Socio-Legal Research

The Master of Studies (MSt) in Socio-Legal Research is a one-year research master’s degree in the course of which you will write a 30,000 word dissertation. The degree can either serve as a qualification in its own right or a route into the Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree.

MSt students pursue a range of career paths after obtaining the degree. You might choose to continue studying to obtain a doctoral degree preparatory to an academic career, or to enter employment. The analytic and expressive skills developed while studying should enhance your suitability for legal practice, for a civil service career, for work in non-governmental organisations or for any variety of management positions in the private sector.

The MSt in Socio-Legal Research normally takes place over a full academic year. You will undertake the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) course in theory and methods during your first two terms. This is intended to develop your appreciation of law as a social phenomenon, to introduce various theoretical perspectives and to consider the variety of practical techniques by which research questions may be addressed. 

Throughout the period of your studies, you will work with a supervisor with whom you should meet individually at regular intervals to discuss your project and to provide feedback and advice. You will also be able to take part in an extensive range of seminar programmes and discussion groups, affording plentiful opportunities for interaction both with your peers and with academics working in the same or similar research areas.

You should submit your final theses shortly before the start of the following academic year. The examination method for the 30,000-word MSt thesis is the same as that used for the DPhil – two examiners are appointed who read the thesis and then conduct an intensive oral examination of the student, known as a viva voce, before making a written report to the faculty. On that basis your thesis may be judged to have passed, so that you can be awarded a MSt degree, or to be in need of revision, in which case it is referred back to you for re-submission at a later date; in extreme cases it may be rejected.

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in law, or in any other social science discipline. For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Research proposal: Around 800 words
• References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

• Global Education
• Hill Foundation Scholarships
• A number of Research Council awards are available each year from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).