Law PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Why choose this course?
Whether you are planning a career as an academic within the education sector, or as a professional researcher within the public or private sectors, the Kingston University's Law PhD will develop your research skills, help you make an original contribution to your chosen field of enquiry and enhance your professional credibility.
The Department of Law's expert academic team includes National Teaching Award winners and Fellows from the Higher Education Academy, as well as lecturing staff who combine teaching with legal practice.
You will research a topic of your choice in great depth. We particularly invite applications in the areas of:
- Gas and energy law
- Misuse of private information and breach of confidence
- AI embedded in transportation, communication and toys
- Indigenous and tribal peoples' rights
- IP law, particularly on trademarks or patents of biotechnological inventions
- Stress at work in tort
- Collective labour law
- Restorative justice
- Space law and cyber law
- The gig economy
- Natural law theory
- EU law
Please view the Department of Law's staff profiles to see if our staff specialisms are a good match with the topic you would like to study.
| Mode | Duration | Attendance | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time | 3 years | You are required to attend supervision meetings, Graduate Research School training sessions, training sessions run by the Department of Law, and other research events or training beneficial to your research skills and personal development. | October 2024 |
| Part time | 6 years | You are required to attend supervision meetings, Graduate Research School training sessions, training sessions run by the Department of Law, and other research events or training beneficial to your research skills and personal development. | October 2024 |
| Main Location | Penrhyn Road |
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- At Kingston University you will have access to an expert academic supervisory team, as well as training and teaching opportunities to help you develop your ideas and achieve your goals.
- You will have the support of the academic and postgraduate community; the high calibre of Kingston University's students and alumni provide excellent networking opportunities.
- Your PhD supervision will be highly specialised to your needs and interests. In addition the course is delivered in a flexible format, so you can choose a full or part-time programme according to what suits you best.
Accreditation
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
The Department of Law is a recognised Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) outlet for research training for doctoral students.
This programme is recognised by the ESRC as fulfilling its requirements to provide a broad-based programme of research training for those studying at doctoral level in the UK.
What you will study
The programme is made up of individual supervision and as such can be extremely flexible to accommodate your needs.
As a PhD student within the Department of Law, you will be expected to attend the University's research training sessions and a series of in-house training seminars run by the Department. The latter take the form of research 'masterclasses', where an experienced member of the Department leads a session intended to reflect on different aspects of conducting research in law. You are also invited to attend the Department of Law research seminars arranged for members of the academic staff.
There is also a series of sessions on the Philosophy of Enquiry and a series of sessions on the Conduct of Enquiry. These non-compulsory modules, held with other PhD students and run by various members of the faculty, will help prepare you for your independent studies, and introduce you to the other students and staff in the department.
The Department of Law is small and very friendly, and has a real community feel with other postgraduate students. There will be opportunities to engage with many members of staff beyond your supervisor.
For further information about the Law PhD programme (including the availability of supervision in an area of your interest) please contact Dr Phil Harris.
Teaching experience
You will have the opportunity to teach undergraduates and undertake an ‘academic apprenticeship' to help you pursue a career in academia.
Presenting ongoing research
Once a year, all PhD students are given the opportunity to present to the faculty about their PhD research. This ongoing engagement offers students and staff the chance to share and help each other develop their ideas.
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Entry requirements
Teaching and assessment
Find a supervisor
Any member of the Department of Law can supervise a PhD. Which members of staff are appropriate will depend on what area of law you would like to study for your doctorate.
Research
Fees and funding
Additional costs
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs not covered by tuition fees. Students will need to consider these costs when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.
Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.
After you graduate
Our research graduates are an important part of the research community at Kingston, and remain part of our networks. You can also still access the Careers and Employability Service for up to two years after you graduate, and benefit from Alumni library membership for just £60 per year.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
