Program Overview

Law PhD

Overview

The School of Law at the University of Nottingham offers a dynamic and vibrant environment for PhD study. With well-established research centres and links to leading institutions around the world, the school provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in high-quality legal research.

Research Overview

The school promotes research excellence, recognising that high-quality legal research may take many different forms. Students will be assigned two supervisors who will have the appropriate expertise to support their research project. The school offers supervision in most subject areas and for interdisciplinary projects that have a legal aspect to them.

Research students and academics are all engaged in the same endeavours and can learn a great deal from each other. The school actively encourages doctoral students to engage in the wider community of the school and play a full role in its research activities.

While legal research is often an individual pursuit, many collaborative research activities take place, including co-authorship of publications, and reading and discussion groups. In addition, research students organise their own seminar series, with the support of a member of staff, which helps them practise and develop their presentation skills.

Completing a PhD at Nottingham would be the first, essential step to pursuing a successful academic career.

Research Areas

The school's research areas include:

• Administrative and public law
• Commercial law
• Company and insolvency law
• Consumer law
• Criminal justice
• Criminology
• Criminal evidence law
• Disability law
• Environmental law
• European law
• Evidence
• Human rights
• Intellectual property law
• International law
• International humanitarian law
• Law and development
• Law and technology
• Maritime law
• Public procurement

Course Content

Students must complete a written thesis of up to 100,000 words, with support and advice from their academic supervisor(s). They will also take a verbal examination called a viva voce where they explain their project in depth to an examination panel.

Students will also be required to take the Legal Research Methods module, which considers the diverse spectrum of legal scholarship and methodologies. This module will enable students to identify various approaches to legal scholarship and characterise their research interests, apply research skills and methods, including being able to use, interpret and locate legal sources, and design, write and evaluate a research proposal.

Students are also encouraged, where appropriate, to undertake modules offered as part of the school's LLM programme, which is one of the most extensive in the country.

Supervision

Full-time students should meet with their supervisors at least 10 times each year. This would be at least six times in the same period for part-time students. Students will also receive an annual review of their progress for monitoring and support.

Entry Requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and the school accepts a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

• Home / UK students: LLM or masters degree in a relevant discipline, with a taught and dissertation average of 65% or above; plus a 2:1 (or international equivalent)
• EU / International students: LLM or masters degree in a relevant discipline, with a taught and dissertation average of 65% or above; plus a 2:1 (or international equivalent)
• International and EU equivalents: The school accepts a wide range of qualifications from all over the world. For information on entry requirements from your country, see the country pages.
• IELTS: 7.0 (no less than 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in reading, and 6.0 in speaking and listening)
• English language requirements: As well as IELTS (listed above), the school also accepts other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English.

Meeting English Language Requirements

If students need support to meet the required level, they may be able to attend a presessional English course. Presessional courses teach students academic skills in addition to English language. The Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If students successfully complete their presessional course to the required level, they can then progress to their degree course. This means that they won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

For on-campus presessional English courses, students must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations. For online presessional courses, see the CELE webpages for guidance.

Visa Restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university's Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

Applying

Applicants are strongly encouraged to make contact with possible supervisors prior to their application. They should look at the areas of supervision offered by staff in the school to identify who they may be. If applicants do not indicate a possible supervisor in their application, this may well affect its success.

Once an application has been received, applicants who are not already known personally to the potential supervisor will be contacted for a short interview to discuss the intended topic of their research. This interview can take the form of face-to-face interview, via Skype or over the telephone.

The Postgraduate Research Tutor will then make a decision on offering a place of study in the school.

Fees

• Home / UK: £5,006
• International: £23,000

Additional Information for International Students

If students are from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, they may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and their answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

These fees are for full-time study. If students are studying part-time, they will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional Costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). The school also recommends students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, students should factor some additional costs into their budget, alongside their tuition fees and living expenses.

Students should be able to access most of the books they'll need through the university libraries, though they may wish to purchase their own copies or more specific titles.

Funding

The school has a fund to assist postgraduate students with research-related expenses, such as attendance at conferences and workshops, field trips for data collection or to access specific resources. Students will have an allocated fund to support them for the duration of their studies.

There are many ways to fund a research degree, from scholarships to government loans.

Support

School Support

The School of Law has a multi-faceted approach to supporting students. All postgraduate research students are allocated two supervisors, who are members of academic staff with detailed knowledge of the doctoral programme and supervision process.

Supervisors also act as an important source of support. Throughout the duration of their studies, students will develop a strong working relationship with their supervisors. They will provide students with assistance and support as they carry out their research.

Students will meet with their supervisors regularly and they will act as a source of confidential support. In addition to their supervisors, students will have access to a postgraduate student advisor to discuss confidential matters relating to pastoral support, specialist student welfare officers and the Directors of the Postgraduate Research Degrees Programme.

The school offers a dedicated research room for postgraduate research students offering individual desks, access to a shared kitchen and meeting space.

Teaching Opportunities

Second and third-year research students can apply to undertake paid teaching experience by delivering undergraduate tutorials. Teaching is subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. Training courses on teaching methods are on offer.

Researcher Training and Development

The Researcher Academy is the network for researchers, and staff who support them. The academy works together to promote a healthy research culture, to cultivate researcher excellence, and develop creative partnerships that enable researchers to flourish.

Postgraduate researchers at Nottingham have access to the online Members' area, which includes a wealth of resources, access to training courses and award-winning postgraduate placements.

Graduate Centres

The university's graduate centres are dedicated community spaces on campus for postgraduates.

Each space has areas for:

• Studying
• Socialising
• Computer work
• Seminars
• Kitchen facilities

Student Support

Students will have access to a range of support services, including:

• Academic and disability support
• Childcare services
• Counselling service
• Faith support
• Financial support
• Mental health and wellbeing support
• Visa and immigration advice
• Welfare support

Students' Union

The Students' Union represents all students. Students can join the Postgraduate Students' Network or contact the dedicated Postgraduate Officer.

There are also a range of support networks, including groups for:

• International students
• Black and minority ethnic students
• Students who identify as women
• Students with disabilities
• LGBT+ students

SU Advice provides free, independent and confidential advice on issues such as accommodation, financial and academic difficulties.

Careers

Whether students are considering a career in academia, industry or haven't yet decided, the university is here to support them every step of the way.

Expert staff will work with students to explore PhD career options and apply for vacancies, develop their interview skills and meet employers. Students can book a one-to-one appointment, take an online course or attend a workshop.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Many PhD graduates go on to secure academic roles in the UK and around the globe. Some enter the legal profession or return to their prior career with enhanced prospects. Others work for governmental institutions and non-governmental organisations.

100% of postgraduates from the School of Law secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £38,667.

Research Excellence Framework

The University of Nottingham is ranked 7th in the UK for research power, according to analysis by Times Higher Education. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national assessment of the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

• 85% of the School of Law's research considered world-leading or internationally excellent
• 90% of the school's research is classed as 'world-leading' (4) or 'internationally excellent' (3)
• 100% of the school's research is recognised internationally
• 51% of the school's research is assessed as 'world-leading' (4*) for its impact

This content was last updated on 26 February 2025. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before applying.