University of Liverpool - School of Law and Social Justice

The University of Liverpool's School of Law and Social Justice, within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, is a unique collaboration of experts in Law, and Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology. We are known for our innovative interdisciplinary research that supports and reflects the interests of the many leading academics who are based here.

Our research engages with a wide spectrum of criminological, legal, sociological and social policy questions and it is underpinned by a distinctive social justice orientation. Our School is also home to a vibrant postgraduate research community that is supported through our highly regarded postgraduate research programmes and research training. We attract talented postgraduate research students from around the world who benefit from our expert supervision and the extended support of the Liverpool Doctoral College.

We are keen to hear from prospective postgraduate research students with an interest in pursuing doctoral research in any area of law, criminology, social policy and sociology, particularly those aligned with the research specialisms of our staff group within the School's two constituent departments: the Liverpool Law School and the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology. We are especially keen to hear from applicants with a good undergraduate degree and a Masters degree in criminology, law, social policy and sociology or any cognate discipline (for 1+3 and +3 studentships respectively).

The School is also embedded within the ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) and the AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP). These are consortia involving the University of Liverpool, Keele University, Lancaster University and the University of Manchester and such partnerships provide our postgraduate research students with access to the resources, facilities, expertise and research training of four leading UK universities as members of Methods North West and artsmethods North West.

Through our contribution to these inter-University collaborations all PGR students have access to our own cross-Faculty research and methods training initiative known as engage@liverpool. This initiative hosts events and activities throughout the academic year to provide expert, cutting edge and innovative research training for our postgraduate students.

Prospective students applying to undertake a PhD within the School of Law and Social Justice may also wish to consider the ways in which they will be able to engage with the School's research clusters and units including: Charity Law and Policy Unit; Critical Approaches International Criminal Law; European Children's Rights Unit; Health Law and Regulation Unit; the International Criminological Research Unit (ICRU); International Law and Human Rights Unit; Law and Non-Communicable Diseases Unit; Liverpool Economic Governance Unit; Liverpool European Law Unit and Publics & Practices.

To learn more about doctoral research opportunities at the School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool and to find out more about the research interests of our staff then please visit the postgraduate research pages for the School of Law and Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/law-and-social-justice/research/