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Legal and Political Theory MA

London, Bloomsbury

Want to take a deep exploration into the ethical dimensions of law, politics and public policy? This high-level master’s offers a distinctive mix of these areas, and you’ll learn to evaluate public life at domestic and international levels through a philosophical lens. This programme offers advanced normative research skills while probing big questions around justice and liberty – a firm foundation for PhD research or work in policy, politics and think tanks.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£21,500
£10,750
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

As a minimum, an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard; Applicants should ideally have a background in Political Theory (e.g. Law, Philosophy, Political Science, Economics, International Relations) or in other subjects with heavily weighted modules in related topics (e.g. moral philosophy, jurisprudence, intellectual history or sociology)

The English language level for this course is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


The Legal and Political Theory MA equips you with the analytical tools to critically assess the ethical dimensions of law, politics, and public policy. Through interdisciplinary study, you will 'll engage with normative analyses of public life at both domestic and international levels. This programme prepares you for impactful careers in law, consultancy, politics, journalism, and academia.

Who this course is for

The programme is best suited to students who wish to develop their  analytical skills, and an understanding of the major issues in legal and political theory for further research or a career beyond academia in a related field. 

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

On the Legal and Political Theory MA Programme, you are part of UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy, which offers a stimulating environment for the study of legal and political theory.

Students attend a full programme of visiting speakers, offering unparalleled access for Masters-level students to cutting-edge research in the field, and a chance to engage with world leading philosophers and theorists about their current research. 

The Legal and Political Theory MA benefits from the interdisciplinary research culture of the Department of Political Science, as well as from the participation of UCL Philosophy and UCL Laws.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Graduates of this programme have an excellent record of employability in leading professions such as: 

  • Law
  • Consultancy
  • Politics
  • Journalism
  • Academia.

(Graduate Outcomes survey 2017–2022)

Employability

The MA provides an excellent foundation for further research in political theory at the doctoral level as well for a wide variety of careers related to the world of politics and policy.

Students will acquire advanced analytical transferable skills, exposure to cutting-edge scholarship and the ability to engage in independent research, combined with deep understanding of the normative aspects of the major challenges facing the contemporary world.
 

Networking

You will have access to a range of support, activities, and events that will contribute to your student experience. Student societies, exhibitions, lectures, and valuable training is just a snippet of what is on offer for you.

The Department hosts an eclectic offer of events, ranging from our 'Policy and Practice' seminars, which include talks by high-profile policy makers, practitioners and academics, to our Departmental Research Seminars (DRS). We also organise an annual Careers Week, bringing students together with alumni and industry speakers and offering skills workshops.

  • The International Public Policy Review: a student-led forum for debate, discussion, and networking for those passionate about politics, governance and international affairs
  • The International and Public Affairs Society: a student-run society for all students in the Department of Political Science. The Society organises social and fundraising events and endeavours to develop a strong and friendly community within the School of Public Policy (SPP).
  • UCL Social Data Institute: led by the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences (SHS). The Institute amplifies UCL’s advanced research and teaching in social data and methods.
    Students are also offered the opportunity to organise an annual Legal and Political Theory Forum on a topic of their choice and to invite a panel of speakers that they want to assemble.
     

Teaching and learning

Teaching typically takes the form of lectures and seminars where time is dedicated both to introducing you to knowledge and materials, and allowing you to test your understanding, knowledge and evaluative skills, through discussion, criticism and debate of issues. 

Lectures and seminars are accompanied by a list of readings, which will enable you to deepen your understanding of the ideas discussed in the lectures and seminars. Every member of staff offers student support and feedback hours where you can discuss the material one-to-one with your teachers.
 

You will be assessed by a range of methods, including: examinations, long essays, coursework, oral presentations, and a dissertation.

These all contribute to the development of your ability to craft construct and defend complex arguments, anticipate and respond to rebuttals and objections to your arguments.

The essays and your dissertation in particular require you to undertake independent research.

Some modules, including all compulsory modules, include formative assessments, where you receive feedback and guidance on work that is not formally assessed as part of your degree.
 

As a full-time student, typical contact hours are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials, full-time students use their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments (approximately 20-25 hours).

As a part-time student study at a structured rate per week, normally half the rate of full-time study.

To learn more, please take a look at the Academic Manual.

Modules

This programme offers a rigorous and dynamic exploration of legal and political theory, combining core training with flexibility to tailor your interests. 

You will take three compulsory modules:

1. Meanings of Liberty: Applied Methods in Political Theory. This module will train you in the central methods of political theory, explored through substantive discussion of the concept of liberty and related normative disputes.

2. Peer Assisted Learning Sessions. This module involves 2 hour sessions with visiting speakers, discussing work in progress that they have given us to read in advance. You will also attend a preparatory session facilitated by a member of staff, so that they are ready to engage in professional level discourse on research in progress. These colloquia are hosted by the Department during Term 1 when they concentrate on Political Theory; during the remainder of the year, they are hosted at the Dworkin Colloquium by the UCL Institute for Law, Politics and Philosophy, an interdepartmental collaboration. After each colloquium session, students are encouraged to make the most of networking opportunities with the visiting speaker and staff from across UCL. 

3. Dissertation - 10,000 words. This final piece of research gives you the opportunity to engage in a debate in legal and political theory of your choosing. You will receive supervision from a member of staff before researching and writing your dissertation for submission in early September.

You will also choose two or three option modules, which connect to the central themes of the degree. 

Finally, you will choose an additional elective module from the total list of options offered by the Department of Political Science, or, with approval of the programme director, offered elsewhere in UCL.

The programme structure for part-time students follows the same structure as our full-time students. 

We encourage our part-time students to distribute their workload evenly between the two years of study. 

The majority of part-time students opt for one of the following patterns:

  • 75 credits in Year 1 and 105 credits in Year 2;

           or

  • 90 credits in Year 1 and 90 credits in Year 2.

Upon completion you will have undertaken modules to the value of 180 credits, comprising of three compulsory modules: Meanings of Liberty: Applied Methods in Political Theory; Political Theory, Colloquium in Legal Philosophy and Peer Assisted Learning Sessions; and a dissertation. 

You will have further attended elective module(s) so you can personalise your programme of study to your own academic or professional interests.  

Compulsory modules





Optional modules








Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian Tradition

Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian Tradition A

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory A

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory


Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Legal and Political Theory.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £21,500 £10,750
Tuition fees (2026/27) £35,400 £17,700

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no further additional costs for this programme.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

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

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

GREAT Scholarship

NOW CLOSED FOR 2026/27 ENTRY
Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn

  • why you want to study Legal and Political Theory at graduate level
  • why you want to study Legal and Political Theory at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • if you have not formally studied Political Theory before, how does your personal, academic and professional background meets the challenges of this programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

When it is necessary to calculate a final average mark, the department will calculate all years of undergraduate study.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Political Science
Political Science

polsci.admissions@ucl.ac.uk

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