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dphil
The Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil)
is at the apex of the Law Faculty's pyramid of research degrees.
It entails writing a thesis of between 75,000 and 100,000 words
over a period of three or at most four years (including a probationer
year). It is a full-time degree. The thesis must make a significant and substantial contribution
to its field.
Students
are never admitted to the DPhil degree directly. They
are transferred to DPhil status following a 'qualifying
test' taken at the end of their first year as a research student.
Your initial application to read for a DPhil is strictly speaking
an application to become a
Probationer Research Student (PRS). In the Law Faculty you
may alternatively qualify through a one-year
research degree (either MSt or MPhil). The MSt or MPhil year then
doubles as your probationer year. To take the MPhil route you must
begin with one of our taught postgraduate degrees (the BCL or the
MJur or the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice). There is no such requirement for the MSt.
Here is a summary of the possible routes
of ascent to a DPhil degree in the Law Faculty:
Route 1: PRS (one year) » DPhil
(approx. two further years)
Route 2: MSt in Legal Research
(one year) » DPhil (approx. two further years)
Route 3:
BCL/MJur/MSc (one year) » MPhil (one year) » DPhil (approx. two further
years).
In general you should always consult potential
funding bodies about their preferred and permitted configurations
for research degrees.
More
about our taught courses, the BCL, the MJur,
and the
MSc and MPhil
in Criminology.
More
about our one-year research degrees, the MPhil
in Law
and the MSt.
More
about funding for postgraduate students.More
about admissions: requirements and procedures, links to forms,
etc.
Whichever route you take, your first year as a research
student (PRS, MSt or MPhil) will be similar. You will take a course
in legal research method and you will conduct and write up a substantial
piece of research. Some or all of that writing will be
used in your qualifying test for DPhil status at the end of the
year. In the case of the MSt or MPhil this will be your MSt
or MPhil thesis; in the case of PRS it will be a draft chapter or
other similar sample of work. The qualifying test will also require
you to draft a proposal for the rest of your research.
Our
postgraduate handbook (pdf) explains in more detail what to
expect as a DPhil student, including more details on the course
in legal research method and the
qualifying test.General
questions about life as a research student?
Check out our FAQs.
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