opportunity, for example, to attend and contribute to staff work-in-progress seminars and attend discussions in other faculties gave me a cross-disciplinary insight and made my work more holistic."

Jeevan Hariharan , former UCL Laws PhD student

Additional funding 

Graduate research students at UCL Laws have an annual research allowance that can be used to cover research-related expenses such as purchasing books, attending conferences or any other materials relevant to their research.

The allowance is currently £750 full-time or £375 part-time per financial year.

UCL Laws also runs a by-application research fund for current PhD students, aimed at providing financial assistance to fund valuable research activities that would otherwise be impossible.

Some examples of research activities supported by the fund include:

• Training in new research skills not available through the UCL Skills Development programme or the UCL Doctoral School
• Specialised research equipment or materials
• Support for access to specialised research facilities
• Research trips or visiting studentship
• Attending a conference to present a paper relevant to their thesis
• Organising workshops, seminars or conferences relevant to the thesis
• Activities that will spread knowledge, understanding of and engagement with research with external, non-academic audiences

The PRIF Fund is available to all enrolled MPhil and PhD students at UCL Laws, and is run through the Laws PhD Programme Office.

Networking and social events

We offer a number of events and opportunities for graduate research students to network and socialise with fellow students and academics, to help you make new connections, develop your research and gain new skills.

Each year, new graduate research students and their supervisors are invited to a special welcome event, hosted by the Dean of the Faculty (currently Professor Eloise Scotford ) at the start of Term 1. This event provides a wonderful opportunity for new students to meet academic staff from across the faculty.  This is just one of several induction activities in the first two weeks of the programme in which new research students will have the opportunity to meet academic staff of the Faculty and established research students returning for their next year of study.

The UCL Laws PhD Programme is based in Bentham House in Endsleigh Gardens.

In addition, all UCL Laws graduate research students can access the specialist resources provided by the  UCL Doctoral School , including useful information about research policies and procedures, societies, events and competitions, as well as to student facilities at UCL.

Some of the best libraries in the world are on our doorstep, and our students are able to take advantage of the specialist collections and materials as part of their studies and research.

UCL Laws students are able to access the  UCL Library , which currently holds over 1.3 million volumes, and includes a extensive law collection, which is particularly strong in the fields of international law, English law, public law, jurisprudence and Roman law.

As a member of the  University of London , all UCL students can join the  Senate House Library  and, with permission, visit the specialist libraries of other members of the University of London, including the  SOAS Library , the  British Library of Political and Economic Science  at the LSE, the  Institute of Historical Research .

Our students can also make use of the major research library of the  Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS)  in Russell Square. The collections of the IALS concentrate primarily on common law, civil law and Roman-Dutch law systems throughout the world and include material in western European languages for all jurisdictions for comparative and general reference purposes.

Research students can also register for a Reader’s Pass for the  British Library , and make use of its unrivalled reference collection.

Recent successes of PhD students

Four PhD students from the UCL Faculty of Laws have been successful in achieving academic positions in the UK and overseas. You can also read more student news  to find out about the events and publications our PhD students have been involved in.

Recently completed PhDs 

UCL Laws has a vibrant community of outstanding research students. You can read more about research by students who have recently completed their studies at UCL Laws below.

• Dr Lulwa Althenayan,  Between Shari'ah and International Standards: Protecting the Rights of the Child under Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Law
• Dr Chiara Armeni,  Public Participation in Decision-making on Wind Energy Infrastructure: Rethinking the Legal Approach Beyond Public Acceptance
• Dr Joe Atkinson,  Labour law and human rights: legal and philosophical perspectives
• Dr Caspar Bartscherer,  Primary and Secondary Rights in Private Law
• Dr Alexander Green,  A Moral Explanation of Emerging Statehood: Political Community and International Law
• Dr Eleanore Hickman,  Diversity, merit and power in the c-suite of the FTSE100
• Dr Ashleigh Keall,  Conceptions of Harm in the Canadian Constitutional Adjudication of Religious Freedom
• Dr Eva Christina Lienen,  The Nuanced Constitution: An Essay on Common Law Constitutional Rights
• Dr Alfonso Salvatore Nocilla,  Corporate Rescue at the Crossroads
• Dr Gaiane Nuridzhanian,  Ne bis in idem in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
• Dr Ira Ryk-Lakhman,  The Protection of Foreign Investments in Armed Conflicts
• Dr Eugenio Enrique Velasco Ibarra Arguelles, Adjudicating the right to freedom of religion or belief in the liberal state
• Dr Dorothy Acha Morfaw Epse Ghogomu, The complexities and inequalities of the laws of divorce in Cameroon and how these can be overcome  
• Dr Alberto Coddou Mc Manus, A transformative approach to anti-discrimination law in Latin America  
• Dr Kumaravadivel Guruparan, Internal Self-Determination in Public International Law  
• Dr Murilo Lubambo De Melo, Entry of foreign investments: convergence of international trade and investment law?
• Dr June Namgoong, Reconstructing trade and labour linkages: A legal analysis of labour provisions in United States trade arrangements  
• Dr Igor Nikolic, Licensing standard essential patents: FRAND and the internet of things  
• Dr Christopher O’Meara, Necessity and proportionality and the right of self-defence in international law  
• Dr Sara Razai, The role and significance of judges in the Arab Middle East: An interdisciplinary and empirical study  
• Dr Daniel Seah, The ASEAN character of non-intervention: a study of the relationship between general and regional international law  
• Dr Nicholas Tiverios, Relief against contractual penalties in England and Australia: history, theory and practice
• Dr Yael Levy Ariel, Judicial diversity in Israel: an empirical study of judges, lawyers and law students  
• Dr Michael Connolly, Easy cases making bad law: the English judiciary, discrimination law, and the statutory interpretation 
• Dr Amber Darr,  Parallel pasts, divergent destinies: a comparative analysis of transferring and implementing competition laws in India and Pakistan  
• Dr Olivia Hamlyn,  Beyond Rhetoric: Closing the Gap between Policy and Practice in the EU's Regulation of Risky Technologies  
• Dr Guillermo Jimenez Salas, Nonjudicial administrative justice in Latin America. A case study of the Chilean Comptroller-General  
• Dr Gerard Kelly,  Governing the EU ETS: the contribution and modalities of linkage  
• Dr Kimberly Liu, The constitutionality of facially neutral affirmative action in the United States  
• Dr Lea Raible,  Human rights unbound: a theory of extraterritorial human rights obligations with special reference to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  
• Dr Diana Richards, Learning to Judge: An Empirical Study of Judicial Attitudes to Training and Sentencing in Romania  
• Dr Christopher Riley, Jeremy Bentham and the utility of history 
• Dr Anna Tzanaki,  The regulation of minority shareholdings and other structural links between competing undertakings: A law & economics analysis
• Dr Yu Shan Chang,  The mechanisms and rationale for integrated publicly-funded legal services: a comparative study of England and Wales, Australia and Taiwan  
• Dr Anna Donovan,  Reconceptualising Corporate Compliance  
• Dr Jessica Duggan-Larkin,  Human Rights Duties and the International Actions of States  
• Dr Eleni Frantziou,  The Horizontal Effect of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: a Constitutional Analysis  
• Dr Mariko Fukasaka,  The Adversary System of the International Court of Justice: An Analytical Study  
• Dr Andrew Gilbert,  British conservatism and the legal regulation of intimate adult relationships, 1983-2013  
• Dr Miguel-Jose Lopez-Lorenzo,  Truth and knowledge in law: the integration challenge  
• Dr Manuela Melandri,  Self-determination and state-building in international law: a right in abeyance?  
• Dr Andres Palacios Lleras,  Competition law in Latin America: markets, politics, expertise  
• Dr Azza Raslan,  The diffusion of competition law in Africa: theoretical perspectives on the policy transfer process  
• Dr Inga Thiemann,  She is not just a victim. An intersectional feminist labour law approach to human trafficking into the sex industry  
• Dr Larissa Verra Boratti,  Environmental assessment from an environmental justice perspective: analysing the impacts of major urban projects in Brazil  
• Dr Xiaobo Zhai,  Bentham's Theory of the Nature of Law
• Dr Ghislaine Lanteigne,  The Best Interests of the Child in Relocation Disputes: England and Wales, and Canada  
• Dr Claire Lougarre,  The Right to Health: Legal Content through Supranational Monitoring  
• Dr Vassiliki Martzoukou,  Claims to Resources and Positive Obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights  
• Dr Natalie Ohana,  Social Exclusion through Legal Naming Events: The Case Study of Violence against Women by Male Partners  
• Dr Luke Price,  Improving the legal regulation of organisations by re-assessing the requirements of responsibility in the corporate context  
• Dr Oisin Suttle,  Equality in Global Commerce: Towards a Theory of Justice in World Trade Law  
• Dr Maria Tzanakopoulou,  In Defence of Constitutionalism: Democracy, Power and the Nation State
• Dr Ilias Trispiotis, Freedom of religion, equality and discrimination in the European Convention on Human Rights
• Dr Kristi Gourlay, The scientific approach to legal history and legal reform: comparing the legal philosophy, historical methodology, and legal science of Blackstone, Kames, and Bentham
• Dr Christopher Anderson, Administrative legitimacy and risk regulation in the European Union and the United States
• Dr Prakash Puchooa, Have the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) judges exercised their judicial discretion fairly? A case study of the formulation and application of Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE)
• Dr Radosveta Vassileva, Change of Economic Circumstances in Bulgarian and English Law. What lessons for the Harmonization of Contract Law in the European Union?

Register your interest

"I would definitely recommend UCL to anyone who is planning on doing a PhD in law"

"UCL has provided me with opportunities to present my work, both domestically and internationally, as well as to undertake a research visit to another university. It has provided me with the skills and experiences necessary to succeed in my future career, both in and out of academia."

Joe Atkinson, UCL Laws PhD student

Read about our alumni and where they are now

If you have any questions about the MPhil/PhD programme or the admissions procedure at UCL Laws please contact us at:

Email:   [email protected] You should always quote your UCL Application ID number in any correspondence relating to your application.

Unfortunately, the UCL Laws Research Office does not accept drop-in visitors.

UCL Laws student news 

Funnelback feed: UCL Faculty of Laws news UCL Faculty of Laws events UCL Faculty of Laws Research News UCL Faculty of Laws Bentham House News UCL Faculty of Laws Pro Bono News UCL Faculty of Laws Alumni News UCL Faculty of Laws Life at Laws News UCL Faculty of Laws Media News UCL Faculty of Laws Staff News UCL Faculty of Laws Publications UCL Faculty of Laws events Legal Problems UCL Faculty of Laws news [students] UCL Faculty of Laws Life at Laws News [Student News]: https://cms-feed.ucl.ac.uk/s/search.json?collection=drupal-laws-news&met... Double click the feed URL above to edit

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Course type

Qualification, university name, distance online phd in england.

267 degrees at 23 universities in England.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

Related subjects:

• PhD Agriculture, Animal Care, and Veterinary Science
• PhD Archaeology
• PhD Architecture
• PhD Biology and Life Sciences
• PhD Building, Planning and Construction Management
• PhD Communications and Media
• PhD Computer Science and Information Technology
• PhD Creative Arts and Design and Illustration
• PhD Economics
• PhD Education
• PhD Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• PhD Engineering
• PhD English Literature
• PhD Environmental Health and Safety, Protection and Conservation
• PhD Financial Management and Accounting
• PhD Food Science and Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics
• PhD Gallery, Conservation and Museum Studies and Museology
• PhD Geography and Earth Sciences
• PhD Health Care Management and Health Studies
• PhD History
• PhD Humanities and Social Sciences
• PhD Industry, Logistics, Manufacturing and Production
• PhD Journalism and Publishing
• PhD Languages
• PhD Law and Legal studies
• PhD Leisure, Hospitality Management and Event Management
• PhD Linguistic Studies
• PhD Literature
• PhD Management, Business and HR
• PhD Marketing and PR
• PhD Mathematics
• PhD Music Technology and Production and Sound Engineering
• PhD Nursing and Midwifery
• PhD Other Sciences and Research
• PhD Performing and Dramatic Arts, Acting and Music Studies
• PhD Philosophy
• PhD Physics
• PhD Physiotherapy and other Therapies
• PhD Psychology
• PhD Religious Studies and Theology
• PhD Social Work, Community Work and Counselling Skills
• PhD Sports and Recreation
• PhD Surgery, Medicine and Dentistry
• PhD Teaching and Training
• PhD Transport Services and Aviation

• Course title (A-Z)
• Course title (Z-A)
• Price: high - low
• Price: low - high

Geography, Environment and Development Studies MPhil/PhD

Birkbeck, university of london.

Our PhD programmes aim to train you to conduct research of the highest academic standard and to make an original contribution to the Read more...

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 7 years Online degree: £2,500 per year (UK)

English PhD,MPhil - Literature, Medicine, and Science

University of leicester.

English at Leicester All research areas within English are offered as Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - campus based full-time and Read more...

• 4 years Distance without attendance degree: £5,913 per year (UK)
• 3 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

Education (Online) MPhil/PhD

Ucl (university college london).

The UCL Institute of Education (IOE) has specialised, research-active staff who are able to supervise students in education and related Read more...

• 3 years Online degree: £7,580 per year (UK)
• 5 years Online degree: £3,790 per year (UK)

Theology (distance learning) PhD

University of nottingham.

Our distance learning PhD gives you the time and support to explore your theological interests while maintaining your existing Read more...

• 3 years Distance without attendance degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
• 6 years Distance without attendance degree

Computing Science and Informatics PhD

London south bank university.

The School of Engineering has a strong culture of research and enterprise. We are the top modern university in London for world-leading Read more...

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 4 years Full time degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,892 per year (UK)

Economics, Accounting or Finance PhD

Oxford brookes university.

Economics is a broad discipline that helps us understand historical trends by studying the past, interpret today’s major challenges and Read more...

• 3 years Distance without attendance degree
• 4 years Distance without attendance degree
• 3 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 4 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

PhD Computing and Mathematics

University of wolverhampton.

PhD students at the School of Mathematics and Computer Science are supervised by academics who are leading experts in their particular Read more...

• 4 years Distance without attendance degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 8 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

Accounting PhDs and MPhil (Distance Learning)

University of portsmouth.

If you're ready to embark on a postgraduate research degree in Accounting, Portsmouth is the perfect place for you. Our accounting Read more...

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,393 per year (UK)
• 3 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

PhD in Art, Design and Architecture

Manchester metropolitan university.

Discover your research degree study options, including areas of expertise for our academic supervisors. Our research degrees will help you Read more...

• 6 years Part time degree

PhD English Language and Applied Linguistics (Distance Learning)

University of birmingham.

Carry out your research with one of the UK’s leading English Language departments, renowned for its expertise in Corpus Research, Cognitive Read more...

• 4 years Distance without attendance degree: £12,330 per year (UK)

Archaeology MPhil/PhD

Our research areas include Early and Later Prehistory, Classical Greek, Hellenistic and Roman Republican archaeology; Roman provincial Read more...

• 7 years Part time degree: £2,500 per year (UK)

English PhD,MPhil - Literature and Adolescence

Applied linguistics with english language teaching phd.

Applied linguistics offers a fascinating opportunity to study the interaction between language and the real world. You will be supervised Read more...

• 48 months Distance without attendance degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
• 96 months Distance without attendance degree
• 48 months Full time degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
• 96 months Part time degree

Allied Health Professions PhD

A PhD, by definition, is an original contribution to knowledge. It is distinct from a taught Masters in that your final output will be an Read more...

• 36 months Full time degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 48 months Part time degree: £2,892 per year (UK)

Business and Management PhD

Business and Management is a broad disciplinary cluster which includes sub-disciplines such as Organisational Behaviour, Leadership, Read more...

• 3 years Distance without attendance degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 4 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

PhD Postgraduate research in Media and Communications

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a research degree with the Faculty of Arts. We will be delighted to discuss your area of interest Read more...

Education PhDs and Mphils (Distance Learning)

If you're ready to take your knowledge and expertise in Education into a postgraduate research degree, then Portsmouth is the perfect place Read more...

MPhil/PhD in Philosophy

• 3 years Full time degree
• 6 years Part time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)

Film Studies PhD (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)

Research degrees in Film Studies at Birmingham are supervised by faculty in the Department of Film and Creative Writing and in the Read more...

Sociology PhD, MPhil - Youth,Childhood, and Generation

The School of Media, Communication and Sociology offers supervision for the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - full-time and Read more...

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £3,942 per year (UK)

1-20 of 267 courses

Course type:

• Distance learning PhD

Qualification:

Universities:.

• Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London
• University of Huddersfield
• Maryvale Institute
• University of Sunderland
• Birmingham City University
• University of York
• Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London
• Birmingham School of Acting
• Lancaster University
• University of London Worldwide
• Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London
• University of Bristol
• Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London

Related Subjects:

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Attend an open day

Discover more about Law at Manchester

Year of entry: 2025

• View full page
• Bachelor's (Honours) degree in Law (or a cognate subject) at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent), or professional experience/qualifications; and
• Master's degree in Law (or a relevant subject) with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent), or professional experience/qualifications.

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 1 December 2024. If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.

• For September 2025 entry: 30 June 2025
• For January 2026 entry: 30 September 2025

Programme options

Programme overview

• Immerse yourself in sustained, in-depth study into a specific topic.
• Stimulate real change while you work across our core fields in terms of both legal and policy issues.
• Join a community of established researchers and contribute to a diverse intellectual environment.
• Receive research training in law and social sciences.

Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.

To find out what studying on a postgraduate research programme at Manchester is like, visit our Open days and study fairs page and explore our virtual open week or future on-campus and international events.

We will be conducting our PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out more about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts.

Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393 International, including EU, students (per annum): £10,750

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards available to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Social Sciences studentships is 1 December 2024.

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting your funding application and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

You will need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor for a number of our scholarships. Therefore, we highly recommend you discuss these funding opportunities with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and ensure you meet nomination deadlines.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Social Sciences PhD Studentships 2024 Entry
• AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• PhD Studentship with the Stuart Hall Foundation (Social Sciences) - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry

Contact details

See: School Subjects

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview, english language.

International applicants must provide one of the following:

• IELTS test minimum score - 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in other sections.
• TOEFL (internet based) test minimum score - 100 overall, 25 all sections.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum score - 76 overall, 76 in writing, 70 in other sections.
• To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years.
• Other tests may be considered .

English language test validity

Other international entry requirements.

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see entry requirements from your country.

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School.

Application and selection

How to apply, advice to applicants.

Before you start your application, you should:

• Develop your own research proposal and project title.
• Find a supervisor by browsing our academics' profiles, and reach out directly to discuss if they are interested in supporting your research.
• Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor.

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents:

• A 1,500 word PhD research proposal and 500 word supporting statement summarising your motivation for PhD study, outlining any research experience you have and why you want to do a postgraduate research degree at Manchester. Please upload the 2000 word document as a single file.
• A copy of your Bachelor's academic transcript and certificate.
• A copy of your Master's academic transcript and certificate. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript.
• If you have completed more than one Master's or Bachelor's degree, please provide evidence for each. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, you must provide an official English translation. If your weighted average mark or GPA is not included on these documents, please also include an official document from your university verifying this information.
• An up-to-date academic CV summarising your academic record, employment history, publications and highlighting experience demonstrating your research potential.
• The names of two academic referees, including one from your most recent institution. Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following the submission of your application form. You may wish to notify your referees to submit their references promptly, as this is part of the review process.
• A certificate or evidence demonstrating your English language ability and proficiency. Applications can be considered without this evidence but any offer would be conditional on meeting minimum requirements.

Interview requirements

As part of the offer making process, applicants will be required to undertake an interview assessment. This may be in the form of an in-person interview or video call.

The interview is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the broad topic area, the viability of your proposed research and its intellectual contribution, alongside the fit of your project with the supervisory team. You also may be asked to identify and address any potential ethical considerations in relation to your proposed research, and discuss how best to progress your ideas in line with University of Manchester ethics guidance.

The interview panel will consist at minimum of your proposed primary supervisor and an independent interviewer.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful, you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard programme entry criteria for that year of entry.

In your new application, you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen programme.

Programme details

Programme description.

Research is central to the work of the Law department. 

Our diverse, intellectual community brings together legal and socio-legal scholars, criminologists, ethicists, economists and sociologists who undertake doctrinal and empirical research, resulting in the production of a wide range of scholarly and policy-oriented publications. 

Our research  shapes law, policy and social change through active engagement with policy-makers, legislators, NGOs and activists working in a broad range of disciplines and sectors. We invite you to explore our  research themes , through which we encourage collaboration and debate within the department and beyond.  

Our research degrees involve sustained, in-depth study into a specific topic, which is then written up as a thesis for examination.

Special features

Our core research is supported by research centres , providing direction and guidance for staff and PGRs with common interests.

By joining the School of Social Sciences you will receive specialist training on research methods in law and social sciences.

Having specialised research centres allows us to ensure our research is focused and makes a real impact, both within the University and the wider community.

• The Manchester Centre for Regulation, Governance and Public Law (ManReg) works to address regulatory issues in areas such as the environment, policing and intellectual property and biotechnology.
• Our international law expertise at the Manchester International Law Centre (MILC) covers a range of areas including international trade, armed conflicts and cyber security.
• Experts at the Centre for Social Ethics and Policy (CSEP) are leading the ethical research of today's healthcare and legal debates in areas such as assisted suicide and euthanasia, mental health and capacity issues and reproduction.

Additional programme information

Humanities Doctoral Academy

Our Humanities Doctoral Academy combines the strengths of our four schools to bring expertise, knowledge, support and high-quality services for postgraduate researchers.

We are a community of academic leaders and postgraduate researchers across all levels in the Faculty of Humanities. The Doctoral Academy Hub houses our specialist professional service teams who support postgraduate researchers throughout the programme journey. This includes admissions, registration, student experience, progression, examination, and graduation. We collaborate closely with other University directorates including Manchester Doctoral College, Researcher Development team, and the corresponding Doctoral Academies in the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. Together we provide the best experience and support for your studies and research.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities.

We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.

All appointments are made on merit.

The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Teaching and learning

Undertaking a PhD is challenging, but you will receive expert supervision during your time with us. This supervision includes regular meetings with your supervisors and an annual review session for you to present details of your progress to other academic staff.  

Supervisors will normally be within the department, but collaborating with scholars from other areas of the University is also possible. Our dedicated researcher development team provides individual tailored training to support the progression of your research skills, as well as guidance for your career in academia or further afield. To test your ideas and disseminate your scholarship, we’ll actively support and encourage you to engage with the wider academic community to present your work to and receive feedback from scholars outside of Manchester.

Coursework and assessment

For a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), you must successfully complete a period of supervised research and training, the results of which show convincing evidence of your capacity to pursue research and scholarship, and to make an original contribution and substantial addition to knowledge.   

Research training in legal methods: full-time PGRs are expected to attend at least 50% of the research training seminars over the course of the first year.

Part-time PGRs are required to attend a 25% minimum of seminars in their first year and another 25% in their second year. Second and third-year PGRs may return to take seminars they missed the previous year on an optional basis.  

You must prepare a substantial thesis of up to 80,000 words, and also satisfy the examiners in an oral examination on the subject of the thesis. The subject is chosen by you, but must be approved by the School's Research Committee.   

You may commence your studies in September or January (with September being the main admissions date).

Related research

In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) 82% of our Law research was judged to be in the highest two categories (4*) 'world-leading' or (3*) 'internationally excellent'. 

Our research impact was also judged to be strong, with 100% judged to be (4*) 'world-leading' or (3*) 'internationally excellent'. 

Read more about our Law research at Manchester.

What our students say

The University of Manchester Library

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

Disability support

Career opportunities.

Successful graduates can progress within a wide variety of roles in the legal professions and associated fields. 

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a PGR and for two years after you graduate.  

At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help support you with your goals for the future.

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The faculties of Environment and Arts, Humanities and Cultures offer PhD by distance learning across most schools.

PhD by distance learning allows you to study at a time and place that suits you and, with a part-time option available, you'll have the flexibility to gain an advanced degree alongside work and other commitments.

Through completing a PhD, you will become an expert in a specialist area and gain high-quality research training.

Our PhD by distance learning programmes

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LLM Postgraduate Laws

Page contents

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Key features
• 3 Teaching Centre Support
• 4 Course overview
• 5 Key dates
• 6 Admissions
• 7 Fees, funding and payment
• 8 Career opportunities
• 9 What our students say

You are reading:

Course information>

December 2024

With this world-class flexible Law degree, you could achieve your LLM without a prior degree and choose to specialise in one of 33 areas or select from 68 courses for a general award.

Key features

Learn from the experts.

Academic direction for the degree is provided jointly by Queen Mary University of London and UCL, both of which are ranked in the top 10 Law departments in the UK (2022 QS World University Rankings).

You can choose what you study

You can pursue this LLM degree without specific specialisation and select from 68 offered courses, or you can choose to specialise in one of 33 areas.

Open to non-law graduates

You can achieve your LLM even without a prior degree, via our three possible entry points: the Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma, and the LLM. Even if you choose not to undertake the full LLM, you can gain a respected postgraduate qualification in law.

Study flexibly online

With up to five years to complete the programme, you can spread the cost of your degree and continue working full time. With no relocation costs, studying for a University of London degree by distance learning can represent a more affordable option than studying on campus.

Worldwide relevance

Gain advanced knowledge of legal issues for careers in law, government, banking and financial services, national and international corporations, regional and international organisations, shipping, the media, human rights and more.

Enhance your employability skills

Throughout this LLM you will be developing and strengthening the Global Employability Skills, highlighted by the University of London Careers Service, that will help you to progress your career. Each of the 33 different specialisms can be mapped against these key skills which you can showcase to employers.

Teaching Centre Support

Course overview, programme structure, modules and specification show.

Each course is divided into four modules (each assessed separately). Often we recommend the order to take modules to help you study the course effectively.

To complete the qualifications, you must take the following number of courses and modules:

• PGCert –  Five  modules from  up to four  courses.
• PGDip –  10  modules from up to four courses.
• Master of Laws (LLM) –  16  modules from  four  courses.
• Download the Programme Specification
• View the Programme Regulations

Progress through your awards

Once you complete the requirements of the PGCert or PGDip, you may progress to the higher award (PGDip or LLM) and simply complete the additional modules necessary to achieve the higher award.

Courses available Show

Admiralty law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM01)

Advanced contract law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM83)

Advanced torts (Open modal with additional information) (LWM82)

Applicable laws and procedures in international commercial arbitration (Open modal with additional information) (LWM03)

Carriage of goods by sea (Open modal with additional information) (LWM05)

Commercial banking law: bank customer relationship (Open modal with additional information) (LWM72)

Commercial trusts law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM06)

Comparative criminal justice policy (Open modal with additional information) (LWM07)

Constitutional and institutional law of the European Union (Open modal with additional information) (LWM08)

Corporate finance and management issues in company law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM09)

Corporate governance and compliance (Open modal with additional information) (LWM80)

Derivatives Law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM75)

Dispute resolution – resolving civil claims in England and Wales (Open modal with additional information) (LWM88)

Equity and trusts in context (Open modal with additional information) (LWM10)

European union competition law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM11)

European convention on Human Rights (Open modal with additional information) (LWM12)

European internal market (Open modal with additional information) (LWM13)

External relations law of the European Union (Open modal with additional information) (LWM55)

FinTech: Law and regulation (Open modal with additional information) (LWM85)

Foundational and constitutional issues in company law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM15)

Franchising law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM16)

Human rights of women (Open modal with additional information) (LWM19)

Industrial and intellectual property (Open modal with additional information) (LWM20)

Insurance law (excluding Marine insurance law) (Open modal with additional information) (LWM22)

Intellectual property and medicine (Open modal with additional information) (LWM23)

Intellectual property and sport (Open modal with additional information) (LWM63)

Intellectual property on the internet (Open modal with additional information) (LWM24)

International and comparative bank regulation (Open modal with additional information) (LWM64)

International and comparative competition law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM25)

International and comparative law of patents, trade secrets and related rights (Open modal with additional information) (LWM27)

International and comparative law of trade marks, designs and unfair competition (Open modal with additional information) (LWM28)

International and comparative trust law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM29)

International commercial insurance law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM70)

International criminal law and procedure (Open modal with additional information) (LWM87)

International economic law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM31)

International environmental law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM32)

International investment law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM33)

International law of the sea (Open modal with additional information) (LWM34)

International merger control (Open modal with additional information) (LWM57)

International natural resources law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM74)

International refugee law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM60)

International trade law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM36)

International rights of the child (Open modal with additional information) (LWM35)

Jurisprudence and legal theory - a new approach (Open modal with additional information) (LWM41)

Law and policy of international courts and tribunals (Open modal with additional information) (LWM38)

Law of international finance: syndicated loans (Open modal with additional information) (LWM66)

Law of international taxation (Open modal with additional information) (LWM81)

Law of financial crime (Open modal with additional information) (LWM17)

Law of international project finance (Open modal with additional information) (LWM78)

Law of treaties (Open modal with additional information) (LWM54)

Law on investment entities (Open modal with additional information) (LWM77)

Legislation and statutory interpretation (Open modal with additional information) (LWM79)

Marine insurance law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM39)

Maritime dispute settlement (Open modal with additional information) (LWM84)

Medical law and ethics (Open modal with additional information) (LWM56)

Modern copyright law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM90)

Multinational enterprises and the law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM40)

Private international law in international commercial litigation (Open modal with additional information) (LWM67)

Private law aspects of the law of finance (Open modal with additional information) (LWM69)

Regulation and infrastructure of international commercial arbitration (Open modal with additional information) (LWM42)

Russian law and legal institutions (Open modal with additional information) (LWM44)

Securities law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM71)

Taxation principles and policy (Open modal with additional information) (LWM47)

Telecommunications law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM48)

Transfer of technology law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM49)

United Nations protection of human rights (Open modal with additional information) (LWM61)

Western European legal history (Open modal with additional information) (LWM50)

World trade law (Open modal with additional information) (LWM51)

Youth justice (Open modal with additional information) (LWM52)

Specialisations Show

Choose from 33 specialisations.

If you choose to specialise, you need to study a minimum number of courses or modules within your specialist pathway. The number depends on the qualification you are working towards:

• PGCert (a total of five modules) - At least four  modules from  one  specialisation * .
• PGDip (a total of 10 modules) – At least eight  modules from  one  specialisation.
• LLM (a total of 16 modules from four courses) – At least three complete courses  (12 modules) from  one  specialisation.

* The exception to the rule above is for the PGCert specialisation in Financial sanctions for which you need to study five modules from a list of eight modules falling under the specialisation.

You can decide on any specialisation you wish to take after you register.

If you complete a specialisation, this is outlined on your certificate (for example, ‘Master of Laws in the specialisation: Computer and Communications Law').

Specialisations available:

Banking and finance law show, the list of courses that fall into this specialisation are set out below:, commercial and corporate law show, common law show, comparative and foreign law show, competition law show, the list of courses that fall in this specialisation is set out below:, computer and communications law show, corporate and securities law show, criminology and criminal justice show, economic regulation show, environmental and natural resources law show.

Please note that modules of the International law of the sea (LWM34) course cannot be taken in conjunction with modules of the Maritime dispute settlement (LWM84) course.  

Equity and trusts Show

Family law show, the list of courses that fall in this specialisation is set out below., european law show, financial sanctions show.

The Financial sanctions specialisation is only available with the PGCert.

Financial sanctions (Open modal with additional information)

Financial services law Show

Human rights law show, insurance law show, intellectual property law show, international business law show, international criminal justice show, international dispute resolution show.

Please note that modules of the International law of the sea (LWM34) course cannot be taken in conjunction with modules of the Maritime dispute settlement (LWM84) course. 

International intellectual property law Show

The list of courses that fall in this specialisation is set out below, international justice show, law and development show, legal theory and history show, maritime law show.

Please note that modules of the International law of the sea (LWM34) course cannot be taken in conjunction with modules of the Maritime dispute settlement (LWM84) course.

Media Law Show

Medicine and the law show, procedural law show, public international law show, public law show, sports law show.

The Sports law specialisation is only available with the PGCert.

Tax law Show

How you study show.

The programme is offered online and is fully supported by a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You study at a time and pace that suits you (subject to course-specific deadlines) using the study materials provided, and revision forums from academic staff.

Study materials

You have access to study materials developed by academics from Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) and University College London (UCL). These include a Postgraduate Laws Handbook with practical information; Programme Regulations, Study Guides written for your chosen modules; a comprehensive skills guide; and past exam papers, examiners' commentaries and sample scripts, which give you valuable insights into how to perform well in exams.

Online support

When you register, we will give you access to your Student Portal . You can then access your University of London email account and other key resources: 

• The Student Portal with the University's 'Ask a Question' contact form, and an interactive student induction to prepare you for study.
• A University of London email account.
• The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) . Here, you can access electronic copies of all printed study materials, resources including audio-visual and revision guides, and forums to discuss course material and work collaboratively with others. 
• The Student Café , where you can share perspectives with fellow students from all over the world.
• The Online Library . As a student at the University of London, you will have access to a range of resources, databases, and journals via the  Online Library . You will be able to contact a team of professional and qualified librarians for any help you require.  
• The Introduction to English Common Law MOOC, available through Coursera.

Senate House Library  

If you’re based in the United Kingdom, or are visiting London, make sure to visit  Senate House Library . Students studying with the University of London can join the library free of charge. Membership includes a 10-book borrowing allowance, access to all reading rooms and study areas, and on-site access to Senate House Library digital resources. 

Student support

We are committed to delivering an exceptional student experience for all of our students, regardless of which of our programmes you are studying and whether you are studying independently or with a Recognised Teaching Centre.

You will have access to support through:

• The Enquiry Hub – provides support for application and Student Portal queries.
• TalkCampus – a peer support service that offers a safe and confidential way to talk about whatever is on your mind at any time of day or night.
• One-to-one appointments available to book with the Dean and Programme Officer.

Time commitment

You will need to spend about 120 hours on each module (or 1,920 hours for the full LLM). Approximately 40 to 50 hours per module are linked to assessment activity such self-assessment exercises found in the study guides, and preparation for taking the exam.

To complete the full LLM in two years, you will need to study for roughly 20 hours per week throughout the two years. It is up to you how you schedule your studies, depending on your work and personal commitments.

Modules are assessed by a 45-minute unseen written exam, which you can sit in May or October. You can sit your exams at any of our approved centres around the world.

You don't have to sit exams in every session. As long as you finish within your five-year registration period, you can plan your exams as you choose.

More about exams.

Academic Leadership Show

Academic direction for the Postgraduate Laws programmes is provided jointly by the School of Law at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) and the Faculty of Laws at University College London (UCL). These schools plan the structure and content, develop and write study materials, set the examination papers and mark scripts.

Dean of Postgraduate Laws

Professor Helen Xanthaki (LLB, MJur, PhD, SFHEA) specialises in legislation, legislative drafting and legislative quality. She is president of the International Association for Legislation, and works as a consultant and trainer in legislative drafting for governments and international/regional organisations.

December 2024 intake Show

May 2025 intake Show

Entry requirements Show

For the LLM entry point , you normally need one of the following:

• A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of London, or equivalent, with at least second-class honours; or
• A Bachelor’s degree from the University of London, or equivalent, with at least second-class honours, where at least half the units are in law-related subjects; or
• Membership of the Bar or Solicitors’ professional association in England or Wales, or equivalent.

If you do not meet the LLM entry requirements, successful completion of the PGDip will allow progression to the LLM.

For the PGDip entry point , you normally need the following:

• A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from the University of London, or equivalent, with at least second-class honours.

If you do not meet the PGDip entry requirements, successful completion of the PGCert will allow progression to the PGDip.

For entry to the PGCert , you normally need one of the following:

• A post-school qualification in any discipline which is at least 1-year full time in duration and considered comparable to at least FHEQ level 4; or
• At least five years’ relevant work experience, such as accounting, banking, finance or insurance.

We accept relevant qualifications at higher FHEQ levels for each requirement respectively.

We accept a range of qualifications from around the world:  see a full list for details .

Your entry point is just your starting point in the Postgraduate Laws programmes. Once you satisfy the requirements of the PGCert, you may progress to the PGDip, and then on to the LLM, provided that you complete your study within five years.

English language requirements

You need a high standard of English to study this programme. You meet our language requirements if you have achieved one of the following within the past three years:

• (IELTS) International English Language Testing System – overall score of at least 6.5 and at least 6 in the written test.
• (TOEFL) Test of English as a Foreign Language – overall score of 92 or above with at least 22 in the Reading and Writing sub-tests and at least 20 in the Speaking and Listening sub-tests.
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) – overall score of 59 or above with at least 59 in both Reading and Writing elements and at least 54 in Speaking and Listening elements.
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English.
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (grade C or above).
• Duolingo: must achieve an overall score of at least 120.

Provision on the Postgraduate Laws programmes is fully electronic. Our students are expected to have excellent internet access. However, if circumstances prevent you from accessing the internet, you can make a case to the programme director, who has discretion to offer printed copies of the basic learning materials. This is reserved for extraordinary circumstances and solely for the purposes of enhancing accessibility: examples include disability or imprisonment.

More about computer requirements.

Recognition of prior learning Show

If you have studied material as part of a previous qualification that is comparable in content, level and standard to our, you may be exempted from the equivalent course of our degree. This is known as  Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)  or Exemption. You will not need to study or be assessed in the module(s) to complete your award. 

Master of Laws (LLM):   You may be awarded RPL for up to five modules (four of which normally from the same course) 

Postgraduate Diploma in Laws:   You may be awarded RPL for up to three modules (normally from the same course); 

Postgraduate Certificate in Laws : You may be awarded RPL for up to one module.  

To be considered for RPL you should make a formal request within your application when applying for the programme. Or, you can submit an online enquiry , if you have already applied. 

You will need to have met the entrance requirements for the programme to be considered for RPL.  

We can only consider whole, passed prior learning. Usually there is no time limit for when you should have passed your previous qualification(s)/ examination(s), that you are basing your RPL application on. 

We will not consider RPL if you have already entered for the assessment in the module concerned.  

Discretionary RPL 

Your qualifications will need to be assessed by specialist academics on a case by case basis , before we can approve RPL. This is known as discretionary RPL. A formal application is required and an RPL application fee is payable. The RPL application fee is non-refundable, even if your prior learning is not recognised.  

Your qualification must be at the appropriate level (equivalent to a UK Level 7 or postgraduate qualification and above) to be considered.  

For your discretionary RPL request to be processed, you will need to provide: a completed RPL request form, the supporting documentary evidence (normally a scanned copy of an official transcript and syllabus of your previous studies) and the discretionary RPL fee. 

You should apply as early as possible to ensure we have sufficient time to review your qualifications and so you can register by the registration deadline. 

Note: All discretionary RPL requests must be submitted by the dates specified for the specified for the May or December session in the year that you apply. We must receive all required supporting evidence by the deadline stated.

If you submit your discretionary RPL application but are too late to be considered for RPL in the current session, we will still process your application to study the programme. If you receive an offer, you can still register. If you wish to be considered for RPL in a subsequent session, then you shouldn’t register on the modules you want to apply for RPL.  

How to request RPL: 

Additional information about the process of applying for RPL .  

Further information regarding RPL is covered in the Recognition of Prior Learning section of the appropriate  Programme Regulations and Section 3 of the General Regulations .

Fees, funding and payment

The fees below relate to new students registering for the 2024-2025 session. On average, fees are subject to a five per cent year-on-year increase.

Students who registered earlier can view their fees on the Course Fees page .

* Prior to 2023-24, an initial registration fee was charged in addition to the module fees. From 2023-24 the initial registration fee has been conglomerated into the fee for each module. Therefore, students initially registered before the 2023-24 academic year will pay reduced module fees to account for the initial registration fee already paid.

**The online examination administration fee will be charged once for each examination sitting held online, including resits.

More about programme fees .

Please note: all student fees shown are net of any local VAT, Goods and Services Tax (GST) or any other sales tax payable by the student in their country of residence. Where the University is required to add VAT, GST or any other sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the fees shown during the payment process. For students resident in the UK, our fees are exempt from VAT.

Further information on Sales Tax .

Your payment provider may apply additional transaction fees (if in doubt, please check with them before making a payment).

Funding your study Show

The combination of our competitive fees and option to pay as you go, avoidance of the considerable cost of living in London and possibility to continue earning whilst you study represents excellent value for money. In addition, there may be additional sources of support depending on where you live and how you choose to study.

More on funding your study.

Scholarships and bursaries

Up to 18 scholarships per year are available for high-performing students on the Postgraduate Laws programme. Bursaries are available for all University of London LLB alumni for their LLM, PGDip or PGCert programme fees at 30 per cent. All applicants (including LLB alumni) residing in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Malaysia can take advantage of a 40 per cent bursary for the LLM, PGDip or PGCert. More on LLM scholarships and bursaries.

Via Canon Collins , we offer scholarships to nationals of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

Can I get sponsored?

If you're employed, your employer may be willing to cover part/all of the programme fees if you can make a compelling case as to how this programme will boost your contribution to the workplace.

Our courses are ideal for employers because they get to retain you as an employee and benefit from your learning from the moment you begin.

How can I get sponsored by my employer?

We have a template available to help you present a case to your employer.

Employer sponsorship business case template [PDF]

Paying for your course Show

You can pay your fees in a number of ways, including an online payment facility via the Student Portal and Western Union Quick Pay.

More on how to pay your fees

Career opportunities

Careers opportunity show.

The Postgraduate Laws programmes provide you with many of the key attributes required by law firms – advanced, specialist legal training and the ability to work in a multinational legal environment. Our graduates regularly advance to high-level positions in a variety of sectors, including banking, financial services, financial regulation, human rights agencies, NGOs and public service.

Many professional associations and Bar Councils also accept our qualifications towards professional development quotas. For example, in England and Wales, the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority accredits our programmes (including individual modules taken on a standalone basis) towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

What do employers think of our graduates?

We advise you to explore the local recognition status before you register, even if you plan to receive support from a local teaching institution.

You’ll have access to a wide range of careers and employability support through the University of London Careers Service, including live webinars and Ask Your Careers Questions Live sessions.

Transferable skills you gain from studying a LLM at the University of London

Transferable skills are mapped against the 10 core employability skills promoted by the University of London Careers Service. Transferable skills aid students to be able to understand how to utilise their degree to upskill effectively in their chosen area or change careers. These skills are identified from a range of sources, including the World Economic Forum (2020) Future of Jobs Report, Skills for the Future (2019) and additional research conducted by the Research Unit of The Careers Group, University of London:

• Adaptability & resilience , learnt through the management of students’ own learning, including working effectively to deadlines;
• Collaboration , learnt through the formation of peer study groups, the peer review of submissions that do not count for assessment, and socialising online;
• Communication , learnt through the use fluent and effective communication and discussion skills in a written context;
• Complex problem-solving , learnt through the use of problem-solving skills in learning and assessment; and through the capacity to handle ideas and scrutinise information in critical, evaluative and analytical ways;
• Creativity & innovation , learnt through learning and assessment that promotes the formation of own views and opinions, and their expression in innovative and original arguments beyond those in bibliography;
• Decision-making , learnt through the students’ organising of information, and the assimilation and evaluation of competing arguments;
• Digital skills , learnt through the distance learning aspect of teaching and learning;
• Emotional intelligence , learnt through open mindedness and the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;
• Leadership , learnt through the individual with management of personalised learning in the programme, which includes personal timetabling, learning, and progress; and
• Persuasion & negotiation , learnt through the organisation of the students’ professional and personal commitments to fit in their demanding programme of study. It is also learnt through creating convincing and sound arguments during assessment.

Careers support Show

You’ll have access to a wide range of careers and employability support through the University of London Careers Service, including live webinars and online drop-in sessions.

More on the University of London Careers Service

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What our students say.

Hear from our graduates about why they chose the University of London’s online LLM.

Start dates

• December 2024 - application deadline closes 11 November 2024

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Welcome to the University of Exeter

World class education and research in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK

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3 year Bachelors Go straight to your major

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Rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

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150+ countries on campus

92% of graduates in or due to start employment or further study fifteen months after graduation HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide & Complete University Guide 2024

Russell Group Research intensive university

Delivering Green Solutions

Find out about Exeter’s leading work on positive tipping points and new Global Tipping Points Report in partnership with the Bezos Earth Fund.

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Aerial view of the Streatham Campus, Exeter

Students working on Streatham Campus, Exeter

The Harbour Lights fish and chip shop in Falmouth

Interior of Exeter Cathedral

A traditional pub in Falmouth

The Forum, Streatham Campus, Exeter

Swanpool Beach in Falmouth

Reed Hall, Streatham Campus, Exeter

A lecture taking place in the Alumni Auditorium, Streatham Campus, Exeter

Rooftop bar in Exeter

Exeter Cathedral, built in 1133

Shopping in Princesshay, Exeter

One of many festivals that take place at Falmouth harbour

Paddleboarding and kayaking in Cornwall

 The University of Exeter Women's Rugby Club celebrate a win

World-famous St. Ives, a short drive from the Penryn Campus

Cross Keys Cafe on St Luke's Campus, Exeter

Brentor Church, Dartmoor, Devon

Aerial view of Penryn Campus and the coast

St. Luke's Fitness Centre

No Guts No Glory,  a lovely independent plant shop in Exeter

A student outside a local shop on Magdalen Road, near St Luke's Campus, Exeter

St Luke's Campus, Exeter

Stepcote Hill, Exeter

Independent shops on Fore Street, Exeter

Exeter Cathedral

Historic Exeter Quayside

The Cathedral Green, Exeter

The River Exe, Exeter

Traditional architecture in Exeter

Geology students in Cornwall

Physics students on the Streatham Campus, Exeter

Legendary Pizzas at Exeter's On the Waterfront restaurant

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