Political and Legal Theory (MA) (2025 Entry)

Political and Legal Theory students researching

Course code

P-M9PS

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time
2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Politics and International Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-M9PS

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time
2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Politics and International Studies

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

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Find out more about our Political and Legal Theory taught Master's degree at Warwick

Warwick's Political and Legal Theory MA questions how normative analysis might be applied to address matters of public concern by developing a knowledge and understanding of central normative concepts, theories and ideas and their implications for public policy, institutional design and the law.

Course overview

This programme will enable you to acquire knowledge and understanding of central normative concepts, theories and ideas, the debates they have generated, and their implications for public policy, institutional design and the law. This interdisciplinary approach is supported by the close cooperation fostered by the interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics, Law and Public Affairs (CELPA), which is situated in PAIS but which also includes members from Law, Philosophy and Sociology.

This programme provides an advanced education in normative issues that will prepare you for doctoral study that includes normative inquiry, and will give you a wide range of experience and skills in critical thinking and analysis that will be attractive to employers.

Double Degrees

Our Double Degree programmes enable you to combine the study of this MA programme in PAIS with a Master’s programme at any one of our partner universities:

American University, Washington DC, USA
University of Waterloo, Canada
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Learn more about our Double Degrees

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

Visit our PAIS web pages for department-specific advice on applying to ensure your application has the best chance for success.

Postgraduate FAQs (PAIS specific)

Postgraduate FAQs (General)

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

Band B
IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Academic References

We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses, and two academic references for research courses.

You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.

View our guide to academic references.Link opens in a new window

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Modules

Core modules

Normative Analysis

Normative issues - questions of right and wrong, of just and unjust, of good and bad - often arise in, indeed often motivate, the study of social, legal and political institutions and policy. How should those institutions be arranged? By what moral criteria should we assess policy options? How should we act as individuals, citizens, politicians or judges? This interdisciplinary survey course provides an advanced and wide-ranging introduction to the main theoretical perspectives and substantive topics.

Dissertation

The Dissertation is an opportunity to study a topic of your choosing, in autonomy and in-depth, under the guidance of an advisor selected among the many experts in the Department. The Dissertation topic should be related to your course. It is an original empirical and/or theoretical investigation, led over terms 2 and 3, that takes further the work done in regular seminars in terms 1 and 2. The Dissertation is the closest you will get to real research during your degree. It is a key experience if you have a PhD in view, or extra-academic research, or any future employment that will require the ability to lead investigations and write reports in autonomy.

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

Justice and Equality
Global Justice and Future Generations
Topics in Moral and Political Philosophy
Democratic Design

The optional module listsLink opens in a new window are updated regularly.

You may select up to 40 CATS (normally two modules) from a list of optional modules in PAIS, and a further 40 CATS from either this list or a related department (such as Law or Philosophy) for a total of 120 CATS of taught modules.

Tuition fees

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

PAIS Funding Opportunities

Find out more about the various funding opportunities that are available in our department.

Scholarships and funding

PAIS Funding Opportunities

Find out more about the various funding opportunities that are available in our department.

Teaching

Modules are taught via one 2-hour seminar per week. Seminars give you the opportunity to interact with leading scholars as well as with your peers to explore a set topic each week. Every seminar will be based on extensive guided reading you will do each week, but there is no strict pattern to how sessions are run. This may include mini-lectures followed by discussion, Q&A sessions, organised debates, peer presentations, policy briefs, small group work, and other projects.

You can also choose to study part-time with us. Find out more about part-time study on our PAIS web pagesLink opens in a new window.

Class sizes

Normally a maximum of 18 per seminar group in PAIS delivered modules.

Typical contact hours

6 hours of Seminars per week for 9 weeks in Terms One and Two plus advice and feedback hours when requested and Dissertation supervision in Terms Two and Three.

Part-time students attend an average of 3 hours per week for 9 weeks in terms 1 and 2, plus advice and feedback hours. Dissertation supervision takes place in terms two and three of year 2. Teaching hours are spread over the two years as evenly as possible , and considering personal extra-academic constraints.

Assessment

Assessment methods include research essays and other (written) assignments throughout the year, culminating in a 10,000 word dissertation at the end.

Reading Lists

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform.

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules in a module pre-registration process about which you will receive information at the beginning of September.

Careers

Careers and employability

Graduates from these courses have gone on to work for employers including: Action Aid; World Bank; UN agencies; UK and other universities; Deloitte; Office for National Statistics; Japan Ministry of Defence; Nationwide Building Society; Reddit; European Social Survey; the European Central Bank; and the UK Cabinet Office. They have pursued roles such as: communications officer for major NGOs; business and financial project manager; economist; finance officer; policy advisor; compliance analyst; data analyst; advisor in human rights; local council officer; and union campaigner.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

Your future awaits - the many things you can do after your degree in the PAIS Department
Careers in Government and Politics
Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
After your PAIS Master’s – What Next?
Assessment Centres and Interviews: an overview of what to expect for PAIS students

We also invite alumni and other professionals to talk about their job search and job experience in various sectors of interest to our students. Recent talks have discussed the sectors of human rights and humanitarian work, PhD and academic research, recruitment in the digital industry, The National Graduate Development Programme for Local Government, the UK Civil Service Fast Stream, and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Department

Politics and International Studies at Warwick

Join an innovative, creative and passionate department with a lively and interactive culture. Stretch and challenge yourself with the support of friendly staff and your peers.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window

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Application deadlines

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2026 opens on 2 October 2025.

Applications close on 2 August 2026 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

Useful links

Applicant portal
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2023 entry

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Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

Page Updates

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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Political and Legal Theory (MA) (2025 Entry)

Find out more about our Political and Legal Theory taught Master's degree at Warwick

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

How to apply checklist

I'm ready to apply

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

Explore ways to connect with us

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

Page Updates

About the information on this page

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