MRes Socio-Legal Research

at University of Exeter

We’ll provide you with research training in generic social science skills giving you a solid basis in social science theory and methodology. You will build on these generalist skills by completing two skills-based modules with a socio-legal context and develop your specialist knowledge by choosing one of our optional modules.

You will complete a supervised research dissertation which allows you to bring together the conceptual and practical skills acquired in the taught modules and demonstrate your own understanding by applying them to your own research ideas in the socio-legal context.

The programme is ESRC-recognised. This means it meets the research training requirements of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and that you are eligible to apply for ESRC funding for PhD research. Only a handful of Law Schools in the UK offer ESRC recognised programmes in this field.

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

Modules

• Philosophy of the Social Sciences 1
• Methodology and Research Skills in Sociology
• Qualitative Methods in Social Research
• Applied Quantitative Data Analysis
• Dissertation
• Approaches to Research in Law (ESRC)
• Socio-Legal Research Skills

You will be expected to have obtained a Law degree of at least UK 2:1 Honours or equivalent, or a degree in a social science subject, eg. Psychology, Sociology or Social Policy. Non-law students will be required to take the pathway in 'Approaches to Research in Law'.  

Entry requirements for international students

English language requirements

• IELTS

Overall score 6.5. No less than 6.0 in any section.

• TOEFL

Overall score 90 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking.

2022/23 entry

UK fees per year:
£9,000 full-time; £4,500 part-time 

International fees per year:
£19,500 full-time

The MRes Socio-Legal Research offers you the benefit of combining sought after legal and social science research skills, which are extremely useful to a wide range of employers.

Current and former students have, for example, undertaken research on projects of interest to academics and professionals working in the fields of family law, the legal profession and the prison service using empirical research methods.