Law MPhil/PhD Admission 2027-28 at Faculty of Laws, University College London (UCL), London (Apply by 19 November 2026)

The Faculty of Laws at University College London (UCL Laws) has opened its application window for 2027/28 admission to the Law MPhil/PhD. The degree awarded is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Students register initially for the MPhil with the expectation of transfer to PhD after an upgrade viva at roughly the half-way point. The first year includes a mandatory Skills Seminar Programme and ends with a PhD workshop at which students present their research to faculty and fellow PhD students.

The UCL course page lists the course start as October 2027 at the Bloomsbury campus in London. The Faculty's own applying page states that there is one entry point to the MPhil/PhD every year, in September. Check your offer letter for the exact start date.

• Full-time: 3 calendar years.
• Part-time: 5 calendar years.
• Students not ready to submit at the end of the third (full-time) year may be permitted a further 12 months in Completing Research Status.
• UCL Laws does not offer a long-distance or non-resident MPhil/PhD.

UCL course page: a minimum of a good upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in an appropriate subject, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. There is a strong preference for a recognised LLM or equivalent Master's degree, normally with a distinction overall and evidence of first-class ability in extended written work or the dissertation.

UCL Laws applying page: a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, or an overseas degree of an equivalent standard, in Law or another relevant subject, is essential. Exceptionally, applicants with equivalent research or professional experience may be admitted without a Master's degree. Applicants from disciplines other than law are welcome but must show a sufficiently deep understanding of the most closely relevant areas of law.

UCL's English language requirements apply. International applicants, including Indian applicants, can check equivalent qualifications for their country on the course page.

The course page states: "We welcome applications from outstanding candidates from the UK and internationally." The Faculty's applying page adds that it welcomes applications from the UK, EU and other overseas jurisdictions. India is listed among the countries for equivalent qualifications.

• A research proposal of approximately 3,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography), setting out the topic, aims, objectives and methodology, with a preliminary bibliography. Write it separately, not in the Supplementary Personal Statement section of the form.
• Two academic references; make sure both referees submit them.
• Applicants are asked whether they have contacted a prospective supervisor and whether their research falls within a UCL Laws research centre or institute. Contacting a supervisor does not guarantee admission; final decisions are made by a committee.
• You may apply for a maximum of two graduate courses in one application cycle.

• International students: £30,100 per year full-time; £15,050 per year part-time. International postgraduate students benefit from a cohort guarantee, per the course page.
• UK students: to be confirmed.
• Offer holders with Overseas fee status pay a fee deposit of 10% of the first-year fee (2.5% for UK fee status).
• The course page states there are no course-specific additional costs for this PhD.

The UCL Laws fees and scholarships page states that submitting a PhD application by the deadline of 19 November 2026 means you are automatically considered for these funding opportunities:

• Faculty of Laws Research Scholarships
• Faculty of Laws Research Opportunity Scholarship
• Faculty of Laws BAME Research Opportunity Scholarship
• IBIL Intellectual Property PhD Scholarship
• UCL Research Excellence Scholarships
• Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism PhD Studentships

All are awarded on academic excellence and are competitive. Read the information for each award, as terms differ. Complete any external scholarship applications by their own deadlines.

Apply online through the "Apply for this course" button on the UCL course page, choosing Full-time or Part-time, October 2027. The application window runs from 1 September 2026 to 19 November 2026 and closes at 5:00 pm UK time on 19 November 2026 (10:30 pm IST). UCL Laws does not accept applications for entry at other points in the year.