phd law edinburgh entry requirements

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THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

Different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Course type.

The Edinburgh Law School is a vibrant, collegial and enriching community of legal, sociolegal and criminology researchers and offers an excellent setting for doctoral research.

Our doctoral researchers are key to the School’s research activities, and we work hard to ensure that they are fully engaged with staff and projects across all of our legal disciplines.

You will find opportunities in the following fields: company and commercial law; comparative law; constitutional and administrative law; criminal law; criminology and criminal justice.

Upon completion of the PhD, the majority of our students progress to postdoctoral research or lecturing and teaching roles.

Recent graduates have also found employment in roles as diverse as prison governor, solicitor and policy adviser for organisations including: the International Criminal Court; The Hague; Anderson Strathern; HM Prison Service.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

To be confirmed

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

For this course (per year)

A UK 2:1 honours degree in law, arts or social sciences, and a UK Masters degree with at least 60% in the taught section and 65% or more in the dissertation, or their international equivalents. The majority of our applicants have studied law, but we are a comprehensive Law School covering a range of approaches to legal topics including social science, historical and philosophical enquiry; applications from non-law students with relevant studies and experience will be considered and if you require further guidance please contact us. Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

LLM Law Conversion with SQE Preparation

University of chichester, llm criminal law and criminal justice, cybercrime and digital investigation msc, middlesex university, llm/pgdip/pgcert international law, llm/pg dip/pg cert human rights law.

Degree Programme Table: Law (PhD) (Full-time) (PRPHDLAWAA1F)

Year 1 academic year: 2021/22, starting in: september.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Year 2 Academic year: 2021/22, Starting in: September

Year 3 academic year: 2021/22, starting in: september, course options, minimum of 80 points from group a, minimum of 20 points from approved list of courses, year 4 academic year: 2021/22, starting in: september, 120 points at level 10 or 11 including dissertations/projects/other pieces of work or work abroad.

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Entry requirements

PhD Law: a minimum UK 2:1 honours degree in law, arts or social sciences, and a UK Masters degree with at least 60% in the taught section and 65% or more in the dissertation, or their international equivalents.

LLM by Research: a minimum UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in law, or a social science subject.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

Edinburgh Law School is renowned for its research excellence. We strive to produce work that has real-world reach and influence. Our postgraduate researchers are key to the School’s research activities and we work hard to ensure that our research students are fully engaged with staff and projects across all our legal disciplines.

We provide a supportive and inspiring environment to help you carve out your own research specialism. In the last Research Excellence Framework we were ranked 2nd in the UK by research impact Grade Point Average (Times Higher Education, impact ranking, REF 2014) and 4th in the UK by research power (Research Fortnight REF 2014).

We have research excellence in a range of fields, spanning the spectrum of law, socio-legal studies and criminology.

You’ll find opportunities in the following fields: company and commercial law; comparative law; constitutional and administrative law; criminal law; criminology and criminal justice; environmental law; European law, policy and institutions; European private law; evidence and procedure; family law; gender and sexuality; human rights law; information technology law; intellectual property law; international law; labour law; legal theory; media law; medical law and ethics; obligations, contract delict, unjustified enrichment; property, trusts and successions; Roman law and legal history; socio-legal studies; and tax law.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

• Campus-based learning is available for this qualification

Course contact details

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At UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

Qualification

Next intake

16 September 2024

Entry Score

About the course

The Edinburgh Law School is a vibrant, collegial and enriching community of legal, sociolegal and criminology researchers and offers an excellent setting for doctoral research. Edinburgh Law School is ranked 3rd in the UK for law for the quality and breadth of our research by Research Professional, based on the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). Our doctoral researchers are key to the School's research activities, and we work hard to ensure that they are fully engaged with staff and projects across all of our legal disciplines.

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Start dates and prices

Course fees are indicative and should be used as a guide. Speak to a counsellor to get an accurate price.

Duration: 3 Year (s)

Fees: GBP 26300

How to apply

Entry requirements for university of edinburgh, application deadline.

This date isn’t available Speak to an IDP counsellor to get an detailed infromation.

Further infromation

If you aren't eligible for the above entry requirements, you might ant to explore pathway options at University of Edinburgh . If you want to find out more, speak to our counsellors.

Career outcomes

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Law (Graduate Entry) LLB The University of Edinburgh

Key course facts.

• Admission advice for international students

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews for 30 graduates of Law (Graduate Entry) LLB at The University of Edinburgh for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Law.

Salary of Graduates in Law

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Law at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students .

Salary of all UK Graduates of Law

Course description.

The Graduate LLB is a two-year programme for those who already have a degree-level qualification and wish to get an undergraduate qualification in law.

The Graduate LLB is designed to prepare you for entry to the Scottish legal profession. You will build the ideal foundation for further professional study in law. This usually means going on to take the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (known as Professional Education and Training stage 1, or PEAT 1).

In accordance with the requirements of the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates, we will ensure you gain the legal skills and knowledge needed for a future as either a solicitor or as an advocate in the Scottish legal profession.

This is a qualifying degree for professional practice in Scotland. A number of graduates also go on to qualify and practise law in other jurisdictions. These graduates must comply with the local conversion requirements and complete any further study non-Scottish jurisdictions require.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

What graduates are doing after 15 months

Current jobs, job in line with future plans, utilise skills from studies, work is meaningful, required skill level of job after 15 months, % skilled jobs, jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation).

Example below based on all graduates of Law (Graduate Entry) LLB at The University of Edinburgh

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Ucas tariff of accepted students for law, english language requirements, average student cost of living in the uk.

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:.

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

• year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of the university of edinburgh in top uk and global rankings., rankings of the university of edinburgh in related subject specific rankings., about the university of edinburgh.

The University of Edinburgh is located in the Scottish city of the same name, and is one of the oldest universities in the entire United Kingdom, having opened in the year 1583. The university enjoys a strong reputation for its contributions to international research efforts, which is reflected in their inclusion in the Russell Group, Universitas 21, and Una Europa. Edinburgh offers its residents a historic yet modern city, with a lively nightlife scene, reliable public transport, and friendly locals.

List of 686 Bachelor and Master Courses from The University of Edinburgh - Course Catalogue

Where is this programme taught

Similar courses

Ranking publishers, the university league tables, cug the complete university guide - by subject  (published: 08 june, 2023).

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The Guardian News and Media Limited

The guardian university league tables by subject  (published: 09 september, 2023), shanghairanking consultancy, gras global ranking of academic subjects - shanghairanking  (published: 27 october, 2023).

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LLB / LLB (Hons) Law

Fully accredited by the Law Society of Scotland , our friendly and open student experience is what makes us stand out from other universities.

The LLB will enable you to apply for the Diploma in Legal Practice (also known as PEAT 1), the next step on the way to becoming a qualified solicitor or advocate in Scotland.

The LLB is an excellent qualification if you wish to work in other professions, particularly those related to business and finance.

In fourth year there is a range of optional law subjects, such as Sports Law, enabling you to reflect on the function of law in a wider economic, political, international and social context.

We have a 100% satisfaction rate for our LLB (Hons) Law course (National Student Survey, 2023). 

We are a Top 20 UK university for Law (The Guardian Good University Guide 2022, 2023).

Mode of Study:

Start date:.

"The staff are extremely supportive. They always check in with you. We even got support with CV writing, which was great. We have a great community feel on the Law Degrees at Edinburgh Napier." Chris Enderby Former LLB (Hons) Law student

Course details

Our course gives you a broad foundation in the law of Scotland. In the first three years you study all the subjects specified by the Law Society of Scotland to enable you to seek qualification as a solicitor. In fourth year, there is a range of optional law subjects, and you'll also write a dissertation on a legal topic of your choice.

Contemporary legal professionals must be business-orientated. Our LLB lets you choose a number of business-related non-law modules, such as Financial Accounting or Exploring Entrepreneurship. You may also study a language.

The LLB is a full-time course. You may graduate with an LLB Ordinary degree after three years or an LLB Honours degree after four years. You'll learn by a variety of teaching methods including lectures and tutorials, and also through interactive practice sessions and independent study.

This degree will improve your communication, research, problem-solving and presentational skills.

How you’ll be taught

You'll learn by a variety of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials and through independent study.

Assessments

Emphasis on giving legal advice and applied learning make student work place ready when they leave.

Work placement

Opportunity to gain experience through assisting in our student run law clinic.

Study abroad

In year 3 there is an opportunity to study abroad, and we have increasing numbers taking this option – there are 4 universities that we are partnered with, and this can be done through Turing and ISEP (US & Australia).

Popular modules

• Scottish Legal System
• Criminal Law
• Obligations 1
• Constitutional & Administrative Law
• One option module
• Law of Human Rights
• Property Law
• European Law
• Commercial Law
• Obligations 2
• Business Entities
• Law of Succession & Trusts Evidence
• Law & Technology
• Two options
• Dissertation
• Plus optional modules

ACCREDITED BY

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer .

Entry requirements

English language, international students, admissions policies.

What are the entry requirements for Law?

Our entry requirements indicate both Standard and Minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the undergraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

Minimum Year 1

• Standard Entry Requirement: AABB to include English or another literary subject* at grade B.
• Minimum Offer Entry Requirement: BBCC to include English or another literary subject* at grade B.

You may be given an adjusted offer of entry if you meet our specified minimum entry requirements within our widening participation criteria, and outlined in our Contextual Admissions Policy. Click here for further information about our entry requirements and admissions policies.

• BBB to include English or another literary subject*.

Irish Leaving Certificate

• H2, H2, H2, H2 at Higher Level to include English or another literary subject*

BTEC (QCF) Extended Diploma Level 3

• Minimum grades DMM (Distinction, Merit, Merit).
• A Level English or another literary subject* at grade C.

BTEC (QCF) National Diploma Level 3 plus A Level

• Minimum grades DD (Distinction, Distinction).
• T level and an A level in English or other Literary subject may be required. Please contact [email protected] to check if you meet the subject specific requirement.

*Alternative literary subjects include: Politics/Government & Politics, History, Latin, Law, Modern Studies or Philosophy.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

• Award of Diploma with 30 points overall with three HL subjects at grades 6, 5, 5 to include English or another literary subject*.
• Pass HNC Legal Services with grade A at SCQF Level 7 in the graded unit.
• Pass HND Legal Services with grade BB at SCQF Level 8 and grade B at SCQF Level 7 in the graded units.

*Alternative literary subjects include: Government & Politics, History, Latin, Law, Modern Studies, Philosophy, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, RMPS. ESOL can be considered at grade A.

Advanced entry is not available for this course.

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our  minimum English language requirements  will apply.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English. Check our  country pages  to find out if this applies to you.

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See who can apply  for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of  bursaries and scholarships  available to our students.

• Undergraduate student fees and funding information
• Postgraduate student fees and funding information
• International student fees and funding information

What can you do with a Law degree? 

By studying law at Edinburgh Napier University, you will acquire expertise in a wide range of Scots Law subjects, and be well on your way to gaining the necessary qualifications to become a solicitor.  Completion of the LLB (Ordinary or Honours) is stage one of qualifying as a solicitor in Scotland. Stage two is the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. The DLP is a vocationally orientated course designed to prepare you for Stage 3, a two-year traineeship with a law firm or other body employing solicitors such as a Local Authority.  The legal profession is just one option open to you once you have your LLB. You may also want to go on to work in sectors such as business, finance and government. You will be an excellent communicator, with strong debating, analytical, writing and presentation skills. If you are a critical thinker and keen problem solver, then this might be the right course for you.

What does a government policy advisor do?

 As a government policy advisor, you will give expert advice, through analysis, to the government to allow them to make informed decisions on a range of issues. You will have excellent communication, analytical and problem-solving skills. You will work with a range of stakeholders across different government departments and may also work with government legal advisors. 

Daily tasks and responsibilities you may carry out within this role include: 

• Policy analysis • Research • Presenting your findings • Legal analysis • Collaborating with stakeholders • Report writing

Postgraduate Certificate in Law

• Academic staff
• Entry requirements
• How to apply

The Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning offers you the flexibility to develop your legal skills and knowledge whilst maintaining your professional and personal commitments. It can also be used as a stepping-stone towards further study on one of our online LLM programmes.

The programme offers breadth and flexibility, enabling you to choose courses that best reflect your personal and professional interests. You will have the opportunity to choose three courses from the full range of Masters courses available, therefore enabling you to tailor your programme of study to meet your academic and professional interests.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Law can be your first step towards being awarded an LLM degree.

The programme enables you to study a wide range of subject areas within the discipline and aims to promote advanced knowledge and understanding of the law within international, European and domestic settings.

The programme spans foundational issues in areas of law including:

• Commercial law
• Information technology law
• Medical law
• Innovation and technology

Having studied the programme, you will emerge with an understanding of legal issues not just in the legal context, but with a sound grounding in ethics, social and theoretical contexts.

Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Law you will have the option of being awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Law or transferring onto one of our online LLM degree programmes.

By transferring the 60 credit points gained you will only need to successfully complete three more 20 credit point courses and a dissertation to be awarded an LLM degree in your chosen subject area.

If you choose to transfer to one of our LLM degree programmes you do not need to submit a new application. The transfer process is very straightforward and managed by our support team.

If you transfer onto on one of LLM degree programmes the fees you pay will be adjusted to take into account the fees you have already paid.

Important information about transferring to an LLM

If you are considering transferring onto an online LLM degree from the University of Edinburgh please read the following points carefully:

• You will have a maximum of five years from starting your studies to complete your LLM degree.
• Courses must be completed to a minimum standard of 50% to guarantee your eligibility to transfer onto an LLM degree programme.
• When selecting courses to study on the Postgraduate Certificate in Law please make sure that you are aware of the core courses that you must complete as part of the LLM degree you intend to study.

Edinburgh Law School is Scotland’s leading legal research institution, with a reputation for research excellence in the United Kingdom, Europe and across the globe.

We take a research-led approach to teaching and academic staff teaching on our programmes are all experts in their field and involved in cutting-edge research. During your studies you will find that your learning experience on the programme is highly interactive, informed by academics’ current research interests.

You will benefit from the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of tutors and the results of innovative cross-cutting research of the highest quality.

Find out more about research at Edinburgh Law School

If you have any questions about studying the Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning please don't hesitate to contact us.

[email protected]

The Postgraduate Certificate in Law enables you to study a wide range of subjects within the discipline and aims to promote advanced knowledge and understanding of the law within international, European and domestic settings. You will have the opportunity to study courses in the areas of information technology law, commercial law and medical law during your chosen study duration.

You must successfully complete 60 credits of taught courses over your chosen study duration to be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Law. Full programme details including course descriptions are available on the University Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study website.

View the Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning programme structure for 2023/24

Courses shown below are scheduled to run in the 2023/24 academic year.

Select between 0 and 40 credits of the following courses

• Fundamentals in Bioethics (20 credits)
• Public Health Ethics (20 credits)
• Clinical Negligence and the Law (10 credits)
• Shaping and Regulating Modern Healthcare (10 credits)
• Mental Health Law (20 credits)
• Confidentiality and Data Protection in Biomedicine (20 credits)
• Ethics of Health Technologies (20 credits)

Please note that courses 'Clinical Negligence and the Law' and 'Shaping and Regulating Modern Healthcare' are co-requisites and must both be taken in the semester in which they run.

See full programme details including course descriptions on the University Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study website.

View the full Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning degree structure

Please note that there are no unrestricted Intellectual Property Law courses running during 2023/24. 'Introduction to Intellectual Property Law' is offered in Group E.

View the full Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning structure

• Electronic Commerce Law (20 credits)
• EU Data Protection Law (20 credits)
• Information Technology Law (20 credits)
• International and European Law of the Media (20 credits)
• Regulation of Autonomous Systems: the Law of Robotics (20 credits)

View the Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning programme structure

• European Competition and Innovation (20 credits)
• Banking and Financial Law: Case Studies (20 credits)

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses

• Comparative and International Corporate Governance (20 credits)
• Contract Law in Europe (20 credits)
• Corporate Compliance: Case Studies in Law & Ethics (20 credits) 
• Dispute Resolution Methods (20 credits)
• International Law, Human Rights and Corporate Accountability (20 credits)
• Information: Control and Power (20 credits)
• International Commercial Arbitration (20 credits)
• The Fundamentals of Law and Medical Ethics (20 credits)
• Law and Ethics at the Start and End of Life (20 credits)
• Introduction to Intellectual Property Law (20 credits)

Please note that a course from this collection can only be taken with the approval of your Programme Director.

Courses are offered once in an academic year. Each semester you will choose the course(s) you wish to study in that particular semester. Courses are then allocated. Details of the courses available will be provided in advance.  Courses are then allocated.

The allocation process is intended to support student choices as much as possible, while taking account of optimum class sizes for specific courses.

Class sizes

Class sizes have typically ranged from 15 to 25 students in the past. If more students request a course than can be allocated, students who need to take the course in order to fulfil core programme requirements will have priority and others may be asked to defer that course choice to a later year of study.

Terms and conditions

Please note the University reserves the right to make variations to the contents of programmes, including the range of courses offered, and the available choice of courses in any given year may change.

Find out more about the University's terms and conditions

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of demand for particular courses, we may not be able to run all courses as advertised come the start of the academic year.

If you have any questions about the Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning please don't hesitate to contact us.

Academic staff teaching on courses on the Postgraduate Certificate in Law in 2023-24 are experts in their field and are actively involved in cutting-edge research in their area of expertise.

Dr Murray Earle - Programme Director 2023-24 

Murray Earle is a Senior Teaching Fellow in medical law. He is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand (BA Law & International Relations; BA (Hons) Comparative Literature), and the University of Edinburgh (LLM Medical Jurisprudence & the Sociology of Law; and PhD in Medical Law).

His current teaching is primarily in the Online Learning environment, in a range of medical law courses.

Find out more

Staff teaching courses available on this programme may include:

Academic staff leading commercial law courses may include:

• Dr Arianna Andreangeli
• Dr Remus Valsan
• Dr Simone Lamont-Black
• Ms Lorna Richardson
• Dr Parker Hood
• Ms Johanna Hoekstra

Academic staff leading information technology law courses may include:

• Ms Judith Rauhofer  
• Dr Lachlan Urquhart
• Professor Burkhard Schafer
• Dr Paolo Cavaliere
• Mr Nicolas Jondet

Academic staff leading medical law and ethics courses may include:

• Mr Gerard Porter
• Dr Edward Dove
• Dr Emily Postan  
• Dr  Annie Sorbie
• Dr Murray Earle
• Dr Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra

The staff teaching on this programme are subject to change for 2023-24 and will depend on the core courses offered. Staff listed as on sabbatical will not be available to teach for the duration of their sabbatical.

If you have any questions about the Postgraduate Certificate in Law please don't hesitate to contact us.

We require a minimum of a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent.  Your degree does not have to be in the subject of law, but it must be from a recognised higher education institution.

We will also consider your other qualifications and professional experience as part of your application.

Entry to this programme is competitive and meeting the minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

If you have a non-UK degree, please check whether your degree qualification is equivalent to the minimum standard before applying.

Check your degree

We also take into account postgraduate qualifications, such as an MA, MSc, MBA or PhD.

Professional experience in appropriate areas is also considered as part of an application, although candidates, including qualified lawyers, will in almost every instance be expected to have reached the required academic levels.

Postgraduate study in the field of law requires a thorough, complex and demanding knowledge of English, so we ask that the communication skills of all students are at the same minimum standard.

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic and IELTS Academic Online : total 7.0 (at least 7.0 in the writing component and 6.5 in each other module)
• TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 25 in writing and 23 in each other module)
• CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 185 in writing and 176 in each other module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components
• PTE Academic: 70 overall with at least 70 in the writing component and 62 in each other component
• Oxford ELLT (Global and Digital): 9 overall with at least 9 in the writing component and 8 in each other component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, that was taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The UK Government's website provides a list of majority English speaking countries.

View the UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, or equivalent, that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about the University's English language requirements

Your application may not be successful if you do not currently satisfy any of these requirements; alternatively, you may be offered a place conditional on your reaching the satisfactory standard by the time you start the degree.

English language support

The University runs a series of programmes for English Language Education, including a pre-sessional English Language Programme intended to strengthen your English Language skills before you start your programme of study.

Find out more about English language support offered by the University

The University offers an online pre-sessional academic language course designed to help international postgraduate online learning students prepare for their programme of study.

If you are currently studying for another qualification, you may still be able to apply on the assumption that all written work for that qualification will be submitted for examination by the start of teaching in the year of entry to the degree programme.

Candidates admitted on this basis, who do not provide evidence of such completion by the start of their first semester, will be formally withdrawn from their studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Conflicting studies

Please note that during the period of your registration with the University, except in exceptional cases and with the permission of the College, you must not take courses or pursue studies in this or in any other institution with a view to obtaining any degree, diploma or professional qualification other than the one for which you are registered at this University.

If you have any questions about our entry requirements please don't hesitate to contact us.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning has start dates in September and January of each academic year. 

We recommend that you apply as early as possible; this is particularly important for applicants who may need to allow sufficient time to take an English language test.

We aim to review applications and make selection decisions throughout the cycle and we monitor application numbers carefully to ensure we are able to accommodate all those who receive offers. It may therefore be necessary to close a programme earlier than the published deadline and if this is the case we will place a four-week warning notice on the relevant programme page.

2024-25 application deadlines

September 2024 entry

Applications for September 2024 entry will close on the 30 June. Applications for September 2025 will open in October 2024. 

Please note that if you receive a conditional offer of a place on one of our programmes for September 2024, the deadline for meeting the conditions of your offer is 31 July 2024.

January 2025 entry

The deadline for applications for entry in January 2025 is 03 November 2024.

Please note that if you receive a conditional offer of a place on one of our programmes for January 2025, the deadline for meeting the conditions of your offer is 27 November 2024.

Applications are made online via the University Application Service, EUCLID.

Please follow the instructions carefully and make sure that you have included the following documentation with your application:

• Degree certificates showing award of degree.
• Previous academic transcripts for all past degree programmes (please upload the full transcript showing results from all years of study). Where academic paperwork is not in English, certified translations must be provided (these must have been produced by a certified translator); Find out more about certified translations
• Details of professional qualifications and any appropriate professional registrations.
• A reference in support or your application. The reference should be academic and dated no earlier than one year from the start of study on the LLM programme. We may accept a non-academic reference from applicants who have been out of higher education for five years or more.
• Evidence of English language proficiency, if required.
• Personal statement - you will be asked to complete a personal statement (maximum 3500 characters - approximately 500 words) as part of your application. 
• Relevant knowledge / skills - this may include details of any skills or voluntary work that you have undertaken that you feel are pertinent to the programme (maximum 3500 characters - approximately 500 words).

Your personal statement should show that you have thought carefully about why you are interested in this programme of study; what you can bring to the programme and what impact you feel it will have on your future career. Therefore, please ensure that you address the following questions in your statement:

• What are your motivations for wanting to study this programme?
• What skills, qualities and experiences have prepared you to undertake this programme?
• What value do you think you can add to the learning community as part of an internationally diverse group?
• What impact do you hope to make in your future career, and how will this programme contribute to your aspirations?

If you are currently studying for your degree or you are not in a possession of an English test result you may still apply to the programme. Please note that it is your responsibility to submit the necessary documents.

Students at this University must not undertake any other concurrent credit bearing studies in this (or in any other) institution, unless the College has granted permission. The College must be satisfied that any additional credit-bearing studies will not restrict the student’s ability to complete their existing programme of study. Students will not be permitted to undertake concurrent degree programmes in any circumstances.

If you are studying at this or another institution just prior to the start of your postgraduate studies you must have finished these studies before the start of the programme to which you have an offer.

After your application has been submitted you will be able to track its progress through the University's applicant hub.

Application processing times will vary however the admissions team will endeavour to process your application within four to six weeks of submission. Please note that missing documentation will delay the application process.

You will be informed as soon as possible of the decision taken. Three outcomes are possible:

• You may be offered a place unconditionally
• You may be offered a conditional place, which means that you must fulfil certain conditions that will be specified in the offer letter. Where a conditional offer is made, it is your responsibility to inform the College Postgraduate Office when you have fulfilled the requirements set out.
• Your application may be unsuccessful. If your application has not been successful, you can request feedback from us or refer to our guidance for unsuccessful applicants, which explains some of the common reasons we why we reach this decision. View the University's guidance for unsuccessful applicants

You can find full and detailed application guidance on the University's website.

Find out more about applying to the University of Edinburgh

Applicants receiving an unconditional offer of admission will be asked to pay a deposit of £500 to secure their place on the programme

The deposit fee will be deducted from the first tuition fee instalment you have to pay and so enables you to spread the financial cost of the programme.

September 2024 applicants

The deposit must be paid within 28 days of the date that the unconditional offer was made or by 09 August 2024, whichever is sooner.  

January 2025 applicants

The deposit must be paid within 28 days of the date that the unconditional offer was made or by 04 December 2024, whichever is sooner.  

Find out more about our deposit policy

The University’s terms and conditions form part of your contract with the University, and you should read them, and our data protection policy, carefully before applying.

University of Edinburgh admissions terms and conditions

If you have any questions about applying to the Postgraduate Certificate in Law by online learning please don't hesitate to contact us.

Key information

Online programmes.

Research at Edinburgh Law School

CPD and short courses

Graduate LLB

• Schools & departments

Applying for a PhD

Advice on how to apply for a PhD.

Give yourself the best chance of getting a research position by following the step-by-step instructions below.

Entry requirements

To study at postgraduate level, you need to hold a degree in an appropriate subject, or have a qualification or experience accepted as equivalent.

The usual qualification required for admission to research degrees and Masters programmes is a degree with an excellent or very good classification (equivalent to first or upper second class honours in the UK).

The University also requires international students to provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English. You can find the minimum English language requirements by clicking on the link below.

English language requirements

Identify a research centre

Identify a Research Centre which matches your own research interests, and then browse the Centre's research projects and academic staff profiles to see if any are of interest to you.

We would then encourage you to make contact with potential supervisors in order to discuss your research proposal and who would be your preferred supervisor. This is particularly important to ensure the availability of facilities and expert supervision.

The College offers a variety of scholarships, and each Research Centre may also have funding available. All our funded PhD projects are advertised on www.findaphd.com . The University Scholarship office also has a list of funding sources. You should apply as early as possible for funding as competition for scholarships is high.

You will be responsible for securing funding to cover all your tuition fees, additional fees and living costs for the duration of your studies. For guidelines on living costs please click on the link below.

• Cost of living guidance
• Funding opportunities
• Live projects are advertised on FindAPhd.com

Making an application

Applications for postgraduate study are made online using the University’s online application system . You should apply as early as possible. In addition to completing the online application form you will be required to upload supporting documentation. For full details on how to apply please click on the link below.

Application guidance

As part of the application you will be required to write a research proposal, unless you have been advised otherwise. This helps us assess both your suitability for a research degree and whether we can offer supervision. Help on how to write a research proposal can be found by clicking on the link below.

How to write a good research proposal

All PhD students are required to be formally interviewed (by video-conferencing or Skype) by the Research Centre you wish to study in.

Only applicants with supervisory support will be eligible to receive offers of admission.

If you have any further questions please contact us