Doctor of Law

Entry requirements

Academic Qualifications

There are four alternative academic requirements for admission:

• A first degree in law (e.g., LLB, LAM) with a minimum of upper second class (2:1) from a recognised university and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree.
• A first degree in a relevant field outside law (e.g., BSc, BA) with a minimum of upper second class (2:1) and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree with a minimum of a ‘merit’.
• A first degree in law (e.g., LLB, LAM) with a minimum of upper second class (2:1) from a recognised university and master’s degree in a relevant field outside law (e.g., MSc, MEng, MA) with a minimum of a ‘merit'.
• A first degree in law (Bachelor of Laws Degree (Honours) with a minimum of upper second class (2:1) and five years professional or practice experience.

In exceptional circumstances, applicants with a minimum of first degree in any subject area with extensive (20 years and above) work or practice experience in law or a related field may be considered.

If unsure whether you meet any of the requirements, please contact the Course Leader for clarification.

In addition to satisfying one of the academic requirements, you must also satisfy all of the Experience, Language and Writing Skills requirements.

Experience and Language & Writing Skills

• A minimum of three years' relevant legal/professional experience in dealing with legal matters within the applicant's professional sector. For candidates with Bachelor of Laws degree (Honours) (2:1) only, a minimum of five years relevant legal/professional experience is required.
• Applicants should be currently in a position to (or aspiring) to influence change at organisational, industry or national level.
• Good writing skills as exhibited by a research proposal (2,000 words maximum) setting out clearly the research problem (what), justification for the research (why) and the proposed research methodology (how). Guidance on writing this outline can be obtained from the Law School.

Alternative Qualifications

• Relevant First or Second Degree (preferably in Law) and extensive professional or practice experience.
• The course leader shall have discretion to review all applications not meeting entry requirements, and to make the final decision on suitability of each candidate for admission in line with the University’s general admission requirements.

Months of entry

February, October

Course content

The Doctor of Law (DLaw) course aims to provide opportunities for professionals in law and related fields to study legal challenges in an academic environment, drawing on theory and practice to develop insight into familiar but critical issues and to generate innovative solutions.

The Doctor of Law (DLaw) is a professional doctorate which provides relevant professionals with the opportunity to take work-based problems, study them from a perspective that blends theoretical insights from academic study with the knowledge, practice, and skills they have acquired in their specialist field. The goal is to generate solution-oriented outcomes which are immediately relevant to their professional communities and work environment.

Information for international students

All international students for whom English is not their first language, must provide evidence of linguistic ability at a minimum of IELTS 6.5 (in each component) or TOEFL equivalent.

We accept a variety of in-country and secure English language tests, find out more: https://www.rgu.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-language-requirements

Fees and funding

For more information visit: www.rgu.ac.uk/finance