Law

LLM by Research

  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Full time 1 year, Part time 2 years
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Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 6th in the UK for Research Impact (REF2021), 88% rated "outstanding"

  • Your gateway to a wide range of rewarding careers

  • Discover the latest specialist knowledge from our experts

The LLM by Research is primarily made available for those who wish to complete a research degree in one year (full-time) and may be particularly suited to those who already have some practical expertise.

The intended subject of the research should normally be one in which the Law School does not offer a taught Master's degree. Whilst the work is primarily individual, you will be advised to take some research training in the form of appropriate LLM modules or modules from the Faculty Research Training Programme.

Typically, successful applications contain a viable research proposal and are focused on our areas of research expertise, further entry requirements can be found below. Please check our staff profiles for precise areas of expertise.

As a student on this degree, you will write a dissertation (35,000 words), with the supervision of one of our academics. There are no taught module requirements for this degree.

Prospectus

LLM Programmes at Lancaster University

Discover the key features of studying LLM Programmes at Lancaster University. Our LLM Programmes will develop your legal expertise – whether you’re new to the field or want to take your career to the next level.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Law or any other subject.

We will also consider applications on an individual basis if you have lower qualifications, or a qualification that is not included on our list of international qualifications, or experience in professional legal practice.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 5.5 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £11,960 £5,980
International £24,830 £12,415

General fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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