Law

The new Postgraduate Certificate in Law Programme gives students the opportunity to study at our vibrant School of Law with its unique focus on the legal systems and legal challenges of the Global South generally and Asia, Africa and the Middle East in particular, without having to enrol for a full LLM. The structure of the Postgraduate Certificate in Law allows students to create their own programme of study, choosing from a wide array of 15-credit modules, including those in comparative law, international law, law and development, commercial and trade law, human rights, environmental law, Islamic law and dispute resolution. The Postgraduate Certificate in Law can only be taken full time over a period of one term, either Term 1 or Term 2 of the academic year.

Why SOAS

We are UK Top 20 and World Top 200 for Law (QS World University Rankings 2021). Our research publications have been rated first in the UK - and our School of Law rated sixth in the UK - in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

Our Postgraduate Certificate in Law teaching reflects our research strengths in the laws of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and in Islamic, international, human rights, commercial and trade, comparative, and environmental law. Much of our teaching concerns the critical study of law and the ways that law can be used to marginalise or to empower individuals and communities. In today’s globalised environment, our teaching also explores the study of the society in which the law operates, and the relationship of law to other structuring forces such as gender, sexuality, race, and economic status. All teachers on modules offered at SOAS are experts in their designated field, and many have years of experience advising governments, international and non-governmental organisations, or in professional practice. Undertaking the PG Certificate in Law at SOAS brings you into the heart of a world-leading, one-of-a-kind law school to study the world’s most pressing legal issues.

Why study Postgraduate Certificate in Law at SOAS

The PG Certificate in Law programme is ideal for Law graduates, current second and third year JD students and legal professionals who wish to expand their knowledge of, and critical engagement with, law - particularly as it relates to the Global South, without committing to a full LLM programme. With the PG Certificate in Law you will join an international network of alumni of the School of Law at SOAS, many of whom are now working at the UN, in NGOs, in government, in private practice, in policy work or in academia. Since Postgraduate Certificate in Law is taken full-time in only one term, many students will be able to successfully combine their studies at SOAS with their existing careers or studies at other universities.

Please note that the PG Certificate in Law is restricted to applicants who hold an UK Law degree or international equivalent, as well as second and third year JD students.