Masters Degrees in Sociology of Law, United Kingdom

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 structure

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.

Please note that option modules are subject to student demand and staffing availability, therefore not all modules will be offered in the same academic year.

Core modules

• Law and Religion Theory and Practice (20 credits)
• Law and Religion in Context (20 credits)
• Sociology of Religion (20 credits)
• Postgraduate Dissertation in Law (60 credits)

OR:

• Postgraduate Dissertation (60 credits)

Option modules

Option modules from Westminster School of Law:

• International Human Rights Law (20 credits)
• Islamic Finance (20 credits)
• Terrorism, Law and the State (20 credits)
• Research Theory and Practice (20 credits)
• Internship (20 credits)

Options from Politics and International Relations:

• Islam and Politics in the Middle East (20 credits)

Option modules from Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design:

• Diversity in the Media (20 credits)
• Reporting Faith (20 credits)

Career path

Destinations for graduates will include - for example - academia, government departments, local councils, politics, education, human resources, the legal profession, marketing and journalism.

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Law and Social Justice is an interdisciplinary programme designed for those who are already practitioners or aspire to become a practitioner in the field of law or areas such as the NHS, social services and beyond.

This course allows you to advance your knowledge and understanding of concepts, policies and practices at the forefront of the contemporary understanding of law and social justice. You will learn in an interdisciplinary setting with the expertise of the School of Law and the School of Sociology and Social Policy.

Throughout the course we will encourage you to:

• examine critical issues in law and social justice
• develop strong critical and analytical thinking, oral presentation and writing skills
• contribute to seminar discussions to critically evaluate issues relating to equal treatment, privilege, prejudice and the fair distribution of resources.

Research and professional insight

As members of the School of Law and the Centre for Law and Social Justice, you will be part of a lively academic environment and will be encouraged to take advantage of the many co-curricula opportunities available.

The Centre for Law and Social Justice holds regular events including 'The Centre for Law and Social Justice Public Seminar Series', during which UK and international scholars give papers to practitioners, academics, students, social policy advocates and others.

Course content

Core modules will provide a sound understanding of social justice theories as well as developing competence in the exercise of socio-legal research methods and skills. The seminar teaching approach will also require you to be proactive and develop the necessary oral presentational skills.

A large range of optional modules ensures that you have both a thorough grounding in the key principles, concepts and literature that underpins the broad field of law and social justice as well as the opportunity to focus your study on specific segments of the discipline most relevant to your interest.

Essay assessments for each module will develop your ability to be self-directed and to think critically and analytically. The dissertation will allow you to develop and demonstrate your ability to work as an independent and proactive scholar and an in depth knowledge and critical understanding of Law and Social Justice in relation to your particular research question(s).

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Our MSc / PGDip 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.  

Structure

• PGDip:

The course can be completed in one year with full-time study or in two years by part-time study.

You will be required to complete six 20-credit modules - five core research modules and one specialist pathway module.

In all modules, you will have the opportunity to engage with literature and research relevant to your pathway.

For a list of modules for the FULL-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/social-science-research-methods-socio-legal-studies-pgdip

For a list of the modules for the PART-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/social-science-research-methods-socio-legal-studies-pgdip-part-time

• MSc:

The course can be completed in one year with full-time study or in three years by part-time study.

You will be required to complete six 20-credit modules - five core research modules and one specialist pathway module. In all modules you will have the opportunity to engage with literature and research relevant to your pathway.

On successful completion of the taught component, you will prepare a dissertation of a maximum 20,000 words. The 60-credit dissertation component requires independent study. You will choose your dissertation topic in agreement with your supervisor.

For a list of modules for the FULL-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/social-science-research-methods-socio-legal-studies-msc

For a list of the modules for the PART-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/social-science-research-methods-socio-legal-studies-msc-part-time

Teaching

Your programme will be made up of scheduled learning activities (including lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical sessions) and guided independent study.

You will be expected to actively engage in all the educational activities on your programme of study, to prepare for and attend all scheduled teaching activities, and continue your development as an independent and self-directed learner.

Career Prospects

This programme provides knowledge and expertise suitable for careers in research and development, business, market studies, public agencies at international, national and local levels, education, teaching and other public services work, and voluntary organisations.
It also provides appropriate training for proceeding to a PhD.

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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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Your programme of study

You develop a very clear understanding about human rights law and how it affects a range of different areas of life. This is a specialist programme focusing purely on human rights from the Geneva Convention of 1949 to additional protocols of 1977 and each country interpretation and their justification in the use of force. You look at recent force in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Ukraine. You also look at the protection of natural resources globally and how human rights law has shaped politics. Careers can be within legal professions in defending the rights of others, diplomacy and negotiation at international level, civil service, government, NGOs and more.

You study social and economic rights and conflicts within education, health, housing, and family with options to study International Human Rights Law. The programme makes you highly employable within this specialism.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

• Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship

Optional

• Oil and Minerals for Good
• The Politics of Human Rights

Semester 2

• International Human Rights Law

Optional

• International Humanitarian Law
• The use of Force in International Law
• International Human Rights Law

Semester 3

• Dissertation

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

• You study in a top 10 ranked Law School in the UK (Complete University Guide 2018)
• 98% of students felt their LLM added value to their career prospects, 97% would recommend their course to others
• Study with over 40 other nationalities in the Law School

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full Time or Part Time
• September or January
• 12 months or 24 months

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about international fees:

• International
• EU and Scotland
• Other UK

Find out more about fees on the programme page

*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Sport
• Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

You may be interested in:

• Human Rights and Criminal Justice LLM
• Criminal Justice LLM
• Criminal Justice and Human Rights LLM

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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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Your programme of study

The International Law programme offered at Aberdeen differs from International Commercial Law with Professional Skills and Dissertation within the optional modules you take. There is less emphasis on intellectual property law and commercial business law and more emphasis on International Law in a general sense internationally. You study areas such as family law, human rights, criminal law and humanitarian law plus private laws in many cases within your options so you can potentially specialise within your choices. You also do combine some area of commercial law such as arbitration, energy and environmental law and international trade and finance law which can be applied to individuals and businesses, charities and NGOs plus some level of cultural property law. These could be options if you want to mix your modules a bit within the first and second semester. If you want to get the most from your Master's degree and have a range of specialisms in international private and commercial law this may be an ideal solution due to the range of modules to choose from.

The LLM in International Law offers a range of courses covering both public and private international law. It enables students to undertake advanced legal research and writing in this field and educates students in the analysis of international treaties and case law with an international law dimension.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

• Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship

Optional

• International Energy and Environment Law
• Oil and Minerals for Good
• The Politics of Human Rights
• Private International Law: Jurisdiction in Business Transactions
• Private International Law: Concepts and Institutions
• World Trade Organisations: Gatt
• International Commercial Arbitration (On Campus)
• International Commercial Arbitration in the Asia Pacific
• International Law: A Time of Challenges

Semester 2

• Cultural Property Issues: Law, Art, and Museums
• Choice of Law for Business
• International Humanitarian Law
• International Trade and Finance Law
• International Human Rights Law
• Carriage of Goods by Sea
• International Criminal Law

Semester 3

• Master of Law Dissertation

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

• You are taught by a Law School ranked in the top 10 in the UK (The Complete University Guide 2018) 
• 98% of students felt their LLM added value to their career prospects and 97% would recommend their course to others

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full Time or Part Time
• 12 Months or 24 Months
• September or January 

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees:

• International
• Scotland and EU
• Other UK

Find out more from the programme page

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Sport
• Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

You may be interested in:

• International Law and International Relations
• International Law and Strategic Studies

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About the course

The LLM in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law provides a comprehensive overview of international law and how it works in the contemporary world. The course balances the academic with the urgently practical – for example, combining the necessarily comprehensive detail of human rights legislation in conflict with the harsh reality of the threat posed to human rights by the same conflict. Other modules will tackle significant issues such as the ‘victory’ of democracy on the international stage and the ideological change that has shifted it in the West from a system of government to 'the only route to ensure peace and prosperity’ in places like the Middle East.

An important part of the course is the writing of a detailed dissertation within the specialism of your choice. This is your opportunity to select a project topic which has a direct bearing on your professional life. Previous LLM students at Aberystwyth have found this opportunity to be invaluable in establishing a successful career.

The course will be particularly attractive to those seeking a career in government departments, international organisations, humanitarian and human rights advocacy, business organisations, international law firms and a range of non-governmental organisations.

The Department of Law and Criminology recently participated in the Research Excellence Framework (2014) assessment. It found that 96.5% of publications submitted were of of an internationally recognised standard and that 98% of research activity in the department was rated as internationally recognised.

This degree will suit you:

• If you want to study an area of law with urgent contemporary significance and practical relevance
• If you wish to develop a critical appreciation of legal responses to humanitarian and human rights issues
• If you wish to nurture a legal career within government, non-governmental or corporate structures
• If you desire skills highly sought-after in any postgraduate workplace

Course content

Core modules:

Dissertation
International Human Rights Law
International Humanitarian Law
Philosophy of Human Rights Protection
Public International Law

Optional modules:

Climate Change Law and Policy
Contemporary Issues in Food Policy and Law
Criminology of International Conflict Personnel
Human Rights, Environment and International Business
Law and Gender

Assessment

Assessment takes the form of; research proposals including a related bibliographic element, case studies, oral assessments and essays. Each student will complete a master’s dissertation of 15,000 to 20,000 words which deals with an area of chosen study in the third semester.

Employability

Every course at Aberystwyth University is designed to enhance your vocational and general employability. Your LLM will place you in the jobs market as a rigorous legal professional armed with impressive expertise in the latest legal developments in the field of Human Rights and Humanitarian law. In addition, this course will help you to master key skills that are required in almost every postgraduate workplace. You will be pushed to improve your approaches to planning, analysis and presentation so that you can tackle complex projects thoroughly and with professional independence, making you a highly-desirable candidate for a career in government, non-governmental and corporate contexts alike.

Study skills

You will learn to quickly assemble, assimilate and interpret a wealth of legal data regarding Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and you will refine your professional practices by engagement with multiple case studies. You will learn how to deploy your knowledge to assert your expertise and build your legal case. These skills in analysis and discourse, supported by your mastery of rigorous methodologies, will stand you in good stead for any professional workplace.

Self-motivation and discipline

Studying at LLM level requires discipline and self-motivation from every candidate. Though you will have access to the expertise and helpful guidance of departmental staff, you are ultimately responsible for devising and completing a sustained programme of scholarly research in pursuit of your Master’s degree. This process will strengthen your skills as an independent and self-sufficient worker, a trait prized by most employers.

Transferable skills

The LLM programme is designed to give you a range of transferable skills that you can apply in a variety of employment contexts. Upon graduation, you will have proven your abilities in structuring and communicating ideas efficiently, writing for and speaking to a range of audiences, evaluating and organizing information, working effectively with others and working within timeframes and to specific deadlines.

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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 course

Aberystwyth - located in West Wales, 'next door' to the Centre for Alternative Technology and with a vibrant alternative community - provides an ideal societal background for our LLM in Environmental Law and Policy which examines the hard facts on environmental regulation and its many stumbling blocks. The LLM provides overview of national and international environmental law and the policy context that shapes this area of urgent global inquiry. This course balances the theory with the urgently practical – for example, the detatched, academic knowledge of law may be taught through examining difficult case studies which are anything but clear-cut. By doing so, students are challenged to engage with the subject and face the dilemmas of authentic legal practice in the real world.

An important part of the course is the writing of a detailed dissertation within the specialism of your choice. In your dissertation you will prove that you have become an expert in environmental law and its underlying highly dynamic tensions. The study may even come to have a direct bearing on your future professional life – previous LLM students at Aberystwyth have found the opportunity presented by their dissertation to be an invaluable help in directing the path of a successful career. Staff from the Aberystwyth Law School will be on hand to advise, encourage and guide you towards the most suitable topics.

Upon graduation, you will be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills to develop a career in the field of environmental law and policy. You will also have honed your general academic skills which will stand you in good stead for entry into any position in the postgraduate jobs market.

This course will be particularly attractive to those seeking a career in international, humanitarian and human rights advocacy, business, law and a range of governmental and non-governmental organisations.

The Aberystwyth Law School recently participated in the Research Excellence Framework (2014) assessment. It found that 96.5% of publications submitted were of of an internationally recognised standard and that 98% of research activity in the department was rated as internationally recognised.

This degree will suit you:

• If you want to study an area of law which impacts significant populations within the developed and developing worlds

• If you wish to develop a critical appreciation of legal responses to humanitarian and human rights issues

• If you wish to nurture a legal career within government, non-governmental or corporate structures

• If you desire skills highly sought-after by any postgraduate employer

Course content

Core modules:

Legal Studies

Dissertation

Optional modules:

International Environmental Law

Climate Change Law and Policy

Control of Pollution Law

Nature Conservation & Marine Environmental Law

Contemporary Issues in Food Policy and Law

Human Rights, Environment and International Business

You can also choose two modules from other, often related, legal disciplines, such as human rights law or migration law.

Assessment

Assessment takes the form of; research proposals including a related bibliographic element, case studies, oral assessments and essays. Each student will complete an extended Master’s dissertation which deals with an area of chosen study in the third semester.

Employability

Every course at Aberystwyth University is designed to enhance your vocational and general employability. Your LLM will place you in the jobs market as a rigorous legal professional armed with expertise in these fascinating areas of environmental law. In addition, this course will help you to master key skills that are required in almost every postgraduate workplace. You will be pushed to improve your approaches to planning, analysis and presentation so that you can tackle complex projects thoroughly and with professional independence, making you a highly-desirable candidate for a career in government, non-governmental and corporate contexts alike.

Study skills

You will learn to quickly assemble, assimilate and interpret a wealth of legal knowledge. You will also be required to refine your professional practices by engaging with multiple complex case studies. You will learn how to deploy your knowledge to assert your expertise and how to build your legal case. These skills in analysis and discourse, supported by your mastery of rigorous methodologies, will stand you in good stead in legal and more general workplaces.

Self-Motivation and discipline

Studying at LLM level requires discipline and self-motivation from every candidate. You will have access to the expertise and helpful guidance of departmental staff, but you are ultimately responsible for devising and completing a sustained programme of scholarly research in pursuit of your Master’s degree. This process of independent study at an extremely high level will strengthen your skills as an independent and self-sufficient worker, a trait prized by most employers.

Transferable skills

The LLM programme is designed to give you a range of transferable skills that you can apply in a variety of employment contexts. Upon graduation, you will have proven your abilities in structuring and communicating ideas efficiently, writing for and speaking to a range of audiences, evaluating and organizing information, working effectively with others and working within time-frames and to specific deadlines.Whether you pursue a legal career, further research or unrelated employment, these skills will enable you to progress to a significantly higher level.

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Course description

Created for international students who wish to familiarise themselves with academic learning in the UK before undertaking rigorous study in their chosen subject. Students undertake a preparatory year of English language and undergraduate modules in the subject area before embarking on Master's level modules in their second year.

Course detail

You gain a clear, confident and advanced understanding of the subject while receiving coaching in academic study and writing skills. The skills you develop on this programme include critical thinking, data analysis and presentation of key findings as well as transferable skills such as time management, IT and problem solving.

Purpose

You acquire practical and analytic skills in advanced research methodologies, learning the techniques and approaches that social researchers use to organise, structure and interpret data. You will learn about the development of criminology as a distinct area of study and enquiry, looking at how crime, deviance and victimisation are legally and socially constructed. You will gain historic as well as strategic insight into policy development and implementation. You will become adept at identifying and understanding a range of social problems and concepts, learning the most appropriate to way to apply concepts, theories and methods to a given scenario.

Format and assessment

As well as taking core modules, you choose from a range of optional modules; typical optional modules may include:

• Sociology of crime and deviance
• Gender, crime and criminal justice
• Research methods in criminology
• Sociology of violence
• Crime, media and culture
• Prisons and penal policy

Careers

Over 98% of Kent's postgraduate students who graduated in 2016 were in work or further study within six months. Recent graduates from our School have pursued careers across the criminal justice system, encompassing areas such as counter-terrorism, advocacy, probation, social policy and research, finding positions in the Civil Service, the Ministry of Justice, various police services and the Probation Service.

Why study at the University of Kent

We offer inspirational teaching and supervision alongside first-class library and IT facilities. You also benefit from our high-impact research in all subjects. Whatever you are looking to study, Kent provides a dynamic and challenging environment for your postgraduate studies.

• Kent was awarded gold, the highest rating, in the UK Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework
• Kent is ranked 21st in the Times Higher Education (THE) ‘Table of Tables’ 2017
• Kent is ranked 25th in the Complete University Guide 2018
• Kent is ranked 22nd in the Guardian University Guide 2018
• 42% of our academics are from overseas and we have students representing 158 nationalities
• In the most recent research rankings, 97% of research at Kent was found to be of international quality (REF 2014)
• Kent is ranked 17th in the UK* for research intensity and research output (REF 2014)
• Find out more: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/why-kent/

* of 122 universities, not including specialist institutions

Postgraduate scholarships and funding

We have a scholarship fund of over £9 million to support our taught and research students with tuition fees and living costs. Find out more: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/index.html

English language learning

Kent offers a range of modules and programmes in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) which you can access throughout your degree, read more here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/international-pathways

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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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• Explore the application of law and legal research in society
• Emphasis on doctrinal, theoretical and contextual study of law, and your self-understanding as a participant in the practice of legal scholarship
• Ideal preparation for PhD studies
• Very small cohort of high-calibre students
• Develop advanced skills in legal research methods and analysis of law and legal issues

What will you study?

Sample modules:

• Research methods
• Legal knowledge and legal writing
• Research in jurisprudence
• Research in criminology
• Research in international human rights

Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.

What career can you have?

A postgraduate law degree will open many doors for you, 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 programmes have gone on to work for a range of 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.

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Your programme of study

If you are already working within a legal profession internationally this programme gives you an opportunity to widen and progress your skills as an arbitrator. It is entirely delivered online so it can be studied flexibly around your work, family or other commitments and you gain a postgraduate diploma from a top law school.  Arbitration can be ideal for many business issues and challenges which can range of buying out a company, infringements, protecting investments and partnerships, employment and contract issues, and many other areas which might normally be taken to court as a result of failure to reach an agreement or may get resolved unsatisfactorily for all parties. You are able to interpret the law and case law to advise a business or individual about how a course of action may go if they act in a specific way. This may lead to conflict or resolution of that conflict before it reaches an unacceptable point. You are able to work with the International Bar Association and International Chamber of Commerce and London Court of Arbitration LCIA to resolve matters which may directly affect reputation and ability to trade.

The Diploma gives you further opportunity to develop your arbitration skills by distance learning with two weeks skills course in June each year. You study international commercial arbitration in Asia and the Pacific, the energy sector and you learn the set of skills, knowledge and research requirements you need to successfully succeed in arbitration.

Courses listed for the programme

• International Commercial Arbitration
• International Commercial Arbitration (Asia Pacific)
• International Commercial Arbitration (Energy Sector)
• Professional Arbitration Skills

Optional Courses can be taken at an approved overseas institution to 60 credit points and approval

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

• You will be taught by a top 10 law school, with a 96% satisfaction rate in terms of employability
• You join 95% of students who felt the programme met their expectations and 94% would recommend it to others
• You study with over 40 nationalities which is a learning and networking experience in itself

Where you study

• Online
• 12 months
• Part Time

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about international fees:

• International
• EU and Scotland
• Other UK

Find out more about fees on the programme page

*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Sport
• Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

You may be interested in:

• Dispute Resolution LLM
• International Law and International Relations LLM
• International Law and Strategic Studies LLM
• International Relations MSc

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