Research

Master of Philosophy - Law

  • CRICOS code: 061967F

The experience

Overview

Melbourne Law School provides outstanding research training to research masters candidates. The Law School is an exceptional research institution with internationally recognised scholars and some of the best emerging research talent in Australia. Our researchers are committed to producing high quality, internationally recognised scholarly work that changes the way we understand and apply the law and that has an impact on society.

A graduate research degree at Melbourne Law School offers a range of advantages:

  • Small cohort intake per year (15 to 20 candidates)
  • Generous funding available from the Law School, the University and the Australian Government
  • Graduate researchers have the opportunity to engage with many specialist research centres, institutes, groups, networks and programs
  • Graduate researchers build teaching and research skills through practical learning opportunities and enrichment activities:
Profile

Shaun McVeigh

Melbourne Law School is Australia's oldest Law School, with a rich tradition of excellence in learning, teaching and research developed over more than 150 years. We have a deep sense of history and a strong vision for the future. We aim to be one of the finest law schools in the world.

Melbourne Law School is committed to providing outstanding research training for our PhD and MPhil students. We provide a three year Research Support Program, which assists students to develop the high level skills needed to complete an outstanding thesis. We also run a Milestone Presentation Day and two colloquia a year, providing students with a chance to present their research to a group of academics and fellow students and to receive detailed questioning on their work. We provide up to $7500 in research funds over the life of a PhD (and up to $4000 for an MPhil) to enable students to present their work at conferences in Australia and internationally, translate critical texts, receive language training, and conduct empirical work.

All full-time students are entitled to a desk and computer facilities in our impressive, modern building, usually in close proximity to their supervisors. These different forms of research support, combined with some of the most outstanding supervisors in Australia, assist Melbourne Law School in achieving one of the highest completion rates for law PhDs in Australia.

We aim to create a global experience for our graduate research students. The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Law School also have a series of other formal links with other universities (eg Universitas 21) and we actively support our students in finding opportunities to present their work internationally.

In 2015, for example, students presented research papers at conferences in places such as New Zealand, the United States, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom and others undertook fieldwork in countries as diverse as Ethiopia, Vietnam, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Austria, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom.

If you are an outstanding graduate who wishes to obtain a PhD or MPhil degree from a leading university located in the heart of a wonderful city, we encourage you to apply for a place in our program.