Political and Legal Theory MA

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

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P-M9PS

MA

1 year full-time
2 years part-time

29 September 2025

Politics and International Studies

University of 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.

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.

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 pages.

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

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 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.

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)

• 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.

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

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.

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

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