Law and Social Justice LLM
Year of entry 2025
- Start date
- September 2025
- Delivery type
- On campus
- Duration
- 12 months full time
- Entry requirements
- A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in law or a relevant social science subject.
Full entry requirements - English language requirements
- IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component
- UK fees
- £13,000 (Total)
- International fees
- £28,250 (Total)
- Contact
- pglaw@leeds.ac.uk
Course overview
On this course you’ll examine in detail how the law facilitates or undermines social justice at the local, national and international levels.
Compulsory modules will explore the ways in which we define, access and attempt to enact justice. They engage with issues such as decolonisation in order to reorient discussions of justice from their colonial and racialised contexts.
You’ll also investigate the range and magnitude of inequalities around disability, gender, race and class – both domestically and globally – examining their ongoing implications for law, policy and practice.
Optional modules will allow you to tailor your course and explore issues such as disability, health justice and embodiment, social care law, and the building of just and resilient communities.
Throughout the course, you’ll develop advanced knowledge and transferrable skills such as understanding and solving problems, analysing, and communicating complex information, and working independently and as part of a team.
This will prepare you for a fruitful career in areas such as law, healthcare, social care, the third sector, activism, policy development, and local government.
The course is hosted by the Centre for Law and Social Justice, whose members produce internationally-recognised research on key social justice issues.
All our teaching on the course is informed by the latest research, affording you the opportunity to engage with the latest research in fields such as disability law, intersex and trans embodiment, indigenous justice, issues of race and class, children’s rights, and social care law.
Studying LLM Law and Social Justice
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Course details and modules
Compulsory modules will provide a sound understanding of social justice theories as well as develop your competence in the exercise of socio-legal research methods and skills. The seminar teaching approach will also require you to be proactive and develop the necessary oral presentational skills.
A large range of optional modules ensures that you have a thorough grounding in the key principles, concepts and literature that underpins the broad field of law and social justice. They also provide you with the opportunity to focus your study on specific segments of the discipline most relevant to your interests.
Essay assessments for each module will develop your ability to be self-directed and to think critically and analytically. The dissertation will allow you to develop and demonstrate your ability to work as an independent and proactive scholar, giving you in-depth knowledge and a critical understanding of law and social justice in relation to your own research question(s).
Our School-based Skills Team will help you to develop the key academic skills necessary to thrive on your course. Through one-to-one appointments, we offer individual skills development advice for your module assessments, dissertation and wider studies.
Our workshop series also offers training in key skills areas including critical thinking, researching, planning, time management and editing. These skills will help you both during your studies and in the workplace.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.
Year 1 compulsory modules
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Inequalities, Law and Justice | 30 |
| Theories of Social Justice | 15 |
| Postgraduate Legal Research Skills | 15 |
| Dissertation | 60 |
Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
You will also choose 60 credits from the below:
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Central Issues in Criminal Law | 15 |
| International Criminal Law | 15 |
| Contemporary Theories of Crime | 15 |
| Contemporary Theories of Criminal Justice | 15 |
| Security, Conflict and Justice | 30 |
| Environmental Law | 15 |
| Comparative Human Rights Law | 15 |
| International Tax Law and Policy | 30 |
| International Human Rights | 30 |
| Human Rights and Disabled People 1 | 15 |
| Human Rights and Disabled People 2 | 15 |
| Foundations of Global Governance Through Law | 15 |
| Advanced Global Governance Through Law | 15 |
Learning and teaching
At Leeds we use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies and develop the specialist skills that will become indispensable in your career.
These will include lectures and seminars in which a high level of student engagement and discussion is expected plus online learning. You‘re encouraged to carry out significant advanced levels of independent legal research.
On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
Assessment is undertaken by a variety of methods but primarily involves written assignments. We assess the dissertation through your submission of a written piece of work of up to 10,000 words.
Applying
Entry requirements
A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) or equivalent in law or a relevant social science subject.
We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Law (6 weeks) and Language for Social Sciences and Arts: Law (10 weeks).
We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional.
You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.
How to apply
If you intend to apply for funding, you should submit an application for a place on your chosen course at least one month before any specific scholarship deadline.
The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Documents and information you will need include:
- original or certified copies of your transcripts in English and the original language
- original or certified copies of your degree certificate in English and the original language
- original or certified copy of your IELTS/TOEFL results (if English is not your first language) or an equivalent English language test.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025
This course is taught by
School of Law
School of Sociology and Social Policy
Contact us
School of Law Postgraduate Admissions Office
Email: pglaw@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:
Fees
UK: £13,000 (Total)
International: £28,250 (Total)
Read more about paying fees and charges.
For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.
Additional cost information
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more at Masters funding overview.
The School of Law usually offers a number of scholarships each year. Find out more about the scholarships we offer.
Career opportunities
From day one, we encourage you to think beyond your time at Leeds and reflect on a meaningful career.
This course is particularly suited to those who wish to pursue a career that centres on or involves understanding and applying law and social justice. This includes areas in public service, the private sector, the voluntary sector, or any other arena where success is built upon higher-level skills and advanced knowledge of social justice and law.
Careers support
The School of Law offers career and personal development support through the School’s dedicated Employability Officers. You can book one-to-one appointments with our Employability Officers throughout the year to discuss your career aspirations and get advice on how to make the most of your time at Leeds.
The School also arranges a number of community engagement (pro bono) and work experience opportunities, career development workshops, guest speaker events and careers fairs throughout the year. These opportunities will allow you to develop new skills, enhance your career prospects and network with prospective employers.
Find out more about how we support your career development.
In addition to the School-specific careers support, you will also have access to the University’s award-winning Careers Centre. It offers one-to-one appointments, advice on starting your own business, careers events, mentoring schemes and support with your CV, applications and interviews.