Law Research Degrees
Join our vibrant research community and undertake a research degree with Newcastle Law School
Overview
Our postgraduate research (PGR) students are part of a vibrant research community, working alongside world-leading academics across law and beyond. We have a rigorous approach to research, and training and development, and a supportive environment to ensure our research students succeed for a career in academia or the professional world.
We offer PhD, MPhil and LLM by Research.
Which research degree is right for me?
PhD
The purpose of a PhD in Law is to undertake research that makes an original contribution to the legal field you are examining. Students may choose from a range of methodologies when undertaking that research, with appropriate training being provided.
Students can develop a research project in any legal, socio-legal or interdisciplinary field, subject to us being able to provide expert research supervision in that field. Care is taken in appointing a supervisory team that will enable the student to access the necessary expertise to undertake their chosen research project.
Students register for:
- 3 years for full-time study
- 6 years for part-time study
- There can be a further 1 year for writing up, if necessary
The research thesis will be approximately 80,000-100,000 words in length. It will be examined by Viva Voce.
MPhil
An MPhil degree can be a great pathway to a PhD. The thesis submitted at the end of the programme will typically be, at most, 50,000 words.
MPhils enable students to undertake short or more confined pieces of original research.
Students register for 1 year, with a further 1 year for writing up. A Viva Voce may be required at the discretion of the examiners.
LLM by Research
The LLM by research can be used as preparation for an MPhil or PhD research. The thesis submitted at the end of the programme will typically be, at most, 30,000 words.
A student registered for the LLM by Research is required to spend a minimum period of:
- 12 months in full-time study
- 24 months in part-time study
Students need to complete module LAW8148, Applied Research Methods in Law. A Viva Voce may be required at the discretion of the examiners.
Our wider research community
Training and Development
We have comprehensive training to support students’ development as a researcher. Our postgraduate students use a variety of methods and approaches to pursue their research questions. The training programmes are designed to complement each other and give our students a strong foundation for developing their research project.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences provides training in:
- research organisation and structure
- thesis writing
- research methods in a range of social science disciplines
See the full training programme: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/school-x/study/red/
Newcastle Law School
Our training programme focuses on:
- legal research techniques and sources
- qualitative methods for legal research and for presentation of research data
- ethical and governance issues of legal research
In addition, each postgraduate research student receives an annual Postgraduate Research Development Fund to support their development as a researcher. This fund can be used to support training, conference attendance and fieldwork where relevant. We also have paid project and teaching experience opportunities.
Community and Working Space
Our postgraduate research students have access to the PGR hub where there is dedicated workspace, kitchen facilities and a social space. They have access to our dedicated Law Library and the workspaces available there too, as well as other facilities available across the campus.
To ensure your voice is included in decisions in the School, you will have a PGR representative who works to improve the academic experience.
We host social events for our postgraduate research students, such as pizza evenings and escape rooms. We are always open to new suggestions of activities and organise them alongside our students to make sure everyone feels included.
Working Space
You can expect:
- Working space in an appropriate shared office, open-plan office or hot-desk accommodation, with adequate access, heating, ventilation and security arrangements;
- Reasonable space for the secure storage of essential books, consumables, personal belongings and research data;
- Access to appropriate bench/studio space and associated facilities (where relevant, see below).
If you are working on a multi-disciplinary project across more than one Academic Unit, you can expect a discussion at the beginning of your programme regarding appropriate working arrangements to enable you to identify which of your Academic Units will serve as your primary and secondary sites. The secondary site should allocate you appropriate facilities where needed.
If there is disruption to your working space (for example, as a consequence of maintenance work), your Academic Unit will advise you of any potential impact on your study and you can expect your Academic Unit to take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to you.
IT Equipment
You can expect access to a networked desktop PC or laptop, printer and scanner (if required). If you require access to a more powerful PC for research purposes (for example, if you handle large or complex datasets, or if you require specialist research software), this should be provided to you.