University of London, School of Advanced Study
PhD at the Institute of Advanced Legal StudiesLondon, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 up to 6 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
GBP 6,130 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* home, full-time | £15500: international, full-time. fees vary depending on mode of study and fee status. please visit our website for updated fees
Key Summary
Introduction
Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.
With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words. The areas covered by the Institute’s expertise cover a broad range of law, policy, and crime.
This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.
On completing this course, you’ll be well prepared for specialist career paths, both within academia and beyond. Graduates are awarded a University of London degree.
The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) is a national academic institution serving all universities through its national legal research library.
Its function is to promote, facilitate, and disseminate the results of advanced study and research in the discipline of law for the benefit of persons and institutions in the UK and abroad. Its areas of specialty include arbitration and dispute settlement, company law, comparative law, economic crime, financial services law, legislative studies and law reform, and the legal profession and delivery of legal services.
The School of Advanced Study
The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national center for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Our students fund their studies in a variety of ways including scholarships, bursaries, and fellowships, as well as government loans and postgraduate loans.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that you don't need to pay back and are awarded based on personal circumstances or academic achievement. Funding at the postgraduate level is competitive so it’s a good idea to plan financially before starting your course.
- The London Arts and Humanities Partnership Studentship
- University of London Scholars Awards
- Yusuf Ali Scholarship offered by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies
- Stefania Barichello International Travel Bursary
- JB Trapp Scholarship offered by the Warburg Institute
- Rubinstein Scholarship offered by the Warburg Institute
Curriculum
The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies offers doctoral research supervision in the following areas:
- Company Law
- Comparative Law
- Criminal Law and Evidence
- European Criminal Law
- Financial Crime
- Financial Services and Regulation Law
- Gender, Sexuality, and Law
- Information Law and Policy
- Law and Society
- Legal Education
- Legislative Studies / Law Reform
- Public Law and Regulation
Your application and proposal will be reviewed initially by the IALS Director of Postgraduate Research Studies and, if you are offered a place, the Institute will appoint an appropriate supervision team.
Course structure
The degree can be taken full-time over three years (or a maximum of four) or part-time over five years (or a maximum of six). You will initially be registered for our MPhil and then, providing your progress has been satisfactory, be upgraded to our Ph.D. program.
The primary activity of the Ph.D. program is the writing of a thesis of up to 100,000 words. There is no formal coursework, but you will be expected to undertake at least 30 days of research training, including attending our two-week research methods in the law training course. You are also encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at the Institute during the academic year, as well as to participate in our three specialist research centers.
After submission of the thesis, you will attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner, from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another British university.
Distance Learning
The School of Advanced Study will offer students with an appropriate topic and level of local resources the opportunity to undertake a Ph.D. by distance learning. These students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their location. This option is available to UK, EU, and international students on the same basis as our on-campus Ph.D. programs (three years full-time, six years part-time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus Ph.D. programs. Please note that not all institutes and supervisors offer this option and that some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
You'll benefit from a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment as well as a range of funding opportunities. SAS is a national research hub and IALS enjoys close links with its other members, including the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, the Institute of Modern Languages Research, and the Institute of Historical Research. Cross-institute collaboration is actively encouraged, making us an ideal location for interdisciplinary research.
You'll be able to use the libraries of other colleges, in addition to the Senate House Library and IALS’s outstanding law library.
In addition to a rich program of discipline-specific research training, you will also have access to a wider training program that draws on the research and teaching expertise of the other SAS institutes and the University of London. Our workshop program of generic research and transferable skills training provides the transferable and employability skills necessary for careers in academia and elsewhere. The IALS Library also organizes a popular three-day workshop series on ‘How to get a Ph.D. in Law’. This annual program provides the chance for an informative discussion and legal research guidance.