PhD, MPhil Law

Back to course

Research opportunities

You can study a PhD or an MPhil in Law. A PhD in Law requires three years of full-time study full-time while an MPhil requires one year of full-time study.

The Strathclyde Law School also welcomes part-time PhD and MPhil students. Part-time research degrees provide a great opportunity to research in an area that relates to your profession. They also enable you to undertake postgraduate research and gain a PhD or MPhil without having to leave employment.

Our expertise

The Law School has expertise in the following areas:

Socio-legal studies
Access to justice & the provision of legal services
Constitutional & administrative law
Dispute resolution
Environmental law & governance
Human rights
Law, crime & justice
Law, technology & regulation
Scottish private law
International & EU migration law & governance
EU & UK competition law
EU & UK labour law
EU external relations
Law & society
Finance law
Internet law & policy
Intellectual property
Data protection
Law and technology
Gender, sexuality & the law

Further information on members of staff’s areas of expertise can be found under the supervisors' tab and on their staff profile pages.

Law books on a shelf

View our current research opportunities

Let’s talk about fundamental movement skills: Physical activity and social media

Fundamental movement skills play a crucial role in children’s health and well-being and support engagement in a wide range of physical activities. However, little is known is on how different stakeholders—including policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and parents—talk about fundamental movement skills and physical activity. This project aims to explore the delivery of and engagement with social media posts on the topic of fundamental movement skills and physical activity.

Deadline:

13 October 2023

Funding:

funded

THE Awards 2019: UK University of the Year Winner

Read what our students say

Kathryn McKenzie

I have found the research community at Strathclyde to be very engaged. Anytime I feel the need to discuss a topic or ask for assistance on anything, I know there is someone I can turn to.

Find out why Kathryn chose Strathclyde

Graham Hamley

The support that I have received thus far at Strathclyde has been exceptional. I set up regular meetings with my supervisors, who help me define the focus and direction of my research.

Find out about Graham's research

John Hughes

As a part-time, mature student working mainly overseas, the University was very flexible with my study timescales, attendance at courses and meetings with my supervisors.

Read about John's time at Strathclyde

Bryan Yan Wang

My supervisors always give me very helpful feedback. Instead of giving me direct answers, they always encourage me to the find the answer by myself, which is helpful in developing critical thinking skills and independent study skills.

find out more

Conor Hill

The university also offers a range of training courses for PhD students on topics from tutoring to presenting your research, which is useful not only in the context of completing the PhD but preparing for the next steps of your career.

Find out why Conor chose Strathclyde

Tania Nascimento

I’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to choose my supervisors, so I chose the best! They have been a source of intellectual inspiration as well as giving fantastic guidance, advice, and support whenever needed. It is rare to find people in academia that let your ideas flourish and your voice be heard - I have been very lucky to find supervisors who possess all these traits.

More about Tania's Strathlife

Zi Yang

Strathclyde encourages critical thinking. Our master courses focus on discussion. During the seminars, students have the opportunities to share their views based on their cultural background, experiences and readings. This communication inspires the students to understand the world from different angles.

Find out why Zi chose Strathclyde

Fees & funding

Back to course

Fees & funding

All fees quoted are per academic year unless otherwise stated.

Entrants may be subject to a small fee during the writing up period.

Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.

All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.

Annual revision of fees

Students on programmes of study of more than one year should be aware that tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs.

2023/24

Go back

Scotland	2023/24: £4,712 2022/23 - £4,596
England, Wales & Northern Ireland	2023/24: £4,712 2022/23 - £4,596
International	£16,050
Funding	Take a look at our funding your postgraduate research web page for funding information. You can also view our scholarships search for further funding opportunities.
Postgraduate research opportunities	Search for all funded and non-funded postgraduate research opportunities.
Additional costs	International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information.

Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.

Postgraduate research at the Strathclyde Doctoral School

The Strathclyde Doctoral School provides a vibrant and comprehensive student-centred research and training environment in order to grow and support current and future research talent.

The School encompasses our four faculties and is committed to enriching the student experience, intensifying research outputs and opportunities, and ensuring training is at the highest level. As a postgraduate researcher, you'll automatically become a member of the Strathclyde Doctoral School.

Find out more about the Doctoral School

Supervisors

Back to course

Supervisors

Name	Areas of expertise	Projects Welcome
Dominic Aitken	punishment and penal policy imprisonment and immigration detention criminal law and criminal justice criminological theory	punishment and penal policy imprisonment and immigration detention
Malcolm Combe	property law land law (particularly public access to land, land reform, and landlord and tenant law) commercial law access to justice clinical legal education	Scottish land reform Scots property law
Antonio Cardesa-Salzmann	international & EU environmental law
Pablo Grez Hidalgo	constitutional & administrative law non-judicial mechanism of constitutional and legal review parliamentary accountability The role of Law in Public Health Emergencies.	political accountability non-judicial review Scottish constitutional reform Scottish Parliamentary committees and accountability
Sylvie Da Lomba	international refugee law immigration & asylum law EU immigration & asylum law & policy migrants' rights human rights social & economic rights EU law
Michelle Donnelly	child and family law; child justice child protection childhood offending children and families' rights.	UNCRC incorporation and child justice Participation in child protection processes.
Alyson Evans	Scots Family Law Children's Rights The Children's Hearing System Child Protection, especially in non-familial settings (for example, sport)	The Children's Hearing System Child Protection in Sport
Simon Haliday	socio-legal studies legal culture administrative justice public law	Administrative fairness: public perceptions of fairness in public administration Legal consciousness: what people think and do in relation to law in everyday life
Charlie Irvine	mediation in the justice system & the role of emotion in conflict	mediation in the justice system the role of emotion in conflict
Douglas Jack	constitutional law human rights law	protection of human rights in Scotland multi-institutional protection of human rights
Mel Kenny	private law (in particular contract and Europeanised private law) company and securities law corporate governance consumer and competition law EU law
Genevieve Lennon	counter-terrorism & security human rights
James MacLean	legal theory & legal philosophy international criminal law transitional justice miscarriages of justice criminal law & criminal justice
Christopher McCorkindale	constitutional law legal theory administrative law	devolution in the UK Hannah Arendt and the law
Claire McDiarmid	childhood and crime children’s hearings system criminal law homicide youth justice	Scots criminal law and children
Lynsey Mitchell	international human rights law women’s rights reproductive rights gender & sexuality feminist legal theory women & conflict	abortion and human rights gendered approaches to human rights law
Elisa Morgera	international, European & comparative environmental law, with a particular focus on the interaction between biodiversity law & human rights (particularly those of indigenous peoples and local communities) equity & sustainability in natural resource development oceans governance corporate accountability
Mary Neal	healthcare law abortion law assisted dying and the law beginning-of-life and end-of-life ethics conscientious objection in healthcare healthcare professionalism and ethics legal theory theory of property human dignity vulnerability and the law
Maria Ntona	legal theory legal geography international & EU environmental law human rights and the environment oceans governance (with an emphasis on the social & institutional dimensions)
Thérèse O'Donnell	counter-terrorism hate speech holocaust legacy human rights looted art public international law transitional justice	public international law human rights law
Michael Randall	financial law & concern regulating behaviour predominantly in the financial sector through taxation at both national & international level
Barry Rodger	competition law international private law
Emily Rose	labour law legal theory	Labour markets and the employment relationship in the innovation economy
Jane Scoular	feminist legal theory gender and law legal theory sex work	sex work regulation
Birgit Schippers	human rights, artificial intelligence & data privacy law, justice & algorithmic decision-making legal & ethical regulation of biometric technologies online speech, online harms & disinformation critical human rights theories
Francesco Sindico	climate change law international environmental law international trade law international water law transboundary aquifers
Stephanie Switzer	international environmental law international trade law world trade organisation global health security law and epidemics
Cyrus Tata	criminal justice discretionary decision-making executive release from custody judicial sentencing and punishment legal aid & access to justice plea decision-making judiciary penology penal policy	criminal justice discretionary decision-making Sentencing and punishment Scottish access to justice Scottish criminal justice
Saskia Vermeylen	legal theory legal anthropology law and literature levinas property theory
Elaine Webster	dignity human rights human rights education
Rhonda Wheate	criminal law criminal justice evidence expert evidence law clinics
Rebecca Zahn	labour law European social policy EU law comparative law

Support & development

Back to course

Support & development

The Graduate School

The Graduate School is a friendly and supportive study environment for research students studying subjects within Humanities & Social Sciences.

Our staff will support you through your studies and you'll become part of a community of students who get involved with our workshops, seminars and competitions.

Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PgCert RPD)

Our PgCert RPD programme aims to ensure you get the most out of your current research activities at Strathclyde and helps you prepare for your future career as a researcher.

We'll help you recognise and develop your transferrable skills that'll have a positive impact on your research, now and in the future.

Find out more about the PgCert RPD programme

Careers

The University Careers Service can help you with everything from writing your CV to interview preparation. Take a look at our careers service pages to get more information.

Student support

From financial advice to our IT facilities, we have a wide range of support for all students here at Strathclyde. Get all the information you need at Strathlife.

Law Clinic

Our Law Clinic offers free legal assistance to people in Glasgow and the surrounding area who are unable to obtain legal assistance through other means.

More about our Law Clinic

International students

We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.

Visit our international students' section

Apply

Back to course

Apply

Before you apply

Before you apply online, we advise you to contact a potential supervisor and/or the PGR co-Director Dr Lynsey Mitchell, lynsey.mitchell@strath.ac.uk.

The application

During the application you'll be asked for the following:

your full contact details
your research proposal of 1,500 to 2,000 words in length. You can find a template for PhD and MPhil research proposals on our study with us page.
transcripts and certificates of all degrees
your CV
proof of English language proficiency if English isn't your first language. For postgraduate studies, we require a minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent (the test must be taken within two years of the application date)
two references, one of which must be academic
funding or scholarship information

By filling these details out as fully as possible, you'll avoid any delay to your application being processed by the University.

MPhil

part-time

Start date: Oct 2024 - Sep 2025

Apply now

Back to course

Contact us

Law

Telephone: +44 (0)141 548 3738

Email: hass-postgrad@strath.ac.uk

Lord Hope Building, Level 3, 141 St James Road , Glasgow, G4 0LT

Chat with us