Overview

A hallmark of the doctoral programme in Law and Social Sciences at Middlesex University is that students are encouraged and supported to publish their research, whether as a monograph, as journal articles or in academic blogs. Our graduates are strongly placed to pursue careers in the global academic world, as well as high level work in international institutions, governments, non-governmental organisations and the commercial sector.

Key facts

Doctoral students based in London benefit from proximity to the city's vast cultural resources and world-class libraries, such as the British Library and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

In choosing which degree to apply for, please note that the difference between an MPhil and a PhD relates to the contribution you make to existing knowledge on the research topic you have selected. A PhD contributes new knowledge beyond what is currently available, whereas an MPhil contributes new understanding of existing knowledge, by way of a critical review or evaluation. All our doctoral students initially enrol on an MPhil and then transfer to a PhD degree.

Programme Structure

Curriculum includes:

The route to a PhD at Middlesex University takes a minimum of three years for full-time students and six years for part-time students. This includes taking a structured PhD training and development programme at University-level and having access to a wide-range of activities to build our doctoral student community within the School of Law and Social Sciences.
There are three stages of the PhD: the first stage is registration, which for full-time students takes place within six months of enrolment. The second stage is the transfer from the MPhil to the PhD programme. The transfer panel assesses whether sufficient progress has been made to progress to the PhD and takes place within 18 months of the start date for full-time students. The final stage of the programme is the writing up and submission of the final thesis at the end of the third year.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 72 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-28 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

OR

4.5

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PTE Academic

59

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IELTS

6.5

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Delivered

On Campus, Online

Campus Location

London, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Legal Studies Social Policy View 52 other PhDs in Social Policy in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

OR

4.5

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

59

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

An undergraduate degree, usually with class 2:1 or equivalent in a relevant subject
A relevant master's qualification or equivalent evidence of prior professional practice or learning that meets the higher education provider's criteria and guidelines for the recognition of prior learning for the purpose of meeting entry requirements for a programme (including, for example, the required amount of prior publications or other output specified for applicants for the award of PhD by published work)
If you'd like to enrol for our PhD course, you'll first need to enrol for the MPhil and then transfer to a PhD once you've made enough progress with your research – typically after 18-24 months.
Entry onto this course will require an interview.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

17000 GBP / year

≈ 17000 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

6400 GBP / year

≈ 6400 GBP / year

Additional Details

UK Part-time students: £3,200 (flat fee per year)
International Part-time students: £8,700 (flat fee per year)

Living costs

London

United Kingdom

1137 - 2157 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.