MPhil/PhD Studentship in Westminster Law School 2026/27

Westminster Law School (WLS) at the University of Westminster is pleased to offer the WLS Studentship (home fee waiver plus stipend) for a prospective full-time doctoral researcher starting in September 2026 or January 2027.

The WLS PhD programme is set within a vibrant and supportive research environment in the heart of Central London.

The School is home to several research centres and groups:

• Centre for Law, Society and Popular Culture
• Research Group on Commercial, Corporate and Financial Law
• Westminster Law and Theory Lab
• International Law at Westminster Research Centre
• Westminster Law and Technology Hub
• Law, Development and Conflict Research Group
• Centre for Legal Education and the Legal Profession
• Centre for Law, Gender, Race, and Sexuality

We welcome applications from candidates with exceptional research potential in these or other areas of law, including interdisciplinary approaches. The School embraces all forms of legal knowledge and a diversity of approaches to scholarship. 

We ask that you discuss your draft research proposal with a potential supervisor before submitting an application. Please see the links to research centres and groups above and our ‘Find a Supervisor’ page for information on our academic staff and their research interests. For guidance on writing a research proposal, please see: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/entry-requirements/how-to-write-your-research-proposal.

WLS doctoral students follow a comprehensive personal and professional development training and mentoring programme provided through the University of Westminster Graduate School. Westminster Law School is fully committed to enabling a supportive and safe learning and working environment which is equitable, diverse, and inclusive. We particularly encourage applications from students from under-represented backgrounds.

The WLS Studentship will consist of a fee waiver at the home fee rate and an annual stipend of £22,780 (2025/26 rate) for three years. International students are welcome to apply for the studentship but should note that they would be responsible for meeting the difference between the home fee waiver and the international fee. For current information on fees, please see: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/fees-and-funding. Minimum full-time enrolment before submission is 33 months. The fee waiver and stipend are in place for the three-year studentship.  Following that there is a six month no fee period for writing up.  Should a doctoral research student not have submitted by the end of the no fee period then a £1,500 fee is applicable.

Entry requirements and how to apply

MPhil/PhD applicants to Westminster Law School should normally have a minimum upper second class honours degree (2:1) or equivalent and a Masters degree (or Masters degree pending).  Applicants who are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency must have a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in each component.  You can read more about our entry requirements here:

http://westminster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/entry-requirements.

For general queries about the application process, or informal enquiries about areas of research, please contact:

WLS PhD Admissions Tutor, Dr Alexandra Fowler, a.fowler@westminster.ac.uk.

Applications should be submitted by 11.59pm GMT/UTC on 20 February 2026. Interviews will take place through online video communication.

It is essential you include the title of the studentship in your application i.e. “WLS Studentship”. 

Links for submitting applications:

For commencement in September 2026:

https://srs21live.wmin.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=D09FRGEN&code2=0006

For commencement in January 2027:

https://srs21live.wmin.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=D01FRGEN&code2=0006

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