2023

Postgraduate programmes

Prospectus
ials.sas.ac.uk
World class. Worldwide.
Join the World Class

1 Quality of learning
Learn from leading specialists in the field, hone your
research skills and expand your knowledge through an
extensive calendar of events, conferences and seminars.

2 Unparalleled resources
Enjoy access to some of the best resources for the academic
study of the law in the UK, including the IALS Library, which
is widely regarded as the UK’s national law library.

3 Investing in your future

Join a prestigious network of alumni, many of whom have gone
on to pursue PhD study or have moved into careers working for
governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

4 An academic and cultural hub

Study at the centre of an academic and cultural hub and
enjoy the rich resources of neighbouring institutions,
including the British Museum and the British Library.

5 Join the World Class

Graduates of our programmes are awarded a University of
London degree, an internationally recognised mark of quality.

2 Postgraduate programmes prospectus

Contents

Institute of Avanced Legal Studies

postgraduate programmes
The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies 4
The School of Advanced Study 5
Studying at the IALS 6
Why study with us? 7
LLM in Drafting Legislation, Regulation and Policy 8
MPhil/PhD with IALS 10
Entry requirements 12
How to apply and further information 13

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The Institute of Advanced
Legal Studies
The Institute of Advanced
Legal Studies (IALS) was
founded in 1947 as a national
academic institution serving
all universities through
its national legal research
library. It is a Member
Institution of the School of
Advanced Study (SAS) in
the University of London.
4 Postgraduate programmes prospectus
The function of the IALS is to promote,
facilitate and disseminate the results
of advanced study and research in
the discipline of law for the benefit
of persons and institutions in the
UK and abroad. Its areas of speciality
include arbitration and dispute
settlement, company law, comparative
law, economic crime, financial
services law, legislative studies and
law reform, and the legal profession
and delivery of legal services.
The institute is engaged in a broad
range of activities in the promotion
and support of legal research in its
widest sense. The IALS serves its
various constituencies of researchers,
nationally and locally, both at Charles
Clore House on Russell Square in
Bloomsbury and through its outreach
activities around the country.
The Institute has an inclusive approach
to legal studies embracing the
theoretical basis of law, the sources
and documentation of the law and the
direct impact of law on human lives.
The IALS Library is one of the world’s
great legal research libraries and is
widely regarded as the UK’s national
law library, attracting up to 700 visitors
per day and 6,000 readers each
year. It has over 288,000 volumes,
the majority of which are housed at
the Institute site in Bloomsbury, and
includes the UK’s most extensive
collection on foreign and international
law. The Library also aims to support
law librarians in other universities
and organisations to provide
specialist library and information
services, particularly in foreign,
comparative and international law.
The School of Advanced Study
The School of Advanced
Study, University of London,
is a unique institution in
UK higher education.
Comprising eight internationally
renowned research institutes and a
variety of central academic initiatives,
it is located within the Bloomsbury
precinct of the University in the
intellectual heart of London.
Founded in 1994, the School of
Advanced Study is the only institution
in the UK that is nationally funded
to promote and facilitate research
in the humanities. It performs a vital
role as a driving force for knowledge
sharing across the humanities in the
UK and beyond, and receives special
funding for this purpose from the
Office for Students (formerly the
Higher Education Funding Council
for England). The School works in
collaboration with other organisations,
notably the Arts and Humanities
Research Council, the British Academy,
other UK Universities, independent
research organisations, learned
societies and government agencies.
The eight institutes of the School,
many of which have long and
distinguished histories of their own,
are dedicated to serving the research
communities of their disciplines,
both nationally and internationally.
Together they complement the
work of others by offering a broad
research base and providing a range
of services that far exceed the capacity
of any one individual university to
support, inspire and advance research
activity. The School also enhances
the dissemination of that research
beyond what an individual or their
institution could achieve alone.
Underpinning the School’s national
role is the research and scholarship
undertaken by its academic staff. The
process of undertaking challenging
research in order to extend the
boundaries of knowledge across
disciplines and in collaboration with
researchers from around the world
is critical to the School’s function as
an innovative space for advanced
study and its commitment to the
highest standards of scholarship.
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Studying at the IALS

LLM in Drafting MPhil/PhD Law

Legislation, Regulation
and Policy
The LLM in Drafting Legislation,
Regulation and Policy offers a
unique opportunity to drafters,
legal officers, policy makers and
those interested in the process of
law-making and in drafting to study
the legislative environment and
legislation as a tool for regulation.
Undertaking doctoral research
allows you to develop in-depth
knowledge, while making a meaningful
contribution to your chosen field.
With guidance from our expert
supervisors, you’ll carry out extensive
independent research culminating in a
thesis of up to 100,000 words. The areas
covered by the Institute’s expertise
cover a broad range of legal fields.

The programme can be studied at

the IALS in London or by distance
learning from anywhere in the world.
Students based in London, studying
on-campus, can undertake the LLM
on either a full- or part-time basis.
Students studying via distance learning
must undertake the two-year, part-
time, distance learning programme.

6 Postgraduate programmes prospectus

Why study with us?
A scholarly community
As part of the School of Advanced
Study (SAS), University of London,
you will benefit from a collaborative,
interdisciplinary research environment
as well as a range of funding
opportunities. SAS is a national research
hub and the IALS enjoys close links
with its other members, including the
Institute of Commonwealth Studies,
the Institute of Modern Languages
Research and the Institute of Historical
Research. Cross-institute collaboration is
actively encouraged, making us an ideal
location for interdisciplinary research.
World-renowned
resources
As an IALS student, you will join a
community of more than 300 students
in SAS. You will be encouraged to
participate in the wider activities of
the University and are able to use
the libraries of other colleges, in
addition to Senate House Library and
the IALS’s outstanding law library.
Specialised training
In addition to a rich programme of
discipline-specific research training, you
will also have access to a wider training
programme that draws on the research
and teaching expertise of the other SAS
institutes and the University of London.
Our workshop programme of generic
research and transferable skills
training provides the employability
skills necessary for careers in
academia and elsewhere.
The IALS Library also organises a
popular three-day workshop series
on ‘How to get a PhD in Law’. This
annual programme provides the
chance for informative discussion
and legal research guidance.
Be at the heart of
a global city
The Institute is located in the heart
of Bloomsbury in central London.
Our location ensures that you will
be able to enjoy everything that the
city has to offer, from the world-class
resources of neighbouring institutions,
such as the British Museum and the
British Library, to shops, restaurants,
parks, clubs and theatres.
London is regularly named the best
university city in the world for its
welcoming attitude, diversity and
vibrant, student-friendly culture.
Future focus
The LLM is designed to meet your
needs if you are seeking a career in
legislative drafting or already working
as a legislative drafter, or if you want
a career in, or are already working for,
organisations that produce different
types of draft normative acts.
Many of our students are mid-career
drafters employed by government
(for example, by AG Chambers, the
Ministry of Justice, or other ministries).
We also have students who work for
or aim to work for non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) that propose
normative acts to governments.
The LLM is also a good choice for
students who are looking to go
on to complete a PhD in Law.
Our PhD graduates are pursuing
successful careers in a variety of
professions, including academia, legal
practice, public sector and civil society.
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LLM in Drafting Legislation,
Regulation and Policy
On campus or
distance learning
The LLM in Drafting Legislation,
Regulation and Policy (formerly
Advanced Legislative Studies) has
been offered by the IALS with
considerable success since 2004.
The LLM can be studied at the IALS
in London or by distance learning
from anywhere in the world.
The programme aims to promote an
understanding of the principles of
legislative studies and an in-depth
awareness of what constitutes
legislative quality and how this can
be achieved. Legislative drafting is
often perceived as a technical skill
that one learns on the job. The view
of the Institute’s Sir William Dale
Centre for Legislative Studies is that
legislative drafting is a practical
discipline requiring awareness of
the theoretical principles of drafting
along with experience on the job.
Legislative drafting has evolved to
become the bedrock of political,
economic and social transformation. It
is still, however, relatively unexplored
as an academic discipline. The LLM
examines issues relevant to common
law and civil law jurisdictions related
to the policy process, the legislative
process and the drafting process.
8 Postgraduate programmes prospectus
The programme is not prescriptive
and allows you to naturalise your
knowledge and apply it in your own
national environment. We cap our
class numbers to allow us to provide
individualised tuition. Our alumni
often take up roles with governments
and international organisations.
Teaching, learning
and assessment
Students based in London can
undertake the LLM on either a full-
or part-time basis. Students based
elsewhere, or students who cannot
follow the taught programme in
London, must undertake the two-year,
part-time distance learning programme.
Part-time students take four modules
in the first year of study and two
modules and the dissertation
in the second year of study.
If you study for the LLM on campus in
London, you will participate in lectures,
seminars and face-to-face discussions
with tutors and other students. If you
study by distance learning, you will
receive access to extensive materials
delivered online and by email, and
participate in online discussions
with tutors and other students.
You will be expected to undertake
private reading and independent
research and you will benefit from
individual tuition and support.
All students are assigned a personal
dissertation supervisor. Students
undertaking the course by distance
learning are required to attend a
week-long intensive residential
induction in London. This gives you a
chance to meet the tutors and other
students and to start your studies
with the maximum level of support.
Programme structure
The LLM programme consists of
six compulsory modules and a
dissertation of 15,000 words.
Please note that we are currently
reviewing the structure and content
of this programme and may introduce
some additions and enhancements.
Comparative Legislative Studies 1
Comparative Legislative Studies 2
Legislative Drafting 1
Legislative Drafting 2
LLM Research Methods Training
The Theory and Practice
of Regulation
Dr Sirajo Yakubu
MPhil/PhD
‘My experience at the
Institute of Advanced Legal
Studies was fantastic. I have
had first-class supervision. I
chose to study at the Institute
because of its reputation
and academic excellence.’

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MPhil/PhD with the IALS
About the degree
This degree presents the opportunity
to gain expertise in your area of
interest while also honing a range of
transferable skills. On completing this
course, you’ll be well prepared for
specialist career paths, both within
academia and beyond. Graduates are
awarded a University of London degree.
Programme structure
The degree can be taken full time over
three years (or a maximum of four) or
part time over five years (or a maximum
of six). You will initially be registered
for our MPhil and then, providing your
progress has been satisfactory, be
upgraded to our PhD programme.
The primary activity of the PhD
programme is the writing of a thesis of
up to 100,000 words. There is no formal
coursework, but you will be expected
to undertake at least 30 days of research
training, including attending our two-
week research methods in law training
course. You are also encouraged to
participate in the regular seminars held
at the Institute during the academic
year, as well as to participate in our
three specialist research centres.
10 Postgraduate programmes prospectus
After submission of the thesis, you
will attend an oral examination
conducted by an internal examiner,
from the University of London, and
an external examiner, normally
from another British university.
Distance learning
The School of Advanced Study will
offer students with an appropriate
topic and level of local resource the
opportunity to undertake a PhD by
distance learning. These students
are required to attend our London
campus at set intervals to complete
an intensive research training module,
for upgrade, and for the viva but will
otherwise study at their own location.
This option is available to UK, EU
and international students on
the same basis as our on-campus
PhD programmes (three years
full time, six years part time).
Fees are the same as for our on-campus
PhD programmes. Please note that not
all institutes and supervisors offer this
option, and that some topics are not
appropriate to be studied this way.
Areas of research
The IALS offers doctoral research
supervision in the following areas:
• Company Law
• Comparative Law
• Criminal Law and Evidence
• Energy Law
• European Criminal Law
• Financial Crime
• Financial Services and Regulation Law
• Gender, Sexuality and Law
• Information Law and Policy
• Law and Society
• Legal Education
• Legislative Drafting
• Legislative Studies/Law Reform
• Public Law and Regulation
For further information and
a list of current PhD research
topics visit: bit.ly/IALS-PhD
ials.sas.ac.uk 11
Entry requirements
LLM requirements
The normal minimum entrance
requirement is a First or Upper
Second Class Honours degree from
a university in the UK or an overseas
qualification of an equivalent standard.
We will consider applications from
candidates who do not meet the
formal academic requirements but
who offer alternative qualifications
and/or relevant experience.
You are not required to have a
law degree nor a professional
qualification in law. English is the
language of instruction and you
will be required to demonstrate an
appropriate level of proficiency.
For more information on entry
requirements, please visit:
bit.ly/SAS_entry-reqs
12 Postgraduate programmes prospectus
MPhil/PhD requirements
We welcome applications from
outstanding candidates from all
countries. All applicants for research
degrees are normally required
to have a Master’s degree from
a UK university or an overseas
qualification of an equivalent
standard in a subject appropriate to
the programme to be followed.
We have a strong preference for a
Merit or Distinction grade on the LLM/
Master’s degree, ideally with evidence
of excellence in extended written work
or dissertation. For those who do not
have an LLM or Master’s degree, we
normally require alternative evidence of
your ability to undertake high-quality
written research, for example through
relevant research work experience.
All students whose first language is
not English must be able to provide
recent evidence (gained in the
last two years) that their written
and spoken English language is
adequate for postgraduate study.
In addition, your application must be
supported by at least two satisfactory
academic references, which normally
should be from teaching member(s)
of the most recent academic
department(s) in which you studied. In
cases where the most recent academic
study was more than five years ago,
one non-academic reference may
be sent in addition to one academic
reference. This should normally be
from your most recent employer.
For more information on entry
requirements, visit:
bit.ly/SAS_entry-reqs
How to apply and
further information
LLM
Applications should be made online
via the SAS website. For full details
of the application process, please
visit: bit.ly/SAS_how-to-apply
MPhil/PhD
The most important part of your
application for an MPhil or PhD
degree is the research proposal and
it is the primary element on which
your application is assessed.
Your application and proposal will be
reviewed initially by the IALS Director
of Postgraduate Research Studies and,
if you are offered a place, the Institute
will appoint an appropriate supervision
team. You do not need to identify
or approach a supervisor yourself.
Due to the volume of enquiries
and proposals, we are unable
to discuss proposals prior to
submission of applications.
Research students may begin at
the start of the academic year in
September/October and most find
this to be the most convenient time to
begin their research programme, as it
is the start of the academic year, when
the majority of induction programmes
and introductory courses are scheduled.
In exceptional circumstances, a
research student may commence
the research degree in January.
All applications are made online, for
details, visit: bit.ly/SAS_how-to-apply
Fees
For up-to-date fees and funding
opportunities, visit:
bit.ly/SAS_fees-funding
Please note, fees are subject
to annual uplift.
Funding opportunities
Our students fund their studies
in a variety of ways including
scholarships, bursaries and
fellowships, as well as government
loans and postgraduate loans.
The School of Advanced Study
also offers a range of bursaries
and studentships for applicants
on our programmes, including
Institute- and course-specific
scholarships. For further information
visit: bit.ly/SAS_fees-funding
The University of London reserves
the right to alter or withdraw courses
and amend other details without
prior notice. For up-to-date fees
and funding opportunities, please
visit: bit.ly/SAS_fees-funding
Accommodation
Students may apply for
accommodation in one of the
University of London’s award-winning
intercollegiate Halls of Residence.
To learn more about accommodation
options, please visit: halls.london.
ac.uk/our-accommodation
Laingane
Italeli Talia
LLM in Drafting Legislation,
Regulation and Policy
‘I knew that the Institute
of Advanced Legal Studies
would be able to offer me
the professional assistance
and coaching to become
a qualified professional
legal drafter. My lecturers
make me feel at home and
they’ve given me all the
advice and support that I’ve
needed along the way.’
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14 Postgraduate programmes prospectus
The information contained in this
prospectus was correct at the
date of publication but may be
subject to change. The University
does not intend by publication or
distribution of this prospectus to
create any contractual or other legal
relation with applicants, registered
students, their advisers or any other
persons. For the most up-to-date
information, please visit our website.
Published by University of London.
Copyright © University of London,
January 2023.

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For further information on the range of programmes we offer, please
visit our website (london.ac.uk) or contact us at:
The Student Advice Centre
University of London
Senate House, Malet Street
London WC1E 7HU View the
United Kingdom Institute of
Telephone enquiries: +44 (0)20 7862 8360 Advanced
Legal Studies
Online enquiries: sid.london.ac.uk web page

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