Postgraduate legal education plays a central role in the life of the Warwick Law School and is informed by our approach to legal research which is contextual, critical and global. This approach is internationally recognised as innovative and has achieved the highest ratings at the national level. Our teaching, as well as providing students with a solid foundation in the technical aspects of the law, examines law and legal institutions within a wider context. In view of the increasing importance of globalisation in various sectors, we endeavour to make students aware of developments at global and regional levels and of their impact on law and the legal process within individual jurisdictions.
We offer four taught postgraduate programmes, comprising three highly distinctive one year LLMs, along with the recently-introduced LLM in Advanced Legal Studies, which enables you to choose from the whole range of LLM modules and devise your own programme of study. We also offer three postgraduate research degrees. Our thriving postgraduate community consists of some 150 students drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds. They include practising lawyers, government officials, judges, staff from national and international NGOs, young academics as well as officials from international organisations.
Members of staff teaching on our postgraduate programmes have vast experience in their respective fields and many are engaged in collaborative research with academic institutions worldwide, assisting governments, advising international organisations, and participating in the work of NGOs. These activities greatly contribute towards enhancing the learning environment of our postgraduate students.
Research Areas
The School of Law has a strong record of international, comparative, theoretical and contextual research and we welcome applications from students wishing to pursue a research degree in any field of law. Research areas include:
Human Rights and Development
We have considerable expertise in the broad areas of international and comparative human rights, gender studies, the law of development, refugee and asylum law, comparative constitutional law and minority rights. Several colleagues have particular knowledge of human rights issues in developing countries and in post-communist states.
Criminal Justice & Legal Theory
Several staff members are internationally recognised authorities in criminal law, international criminal law, criminal justice and legal theory. Comparative, philosophical and historical approaches to criminal law and criminal justice are particularly emphasised.
International Economic Law
Several colleagues specialise in topics such as foreign investment law, international trade law, international tax law, international commercial law, competition law and intellectual property law.
Islamic Law
This is a growing area of expertise, and research theses have covered Islamic Family Law, Islamic Human Rights, Islamic Law and Jurisprudence and Islamic Law and Gender.
Law and Humanities
Several colleagues have particular research interests in Law and Literature. The leading peer-reviewed journal Law and Humanities is edited by two Warwick staff.
Research Degrees
LLM by Research: 1 year
Master of Philosophy (MPhil): 2 years
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): 3 years
As far as possible, students are given thorough supervision by a staff member who is an academic specialist in the subject matter of the dissertation. Students are helped to formulate a research question and are given appropriate assistance at all stages, including detailed and timely comments on draft chapters. The length of the dissertation depends upon the degree:
- PhD: up to 80,000 words
- MP hil: up to 60,000 words
- LLM by Research: up to 40,000 words
The Research Degree programme aims to achieve an optimal balance between individual study, academic supervision, and a communal, scholarly learning environment.
One + Two PhD Programme
Students registered for an LLM at Warwick, who show outstanding intellectual ability and whose work is of distinction standard, may be considered for the One + Two PhD Programme during the summer term of their LLM year. Students accepted for the Programme will normally be expected to complete a PhD within two years of finishing the LLM. We provide bursaries for One + Two students, providing a 50% fee reduction for each of the minimum two additional years of study towards the PhD.
Taught Master's
LLM in International Economic Law
Standard Duration: 1 year (full-time); 2 years (part-time)
This degree focuses upon globalisation, regulation and governance. The former looks at the changing roles of law in the world economy, and considers the interaction between global international institutions, e.g. the IMF, World Bank and WTO, along with regional organisations such as the EU. Attention is given to the legal, political and economic roles of transnational corporations, along with litigation and arbitration of international commercial disputes. Regulation in areas such as technology, banking and telecommunications, as well as comparative approaches to the regulation of competition, financial markets and taxation is examined, while note is taken of the convergence of domestic regulatory frameworks through the process of economic liberalisation. As to governance, students address the emerging multilateral framework for foreign investment, domestic consequences of globalisation, and evaluate national regimes for foreign investment. Graduates embark on careers in the legal profession, government positions, international organisations and business.
LLM in International Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation
Duration: 1 year (full-time); 2 years (part-time)
This programme examines, especially from the standpoint of developing and transition countries, the interaction of law, institutions and markets in the development of fair and efficient systems of corporate law and financial regulation. It provides an understanding of the interaction between globalisation and general principles of corporate governance and financial regulation, offering in-depth coverage of the main topics in corporate governance and financial law and regulation. The degree provides practical skills in negotiating, drafting and structuring transactions and fosters an understanding of the economic and social context in which commercial decisions are made and corporate governance and financial regulation operate. Career destinations include government positions, the legal profession, international organisations and business.
LLM in International Development Law and Human Rights
Standard Duration: 1 year (full-time); 2 years (part-time)
The LLM in International Development Law and Human Rights considers the relationship between development, human rights and global justice. The programme gives you a fuller understanding of development, environment rights, governance, and justice issues, and will entail recourse to political, social, gender and moral theory. It enables you to develop particular interests such as gender and women’s rights; global economic governance; environmental rights’ or international criminal justice. Graduates enter professions including legal practice; human rights and other NGO work; policymaking/ Law Commission and related socio-legal research work; critical media and public information; continuing academic research.
LLM in Advanced Legal Studies
Standard Duration: 1 year (full-time); 2 years (part-time)
This LLM runs alongside, and is closely related to, the other three LLM programmes offered by the Law School, and offers you the chance, with guidance from members of the academic staff, to construct a curriculum of the most appropriate optional modules for your specific needs and interests. Unlike our other specific LLM, there is no required “core course”, but, instead, you are encouraged to develop a package of study modules which will enable focused development within a specialised field of postgraduate study. Our graduates often continue on to more advanced academic research or follow a career route in policy and advice work for NGOs or governments, or legal advice, in practice or in-house, for individuals or businesses.
Podcasts
Dan Joyner and Chris Hughes on North Korea's nuclear policy:
For more episodes visit the Warwick Podcast page
