PhD in Law

The PhD in Law may be awarded after three to four years of full-time study or five to seven years of part-time study (including a probationary period) of supervised independent research on the basis of a thesis not exceeding 100,000 words exclusive of bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter. Students are appointed a principal supervisor by the Faculty's Degree Committee as well as an adviser as the second point of contact for academic advice. If the project is interdisciplinary, a second supervisor may be appointed. It is a requirement of the first year of study that students attend, in term-time only, the research training classes provided by the Faculty's Research Training and Development Programme.  While individual arrangements may vary considerably, PhD students may normally expect to receive one-to-one supervision once a month during the early stages of their research. Meetings may be less frequent thereafter.

A PhD thesis must take due account of previously published work on the subject and must represent a significant contribution to learning, through, for example, the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory or the revision of older views. A PhD research proposal of between 2,000 and 3,000 words in length should be submitted at the time of application for consideration and approval by the Faculty's Degree Committee.  Candidates are initially registered for the Certificate of Postgraduate Study in Legal Studies and are required to attend the classes provided by the Faculty's Research Training and Development Programme, which aims to provide an introduction to advanced research techniques and methods in law and cognate disciplines.

Towards the end of May of their first year (or second year if registered part-time), candidates are required to submit three items for a progress review: a personal progress log, a 15,000-word thesis, and a short explanation of the proposed topic of the PhD. The work is formally assessed (normally by two teaching members of the Faculty) and students must attend an oral examination.   

After this examination, the assessors' reports, along with a recommendation from the supervisor(s), are considered by the Faculty's Degree Committee whose members then decide whether the candidate be upgraded to doctoral status. The PhD registration date is normally backdated so as to include the period spent working on the Certificate.

Open Days

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day provides a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the Postgraduate Open Day page for more details.

The next Postgraduate Open Day will take place virtually on the University of Cambridge Virtual Tour platform and will run from 31 October until 13 November.