The Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) is the most prestigious of the Law Faculty’s research degrees. It entails writing a thesis over a period of three, or at most four years (six to eight years for part-time students).
All students will be admitted to Probationer Research Student (PRS) status in the first instance, and all students except those who have previously completed the faculty’s MPhil in Law programme will undertake a course in legal research methods during the first year as a full-time student or in the first two years as a part-time student.
PhD Program Requirements
A first-class undergraduate degree with honours in law. Exceptionally, students with first-class honours in other subjects may be considered if the subject is relevant to the proposed area of research.
In the absence of an undergraduate degree in law, candidates may be admitted with a postgraduate diploma or master’s qualification in law at distinction level.
Most students admitted to the programme have a previous master’s qualification but this is not a formal requirement.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.
Part-time applicants will also be expected to show evidence of the ability to commit time to study and, if applicable, an employer’s commitment to make time available to study, to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules. Where appropriate, evidence should also be provided of permission to use employers’ data in the proposed research project.
Publications are not expected. They may, in certain circumstances, advantage an application but it is appreciated that the opportunity to publish may vary considerably depending on factors such as the stage the student has reached in their graduate career and the structure of the course(s) they have studied. Consequently, a lack of publications will not be assessed negatively.
PhD Funding Coverage
The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25.
You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline.
Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
Application Requirement
1. Online Application
2. Official transcript(s): Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
3. Research proposal: You should submit a detailed outline of your proposed research, written in English.
4. Written work: An academic essay or other writing sample from your most recent qualification, written in English, is required. This may be an extract from a longer piece – in such cases, the piece should be prefaced by a note which puts the work in context.
5. CV/résumé: A CV/résumé is compulsory for all applications. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.
6. GRE General Test scores: No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
7. English language proficiency: This course requires proficiency in English at the University’s higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement.
Application Deadline
19 January 2025
Application Fee
An application fee of £75 is payable per course application.
