LLM by Research

The LLM by Research presents an excellent opportunity to focus on a period of dedicated research, and is a fantastic bridge to doctoral study.

As a student on this programme, you will consolidate and build on the legal research and writing skills you acquired during your undergraduate legal studies, by planning and completing a 30,000-word dissertation. You will work independently but under specialist academic supervision, within your chosen field of law.

The topic of your dissertation can be chosen from any of the School’s legal research fields in which we have supervisory expertise, including commercial law, criminal law and evidence, criminology, EU law, IP, media and technology law, international law, legal history and legal theory, medical law, private law, and public law.

The programme will enhance and develop your ability to manage and engage with both primary legal sources and academic literature on your chosen topic, present critical and engaged legal arguments, and maintain the coherence of those arguments over a substantial piece of written work.

The framework of the LLM by Research allows you time and intellectual space to work in your chosen field, and to refine and develop this initial phase of the project for future doctoral work.

The programme does not have formal coursework elements, other than initial training seminars alongside PhD students. This makes the LLM by Research a particularly attractive option for those wishing to undertake postgraduate research on a part-time basis, while pursuing legal practice or other employment.