Key information

Duration
One calendar year (full-time)
Start of programme
September intake only
Attendance mode
Full-time
Location
Russell Square, College Buildings
Fees

Home student fees: £14,550 per year
Overseas student fees: £24,750 per year

Please note that fees go up each year. 
See postgraduate fees for further details.

Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a relevant Social Sciences subject. In addition to degree classification in a relevant subject we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

See international entry requirements and English language requirements.

Course overview

The MRes in Law aims to provide students with advanced skills in legal research, the ability to undertake high level analysis of law and legal issues with a focus on areas of research specific to the School of Law at SOAS, a grasp of the research methods that underpin the discipline and its place in the humanities and the social sciences, a grounding in legal research methods, and the ethics of legal research.

The MRres in Law is especially suited to candidates who wish to undertake a PhD or professional research in law. It prepares students to undertake high-quality research.

Why study MRes in Law at SOAS?

  • We are ranked in the UK top 20 (QS World University Rankings 2023)
  • Our research publications have been rated first in the UK - and our School of Law rated sixth in the UK - in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
  • SOAS MRes in Law is a unique qualification that brings together in-depth training in research and research methods focused on the research done in the School of Law. This is combined with other courses that are specific to SOAS and often not available anywhere else
  • The degree has been developed to meet the needs of both researchers and practitioners. The programme is thus ideally suited to prepare for a PhD in Law at SOAS, or alternatively as a stand-alone qualification, for instance, for jobs requiring in-depth policy research

Structure

Students must take modules to a total value of 180 credits, consisting of a dissertation (90 credits) and 90 credits of taught modules. Taught modules are worth either 15 or 30 credits.

Please note that not all modules listed will be available every year. 

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. 

Compulsory modules

Note: Dissertation is 20,000 words on a topic related to the degree programme.

Module Credits
MRes in Law Dissertation 90
Research Methods in Law 30

Taught component

Compulsory modules

And

Choose modules from list B up to the value of 30 credits

And

Choose further modules from list B or from postgraduate open options to the value of 30 credits

Module Credits
Gender, Law and Society in The Middle East and North Africa 15
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Selected Topics 15
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Theories and Methodologies 15
Human Rights and Islamic Law 30
International Commercial Arbitration 30
Law and Development in Africa 30
Law and Society in Southeast Asia 15
Law, Rights & Social Change 15
International Migration Law 15
International Refugee Law 15
Law, Religion, and the State in South Asia 30
Law, Environment and Social Justice 15
Colonialism, Empire and International Law 15
Foundations of International Law 15
Human Rights of Women 30
International Criminal Law 15
Law and Natural Resources 30
Law and Postcolonial Theory 15
The Law of Armed Conflict 15
Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements 15
Law, Environment, and the Global Commons: Ice, Sea, Space and Beyond 15
International Environmental Law 15
Biodiversity, Nature and Wildlife Law and Policy 15
Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation 15
Multinational Enterprises and the Law I 15
Multinational Enterprises and the Law II 15
Business and Human Rights in the Global Economy 15
Comparative Company Law 15
Israel, Palestine, and International Law (15Cr) 15
Palestine, Resistance, and the Law 15
Alternative Dispute Resolution I 15
Alternative Dispute Resolution II 15
International laws on the use of force 15
Gender and the Law of War 15
The Prohibition of Torture in International Law 15
Law and the Climate Crisis 15
International Protection of Human Rights (15Cr) 15
International Law: Contemporary Problems of World Order 15
Gender and the Law of Peace 15
Islamic Family Law 15
Islamic Legal Theory 15
Transnational Law, Finance and Technology 15
Colonial Geographies of International Law 15
Law and Society in The Middle East and North Africa 15
Justice, Reconciliation and Reconstruction in Post-Conflict Societies 15
Artificial Intelligence: Power, law and resistance 15
Israel, Palestine, and International Law (30Cr) 30

Open options

Open options will need approval of deputy PG programme convenor (LLM or MA)

Teaching and learning

The MRes in Law programme consists of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 90 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

Contact hours

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

Knowledge

  • familiarity with legal approaches to research will be developed through lectures, seminar discussions, compulsory reading assignments, and the dissertation
  • an understanding of the philosophical, ethical and political issues at the heart of law research (as well as possible solutions to such problems) will also be developed through lectures, seminar discussions, compulsory reading assignments, and the dissertation
  • critical comprehension of theoretical and empirical literature will be encouraged through substantive courses, compulsory reading assignments, lectures, and seminars

Intellectual (thinking) skills

  • planning and execution of an appropriate research design will be developed through independent projects, essays, and the dissertation
  • understanding and utilization of appropriate research methods will be encouraged through independent projects (e.g. essays), oral presentations, and the dissertation

Subject-based practical skills

  • the interpretation and critique of published research will be encouraged via compulsory reading assignments, synthetic/critical lectures, and regular seminar discussions, as well as long essays and the dissertation

Transferable skills

  • an awareness of research resources available to social scientists will be provided via 1) the provision of detailed reading lists, which include, where appropriate, reference to on-line materials and 2) compulsory reading assignments which familiarize students with secondary sources
  • an ability to write up and present the findings of analysis will be encouraged via long essays, coursework, exams, and the dissertation

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Scholarships

Employment

SOAS Law graduates leave SOAS as civic minded and critically engaged individuals who can effectively contribute to their communities and societies. With a thorough understanding of the legal dimensions underlying many of our global challenges today, our Law students are valued by employers due to their analytical skills, specialist knowledge, and global perspective.

Careers

Recent graduates have been hired by organisations including:

  • PwC LLP
  • BLM Law
  • BloombergNEF
  • British Medical Association
  • Clifford Chance
  • DAC Beachcroft LLP
  • Department for Work and Pensions
  • EY
  • HM Treasury
  • Latham & Watkins
  • Legal Cheek
  • Simpson Millar Solicitors
  • The Economist
  • Travers Smith
  • Vodafone
  • World Cancer Research Fund

Find out about our Careers Service.

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