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Postgraduate Taught 2026
MLaw | Postgraduate Taught

Contemporary Legal Studies

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Entry year
Academic Year 2026/27
Entry requirements
2.1
Attendance
2 years (Full-time)
4 years (Part-time)
Places available
Places Available (Full Time)
Places Available (Part Time)

This programme aims to provide students with not only a qualifying law degree that focuses on core foundational legal subjects but will also provide them with the opportunity to choose a range of postgraduate taught elective modules to tailor make a Masters in Contemporary Legal Studies that fits their future goals.
The programme will start with eight core law modules along with formative Legal Methods and Skills workshops. Students will then build on this foundational legal knowledge to choose a number of postgraduate taught elective modules for their second year of study from areas as diverse as law and technology, commercial law, intellectual property law, criminology and international human rights law.

This unique opportunity to combine both core legal modules along with electives in specialist areas will allow these students to gain knowledge, develop legal reasoning skills, hone their research skills and then build on these in their second year by conducting more intensive research and growing more critical and analytical in their legal writing.

The eight core law modules in the first year of the programme will be assessed by way of a combination of an in-person exam and continuous assessment. Students will have the opportunity to hone their legal advice skills through answering mock client problem questions along with developing their legal writing skills and critical analysis skills. In the second year of the programme the modules will be assessed through a range of assessment methods.

This programme allows students to undertake a qualifying law degree focusing on eight core law modules while also allowing them the flexibility to choose from a wide range of postgraduate elective law and non-law modules in their second year.

Contemporary Legal Studies highlights

Career Development

We are dedicated to student employability and have strong industry links. Law was ranked Top 10 in the UK for graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2025).

World Class Facilities

Our facilities at Queen's include a state-of-the-art Law building with superb teaching facilities, a moot court and study spaces. Queen's has one of the most modern campuses in the UK, including the award winning McClay Library, one of the finest libraries in the world and home to 1.2 million volumes and over 2,000 reader
places.
Our Physical Education Centre was used as a training camp for the 2012 Olympics. Our Queen's Elms Student Village and city centre student accommodation (built in 2018) are located within easy walking distance of the University.

Internationally Renowned Experts

Law at Queen's is taught by world-leading experts in the area of Law. Our staff have close research links with the professions, government and Civil Society. Law at Queen's is in the top 150 Law Schools worldwide and we are ranked 18th in the world for international outlook. Research in Law was ranked 8th in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (2021).

Student Experience

At Queen's you will be part of a thriving postgraduate culture built on teaching excellence, leading-edge research, innovation, collaboration and engagement. These components are woven together in our Graduate School. It is here you will develop new skills and increased personal effectiveness that will enable you to stand out in the crowded and increasingly competitive global job market. Life at Queen's is not just about the degree. We offer our students the opportunity to really enrich their studies. Whether you're into student societies, sports, music, dance, or just a coffee with your friends, Queen's has exceptional facilities to cater for all interests.

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Course content

Course Structure

Students may enrol on a full-time (2 years) or part-time (4 years) basis.

The Masters is awarded to students who successfully complete all modules (300 CATS points).

Year 1 Modules

To complete the Programme a total of 300 CATS points must be obtained. In first year of the programme students will study eight core law modules (15 CATS each, first year will be worth 120 CATS). Students will also undertake a non-credit bearing series of Legal Methods and Skills workshops. These workshops will take place at the start of the course and will allow students the opportunity to develop their legal skills.

In the second year of the programme students must complete a number of postgraduate taught elective modules, these modules must be worth a total of 120 CATS. Students must also complete a research dissertation worth 60 CATS. Students work on their dissertation from January of their second year and complete it for submission in the following Autumn.

Legal Methods and Skills Workshops (0 CATS)

Constitutional Law (15 CATS)

Contract Law (15 CATS)

Torts (15 CATS)

Equity (15 CATS)

Criminal Law (15 CATS)

Law of the European Union (15 CATS)

Evidence (15 CATS)

Land Law (15 CATS)

Year 2 Modules

In addition to completing their research dissertation (60 CATS) students choose optional modules totalling 110 CATS from the following list of optional modules:

International Competition Law (20 CATS)

International Human Rights Law (20 CATS)

Human Rights in Practice (20 CATS)

Transitional Justice (20 CATS)

Climate, Justice and Human Rights (20 CATS)

Foundations of IP Law: Theory, Economics and Policy (20 CATS)

Global IP Law, Trade and Technology (20 CATS)

Intellectual Property and Creative Industries: Copyright, Designs and Trademarks (20 CATS) 

Theoretical Criminology (20 CATS)

Criminal Justice Processes (20 CATS)

Key Debates in Criminology (20 CATS)

Issues in Policing and Crime Prevention (20 CATS)

Crimes of the Powerful (20 CATS)

International Commercial Law (20 CATS)

World Trade Law (20 CATS)

International Corporate Governance (20 CATS)

Law and the Challenges of Technology (20 CATS)

Regulating Reality : The Law of Misinformation (20 CATS)

Regulating Innovation (20 CATS)

Law of FinTech Regulation (20 CATS)

Business and Human Rights (20 CATS)

Comparative Human Rights (20 CATS)

Advanced Issues in Medical Law and Ethics (20 CATS)

Restorative Justice (20 CATS)

Artificial Intelligence and the Law (20 CATS)

Global Political Economy (20 CATS)

Diplomacy and Influence in International Affairs (20 CATS)

Theories of Human Rights (10 CATS)

Criminal Justice and Criminology Methods 1 and 2 (10 CATS)

Data Privacy and the Law (10 CATS)

Platform Regulation: IP Enforcement and Content Moderation (10 CATS)


Students have the option of choosing to study one non law politics module (in lieu of a law module) per term (Autumn and Spring) in their second year from the following list:

The Politics of the Republic of Ireland (20 CATS)

The UK and Europe (20 CATS)

Global Development (20 CATS)

The Politics and Institutions of Northern Ireland (20 CATS)

The Institutions and Politics of the European Union (20 CATS)


Please note this is not an exclusive list of the optional law or politics modules available. Optional modules are reviewed each year and subject to staff availability and student numbers. 


In addition, students complete:
Approaches to Legal Research Methods (10 CATS) 


People teaching you

Director of Graduate Studies


Contact Teaching Hours

Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial

8 (hours maximum)
In addition to teaching contact time, each student needs to be able to set aside 8-10 hours per week for each module to complete the essential reading, seminar preparation etc

Learning and Teaching

Learning opportunities associated with this Programme are outlined below:

Learning Opportunities:

The degree offers high quality of teaching, primarily delivered through group seminars and the specially devised curriculum builds on the fact that students have already benefited from a university level education.

Assessment

Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:

  • The eight core law modules in the first year of the programme will be assessed by way of a combination of an in-person exam and continuous assessment. Students will have the opportunity to hone their legal advice skills through answering mock client problem questions along with developing their legal writing skills and critical analysis skills.

    In the second year of the programme the modules will be assessed through a range of assessment methods.
  • 12,000 word dissertation

What our academics say

"The new Masters in Contemporary Legal Studies provides students with the wonderful opportunity to study eight core law modules in their first year and to then choose from a large number of postgraduate elective modules in their second year. Students benefit from being able to tailor make a Masters programme that suits their professional and personal research interests, making them hugely competitive when applying for roles post graduation."

Dr Norah Burns Director of Graduate Studies

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Modules

Modules

The information provided in this Course Finder reflects the module details for the current year of study (2025/26). Please note that modules are subject to annual review and changes may occur in response to various factors, including student feedback and academic developments. Prospective students will be notified of any significant changes to module offerings before the start of the new academic year.

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Entry requirements

Entrance requirements

Normally a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in a discipline other than Law. Graduates holding law degrees that are not recognised by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Northern Ireland are also eligible to apply (for example international applicants with law degrees, those with Scottish Law degrees, or those with degrees from the Republic of Ireland that have not been recognised).

Exemption from these requirements may be considered for those applicants who hold a Master's degree (or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) OR hold a 2.2 Honours degree in a discipline other than Law (or equivalent qualifications acceptable to the University) together with 2 years’ relevant professional experience.

Graduates who hold a law degree recognised by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Northern Ireland may not register for this programme.

Advisory note: this programme is designed for:
• UK and ROI non-law graduates, and for
• Law and non-law graduates from countries other than Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
• Law graduates from the Republic of Ireland whose law degree is not recognised by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Northern Ireland

Year One of the Programme provides students with a Qualifying Law Degree enabling students to complete the academic stage legal qualification for Northern Ireland (NI), England and Wales - the pre-requisite for professional legal studies in NI, England and Wales.

International applicants with a law degree not awarded in the UK should contact the appropriate regulator in their country (or country where they hope to practice law) to confirm that the Masters in Contemporary Legal Studies programme meets its requirements.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 28th August 2026. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.

Admission under Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) may be considered for this course. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL).
http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB

International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.

English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, Queen's University Belfast International Study Centre offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

  • Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
  • Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

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Careers

Career Prospects

Introduction

This programme aims to provide students with not only a qualifying law degree that focuses on core foundational legal subjects but will also provide them with the opportunity to choose a range of PGT elective modules to tailor make a Masters in Contemporary Legal Studies programme that fits their future goals.

The programme will start with eight core law modules along with formative Legal Methods and Skills workshops. Students will then build on these foundational legal knowledge blocks to choose a number of PGT elective modules for their second year of study from areas as diverse as law and technology, commercial law, intellectual property law, criminology and international human rights law.

This unique opportunity to combine both core legal modules along with electives in specialist areas will allow these students to gain knowledge, develop legal reasoning skills, hone their research skills and then build on these in their second year by conducting more intensive research and growing more critical and analytical in their legal writing.

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

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Entry Requirements

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Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1 £7,700
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 £7,700
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 £10,400
EU Other 3 £23,000
International £23,000

1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.

3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

More information on postgraduate tuition fees.

Additional course costs

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

How do I fund my study?

The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.

A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.

More information on funding options and financial assistance - please check this link regularly, even after you have submitted an application, as new scholarships may become available to you.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships.

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Apply

How to Apply

Apply using our online Queen's Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

Apply now

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.

Download a prospectus

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Fees and Funding

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