MPhil/PhD Law

Start date: You can start in May, October or January.

Course length: The MPhil is studied over two years. You can study the PhD on a full-time basis for three years or part time over six years. The new route PhD is studied over four years.

Campus: Kedleston Road site, Derby Campus

Research is an important component of academic life. It plays a major role in supporting what we teach to our students, and directly helps organisations to solve real-world issues.

Our research combines the best of both worlds by having strong connections with the Derbyshire region and active international links. The work - only some of which is highlighted here - often contributes directly, not only to the development and well-being of the region, but also to the body of knowledge in the scientific community at large.

Current research projects include:

• Improving the efficiency and fairness of criminal interviews.
• A world view of law and legal systems.
• Creating a world privacy principle.
• The United Nations convention on contracts for the international sale of goods.
• Intellectual property rights and the harmonisation of law and protection within Middle Eastern and North African countries.
• Fraud in documentary credits within international transactions.
• Electronic contracting: comparison of Jordanian with EU law.
• Rights in personal privacy in the context of e-governance by UK public authorities.

These higher degrees are awarded in recognition of a successful period of research training normally culminating in the production of a thesis.

There are three routes to a higher degree:

MPhil
This is designed for graduates who want to gain a strong knowledge and understanding of the subject and intend to take the discipline forward through an approved programme of original research.

New Route PhD
This route is intended for recently-qualified graduates with good honours degrees. Specifically it is aimed at those who are keen to progress immediately to research in preparation for a career in which the ability to undertake research will play a key role.

Traditional Route PhD
This route involves a programme of research which normally takes three years of full-time study. You can choose to study this part time over a period of up to six years. The traditional route allows capable and qualified individuals to pursue an original research investigation into a chosen topic within a field of enquiry.

For more information on postgraduate research degrees visit: www.derby.ac.uk/research/research-degrees

You will normally hold a first or second-class honours degree, an equivalent qualification or relevant experience.

If your first language is not English we must be satisfied that you have the necessary command of the language to undertake the research investigation. We will require IELTS 7.0, unless you can demonstrate an adequate command of English through the recent successful completion of an award-bearing programme from a UK university. If you are an overseas applicant you may be required to complete a course in English as a Foreign Language before being enrolled as a research student.

We'll design an individual research programme to suit your topic of study, and you will regularly meet your supervisor for guidance and progress monitoring.

You'll develop expertise in your chosen area which could lead to career progression either in business or in academia.

Developing international law, Dr Chalen Westaby

Chalen Westaby completed her PhD at Derby, specialising in interdisciplinary approaches to the analysis of the development of customary international law. Drawing inspiration from the personal papers of Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice, housed at the University, she pioneered a methodology that makes use of diplomatic history and cultural analysis to study the development of the colonial right to self-determination.

She has progressed to an academic career and is an active researcher and teacher at Sheffield Hallam University.