Masters Degrees in Sociology of Law

Globalisation and immigration have transformed the religious and cultural landscape in 21st century multicultural societies, leading to many challenges and complexities posed by religion in modern democracies.

This new course, which is the first of its kind in the UK, addresses those challenges and complexities and will provide you with a framework to engage with issues relating to the place of religion in public life.

The course is hosted by Westminster Law School and shares modules with the rest of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities as well as Westminster School of Media Art and Design. The course is not affiliated to any particular faith but takes a broad approach to religion including non-religious beliefs. It will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the place of religion in society and the role of law.

You can choose whether you want to study for the MA or LLM. For the MA you will need to have obtained a minimum of 180 credits at Level 7. You will have to take the three compulsory core modules which are: Law and Religion: Theory and Practice; Law and Religion in Context and Sociology of Law and Religion. In addition, you will have to write a dissertation and take an additional three optional modules of your choice.

Students who wish to obtain the award of LLM will need to write a dissertation with a substantial law element and are expected to take at least one law option in addition to the core modules.

MA
-Law and Religion Theory and Practice (20 credits)
-Law and Religion in Context (20 credits)
-Sociology of Religion (20 credits)
-MA Dissertation (60 credits)

3 options of your choice (from the proposed list)

LLM
-Law and Religion Theory and Practice (20 credits)
-Law and Religion in Context (20 credits)
-Sociology of Religion (20 credits)
-LLM Dissertation in Law (60 credits)

3 options one of which must be from Law

The course will equip you with key skills such as the ability to carry out independent research and to deal with sensitive topics. You will develop an awareness of world challenges posed by religion, a thorough knowledge of equality and non-discrimination legislation, debating and mooting skills, the ability to be non-judgmental, and to work in a multicultural environment.

Students will also benefit significantly from the Law and Religion Research Cluster which launched in February 2017. The research cluster will hold regular events on topical issues and provide an opportunity for students to network with academics and professionals associated with the field of religion, law and society.

Course content

The Religion, Law and Society MA/LLM provides a platform for critical debates around the relevance of religion in modern pluralist societies and the challenges that democratic states face in dealing with religion in the public sphere. Current debates in law and religion include the pursuit of freedom of and from religion; non-discrimination, manifestation of religion and beliefs, church-state relations, religion and democracy as well as the threat of extremism, terrorism and fundamentalism in liberal and pluralist societies.

The programme aims to explore those issues and contribute to a culture of tolerance by encouraging dialogue and critical self-awareness of individuals’ personal trajectories. You will be encouraged to challenge your own perception of religion in order to enter into a constructive dialogue. This will be done through respectful debates, peer review, critical thinking and reflection. The programme draws on interdisciplinary perspectives and offers students a wide range of options from the social sciences such as law, politics, sociology and media. This interdisciplinary perspective will allow you to develop your own theoretical framework for evaluating the interaction between law and religion in modern contemporary societies.

Employability

Our dedicated Career Development Centre is actively working with an ever-expanding network of over 3,000 employers to provide you with exceptional employability support and guidance. As a result we were nominated as finalists for a significant industry award – the NUE Awards Most Improved Commitment to Employability 2016.

We provide our students with work placements and international opportunities to support them in becoming highly employable, globally engaged graduates, and with one million businesses operating within 20 miles of the University of Westminster, over 84% of our students are in work or further study six months after graduation. Our graduates work in a variety of sectors and organisations, from small/medium-sized companies and start-ups to large not-for-profit organisations and corporates.

During your time at Westminster you will be able to use our comprehensive online vacancy service and meet with our experienced careers consultants, providing you with thorough training and support on CV writing, application forms, interview preparation and assessment centres.

In addition to this, you will receive careers support from academic staff and faculty work placement teams, offering targeted course-specific careers advice and assistance in securing a work placement during your time at Westminster. You can find out more about course-specific career opportunities by visiting the Prospects website.

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If you are interested in studying for a research degree in the social sciences, or want to learn about research methods, you may consider our innovative MSc in Social Research Methods, run by the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre. If you want to study for a PhD, and are seeking ESRC funding, you will be required to take this or one of our other ESRC-recognised research-training Masters degrees, unless you have already achieved a similar level of research training at a university elsewhere.

At the end of your first year, you graduate with a Masters degree before proceeding to the PhD (this is called 1+3 study).

In the fields of economics, psychology and science, technology and innovation, our specialist Masters degrees are recognised by the ESRC as providing research training suitable for 1+3 study. All other social sciences at Sussex offer research training through the MSc in Social Research Methods. This is for students in the fields of anthropology, contemporary European studies, development studies, education, gender studies, human geography, international
relations, politics, law, migration studies, social work and social care, and sociology.

The degree is designed to provide research training for those intending to move directly to doctoral study. It can also be taken as a standalone one-year degree if you wish to apply advanced research methodologies to an area of academic or policy interest without continuing to a doctorate.

Assessment

Taught modules are variously assessed by term papers of 3,000-5,000 words or equivalent coursework portfolios. The research option is assessed by a dissertation of 10,000 words.

Course Description

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2016 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the Modules tab.

During the MSc you study the philosophical underpinnings of research, research design, research ethics, and both quantitative and qualitative methods. You also take a series of options on advanced research methods, which provide the key skills necessary for carrying out doctoral-level research. You also take a research option in your chosen discipline or interdisciplinary area, which comprises independent reading, attendance at research seminars, and regular individual supervisions with a dedicated member of academic faculty.

Autumn term: you take modules in introductory quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as Philosophy of Science and Social Scientific Research Practice or a theoretical core module within your chosen discipline.

Spring term: you take Research Design and Ethics and either three intermediate methods modules or one intermediate methods module and a subject-specific module. Intermediate methods modules include Action Research • Comparative Method • Discourse Analysis • Ethnographic Methods • Evidence for Policy and Practice • Participatory Methods • Policy and Programme Evaluation Research • Researching Childhood and Youth.

Summer term: you take a series of advanced methods options and undertake supervised work on a dissertation focused on research methods. This dissertation can be the full research outline for doctoral study.

Scholarships

The University of Sussex aims to attract the most talented students to postgraduate study and offers one of the most generous scholarship programmes of any UK university. For full details of our scholarships please visit: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/money/scholarships/pgt2016/

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This programme introduces key principles of interdisciplinary, socio-legal theory, practice, and research methods through a flexible degree structure. It will introduce students to the wide range of research methods and socio-legal theory informing a critical analysis of the relationship between legal institutions and society. Students will apply these theories and research methods to current legal problems in a variety of subject areas, depending on their own interests and reasons for enrolling on the programme.

There is one compulsory module: Introduction to Research in Law and Society. Students are then free to select the remaining three taught modules from the list of optional modules offered by the School. These are in the broad areas of human rights, child law, elder law, gender, sexuality and law and medical law.

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The LLM programme is a single subject law programme that may be taken over a period of one year (full-time), or part-time over a period of two, three or four years. Every student will be required to take modules equivalent to four full units. The assessment of one of the chosen full units (which must be from your chosen specialism) will be by means of a 15,000 word dissertation.

The dissertation must be linked to a module offered at SOAS itself, and attendance on the module will be treated as being part of the process of supervision. With permission of the LLM tutor, students will be entitled to select one complementary subject or the equivalent from comparable Master’s module at SOAS including appropriate language modules. A complementary subject may be chosen in substitution for either a full or a half-subject.

Examinations for all taught modules will be held in May/June of each year and the dissertation will be due for submission by during September of the final year of registration. The assessment for each module may vary according to the extent to which the research component of each module is to be stressed. It is expected that all students will graduate with an LLM in law.

It is possible, however, for students wishing to graduate with a ‘specialist’ degree, to do so by way of opting to take three or more modules from the relevant subject groupings below. In each case, the student must undertake a dissertation in that subject grouping.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/law/programmes/llm/llmlawcultsoc/

Structure

Every student will be required to take modules equivalent to four (4.0) full units. Students who wish to graduate with a specialised LLM are required to take at least three (3.0) of the four (4.0) units within their chosen specialism, including the dissertation. The assessment of one of the chosen full units (within the LLM specialism) will be by means of a 15,000 word dissertation. The fourth unit can be chosen from either the general Law Postgraduate Modules or the following modules associated with the Law, Culture and Society specialisation:

Please note: Not all modules listed will be available every year. Please see the individual module page for information.

Full Module Units (1.0):
- Critical Jurisprudence in Islamic Law and Society - 15PLAC176 (1 Unit)
- Feminist Legal Theory - 15PLAC155 (1 Unit)
- International and Comparative Copyright Law: Copyright in the global village - 15PLAC115 (1 Unit)
- International Labour Law and Equality Rights - 15PLAC169 (1 Unit)
- Islamic Law - 15PLAC121 (1 Unit)
- Law and Society in South Asia - 15PLAC129 (1 Unit)
- Law and in the Middle East and North Africa - 15PLAC130 (1 Unit)
- Law, Institutions and Political Economy of Transition - 15PLAC134 (1 Unit)
- Modern Chinese Law and Institutions - 15PLAC139 (1 Unit)

Half Module Units (0.5):
- Chinese Constitutionalism - 15PLAH043 (0.5 Unit)
- Comparative Constitutional Law - 15PLAH046 (0.5 Unit)
- Foundations of Comparative Law - 15PLAH031 (0.5 Unit)
- Foundations of International Law - 15PLAH021 (0.5 Unit)
- Gender, Armed Conflict and International Law - 15PGNH005 (0.5 Unit)
- Law & Critique - 15PLAH053 (0.5 Unit)
- Law and Postcolonial Theory - 15PLAH050 (0.5 Unit)
- Law and Society in Southeast Asia - 15PLAH049 (0.5 Unit)
- Migration, Gender and the Law in South East Asia and Beyond - 15PLAH023 (0.5 Unit)
- Religion & Comparative Constitutionalism - 15PLAH052 (0.5 Unit)

Examples of non-Law module options:
- Childhood, Politics and Law - 15PPOH037 (0.5 Unit)

Dissertation (1.0):
The dissertation module unit forms part of the required three (3.0) units within the chosen LLM specialism. Please see the dissertation module units below. You will need to attend the teaching on the module and then submit a dissertation in place of the module method of assessment.

- Critical Jurisprudence in Islamic Law and Society - 15PLAD176 (1 Unit)
- Feminist Legal Theory - 15PLAD155 (1 Unit)
- International and Comparative Copyright Law: Copyright in the global village - 15PLAD115 (1 Unit)
- International Labour Law and Equality Rights - 15PLAD169 (1 Unit)
- Islamic Law - 15PLAD121 (1 Unit)
- Law and Society in South Asia - 15PLAD129 (1 Unit)
- Law and in the Middle East and North Africa - 15PLAD130 (1 Unit)
- Law, Institutions and Political Economy of Transition - 15PLAD134 (1 Unit)
- Modern Chinese Law and Institutions - 15PLAD139 (1 Unit)

Duration: One calendar year (full-time)
Two, three or four years (part-time, daytime only)
We recommend that part-time students have between two-and-a-half and three days a week free to pursue their course of study.

Faculty of Law and Social Sciences (L&SS)

Welcome to the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences at SOAS. The faculty is the largest in the School in terms of student and staff numbers and consists of the departments of Development Studies, Economics, Financial and Management Studies, Politics and International Studies and the School of Law, as well as the Asia-Pacific Centre for Social Sciences, the Centre for Gender Studies, the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, the Centre of Taiwan Studies and a number of department-specific centres. All five departments offer undergraduate programmes, and all but Finance and International Management offer joint undergraduate degrees which can be combined with other disciplines from across the School. Each department also offers a range of masters-level programmes with a regional or disciplinary specialism, as well as a postgraduate research programme. The range of course options and combinations is one of the most distinctive characteristics of studying at SOAS and all students are given the option of studying an Asian or African language, either as part of or on top of their degree.

Staff in the faculty come from all over the world and combine regional knowledge with disciplinary specialisms. Teaching draws heavily on academic staff’s individual research which allows the faculty to maintain a large portfolio of courses, often exploring cutting-edge issues. Many faculty members have played a significant part in public debates and policy-making in relation to Asia and Africa. Academics in the faculty are regularly consulted by governments, public bodies and multilateral organisations including the United Nations and the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, European Commission, DFID and other country-specific organisations and NGOs.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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The MA in Law, Culture and Society allows students to study the relationships between law, society and cultural belief, broadly conceived. It gives students the opportunity to study direct impact of the law on commercial and governmental cultures, as well as the interactions between feminism and legal theory, and ethnic minorities and the law, amongst many others. All SOAS modules are designed not only to introduce students to the general fields of law, but also to provide an understanding of how generic legal structures and processes may operate in non-Western social and cultural settings. All teachers on modules offered at SOAS are experts in their designated field. Many have years of experience advising governments, international organisations or non-governmental organisation, and many also have been or continue to be legal practitioners.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/law/programmes/ma/malawcultsoc/

Structure

To facilitate the study of law, all MA students are required to attend a two-week Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods in the September before beginning the MA programme.

Every student will be required to take modules equivalent to four (4.0) full units including the dissertation. Students who wish to graduate with a specialised MA are required to take at least two (2.0) of the three (3.0) taught units within their chosen specialism. The third unit can be chosen from either the general Law Postgraduate Modules List or the following modules associated with the Law, Culture and Society specialisation:

Please note: Not all modules listed will be available every year. Please see the individual module page for information.

Full Module Units (1.0):

Alternative Dispute Resolution - 15PLAC104 (1 Unit)
Critical Jurisprudence in Islamic Law and Society - 15PLAC176 (1 Unit)
Feminist Legal Theory - 15PLAC155 (1 Unit)
International and Comparative Copyright Law: Copyright in the global village - 15PLAC115 (1 Unit)
International Law and Equality Rights - 15PLAC169 (1 Unit)
Law and Development in Africa - 15PLAC160 (1 Unit)
Law and Society in the Middle East and North Africa - 15PLAC130 (1 Unit)
Law and Society in South Asia - 15PLAC129 (1 Unit)
Law, Institutions and Political Economy of Transition - 15PLAC134 (1 Unit)
Multinational Enterprises and the Law - 15PLAC140 (1 Unit)

Half Module Units (0.5):

Chinese Constitutionalism - 15PLAH043 (0.5 Unit)
Comparative Constitutional Law - 15PLAH046 (0.5 Unit)
Foundations of Chinese Law - 15PLAH045 (0.5 Unit)
Gender, Armed Conflict and International Law - 15PGNH005 (0.5 Unit)
Law & Critique - 15PLAH053 (0.5 Unit)
Law and Post-Colonial Theory - 15PLAH050 (0.5 Unit)
Migration, Gender and the Law in South East Asia and Beyond - 15PLAH023 (0.5 Unit)
Religion & Comparative Constitutionalism - 15PLAH052 (0.5 Unit)

Dissertation (1.0):
Dissertation in Law - 15PLAC999 - (1 Unit)

The Department

Key facts:
- LLB (QLD), BA (joint honours), LLM, MA & research degrees

- unique focus on both the developed and developing world

- research and teaching strengths in comparative, regional, international & global law

School of Law in UK top 5 for proportion of publications judged to be 'world-leading':
18 December 2014: the School was also graded in the top 20 nationally for its research environment. Find out more...

Our strengths:
We have unrivalled expertise in comparative law (China, Africa, South/South-East Asia, the Middle East), complemented by specialists in international and transnational law, human rights, transnational commercial law, environmental law and socio-legal method.

Facts and figures

- We are introducing student exchange programmes with leading universities in the US and China

- We achieve one of the highest percentages of training contracts with Magic Circle Law firms awarded to UK Law Schools

Teaching:
- 91% satisfaction for teaching (National Student Survey 2012/13): 96% of law students agreed that our staff are good at explaining things and 91% said their course was ‘intellectually stimulating’

- Excellent staff/student ratio

- Ranked 10th in UK (Guardian University Guide 2015)

Research:
- Thriving research culture with a packed schedule of seminars and conferences across our research centres and specialisms

- Close links with the internationally-renowned Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) and the Van Vollenhoven Institute, Leiden University

- Each year a number of distinguished Lawyers join SOAS as Research Fellows

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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About the MSc programme

This MSc Law, Anthropology and Society draws on the established strengths of the Department of Law and the Department of Anthropology. Both Departments rank alongside the most highly rated departments in the subjects worldwide and have important relationships with professional and regulatory bodies.

This interdisciplinary programme forms part of LSE's innovative graduate teaching and research in legal and social science theory. It offers an excellent and intensive introduction to the aspects of anthropological and social theory, essential to the analysis of law in society, and provides training in appropriate research methods. It is aimed at students interested in developing cross-cultural perspectives on law and who wish to go on either to undertake further research in the area, or to develop their interest in an area of professional legal practice.

The compulsory course draws on anthropological themes and texts to develop an innovative perspective on contemporary legal norms and institutions. You will also be expected to choose courses to the value of two full units from a range of options in the Department of Law and/or in the Department of Anthropology.

Graduate destinations

The programme provides an ideal preparation for practical or research work on law in the context of social relations. It enhances a wide range of career paths including policy, research and communications roles within local and national government, charities, public relations and the media.

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The first of its kind in the UK, this MA builds upon our established reputation as a leading provider of advice related higher education courses.

Do you work or hope to work in the Advice Sector? Want to take your skills and understanding further with a leading industry-recognised qualification?

Staffordshire University’s Social Welfare Law, Policy and Advice Practice MA allows advisers of all kinds to achieve a unique masters degree through our well-established Distance Learning methods.

Expanding on existing advice undergraduate degrees first established in 2003, and our professional accreditation course (Certificate of Credit in Money Advice Practice), this course sets a new standard for the professional educational needs of the advice sector.

Modules

-Advice Work Practice
-Social Welfare Policy and Social Context
-Social Welfare Law and Practice
-Equality, Human Rights and Diversity
-Negotiated Independent Study Module
-Research
-Dissertation or Project

Each module has been designed with the assistance of our partners in the sector, ensuring the course meets the needs of a broad range of advice practitioners in areas such as Welfare rights, Money Advisers, Housing Advisers and Social welfare.

Teaching is delivered by a team with considerable sector experience. It includes current managers and members of trustee boards across, ensuring our staff are well-positioned to support your learning and maximise your potential by building on your existing experience.

Each module is delivered online through Blackboard VLE, using interactive discussions to support your learning around work commitments. All students therefore need reliable access to the internet.

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This course will equip you with a sound understanding of the ways in which law and legal knowledge form part of the political, cultural and economic fabric of society.

The MRes can provide you with advanced skills in legal research methods and analysis of law and legal issues. The course has an emphasis on socio-legal research and candidates are encouraged to explore the application of law and legal research in society. You will have access to facilities and advanced training in the Graduate School, and benefit from links with the PhD community.

This MRes provides ideal preparation for entry to a PhD.

WHAT WILL YOU STUDY?

Modules include:
-Research Methods
-Legal Knowledge and Legal Writing
-Research Dissertation

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

WHAT CAREER CAN YOU HAVE?

A postgraduate law degree will open many doors not only in specialised areas of employment, such as law firms, European and intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but also in academia (with further postgraduate study), the media (journalism and broadcasting), the civil service, and other branches of public service.

Graduates from our LLM course have gone on to work for various national and international law firms, as lawyers and as in-house legal counsel for large multinational companies in the UK and abroad, as well as international organisations and NGOs. A good proportion of our recent graduates are working with the European Union, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Police (INTERPOL), amongst others.

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Our MSc in Social Science Research Methods aims to provide advanced training in research methods across the full range of the social sciences.

You will be provided with a thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of how to construct effective research studies, of the variety of data collection methods available to the social scientist and of the principal methods of analysing social scientific data. You will also be introduced to the political and ethical frameworks within which social science research is conducted, and to some of the ways in which the results of social science research are disseminated.

The course pathways have ESRC recognition and they each provide the appropriate training basis for proceeding to a PhD. These programmes provide extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary study, the application of social research expertise for occupational career development, and the pursuit of substantive areas of interest at postgraduate level.

Socio-legal studies pathway

The School of Law and Politics has a well established reputation for outstanding research across the range of legal studies which makes a vital contribution to scholarship and the development of the law. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework recognised the School as a leading legal research institution, with most activity classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

This pathway builds on our long established reputation for scholarship in the area of socio-legal studies is focused on the newly established Centre for Law and Society and the Journal of Law and Society which the School founded and has hosted for almost 40 years. It is enriched by extensive collaboration with the Department of Politics and International Relations, as well as other Schools in the University and beyond.

Distinctive features

You will be supervised by academic staff with considerable expertise in their chosen fields. These staff members are actively involved in disseminating research via publications in academic and practitioner journals, books and presentations to conferences. Many staff members are involved in editing or reviewing for scholarly management journals.

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Our MSc in Social Science Research Methods aims to provide advanced training in research methods across the full range of the social sciences.

You will be provided with a thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of how to construct effective research studies, of the variety of data collection methods available to the social scientist and of the principal methods of analysing social scientific data. You will also be introduced to the political and ethical frameworks within which social science research is conducted, and to some of the ways in which the results of social science research are disseminated.

The course pathways have ESRC recognition and they each provide the appropriate training basis for proceeding to a PhD. These programmes provide extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary study, the application of social research expertise for occupational career development, and the pursuit of substantive areas of interest at postgraduate level.

Socio-legal studies pathway:

The School of Law and Politics has a well established reputation for outstanding research across the range of legal studies which makes a vital contribution to scholarship and the development of the law. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework recognised the School as a leading legal research institution, with most activity classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

This pathway builds on our long established reputation for scholarship in the area of socio-legal studies is focused on the newly established Centre for Law and Society and the Journal of Law and Society which the School founded and has hosted for almost 40 years. It is enriched by extensive collaboration with the Department of Politics and International Relations, as well as other Schools in the University and beyond.

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This master's degree is designed for those who want to expand their knowledge and understanding of these drug and alcohol issues, including policies and interventions, within a comparative context. It is relevant to policy makers and practitioners, and to students and researchers working in, associated with, or preparing to enter this field.

Over the course of the programme you will gain the knowledge and skills required to investigate and analyse drug and alcohol use, problem use, addiction, and their responses, from a multi-disciplinary and cross-national perspective.

The master's is being run jointly by four universities: Middlesex University; Aarhus University (Denmark); University del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogardo" (Italy); and Universitas Miguel Hernandez de Elche-Alicante (Spain). With access to a group of European teachers and students, you will have opportunities to share research findings as well as experiences and personal knowledge about your own countries. You will also have the chance to study in partner universities or undertake placements in Europe and international agencies and gain career development through utilising work-based learning approaches and internships.

The programme is taught primarily through distance learning methods complemented by some face-to-face tuition. The 'Introduction to Drug and Alcohol Studies' induction is delivered as a four-and-a-half-day face-to-face intensive study block at one of the partner institutions (In 2017, this will be held at Universitas Miguel Hernandez de Elche-Alicante in Spain). It brings together staff and students from the other countries delivering the programme. Please note that travel and accommodation expenses are self-funded.

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