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Information for Prospective Postgraduate Students:

Why Law at Essex? (Postgraduate Level)

Photo: Student.Although a Law course may be the first step towards a career in law, it is not a purely vocational course and many graduates pursue non-law careers. Law is an enjoyable and stimulating subject in its own right, whether or not you decide to become a lawyer.

As well as giving you knowledge and understanding of the law, a Law course will develop your intellectual and critical faculties, encourage you to think independently, and teach you to present rational, coherent and accurate arguments orally and in writing.

A Law course will provide you with skills which will be useful in all walks of life and which will be valued by any employer. It will provide you with an excellent foundation for any career.

Research Postgraduate Studies

Please see our research studies page for details of PhD and MPhil opportunities in the School of Law at Essex.

Taught Postgraduate Studies

In addition to offering supervision for the PhD and MPhil study , the School also offers nine specialised taught Masters courses (LLM) in International Human Rights Law, International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, UK Human Rights and Public Law, European Union Law, International Trade Law, Information Technology, Media and E-Commerce, Health Care Law and Human Rights, European and Comparative Law and the PALLAS in European Business Law.

Each of our taught LLM courses has its own distinctive ethos and tailored structure. However all our taught courses have benefited from the experience and good practices of the renowned LLM in International Human Rights Law, the first of our taught LLM courses established in the School of Law. This world-ranking degree calls upon the expertise of some of the most important and well-respected figures in global human rights scholarship and practice Three of our courses in particular, the LLM in UK Public Law, LLM in Health Care Law and Human Rights and the new LLM in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law have academic links with the LLM in International Human Rights Law. The teaching on the Health Care LLM also benefits from the expertise of the international health and human rights team established by Professor Paul Hunt at Essex. The LLM in UK Public law benefits from the involvement of Professor Maurice Sunkin, one of the country’s leading socio-legal researchers. The LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law benefits from the close relationships developed over many years by its staff with field organisations, such as Professor Francoise Hampson with the International Committee of the Red Cross and Professor Geoff Gilbert with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The LLM in European Law, one of our earliest LLM courses offers a dynamic program where issues concerning enlargement, external relations, human rights in the New Europe, competition and intellectual property are to the fore.

Our LLMs in International Trade Law and in Information Technology, Media and Commerce have their own distinctive character. In international Trade Law there is a strong emphasis on issues of investment and finance. Core modules and optional modules are taught by leading legal academic experts and practitioners in these fields. From the beginning an important focus of the International Trade Law course has been in the law of international arbitration. This continuing emphasis is reflected in the recent appointment of David Holloway a highly experienced practitioner and academic researcher as a full time member of staff.

More recently established the LLM in Information Technology, Media and e-Commerce has proved to be a dynamic and innovative course where students benefit from the dedicated research-led teaching of eminent experts in such diverse areas as European Broadcasting Law and Policy and intellectual property in the electronic environment.

The PALLAS course is further described.

Carefully tailored programmes of visiting speakers and presentations by eminent experts are considered to be an essential part of the Essex LLM experience. A flow of ideas and persons across the LLM courses is encouraged and students may choose options from one of the other LLM courses where relevant.

The minimum entry requirement for our LLM courses is normally a Course in Law with an upper 2nd Class classification, or an equivalent qualification obtained outside the UK. In addition, relevant experience may be taken into account in cases where demand is high and where practice is an important element of the course. Although there is a basic language entry requirement for all courses there is some variation across the courses. It is therefore important to check the requirements set by the different courses.

If you require more information about postgraduate study, then please visit the University online prospectus and application.

Teaching and Research

Tuition is mainly by seminar at which students will be required to discuss issues raised in class and may be called upon to make presentations. Seminars are supplemented by lectures where appropriate although the emphasis is on small group teaching. Students’ attention is drawn to the conceptual issues underlying the various topics although stress is placed throughout upon the practical application of the law to various situations.

At Masters level students are given the opportunity to engage in supervised independent research in order to achieve an in-depth understanding of the subject. This will provide a solid basis for further academic study and an additional perspective for those resuming careers as legal practitioners.

Assessment

At Masters level assessment is mainly by written coursework and submission of a 15,000-20,000 word dissertation at the end of the year. Some modules are assessed by written examination, which include take-home examinations. In order to proceed to the Dissertation stage of the course, students must have received satisfactory marks for examinations and coursework.

Postgraduate Applications

If you require more information about a taught course or research study, please telephone 01206 872791 or e-mail: pgadmit@essex.ac.uk. 

Please go to the applying and funding webpage, for details on how to apply to the School of Law.

Scholarships

Please see our postgraduate scholarship opportunities page.

Law Alumni

Please see our alumni page

More information: taught postgraduate courses - research degrees -