phd cambridge law

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Course closed:

Law is no longer accepting new applications.

The PhD in Law may be awarded after three to four years of full-time study  (including a probationary period) of supervised independent research on the basis of a thesis not exceeding 100,000 words, exclusive of bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter. The course can also be taken part-time as either 60% or 75% of full-time study, and the course length will be adjusted accordingly. Students are appointed a principal Supervisor by the Faculty's Degree Committee as well as an academic advisor to act as a source of advice on matters relating to a student's research and research environment. If the project is interdisciplinary, a second Supervisor may be appointed. While individual arrangements may vary considerably, PhD students may normally expect to receive one-to-one supervision once a month during the early stages of their research. Meetings may be less frequent thereafter.

A PhD thesis must take due account of previously published work on the subject. It must represent a significant contribution to learning through, for example, the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory or the revision of older views. A PhD research proposal of between 2,000 and 3,000 words in length (inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of bibliography) should be submitted at the time of application for consideration by the Faculty's Degree Committee. Candidates are initially registered for the Certificate of Postgraduate Study in Legal Studies and are required to attend the classes provided by the Faculty's Research Training and Development Programme, which aims to provide an introduction to advanced research techniques and methods in law and cognate disciplines.

Towards the end of May of their first year (or at a proportionally later date for part-time candidates), candidates are required to submit 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 PhD. The work is formally assessed (normally by two teaching members of the Faculty), and students 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 the candidate be upgraded to doctoral status. The PhD registration date is normally backdated so as to include the period spent working on the Certificate.

The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options:

Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars - these Spring events provide practical information about applying for postgraduate study.

Postgraduate Virtual Open Days - taking place in November each year, the Open Days focus on subject and course information.

For more information about upcoming events visit our events pages .

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, faculty of law, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2025 (closed).

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

Funding Deadlines

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2025, Lent 2026 and Easter 2026.

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• International Relations MSt
• Politics and International Studies PhD
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phd_header_2022.jpg

Postgraduate research    Finance overview    Funding    How to apply

Legal research and publishing within the Faculty are largely carried out by individual members either as self-directed work or in collaboration with other scholars in Cambridge or elsewhere. However, the Faculty has several specific Centres for research and related activities in particular areas of law. While the Centres do not between them cover every imaginable area of legal research, most of our research students will have a natural affinity with at least one Centre. The Centres host regular seminars and other events involving both local and visiting speakers. Several of the Centres actively encourage current research students to present their work to these and other faculty seminar groups.

Research Degrees offered by the Faculty of Law

The Law Faculty offers two degrees awarded on the basis of either full-time or part-time supervised research:

• the three-year PhD
• the two-year MLitt

The Faculty also offers two one-year Diploma courses , which can be taken part-time and are also examined on the basis of supervised research:

• the Diploma in International Law;
• the Diploma in Legal Studies.

Supervision of Research Students

Cambridge offers excellent supervision for its legal research students from amongst its internationally renowned faculty members. The Faculty of Law has academic strength across the full range of legal disciplines, including international law, all aspects of private law and private international law, public law, EU law, corporate governance, intellectual property, tax law, family law, criminal law, labour law, legal history, jurisprudence and legal theory. It is important both for you, making your decision about whether to apply to Cambridge to do your research degree in Law, and for us, making our decisions about which students to admit, that your topic is one that we will be able to supervise. You can see the range of expertise available within the faculty by looking at the research profiles of our faculty members . It is sometimes possible for us to arrange co-supervision with an academic from another department where the topic of the proposed research has an inter-disciplinary aspect.

Please note that all decisions to admit students to our various research programmes, including the PhD, are made by the Degree Committee of the Faculty of Law, not by individual faculty members. Any other correspondence that you might have, for example with a potential supervisor, cannot be taken to constitute an offer of a place or an assurance of an offer in due course. There is no need for you to contact any individual faculty member about your application before submitting it; the Degree Committee consults prospective supervisors in relation to those applications which seem otherwise admissible as part of the application process. We advise Faculty members not to engage in lengthy correspondence with applicants. General queries regarding the admissions process should be directed to the Postgraduate Course Administrator at [email protected] .

The Degree Committee will not normally recommend the admission of a candidate who is already registered for an ongoing research degree at another university on a similar topic to that forming the basis of the proposal in the application to Cambridge which they intend to leave in order to take up a place at Cambridge. One case in which an exception might be made is for a candidate who is seeking to transfer to Cambridge with an existing supervisor who is taking up a post at the University of Cambridge.

The Faculty of Law The David Williams Building 10 West Road Cambridge CB3 9DZ United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 1223 330033 Email: [email protected]

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Who can apply for a PhD under Special Regulations?

An application can be made by:

A graduate of the University of Cambridge, of not less than six years standing from admission to their first degree (to qualify as a graduate, a candidate must have a  degree  - qualifications such as diplomas and certificates are not degrees) ; and who

• (a) is of not less than six years’ standing from admission to his or her first degree of the University of Cambridge
• (b ) is of not less than six years’ standing from admission to his or her first degree of some other university and has been admitted (i) to some office in the University of Cambridge or to a Headship or a Fellowship of a Cambridge College, and is in the said office at the time of application, and (ii) to the degree of Master of Arts under Statute B II 2 or to a degree of the University by incorporation.

Please note that the term 'admission' to a degree means the date on which the degree was conferred on the candidate, not the date the candidate began the degree.

Graduates who have already been approved for a PhD degree from the University of Cambridge are not eligible to apply.

What evidence is needed?

In order to qualify for the PhD degree under Special Regulations you will need to demonstrate that your published work:

• comprises a significant contribution to scholarship through the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, connection of previously unrelated facts or the development of new theory or revision of older views;
• provides evidence of the acquisition of knowledge and a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry;
• is of a quality and quantity equivalent to three years of full-time postgraduate study; and
• you meet the eligibility criteria for the degree. In order to check this do please see the regulations below.
• University of Cambridge Ordinances: Doctor of Philosophy : Special Regulations (Chapter VII)
• Guide for Applicants : PhD Degree under Special Regulations

Please check the eligibility criteria very carefully.  

How do I apply?

If you meet the eligibility criteria and would like to make an application for a PhD degree under Special Regulations, you will need to submit the following documents to Student Registry at the address on the application form:

• Application Form: PhD under Special Regulations
• Declaration Form: PhD Degree under Special Regulations
• Introductory summary of 1,000-5,000 words
• Two copies of the published supporting works
• Application fee

How is my application considered?

The Student Registry will acknowledge the receipt of your application, check your eligibility, forward your application to the relevant Degree Committee for consideration (provided you are eligible), and communicate their decision to you regarding whether there is, prima facie , a case for further examination of your work. If so, you will have an oral examination (viva voce) with at least two examiners appointed by the Degree Committee.

The viva will normally take place in-person in Cambridge, but you may choose to be examined remotely by video conference. If you wish to request adjustments for your viva on the grounds of disability, you should contact your Degree Committee. There is no set duration for a viva, although it will normally last for 1.5-3hrs. The viva cannot be recorded.

Following the oral examination, examiners are asked to make one of two recommendations to the Degree Committee: either that the degree is awarded or it is not.

Examiners submit their pre- and post-viva reports to the Degree Committee who will consider your candidature for the degree at the next available meeting. If further opinion is required, the Degree Committee may appoint further examiner(s).

You will receive confirmation of the official result, and copies of your examination reports, by email from Student Registry shortly after the Degree Committee makes its decision,

Please note that consideration of an application may take longer than a year.

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