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PhD students at the Law School are supervised by academics who are leading experts in their area of law. At least one academic in each supervisory team will have a track record of successful supervisions. For a potential list of supervisors, please see below, or see a list of Members of the Law Research Centre.
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The Law School prides itself on the levels of support provided to postgraduate research students in the course of their PhD journey. Our academics meet regularly with their supervisees, and work closely with them at all stages of the project, from inception to completion.
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The University of Wolverhampton provides a collegiate research environment and first-class facilities to its PhD students, including a dedicated postgraduate research room, access to the University’s Harrison Learning Centre and leading legal databases such as LexisNexis, Heinonline, and Westlaw. PhD students may also apply to access the facilities at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London.
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Postgraduate research students are encouraged to present their research to University academics and fellow PhD students at colloquia within the Law School, which provide an encouraging and friendly environment for students to sharpen their research and presentation skills.
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Our postgraduate research students are afforded the opportunity to develop their research skills through participation in training events organised by the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences and the University’s Doctoral College.
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Our postgraduate research students are also encouraged to participate in the West Midlands Legal Doctoral Network, where they will hone their research and presentation skills and build their networks with researchers in the region.
PhD Postgraduate research in Law
The PhD in Law at the University of Wolverhampton offers rigorous research training, expert supervision, and opportunities for academic and professional development in a supportive and collaborative environment.
The PhD in Law at the University of Wolverhampton offers rigorous research training, expert supervision, and opportunities for academic and professional development in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Why choose this course?
What's unique about this course?
This PhD in Law:
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Comprehensive Research Training & Support – In addition to expert supervision, PhD students benefit from training provided by the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences and the University’s Doctoral College, enhancing their research skills and professional development.
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Opportunities for Teaching Experience – The Law School offers PhD students opportunities to develop their academic CVs by teaching on undergraduate LLB modules, preparing them for careers in academia.
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Strong Career Prospects & Alumni Success – Graduates of the PhD programme have gone on to hold prestigious positions in academia, government, and industry, including professorships, consultancy roles, and leadership positions in international organisations.
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Access to Exclusive Research Networks – PhD students are encouraged to engage with the West Midlands Legal Doctoral Network, attend the University Research Conference, and participate in Law School colloquia, providing valuable networking and research dissemination opportunities.
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First-Class Research Facilities – Students gain access to leading legal research databases such as LexisNexis, HeinOnline, and Westlaw, a dedicated postgraduate research room, and the University’s Harrison Learning Centre, with additional access to the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London.
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Award-Winning Research & Innovation – The University has been recognised for its research impact, winning the UK Knowledge Transfer Award and the UK Collaborative IMPACT Award, demonstrating its commitment to applied research that benefits society.
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Diverse & Inclusive Community – With approximately 23,000 students, the University fosters a welcoming and supportive environment for students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility in higher education.
What happens on the course?
The PhD programme in the School has the following three milestones:
- Registration
- Progression
- Examination
Registration
Applicants who satisfy the entry requirements are encouraged to complete the online 'Expression of Interest' form. If the initial application is satisfactory, a conditional offer will be issued and a potential supervisor will be allocated who will provide guidance on the research proposal development.
An interview will take place when the final draft of the research proposal is submitted for approval. The granting of the interview does not imply that the applicant will necessarily be admitted to a research degree programme.
Subject to the satisfactory interview and that the Faculty Research Committee (FRC) is satisfied that: a) the research proposal is sound and has the potential to deliver a postgraduate research award; and b) the proposal is appropriately resourced, the applicant will be admitted to the research degree programme.
Progression
All students who wish to study for a PhD are required to complete a progression within 18 months (for full-time students) or 36 months (for part-time students).
The student at the progression needs to produce a paper which summarises his/her achievements on the research programme and outlines future research plans (including research methods), and conduct an oral presentation of the paper at a workshop set up for the progression purpose.
An independent assessor, nominated by the FRC, reviews the paper produced, together with supervisors’ assessment, the student’s presentation and other evidence. On this basis, the assessor will provide evaluative comments and recommendations to the FRC. Upon considering all aspects, the FRC may recommend that the student a) proceed as proposed; b) proceed subject to changes or amendments being made, addressing the concerns raised; c) be placed 'at risk'; or d) change the research degree originally sought.
Examination
Towards the end of the research programme, the student will be examined on the basis of a thesis and an oral examination (viva voce). Normally two qualified examiners are appointed, at least one of whom is external to the institution. If the student is a member of staff at the University, then a second external examiner will be appointed.
Following the oral examination, the examiners will make recommendations to the University’s Research Award Sub-Committee (RASC) whether the research degree sought can be awarded.
PhD Supervisors in Law
Dr Saidunnabi Piyal was previously a Law Tutor in the School of Law of the University of Aberdeen. He is now a Lecturer in the at the University of Wolverhampton Law School. His teaching areas are Land Law, Commercial Law and Intellectual Property Law. He teaches students in Wolverhampton on the LLB and LLM(CPE). Dr Piyal’s research interests lie mainly in the areas of Property Law, Comparative Private Law (especially property in mixed legal systems), Commercial Law and Intellectual Property Law. Read more here.
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Dr. Metka Potocnik is a graduate of Queen Mary University London (PhD), King's College London (L.LM) and University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law (L.LB), specialising in feminist approaches to intellectual property laws, with additional interests in international arbitration, foreign direct investment, EU law and commercial law. Dr Potocnik is qualified in Slovenia (Bar Member since 2008), with practical experience in commercial cases (Court of Appeal Ljubljana). She lectured at QMUL, King's College, UCL, University of Surrey, and remains an examiner at University of London, University of Aberdeen and Cardiff University. Read more here.
Dr David J. Cox specialises in the dark side of human nature, with particular focus on criminal; behaviour of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early twentieth-century offenders, together with the attempts to police and administer justice to such malefactors. Dr Cox is currently supervising several PhD students through the course of their studies, and is always happy to hear from potential post-graduate students who may be interested in pursuing their own research interests in all aspects of criminal justice history. For potential PhD students that are bewitched by burglars, captivated by courtrooms, gripped by stories of gibbeting, hung up about hanging, or passionate about policing history, then Dr Cox is the man for you. Read more here.
Dr Munyaradzi (Pride) Chanakira
Professor Peter Walton
Professor Andrew Haynes
Potential Career Paths
Research degrees in law can provide students with opportunities in a multitude of career paths, including academia, government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.
The following are some examples of what our students have gone on to achieve with a PhD from Wolverhampton Law School:
Professor Kiarie Mwaura
Prof. Kiarie Mwaura is an Associate Professor of Corporate Governance and Corporate Law at the University of Nairobi and is the Chairman of the Kenyan Transport Licensing Appeals Board under the Judiciary and Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. He has worked previously as the founding Vice Chancellor of Riara University and as a Director of the International Erasmus (European Exchange) Programme at Queen’s University Belfast. Before joining Queen’s, he completed his PhD and taught as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School as well as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington and University of Ghana. His expertise in corporate governance and corporate law has seen him serve as an expert researcher for the International Commission of Jurists’ Expert Legal Panel on Corporate Complicity in International Crimes. Additionally, he has served as a consultant on corporate governance for a variety of local and international organizations, including the Financial Sector Deepening Trust, Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies Regulatory Authority, Institute of Directors, Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya, Champions of Governance Award, Training and Consultant Associates, and Lewis Kamau & Associates. He is widely published and has spoken at many national and international conferences.
Dr Hannah Quirk
Dr Quirk has worked at the University of Manchester since 2005. Her research interests in criminal justice and criminal evidence build on her PhD research (Re-Balancing Acts? An Evaluation of The Changes to the Right of Silence and Pre-Trial Disclosure, 2004) and her previous employment. She worked as Senior Researcher at the Legal Services Research Centre (the research unit of the Legal Services Commission), and as a Case Review Manager at the Criminal Cases Review Commission, investigating claims of wrongful conviction and sentence. In 2005, she spent six months on a research sabbatical at the Innocence Project New Orleans, before joining the Law School at Manchester. She has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Melbourne, Queen's University Belfast (both 2009) and Fordham University Law School (2012). She has been an executive member of the Socio-Legal Studies Association, organising its 2008 Annual Conference. She was a member of the Independent Monitoring Board and has been a Council of Europe Expert, delivering training on human rights for judge candidates in Azerbaijan.
Dr Peter Yeoh
Since completing his PhD, Dr Yeoh has been based in Kuala Lumpur where he has become a leading authority and heavily published author across a wide range of relevant areas of law. He has also operated as a research authority for leading international firms.
Additional Information
Everything you need to know about this course!
The University of Wolverhampton (UoW) is home to approximate 23,000 students. The UoW’s research and innovation activities have previously won the UK Knowledge Transfer Award, and the UK Collaborative IMPACT award. It is also the holder of the Athena Swan Bronze Award and the HR Excellence in Research Award.
In addition to the regular supervision provided by supervisors, our PhD students will also be provided with training opportunities by the Faculty of Social Sciences and the University’s Doctoral College.
University Research Conference – The University Research Conference is held in June for research active staff and PhD students to showcase their areas of research and exchange research initiatives. Research students are welcome to make presentations during their period of study. Research students are also encouraged to disseminate final results of their research prior to submission.
University Research Training - Students are encouraged to participate in training provided by the Doctoral College not only because of its intrinsic value but also because these sessions may facilitate meetings with post-graduates outside the school.
Teaching Skills Development - At the Law School, we understand that postgraduate research students wish to develop their academic CVs while with us. For this reason, research students are provided the opportunity to undergo teaching skills development. The Law School seeks to ensure, wherever possible, that PhD students have the opportunity to teach on undergraduate modules on the LLB (Hons) programme.
| Location | Mode | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Full-time | £4596 per year | 2022-23 |
| Home | Full-time | £4712 per year | 2023-24 |
| Home | Full-time | £4786 per year | 2024-25 |
| Home | Full-time | £5006 per year | 2025-26 |
| Home | Part-time Distance Learning | £4596 per year | 2022-23 |
| Home | Part-time Distance Learning | £4712 per year | 2023-24 |
| Home | Part-time Distance Learning | £4786 per year | 2024-25 |
| Home | Part-time Distance Learning | £5006 per year | 2025-26 |
| Home | Part-time | £2298 per year | 2022-23 |
| Home | Part-time | £2356 per year | 2023-24 |
| Home | Part-time | £2393 per year | 2024-25 |
| Home | Part-time | £2503 per year | 2025-26 |
| International | Full-time | £14450 per year | 2022-23 |
| International | Full-time | £15450 per year | 2023-24 |
| International | Full-time | £15950 per year | 2024-25 |
| International | Full-time | £16950 per year | 2025-26 |
| International | Part-time Distance Learning | £14450 per year | 2022-23 |
| International | Part-time Distance Learning | £15450 per year | 2023-24 |
| International | Part-time Distance Learning | £15950 per year | 2024-25 |
| International | Part-time Distance Learning | £16950 per year | 2025-26 |
The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed
Applicants for a research degree shall normally hold either:
• A first or upper second class honours degree, or
• A master’s degree, or
• Evidence of prior practice or learning that is accepted by the Dean of Research.
Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English at least to the level of an IELTS score (or equivalent) of 7.0, with no individual element less than 6.0. The only exemption to this is for students who are not required to do so as per UKVI regulations: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/knowledge-of-english.
“My time at the University of Wolverhampton has been extremely rewarding and productive. All members of staff are always willing to help and guide where necessary, especially my director of studies. Even though I am a part-time doctoral researcher, I still feel like I am part of 'the family', and I am so glad that I chose to conduct my research at this great institution."
Matt Barnes, PhD student (2016)
"My research journey at Wolverhampton Law School has been incredibly pleasant for many a reason. Not only are the members of my supervisory team extremely knowledgable in my research area, they are also very personable, welcoming and helpful. The ambience of the research community at the Law School is both socially enjoyable and academically stimulating."
Mike J Ogunmiluyi, PhD student (2018)
Financial support for research study:
Before applying, you should consider carefully how you will finance your studies for the duration of your programme, including tuition fees, research support fees and living costs.
Government loans (Home Fee Status):
Government loans are available for postgraduate research students of up to £28,673, to cover fees and living expenses. More information can be found at Doctoral-loans website.
Studying in the UK:Guidance for EU students
For 2021/22 new entrants, EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for home fee status and financial support from Student Finance England.
Self-funded:
We are able to take payments in instalments, to spread out the cost of your studies, and it is possible to switch between full-time and part-time modes of study. For more information go to How to pay.
Postgraduate Research Loyalty Discount:
To students progressing from an undergraduate programme and/or a taught postgraduate programme to a postgraduate research programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.
There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree and/or Masters level qualification, as long as the new award is at a higher level.
For full terms and conditions please see: Loyalty Discount for Postgraduate Research StudentsResearch councils:
The UK Research and Innovation funds postgraduate study in all subject areas on a discretionary basis.
University Research Studentships:
The University offers a very limited number of research stipends, formerly known as bursaries, to research students. Stipends are designed to support specific projects as determined by the Research Institute rather than individual student-led projects. Funds are accessible from the relevant Research Institute or Centre - please contact them directly.Other sources:
Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.
You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.
