MPhil/PhD in Law (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-M3P0

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time;
Up to 7 years part-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

Law

Location

University of Warwick

MPhil/PhD in Law (2026 Entry)

Course code

P-M3P0

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

3-4 years full-time;
Up to 7 years part-time

Qualification

MPhil/PhD

Led by

Law

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

Apply now

Explore our Law MPhil/PhD degree at Warwick

Study a MPhil/PhD in Law at the University of Warwick's Law School. Gain an understanding of relevant research methods and evolve into a well-rounded socio-legal scholar within a creative community of fellow researchers.

Course overview

In this programme you will be carefully supervised by an individual specialist in your chosen area of study and supported to generate a research question and produce a thesis. For the MPhil you are required to write a thesis of up to 60,000 words and up to 80,000 for the PhD.

Our Research Degrees attempt to achieve a balance between individual study, academic supervision, and participation in a communal, scholarly learning environment. As a research student, you will be a vital part of our research culture and we will encourage you to fully participate in the life of the Law School.

Teaching and learning

You will attend a research methods and theory course and meet with your supervisor at least once a month throughout your degree.

Each year postgraduate research students get the benefit of, feedback and presentation opportunities, skills workshops as well as a series of ‘masterclass’ events led by world-leading researchers. These workshops and events support a self-critical assessment of research methods and techniques and allow you to learn from others working in your field. In addition, you will be invited to attend research seminars, public lectures and other training opportunities with the Law School and across the University.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

A good Master's degree (or equivalent) in Law or a related subject plus a strong research proposal. Those with a good first-class undergraduate degree may also be considered for entry.

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
Overall IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 and 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.

Research themes

Our research

Eleven research clusters:

Contract, Business and Commercial Law
Comparative Law and Culture
Development and Human Rights
Gender and the Law
International and European Law
Law and Humanities
Legal Theory
Governance and Regulation
Empirical Approaches
Migration
Arts, Culture and Law

The Law School’s research is rooted in the twin themes of law in context and the international character of law.

Explore our research areas on our Law web pages.Link opens in a new window

Supervisors and proposals

Find a supervisor

Find your supervisor using the link below and discuss with them the area you'd like to research.

Explore our School of Law Staff DirectoryLink opens in a new window where you will be able see the academic interests and expertise of our staff.

You are welcome to contact our staff directly to see if they can provide any advice on your proposed research, but will still need to submit an application and meet the selection criteria set by the University before any offer is made.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.Link opens in a new window

Research proposals

You should make contact with a potential supervisor before submitting your application.

You will be required to submit a Research Proposal with your application. This should be 2000-2500 words (MPhil or PhD) or 1000-1500 words (LLM by Research), and contain the following:

Proposed research title and rationale, and a working hypothesis or research questions
Research methodology, including any proposed field work
Survey of the relevant literature and a clear expression of the originality of the proposed work
List of publications (where appropriate) and research experience

Find out more about our research proposal requirements on our websiteLink opens in a new window.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

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.

Department

School of Law

From the first intake of students back in 1968, Warwick Law School has developed a reputation for innovative, quality research and consistently highly rated teaching. Study with us is exciting, challenging and rewarding. Pioneers of the 'Law in Context' approach to legal education, and welcoming students and staff from around the world, we offer a friendly, international and enriching environment in which to study law in its many contexts.

Get to know us better by exploring our departmental website.Link opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate courses

Apply now

How to apply

Please note that all Law MPhil/PhD applicants should include a Personal Statement answering the following questions:

Briefly outline how your existing academic and/or professional experience prepares you for postgraduate study (please include relevant methodological training and/or experience) (250 words max).
Briefly outline why Warwick Law School is the best place for you to conduct your research (250 words max).

How to apply checklist

Our how to apply checklist helps you prepare for your application

Read the checklist

I'm ready to apply

Learn more about the Applicant Portal.

Apply now

Application deadlines

Warwick Law School now operates two admission rounds for MPhil/PhD applicants. Admissions round 1 is for those applicants who wish to be considered for scholarships administered by the School of Law, the University, or national funding bodies such as the ESRC or AHRC. Admissions round 2 is for those applicants who plan to either self-fund their studies or those who have (or those who hope to secure) a scholarship from outside the UK.

Admissions Round 1

Admissions are open from 6 October 2024. The deadline for applications is 13 December 2024. This departmental deadline applies to all applicants wishing to be considered for:

Chancellors International Scholarships
The Law School Scholarships
ESRC DTP studentships
AHRC M4C studentships
China Scholarship Council
University of Warwick Scholarships
Monash-Warwick Alliance Joint PhD Scholarships

Please note: Scholarship applicants must have been made an offer by the department before they can be considered for a scholarship. In most instances, scholarship applicants will need to submit a separate scholarship application to the relevant administering body. Deadlines for this separate application will vary. More information about the administration of relevant scholarships is available here. The departmental deadline of 13 December 2024 is in place to give the department time to process applications before scholarship selections and nominations take place.

Admissions Round 2

Admissions are open from 6 October 2024. The deadline for applications is 6 June 2025. In some circumstances, with the support of the proposed supervisor, applications after this deadline might still be considered. If you wish to apply after 6 June 2025, please contact the Law School Director of Postgraduate Research to discuss your application before submitting it. Any applications submitted after 1st August 2025 will not be considered.

Applicants who are applying for Sanctuary or CARA scholarships may apply at any time of year. If you wish to apply for these schemes outside the two admission rounds outlined above, please contact the Law School Director of Postgraduate Research to discuss the application before submitting.

Useful links

Applicant portal
After your applied
Admissions statement
Join a Live Chat

2025 entry

Department content block about careers

Explore ways to connect with us

We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
Live chats
Talk and Tours
Department events

See 2025 entry »

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.

StudyStudy Postgraduate Postgraduate

MPhil/PhD in Law (2026 Entry)

MPhil/PhD in Law (2026 Entry)

Explore our Law MPhil/PhD degree at Warwick

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

How to apply checklist

I'm ready to apply

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

Connect with us

Talk to us

Find us