Subject overview
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Law at Sussex was ranked in the top 10 in the UK in The Sunday Times University Guide 2012, in the top 20 in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2013, and in the top 30 in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2014 and The Complete University Guide 2014.
Law at Sussex was rated 16th in the UK for research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 100 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and over half rated as internationally excellent or higher.
Law at Sussex offers specialist, research-led degrees in international criminal law, international trade law, international commercial law, international law, criminal law and criminal justice.
Our interdisciplinary degrees are intellectually rigorous and explore law in its political, social, economic and cultural context, engaging with important issues of contemporary concern.
We have a strong internationalist outlook, with an emphasis on research and the practical significance of study.
Our degrees are taught by enthusiastic, expert faculty, committed to research and teaching excellence.
Law at Sussex attracts graduates from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds and equips them with the knowledge and skills for successful careers in their chosen fields.
We offer a dynamic research environment for faculty and graduate students, and a thriving law community with students from around the world.
Local firms of lawyers play a significant part in the life of the Sussex Law School, sponsoring some of its activities and employing a number of students on formal training contracts as well as less formal assignments. Partners in these firms judge part of the student mooting, negotiation and client-interviewing competitions.
We have regular visits to local and London courts, as well as courts in France and the International Tribunals at The Hague.
We place great emphasis on fostering a supportive environment for our postgraduate students.
- Specialist facilities
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The University Library is a European Documentation Centre, and Library holdings in the fields of European law and international law are particularly strong. The University is a subscriber to LEXIS, Lawtel and Westlaw, the online data retrieval systems for law, through which significant libraries of UK, European, US and other international legal materials may be accessed.
Programmes
- PhD in Law Studies
- MPhil in Law Studies
Research supervision in Law is available in a range of areas, reflecting the research interests of faculty members. We are keen to receive applications from students interested in any area of Sussex Law School faculty expertise. Practising lawyers interested in extending their academic knowledge by means of in-depth research are also encourged to apply.
Current and recent research topics of students within Law include evaluation of the introduction of referral orders into the youth justice process, use of shared residence arrangements in English and Swedish law, regulatory competence in the EU, political participation of women in Afghanistan, and regulation of cultural heritage in post-conflict societies.
Coursework
MPhil or PhD degrees support work on your project with a programme of research training and workshops, as well as attendance at specific modules, which may be recommended by your supervisor. For more details, visit Doctoral training.
Entry requirements
- MPhil in Law Studies
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UK entrance requirements
Most successful applicants will have a Masters degree, but students with a first- or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in law or a relevant subject such as politics, economics or history will be considered.
Overseas entrance requirements
If you are an international student and wish to find out if you have the necessary qualifications for this degree, please refer to Overseas qualifications.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in the other sections. Internet TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 20 in Reading, 22 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.
For more information, refer to English language requirements.
- PhD in Law Studies
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UK entrance requirements
Most successful applicants will have a Masters degree, but students with a first- or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in law or a relevant subject such as politics, economics or history will be considered.
Overseas entrance requirements
If you are an international student and wish to find out if you have the necessary qualifications for this degree, please refer to Overseas qualifications.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in the other sections. Internet TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 20 in Reading, 22 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.
For more information, refer to English language requirements.
Visas and immigration
Find out more about Visas and immigration.
For more information about the admissions process at Sussex
For pre-application enquiries:
Student Recruitment Services
T +44 (0)1273 876787
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk
For post-application enquiries:
Postgraduate Admissions,
University of Sussex,
Sussex House, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 877773
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk
Related subjects
Fees and funding
Fees
- MPhil in Law Studies
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Home UK/EU students: £3,9001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £3,9002
Overseas students: £13,00031 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
- PhD in Law Studies
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Home UK/EU students: £3,9001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £3,9002
Overseas students: £13,00031 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.
Funding
The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.
To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.
Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for Postgraduate Study (2014)
Region: UK
Level: PG (taught), PG (research)
Application deadline: 1 October 2013
The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust are offering bursaries to Postgraduate students following any postgraduate degree courses in any subject.
Sussex ESRC 1+3 and +3 Scholarships (2014)
Region: UK, Europe (Non UK)
Level: PG (taught), PG (research)
Application deadline: 28 February 2014
Up to 22 1+3 and +3 awards across the social sciences
Faculty interests
Law at Sussex has active research groups in its primary research fields, exploring legal conceptualisations of responsibility, and issues of citizenship and governance. These groups meet regularly for the presentation of work in progress, as reading groups, to host external speakers and to plan the organisation of research seminars, workshops and conferences. The Centre for Responsibilities, Rights and the Law, located within the Sussex Law School, brings together researchers from across the University to facilitate and develop doctrinal, theoretical and empirical research into responsibilities, rights and the law nationally, in the EU and internationally. Research interests are briefly described below. Also visit Department of Law: Research.
Professor Craig Barker International law and international relations, international immunities, international criminal law.
Professor Jo Bridgeman Child and family law, healthcare law, feminist perspectives on law.
Dr Qingxiu Bu Transnational corporate and finance law and regulation.
Dr John Child Criminal law, especially criminal law theory.
Dr Elizabeth Craig International human rights and comparative law, European minority rights law.
Dr Mark Davies Professional liability, regulation and conduct; education and law; other areas of the law of tort.
Paul Eden International law, commercial law.
Dr Helena Howe Property law and intellectual property law.
Dr Michael Kearney International law and international criminal law.
Heather Keating Criminal law; family law, especially child law.
Dr Tarik Kochi International security; war, terror and violence; legal and political theory.
Laurence Koffman Sentencing and the penal system, criminal law and criminal justice.
Dr Phoebe Li International trade law, WTO, health law, intellectual property, science and technology law.
Craig Lind Gender and sexuality, child law, and family regulation across cultural divides.
Professor Chris Marsden Media/entertainment law.
Dr Donald McGillivray Domestic, comparative and EU environmental law and policy.
Professor Sue Millns European public law, comparative law, human rights, law and gender.
Dr Verona Ní Dhrisceoíl Minority rights.
Professor Malcolm Ross State aids, public undertakings and public services.
Professor Stephen Shute Criminal law and criminal procedure.
Dr Charlotte Skeet Gender and human rights.
Teresa Sutton Legal history, ecclesiastical law, land law.
Professor Erika Szyszczak European competition law.
Dr Kenny Veitch Critical and theoretical approaches to medical law, and health.
Dr Richard Vogler Comparative criminal justice systems, criminal procedure, criminology.
Dr Mark Walters Criminal law and criminal justice.
Dr Jingchen Zhao Corporate governance, corporate social responsibility.
Careers and perspectives
Our graduates have gone on to careers such as teaching and lecturing.
For more information, visit Careers and alumni.
School and contacts
School of Law, Politics and Sociology
Engaging with key issues of contemporary concern, the School of Law, Politics and Sociology brings together academic units that are committed to excellence in teaching, and recognised nationally for research.
School of Law, Politics and Sociology,
Postgraduate Admissions,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SP, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678655
F +44 (0)1273 873162
E lps@sussex.ac.uk
Sussex Law School
Postgraduate Open Day 2013
4 December 2013, 1pm-4pm
Bramber House, University of Sussex
- talk to academic faculty and current postgraduate students
- subject talks and presentations on postgraduate study, research and funding
- choose from our exciting range of taught Masters and research degrees
- find out how postgraduate study can improve your career prospects
- get details of our excellent funding schemes for taught postgraduate study.
To register your interest in attending, visit Postgraduate Open Day.
Can’t make it to our Postgraduate Open Day? You might be interested in attending one of our Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions.
Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions
If you can’t make it to our Postgraduate Open Day, you’re welcome to attend one of our Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions. These are held in the spring and summer terms and enable you to find out more about postgraduate study and the opportunities Sussex has to offer.
Visit Discover Postgraduate study to book your place.
Other ways to visit Sussex
We run weekly guided campus tours every Wednesday afternoon, year round. Book a place online at Visit us and Open Days.
You are also welcome to visit the University independently without any pre-arrangement.