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Postgraduate Study

Course closed:

Law is no longer accepting new applications.

The MLitt in Law may be awarded after two years of supervised research (or a proportionally longer period if undertaken on a part-time basis) and following examination of a thesis not exceeding 60,000 words inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of appendices, bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter. An MLitt thesis must take due account of previously published work on the subject and must represent a useful contribution to learning. Candidates for the MLitt are registered in the first instance for the Certificate of Postgraduate Study in Legal Studies which provides training in legal research.

It is a requirement of the Certificate that candidates attend the weekly classes (during term time only) provided by the Faculty's Research Training and Development Programme that offers instruction on research techniques and advice on matters such as getting work published and obtaining academic jobs. Candidates are required to submit, normally towards the end of May of their first year (or at a proportionally later date for part-time candidates), 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 MLitt. The work is formally assessed (normally by two teaching members of the Faculty) and candidates 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 to register the candidate for the MLitt Degree. The MLitt registration date is normally backdated so as to include the period of time working on the Certificate.


Continuing

MLitt candidates may apply to continue to the PhD by completing and submitting a Postgraduate Application Form to the Postgraduate Admissions Office via the Applicant Portal by the relevant course deadline.

In appropriate circumstances, the terms spent working on the MLitt may be counted towards the PhD.


Open Days

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s 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.

See further the Postgraduate Admissions Events pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information


2 years full-time

3 years 4 months part-time

Study Mode : Research

Master of Letters

Faculty of Law

Course - related enquiries

Application - related enquiries

Course on Department Website

Dates and deadlines:

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2023
Application deadline
Dec. 5, 2023
Course Starts
Oct. 1, 2024

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Course Funding Deadline
Dec. 5, 2023
Gates Cambridge US round only
Oct. 11, 2023

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.


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