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Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge, while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.

With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words. The areas covered by the Institute’s expertise cover a broad range of law, policy and crime. 

This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.

On completing this course, you’ll be well prepared for specialist career paths, both within academia and beyond. Graduates are awarded a University of London degree.

Subject Areas and Supervisor

The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies offers doctoral research supervision in the following areas:

  • Company Law
  • Comparative Law
  • Criminal Law and Evidence
  • European Criminal Law
  • Financial Crime
  • Financial Services and Regulation Law
  • Gender, Sexuality and Law
  • Information Law and Policy
  • Law and Society
  • Legal Education
  • Legislative Studies / Law Reform
  • Public Law and Regulation

Your application and proposal will be reviewed initially by the IALS Director of Postgraduate Research Studies and, if you are offered a place, the Institute will appoint an appropriate supervision team. Details of our expertise can be found here:  Areas of Research | IALS (sas.ac.uk)

You are not required to contact a potential supervisor in advance of application. You are advised to read the guidelines on preparing a research proposal before submitting your application: Entrance Requirements and How to Apply | IALS (sas.ac.uk)

Contact the Institute

Key Information

The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) is a national academic institution serving all universities through its national legal research library.

Its function is to promote, facilitate, and disseminate the results of advanced study and research in the discipline of law for the benefit of persons and institutions in the UK and abroad. Its areas of speciality include arbitration and dispute settlement, company law, comparative law, economic crime, financial services law, legislative studies and law reform, and the legal profession and delivery of legal services.

The School of Advanced Study

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national centre for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.

Course structure

The degree can be taken full time over three years (or a maximum of four) or part time over five years (or a maximum of six). You will initially be registered for our MPhil and then, providing your progress has been satisfactory, be upgraded to our PhD programme.

The primary activity of the PhD programme is the writing of a thesis of up to 100,000 words. There is no formal coursework, but you will be expected to undertake at least 30 days of research training, including attending our twoweek research methods in law training course. You are also encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at the Institute during the academic year, as well as to participate in our three specialist research centres.

After submission of the thesis, you will attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner, from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another British university.

Distance Learning

The School of Advanced Study will offer students with an appropriate topic and level of local resource the opportunity to undertake a PhD by distance learning. These students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their own location. This option is available to UK, EU and international students on the same basis as our on-campus PhD programmes (three years full time, six years part time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus PhD programmes. Please note that not all institutes and supervisors offer this option, and that some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way.

If you would like to be considered for our Research Degree programme via Distance Learning, please download and fill out the Research Degrees by Distance Learning form, to attach to your online application.

Opportunities and facilities

You'll benefit from a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment as well as a range of funding opportunities. SAS is a national research hub and IALS enjoys close links with its other members, including the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, the Institute of Modern Languages Research and the Institute of Historical Research. Cross-institute collaboration is actively encouraged, making us an ideal location for interdisciplinary research.

You'll be able to use the libraries of other colleges, in addition to Senate House Library and IALS’s outstanding law library.

In addition to a rich programme of discipline-specific research training, you will also have access to a wider training programme that draws on the research and teaching expertise of the other SAS institutes and the University of London. Our workshop programme of generic research and transferable skills training provides the transferable and employability skills necessary for careers in academia and elsewhere. The IALS Library also organises a popular three-day workshop series on ‘How to get a PhD in Law’. This annual programme provides the chance for informative discussion and legal research guidance.

How to apply

Your application and proposal will be reviewed initially by the IALS Director of Postgraduate Research Studies and, if you are offered a place, the Institute will appoint an appropriate supervision team. Details of our expertise can be found here: Areas of Research | IALS (sas.ac.uk)

You are not required to contact a potential supervisor in advance of application. You are advised to read the guidelines on preparing a research proposal before submitting your application: Entrance Requirements and How to Apply | IALS (sas.ac.uk)

Note: in accordance with regulations research students will be registered for the MPhil degree in the first instance. Upgrading to PhD will be considered in the second year for full-time students and in the third or fourth year for part-time students.

Study your PhD at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies

The School of Advanced Study is a unique environment in which to study the humanities.  The School strives to reflect the latest developments in thinking across the humanities disciplines it supports and to ensure that its programmes reflect this.   We are also aware that the needs of our students are constantly changing.  With that in mind, the School continually reviews the its programmes and, as part of that process, reserves the right to alter or discontinue them. 

We assure you that we carry out these exercises at no detriment to any enrolled students. Students enrolled on any programme that we discontinue will be able to complete that programme within a reasonable timeframe and with all the necessary resources at their disposal. The School will communicate any anticipated changes with students as early as possible.