Law, PhD

COURSE OVERVIEW

When you join our thriving community of postgraduate research students, you’ll become part of a supportive and friendly environment where we are dedicated to understanding some of society’s most challenging issues.

A research degree in Law gives you the chance to pursue a project based around your own passions and interests, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects in a range of other fields.

Your research degree will typically last from three years (full-time) to six years (part-time) for a PhD, or two years (full-time) to four years (part-time) for an MPhil.

We have a wide range of expertise, and we invite applications in the following areas:

• Common, Contract and Commercial Law - particularly Comparative Law of Obligations, Securities, Company Law, IP Law and use of IP assets in securing funding for small and medium sized businesses, E-contract Law, Company Law, Equity Law, Law and Technology; and World Trade Law.
• Maritime Law - in particular Transport Law, Environmental Protection, Ship Building, Collisions, Law of the Sea, Marine Insurance, Salvage and Enforcement of Maritime Claims.
• Oil and Gas Law – especially Investment Treaties, Liability Regimes and Investment Arbitration.
• Public Law across domestic, regional and international levels including: Administrative Law; Medical Law, Children’s Rights; Constitutional Law; Devolution; Economic Law; Environmental Law (including Land-use Planning and Nature Conservation); European Union Law; Gender and the Law; Human Rights Law; Investment Law; Minority Language Rights; Multilevel Governance; Socio-economic Law; and Public Procurement Law.
• Criminal Law and the Law relating to Terrorism, Cyber Terrorism and Counter Terrorism.

Programme Summary

This PhD in Law at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The PhD is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva voce). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. There may also be opportunities to develop your teaching skills through undergraduate tutorials, demonstrations and seminars.

Programme Aims

This PhD programme will provide doctoral researchers with:

1. The opportunity to conduct high quality postgraduate research in a world leading research environment.
2. Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
3. Advanced critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and independent judgement.

Applicants for Ph.D study must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University), with no failed modules at undergraduate level, and a master’s degree with an overall grade of ‘merit’.