Overview
Introduction
LSE Law is the UK's pre-eminent research institution for law. Our academics are the authors of influential and often path-breaking scholarship, and many have globally leading reputations. As one of UK's largest law departments, with over 70 academic members of staff, LSE Law is well known for its interdisciplinary and contextual approaches to the study of law.
Our PhD Law programme offers the opportunity to undertake advanced legal research at one of the world's best law schools. Students in our PhD programme receive excellent training, and work under the supervision of leading scholars with strong international, comparative and interdisciplinary commitments. Our doctoral students become members of a lively academic community which is at the cutting-edge of legal scholarship and which plays a major role in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world.
Students in our PhD programme work under the supervision of two academics. We also provide specialised training for PhD students, both through our own training course and through courses run by other units of LSE, especially the Department of Methodology and the PhD Academy. PhD students are also welcome to attend any other LSE course, subject to the approval of the lecturer.
We aim to provide our PhD students with the opportunity to gain teaching experience, and also offer the opportunity to become involved with the organisation of mooting, academic conferences, pro bono work, and our working paper series.
Entry requirements
Our normal minimum entry requirement is a completed LLM degree or other master's-level qualification, awarded with an average mark of 70% (distinction/first class honours) or equivalent. Exceptionally, we may admit students who don't meet this requirement, where there is strong, alternative evidence of your suitability for our PhD programme.
Please select your country from the dropdown list below to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.
Although we accept applications from students who haven't yet completed their LLM or equivalent degree by the application deadline, we give priority within the admissions process to students who have already obtained the required grade by this date. Strong candidates who are currently completing their LLM/other master's degree may therefore wish to defer their application until they've received the requisite grade. Offers of admission and funding that are made to applicants who are currently undertaking their LLM/other masters degree are made on a “conditional” basis, meaning that the offer cannot be confirmed until the minimum entry requirement has been achieved. Conditional offers must be confirmed by the end of July of the year of entry at the latest. This means that current master's students who won't have their final grades/transcript by the end of July (including students on the LSE LLM degree) aren't eligible to apply to the PhD programme, unless they already hold another master's degree with the requisite grade.
It must be emphasised that meeting the minimum entry requirement doesn't guarantee entry. The PhD programme is heavily over-subscribed, meaning that the large majority of applicants who meet this requirement each year don't receive a place. We select students based on a variety of factors, including past academic performance, motivation for doctoral study, the viability of the applicant’s research proposal and its anticipated contribution to legal scholarship, the availability of suitable supervisors, and the diversity of the incoming PhD cohort, including diversity of subject-areas.
Research proposal
Your application should give us a clear idea of what you want to research and why.
You should state the general area in which you wish to undertake research, and provide a detailed outline of the specific questions you intend to investigate within that field. You should indicate the ways in which your proposed study would be a significant and original contribution to knowledge. You should identify the materials you expect to need, where you expect to find them, and the methods and/or framework of analysis you propose to use. Finally, you should explain how your proposed project is a good fit with other research work done within the Law School.
More detailed information on the admissions requirements for the programme, and guidance on what is required to form a successful research proposal is available in the LSE Law PhD programme FAQs page.
Overseas
English language requirements
The English language requirement for this programme is Law. Read more about our English language requirements.
Programme content
In addition to progressing with your research, you're expected to take the listed training and transferable skills courses. You may take courses in addition to those listed, and should discuss this with your supervisor. At the end of your first year (full-time), you'll need to satisfy certain requirements and if you meet these, you'll be retroactively upgraded to PhD status.
Year 1
In addition to the Doctoral Research Seminar series (compulsory), you take the Law School Seminar series (compulsory) and one other relevant course offered by any department or other unit within the School (compulsory).
Year 2
In addition to the Doctoral Research Seminar series (optional), you take the PhD Seminar series (optional) and the Staff Seminar series.
Year 3
In addition to the Doctoral Research Seminar series (optional), you take the PhD Seminar series (compulsory) and the Staff Seminar series (optional).
Year 4
In addition to the Doctoral Research Seminar series (optional), you take the PhD Seminar series (optional) and the Staff Seminar series (optional).
For the latest list of courses, please go to the relevant School Calendar page.
A few important points you’ll need to know:
We may need to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees due to unforeseen circumstances. We’ll always notify you as early as possible and recommend alternatives where we can.
The School is not liable for changes to published information or for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study, due to developments in teaching practice, regulatory requirements that require us to comply, lack of demand, financial unviability of a course, or due to circumstances beyond our control, such as the loss of a key member of staff or where a location or building becomes unavailable for use.
Places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements so we cannot therefore guarantee you a place.
Changes to programmes and courses may be made after you’ve accepted your offer of a place – normally due to developments in the discipline or as a consequence of student feedback. We may also make changes to course content, teaching formats or assessment methods but these are made to improve the learning experience.
For full details about the availability or content of courses and programmes, please take a look at the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department.
Some major changes to programmes/courses are posted on our updated graduate course and programme information page.
For further information on how we comply with UK consumer protection law, see your consumer rights as a student.
Why study with us
Discover more about our students and department.
Meet the department
LSE’s Law School is ranked in the top ten law schools worldwide (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).
The Law School is one of the largest departments at LSE, bringing together students, alumni and staff from all over the world. As a department, we’ve played a significant role in policy debates, policymaking, teaching and research globally.
Our academics have been trailblazers in exploring new fields of study. Many important subjects were first taught and examined systematically at our Law School. We pioneered the study of banking law, taxation law, civil litigation, company law, labour law, family law, aspects of welfare law and studies of the legal system and profession. We strive to challenge existing ways of thinking and understand the causes of different events and issues.
We offer an LLB undergraduate programme alongside taught postgraduate programmes and research opportunities. Students learn in a lively, inclusive and truly international community – with regular events, public lectures and extracurricular activities, including dedicated law societies, mooting competitions and an annual weekend away.
Our goal is to support students, academics and alumni to achieve their full potential in everything they do.
Learn more about our programmes and our history – spanning more than 100 years of teaching and research.
LSE Law School
Why LSE
University of the Year 2025 and 1st in the UK in 2025 and 2026
Times and The Sunday Times - Good University Guide 2025 and 20261st in London for the 14th year running
The Complete University Guide - University League Tables 20265th in the world for the study of social sciences and management
QS World University Rankings by Subject 20266th in the world for leading the way in social and environmental sustainability
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026Your application
Overview
We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of our staff at LSE. For this reason, we recommend that you take a look at our staff research interests before applying.
Within the outline research proposal section of your application, you should state two preferred supervisors plus one "reserve", chosen from our list of current academic staff. This will ensure your application is considered by the most appropriate reviewers but doesn't guarantee that you'll be allocated those supervisors if you're admitted. You don't need to contact potential supervisors in advance of submitting your application, and doing so won't provide any advantage in the admissions process.
We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your form, such as your:
- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications)
- statement of academic purpose
- references
- CV
- outline research proposal
- sample of written work.
See further information on supporting documents.
You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.
In most instances, we hold a brief interview with shortlisted applicants as part of the admissions process. This is typically conducted by an applicant’s potential supervisors, it takes place virtually (eg, over Zoom), and it lasts about half an hour. The purpose of the interview is to further assess both the applicant’s motivation for doctoral study and the feasibility of the proposed research project. No preparation is required for the interview, although we recommend that you look over the material that you've submitted with your application beforehand.
Please note that LSE allows part-time PhD study only under limited circumstances. If you wish to study part-time, you should mention this (and the reasons for it) in your statement of academic purpose, and discuss it at interview if you're shortlisted.
When to apply
The application deadline for this programme is 10 December 2025.
If you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by this application and funding deadline.
See the fees and funding section below for more details.
Fees and funding
The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes.
You're charged a fee for your programme. Your tuition fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It doesn't cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.
Home
Home student fee (2026/27)
The fee is likely to rise over the full duration of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with fee levels recommended by the Research Councils.
Learn more about fee status classification.
Overseas
Overseas student fee (2026/27)
The fee is likely to rise over the full duration of the programme in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, four per cent each year).
Learn more about fee status classification.
At LSE, your tuition fees, and eligibility for any financial support, will depend on whether you’re classified as a home or overseas student (known as your fee status). We assess your fee status using The Higher education (Fee Limit Condition) (England) Regulations 2017.
Scholarships, studentships and other funding
We recognise that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town/city or country and we provide generous scholarships to help both home and overseas students.
LSE Law School nonetheless aims to ensure that all students have adequate funding for their studies, typically through the award of an LSE PhD Studentship. A Studentship covers the cost of the student’s tuition fees and also provides a generous annual maintenance stipend (for reference, £23,000 for 2023/24). Studentships come with a teaching requirement of approximately 100 hours of classroom teaching to be completed over the course of the candidate’s PhD studies. The Law School also offers an annual personal research allowance of £1,000, and other benefits such as access to our PhD Field Work fund.
There is no separate application process for LSE PhD Studentships, as funding awards are considered alongside admission to the doctoral programme. All applicants must apply by the ordinary application deadline of 10 December 2025.
In addition to our needs-based awards, we offer scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for certain subjects.
External funding
Additional funding opportunities may be available through other organisations or governments. We strongly recommend you investigate these options as well.
Further information
Learn more about fees and funding, including external funding opportunities.
Learning and assessment
How you learn
You'll be assigned two supervisors who are specialists in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic.
How you're assessed
Progression and assessment
Full-time PhD students must complete their doctorate within four years, and part-time students must complete it within eight years.
At the end of the first year (or, in the case of part-time students, second year), your progress is formally assessed. Successful completion of this assessment then sees you registered as a candidate for the PhD degree.
As part of this assessment (or ‘upgrade’) process, you will present your work-in-progress at our Upgrade Conference, attended by academic staff and PhD students. Third year doctoral students also give a seminar on their work-in-progress, again attended by academic staff and PhD students.
Graduate destinations
Overview
Once completed, the majority of our students undertake academic appointments, whether as lecturers or post-doctoral researchers. The remainder have received tenancies in barristers’ chambers or work in law firms, or NGOs and consultancies. Over the last four years, our PhD graduates have been appointed to lectureships at universities that include London School of Economics, City, Cardiff, Durham, King’s College London, Birkbeck, Liverpool, Middlesex, Queen Mary, SOAS, Southampton, University College London, Warwick and York, and outside the UK at the Graduate Institute of International Studies (Geneva), University College Dublin, Victoria University (New Zealand), Queen’s University (Canada) and St Thomas University (Canada). Other graduates have been selected for post-doctoral fellowships at the London School of Economics, New York University, Humbolt University, the European University Institute and the University of Haifa.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
Career support
From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.
Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.
See LSE Careers for further details.
Find out more
Explore LSE
Student life
Student support
Accommodation
Meet, visit and discover LSE
