Programme introduction

Founded by Jeremy Bentham and counting Mahatma Gandhi among its alumni, UCL pioneered the application of legal and political theory to illuminate the ethical dilemmas of public life. It remains a leading international centre for postgraduate teaching and research at the cutting edge of work in the field. The MA in Legal and Political Theory draws on three areas of excellence at UCL, each supported by a group of world class scholars: jurisprudence (John Tasioulas, George Letsas, Philip Schoffield, Stephen Guest from Laws), political and moral philosophy (Jo Wolff, Véronique Munoz-Dardé, Mike Otsuka from Philosophy) and political theory and human rights (Richard Bellamy, Cécile Laborde, Saladin Meckled-Garcia, Laura Valentini, Albert Weale from Political Science). The result is a unique mix of politics, law and philosophy, centred on the normative evaluation of public policy at both the domestic and international levels.

The MA in Legal and Political Theory provides students with the key analytical skills to study the ethical dimensions of politics and public policy. The programme explores the moral quality of the decisions citizens and professionals take, and the justice of the legal and political structures within which they operate. Among the policy issues addressed are the character and limits of a multicultural society, the obligations of rich to poor countries, the morality of the war on terror, the rights and wrongs of animal experimentation, the feasibility of global citizenship, and the advisability of judicial review. The MA also features weekly research seminars, where the best current work on legal and political theory is presented by eminent guest speakers from around the world.

Past students on the programme have been awarded prestigious scholarships such as AHRC and UCL graduate studentships.

The main strengths of the MA are

• Specialist expertise in a range of key political theory approaches, notably:
• ethics and contemporary political philosophy
• legal theory and jurisprudence
• egalitarianism and theories of social justice
• human rights
• theories of democracy and citizenship
• liberalism, republicanism, multiculturalism
• utilitarianism
• history of modern political ideas
• European political thought
• 'Wednesday Seminars'. The Autumn Term seminars in political theory, and the Spring Term Colloquium in Legal Philosophy offer students an unrivalled opportunity to meet and engage with some of the leading figures in the field and to discuss their latest . Seminars bridge the gap between academic research and broader understanding of key issues concerning society and politics; attendance is compulsory for MA students and papers are discussed in advance of seminars through Peer-Assisted Learning Sessions.
• Core course on 'Applied Methods in Political Theory', providing students with key research skills, exposure to, and practice of, a range of political theory methods, development of written and oral skills. It provides a good training for the 10,000-word dissertation which make 30% of the degree.
• Interdisciplinary research culture of the School of Public Policy, the centre of expertise in political science at UCL, with particular strengths in public policy, constitutional issues, European politics and international relations.
• Strong input from such established UCL departments and institutions as Law, Philosophy, the Bentham Project, Economics, History, and European Studies.

Our aim is to provide a challenging intellectual atmosphere for postgraduate study, along with the best possible support for individual students. The School of Public Policy is a research-oriented institution where the particular needs and interests of postgraduate students are well catered for. SPP provides an ideal environment to pursue doctoral research, and the MA is an excellent foundation for further research in political theory.

General aims of the degree

• to raise critical awareness of major issues in legal and political theory;
• to inculcate the ability to discuss, in an informed, coherent and critical way, issues of political thought;
• to develop the confidence to think creatively;
• to improve the transferable skills of coherent and rational argument and the written and oral expression of ideas.

Specific objectives: by the end of the programme students should

• be able to expound and criticise important ideas of selected modern political theorists;
• be able to articulate and justify a considered and coherent position on issues concerning the relationship between politics, law and society;
• demonstrate systematic reading, clarity of expression, ability to develop an argument in support of a position, anticipate and answer objections to that position, through the production of a dissertation of not more than 10,000 words which will demonstrate a capacity for beginning doctoral research

The programme is made up of the following elements, to total 180 credits:

1.   You are required to take the following three compulsory modules:

• Meanings of Liberty: Applied Methods in Political Theory (30 credits)
• Seminars in Political Theory and Colloquium in Legal Philosophy and Peer Assisted Learning Sessions (30)

These seminars are an integral component of the course and all students are required to attend. The seminars - which become the Colloquia in the second term - take place on alternate  Wednesdays. Seminars bridge the gap between academic research and broader understanding of key issues concerning society and politics.  Click here for seminar programme

Peer Assisted Learning (P.A.L.) sessions. All members of the MA programme are required to attend these student-only discussions held before the Seminars. They give students the opportunity to discuss that week's paper amongst themselves under the supervision of a member of teaching staff. The aim of the sessions is to prepare students to participate fully in the SPP seminars themselves.

• Dissertation - 10,000 words (60)

2.   Choose two or three modules worth a total of 45 credits from the following (the other modules remain options to choose in step 3):

• Contemporary Political Philosophy I: Authority, Obligation and Democracy (15)
• Contemporary Political Philosophy II: Social Justice and Equality  (15)
• Democracy, Citizenship and Constitutions (15)
• Equality, Justice and Difference (15)
• Global Ethics (15)
• Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian Tradition (15/30)
• Jurisprudence and Legal Theory (15/30)
• The Philosophy of International Justice and Human Rights (15)
• Public Ethics (15)
• Republicanism and Liberalism (15)
• Social Values and Public Policy: Health and the Environment (15)
• Theoretical Foundations of Human Rights (15)

3.   Choose one 15 credit module (the following is a list of all courses available within the department):

Students may take graduate modules from cognate subjects available elsewhere in UCL but must seek approval from the Programme Director in the first instance.