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Here are some frequently asked questions
about admission to study as a graduate student in the Law Faculty.
You
should always check the Graduate
Studies Prospectus and the notes
of guidance for the application form for authoritative information on
admissions procedures. Closing dates and requirements for submission
of paperwork may vary from year to year.
Am I eligible
to apply for one of Oxford's postgraduate law programmes?
Everyone
is eligible to apply - but not everyone will receive an offer of
a place. Entry is highly competitive. Most people ask this question
meaning 'am I likely to get in?' The answer is that if you meet
the standards listed in response to the next question, you will
be in the running for a place. Unfortunately, that is the only advice
we can give you on your prospects of admission. The only way to
test the ground is to make an application.
What academic
standards are set for postgraduate admissions in law?
We
have formally spelled out the qualities we are looking for ('qualitative
admissions criteria') in applicants for all our postgraduate
programmes. So far as formal academic qualifications are concerned,
we are looking for a first class (or equivalent) undergraduate law
degree for our taught postgraduate programmes (except the MSc in
Criminology, where a high upper second class degree and a relevant
subject other than law are acceptable). If you have not finished
your undergraduate degree yet, any offer of a place will be conditional.
For research degrees, we may give preference to those who have already
performed to a high standard in a relevant taught postgraduate programme.
Entry to all programmes is extremely competitive and most students
admitted will have been placed among the top handful of students
in their most recent and relevant prior academic programmes.Check
the qualitative admissions criteria... Options
for those with non-law degrees...
What are the fees
and other costs?
There are University fees and college
fees for all programmes. Different programmes attract different
fee rates. Fee rates for home and EU students are also different
from those for overseas students. You also need to leave aside money
for rent and other living expenses.Check
the latest fee levels and estimated living costs...
Who
gets the home/EU rate?
How do I
get the application materials?
There are two ways to apply. You may complete the whole application
(including recommendations and supporting documents) online. Alternatively,
paper forms are available by regular mail or by pdf download from
the University's Graduate Admissions Office.
Apply
online now ... Alternatively,
order
or download the paper forms...
What is the deadline for applications?
For BCL/MJur 2009
entry, the deadline is 23 January 2009.
The deadline for the Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice is 13 March 2009.
For MPhil, MSt, MLitt, DPhil: the deadlines are 23 January and 13 March 2009. Applicants for research degrees who wait until March to submit their applications cannot be nominated for national and University funding competitions. Successful applicants in this field will, however, be eligible for Faculty funding, awarded in August. All students are strongly encouraged to apply in January, since supervision for the following year is less likely to be available in March.
The MSc
in Criminology has two deadlines. For 2009
entry, the MSc deadlines are 23 January and 13 March 2009 .
Get
more procedural information from the Graduate Admissions Office website ...
What
information is relied upon to make admissions decisions?
Academic
transcripts, confidential academic recomendations, submitted examples
of academic work, and the statement of study plans/research proposal.
Information about your nonacademic interests or professional experience
is disregarded except to the extent that it reveals something relevant
to future academic achievement.
The
application guidance notes (pdf) tell you what to enclose with
your application...
What should I include in my research proposal?
You should submit a one or at most two page long 'statement of purpose,'
enclosed as a separate sheet at the end of your application. It should explain
your motivation for graduate study at Oxford and give details of any relevant
academic, research, or practical experience you have. It should set out a comparatively
well-developed proposal, giving an outline of how you intend to structure and
undertake your research, and where possible, a preliminary title for the thesis.
Where relevant you may also wish to include details of your proposed methodology.
It is not necessary to include a detailed bibliography.
Why can't I find anything specifically
about applying for the MPhil?
The MPhil in Law is
the optional second year of our BCL/MJur programme. To become an
MPhil student you must apply to read for the BCL or MJur first.
Whether you are able to stay on for the MPhil will then depend on
how well you do on the BCL/MJur. If you only want to do a one-year
research degree, apply for the MSt in Legal Research instead.
The
MPhil in Criminology is only open to students enrolled on the taught
MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree. Applicants to this
course must acheive a high enough mark in the MSc in order to continue
for the MPhil in Criminology.
More
about the MPhil in Law...
More
about the MPhil
in Criminology...
More
about the MSt
in Legal Research ...
Are
there any special requirements for applicants who are not native
English speakers?
We require an IELTS score of 7.5, with individual scores of
at least 7 in each component. You should supply your test result
with your application. TOEFL scores will
not normally be accepted. If there is a special reason why you think
you should be allowed to sit TOEFL rather than IELTS you must submit
a request with your application. We never allow a pre-sessional
language course to substitute for a test score.
IELTS
website...
Who makes the admissions decisions?
For research degrees, the decision is made on behalf of the
Faculty by the Director of Graduate Studies (Research), on the advice
of members of the Faculty expert in the proposed field of research.
For the BCL/MJur, the Director of Graduate Studies (Taught Courses)
plays the same role, relying in part on the advice of a panel of
Faculty assessors. For the MSc in Criminology, the initial decision
is made by an admissions panel at the Centre for Criminology. In
all cases, if this initial decision on behalf of the Faculty goes
in your favour, a second phase begins in which your application is
considered by the college of your choice. At college level a decision
will normally be made by the law tutors in consultation with the
college's Tutor for Graduates. You may not secure a place at your
first choice college, but an offer from the Faculty means that you
will have a college place.
Why
are the colleges involved?
Oxford is a federal University
and every degree candidate must be a member of a college. The colleges
are academic institutions, not merely places of residence. Teaching
of BCL/MJur students is partly carried out by the colleges. Other
law graduate students may not have college teaching but will still
enjoy the academic support of their college, and be subject to its
academic jurisdiction (e.g. in approving examination entries and
applications for deferral).
More
on the federal organisation of the university ...
Do
I need to fill in separate forms to apply for a college place?
No,
your admissions dossier will be passed directly to colleges once
the initial decision on behalf of the Faculty has been made. Not
all colleges admit students for all programmes, so you should check
that they all consider applications for the programme you are applying
for.
More
on choosing a college ...
If the Faculty approves
my application, am I certain to get a college place?
Yes,
but not necessarily at your first choice college.
More
on college places ...
How
many offers of places are eventually made?
The recent
average has been about 150 for BCL and MJur combined, and 70 for
research degrees (including transfers from BCL/MJur to MPhil and
from MSc in Criminology to MPhil Criminology). Currently there are
20 places on the MSc in Criminology.
Do
I need to fill in separate application forms for accommodation?
The
application form for entry as a graduate student allows you to indicate
whether you want to be considered for college accommodation. This
will start the ball rolling. However once you have been accepted
by a college, you will usually need to complete further paperwork
supplied by the college. There is also some University accommodation
for graduate students, including those with families, for which separate
application must be made.
University
accommodation office website...
Do I need to fill
in separate application forms for scholarships administered by Oxford
University or by the Law Faculty?
The application form
for entry as a graduate student allows you to indicate that you
want to be considered for certain University funds. For all other
sources of funding, including Faculty and College funding, you will
normally have to make separate enquiries and applications.
Check
our graduate scholarships page for possible funding sources ...
How
quickly can I expect to hear?
The admissions process
is complex and can take some time. We have many applications to
read and compare. You can expect to hear from the Faculty by the
end of March. College decisions may take around six to eight weeks
more.
Whom should I contact about progress with
my application?
The process is centrally managed by the
University's Graduate Admissions Office. If you need to make contact
after application (e.g. if you have further information to add) it
is best to use email. But please be patient. Do not contact the GAO
for routine updates on progress as this will usually just slow progress
down. You will be contacted as soon as there is any concrete news.
Neither the GAO nor the Faculty's Director of Graduate Studies can
enter into correspondence about decisions made by colleges. Enquiries
should be directed to the college concerned.
Graduate
Admissions Office contact details...
Where can I find the
answer to my other questions?
Try the Faculty's postgraduate
handbook. Or contact the Law Faculty Office by email using graduate.enquiries@law.ox.ac.uk.
Please do not telephone, as your email enquiry can be more easily
routed to the appropriate Faculty Officer.
Our
postgraduate handbook (pdf) ...
Question
about the postgraduate programmes themselves? Taught
postgraduate FAQs are here and research
degrees FAQs are here ...
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