Application deadline
Monday 2 June 2025
Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships.
“The highlights are having a flexible course, being able to tailor your degree around your specific interests and one-to-one tuition. The staff are leading academics in their field but also extremely supportive and approachable. St Andrews provides both an excellent academic and social experience in a pretty, historic town. You’re guaranteed to make some wonderful memories.”
- Warwickshire, England
Entry requirements
- A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a subject-related area. If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
- English language proficiency. See English language tests and qualifications.
The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.
Application requirements
- CV or résumé. This should include your personal details with a history of your education and employment to date.
- a personal statement
- a sample of your own, single-authored academic written work (2,000 words)
- two original signed academic references
- academic transcripts and degree certificates
For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.
English language proficiency
If English is not your first language, you may need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. See approved English language tests and scores for this course.
Course details
The MLitt in Legal and Constitutional Studies is an interdisciplinary programme run jointly by the Schools of History and International Relations.
Highlights
- Students have the opportunity to work on an individual and small-group basis with internationally leading scholars in the fields of legal, constitutional and historical research.
- The flexible nature of the programme makes it suitable both for those wishing to go on to doctoral research and for those wishing only to take a year’s specialist study.
- The compulsory modules equip students with knowledge of different theoretical approaches to law, legal history and constitutionalism, using the past to interrogate and investigate current issues and controversies.
Modules
The modules published below are examples of what has been taught in previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your course. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the module catalogue.
In the first semester, you will take the following compulsory module:
- The Idea of Law: introduces fundamental concepts, questions and analytical frameworks relevant to legal, historical and constitutional research.
You will also take one module from the two listed below. These modules may be subject to a maximum number of participants (students will be asked to indicate their first and second choices):
- Approaches to Legal History: a grounding in particularly influential authors and works on the history of law.
- Aspects of International Law: underlying philosophical issues arising from the nature and practice of international law.
In the second semester, you will take the following compulsory module:
- Comparative Studies in Legal and Constitutional Research: a forum for students to develop, present and write on a particular field or topic, drawing on methodological ideas from Semester 1 modules.
Choices offered may include modules on Comparative Studies in Legal History or on Global Constitutionalism or an individually supervised Special Topic in Legal and Constitutional Studies.
Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered. Some may only allow limited numbers of students. See the University’s position on curriculum development.
Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.
If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.
Teaching
Over two semesters, students take four modules taught through a range of group seminars, workshops, one-to-one discussions and supervised independent research projects.
The specialist modules are designed to be flexible enough to enable students to choose their own areas of in-depth study and include individually tailored research training and guidance.
MLitt students will research and write a 15,000-word dissertation as their final assessment piece.
Module assessment comprises coursework; there are no final exams for this programme.
Events
The Institute of Legal and Constitutional Research at St Andrews hosts a number of workshops, seminars and lectures, including visiting speakers and cross-discipline presentations, on legal and constitutional research and ideas.
Fees
Home
£12,030
Overseas
£25,900
Application fee
Before we can begin processing your application, a payment of an application fee of £50 is required. In some instances, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. Details of this, along with information on our tuition fees, can be found on the postgraduate fees and funding page.
Funding and scholarships
The University of St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances.
School of History MLitt Awards
Offer the cash equivalent of one year's home fees and cannot be held in conjunction with other awards offering full fees and maintenance.
Whenever it is relevant to your programme and possible, the School makes available competitive language bursaries for training prior to the start of an MLitt programme. To find out more, please contact pghist@st-andrews.ac.uk as early as possible. Note that, when available, the application deadline is normally in the early Spring.
15% Recent Graduate Discount
If you have graduated from the University within the last three academic years, you may be eligible for a 15% discount on postgraduate taught tuition fees. Terms and conditions apply.
After your degree
Careers
Legal and Constitutional Studies is designed to prepare students for work beyond the MLitt, such as:
- doctoral research within the field
- study for a law degree
- employment in areas more broadly related to law, legal history, global constitutionalism and international relations.
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.
Further study
Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews.
Postgraduate researchWhat to do next
Information sessions
Meet our staff, learn more, and ask questions about how our courses can work for you.
Contact us
- Phone
- +44 (0)1334 46 2900
- pghist@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Address
- School of History
St Katharine's Lodge
The Scores
St Andrews
KY16 9BA