The MRes is a research training Masters programme which provides rigorous training in socio-legal research skills to enable students to carry out doctoral level research using legal and socio-legal methodology or, alternatively, to embark on a career as a specialist socio-legal researcher.

The programme is ESRC recognised. This means that students are eligible to apply for ESRC funding for PhD research.

The taught programme offers research training in generic social-science skills, providing students with a solid basis in social science theory and methodology through modules offered to all social science postgraduates across the University. These are then built on within the socio-legal context through two skills-based modules offered by the Law School. Specialist modules reflect the socio-legal research expertise of staff. The supervised research dissertation allows students to bring together the conceptual and practical skills acquired in the taught modules and demonstrate their understanding by applying them to their own research ideas in the socio-legal context. Teaching is mainly seminar and workshop based.

The method of teaching is by small seminar groups. Students are expected to prepare papers in advance on a given topic which they then present at the following seminar, under the guidance of the appropriate module supervisor.

Entry requirements Normally a reasonably good Law degree or a degree in a social science subject, i.e. Psychology, Sociology, Social Policy.