The College of Business and Law Scholarship for LLM by Research

At a glance

• Value: €14,500

• Questions about this scholarship can be directed to d.odonovan@ucc.ie

LLM by Research: The LLM by Research Degree involves writing a thesis of approximately 40,000 words under academic supervision.

Value of Fellowship: The Scholarship will be valued at €14,500 (from which the student’s fees for year 1 will be deducted; the recipient will receive the remaining amount in the form of a stipend.) It will be tenable for one year and is non-renewable.

Commencement: The recipient will be expected to commence their studies as early as possible in 2026, and no later than 1 April.

Supports: Two members of the academic staff of the School of Law will act as academic supervisors to the student, and will be available for regular consultation meetings and will give feedback on draft work. The student will have access to the postgraduate research student facilities in the Law School, including dedicated office space, IT facilities and kitchen facilities. The student will be expected to attend and participate in research-related activities in the School. A dedicated module on research methodology tailored to the needs of legal researchers is a strongly encouraged option, and various other support workshops are run throughout the year.

Progress Review: The progress of the student will be continuously monitored by the Graduate Studies Committee in conjunction with the supervisor(s). A formal progress review will take place after 6 months. Continued payment of the stipend will be conditional upon satisfactory progress.

Completion: The student will be expected to submit the completed thesis for examination after 12 months. (Should the student take more than one year to complete, a continuation fee will be payable by the student.) The LLM must be completed with two years of full-time study. The recipient must complete the LLM and not transfer to the PhD programme during the course of the LLM.

Applications will be assessed by the Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Law and the Dean of the School of Law. The decision on the selection, interview and awarding process is final. The successful scholarship awardee will then have to submit a formal admission application through the University application system.

The deadline for submissions is 5 pm on Friday, 9^th January 2026.  

Applications should be submitted to d.odonovan@ucc.ie.

To be eligible for a research degree in law, “a candidate must have obtained a standard of at least Second Class Honours, Grade 1, in an approved primary degree, or presented such other evidence as will satisfy the School of his/her fitness.” The following criteria must be satisfied:

• Possession of a good upper second class or first class (or equivalent) degree in law (or a related discipline);
• Availability of suitable supervisor(s).
• Demonstration of aptitude for original research through the submission of a Research Proposal, which should contain the following elements:
  • Description of project, including aim and central research questions (500 words)
  • Methodology, including theoretical framework and investigative and analytical methods (500 words)
  • Relationship to existing literature and proposed contribution to knowledge in the field of study (500 words)
  • Research plan, including organisation and scheduling of work (500 words)
  • Statement of suitability of UCC Law School to host your proposed research project (including available supervision and other resources) (250 words).
  • Sample Bibliography
  • Personal Statement, including why you wish to undertake this particular research and the impact it will have on your career development (500 words)
  • The Research Proposal should be submitted via this application form: UCCPhDScholarshipApplicationForm-LAW.pdf
• Two academic references must be submitted with the application form.

Further details are available at https://www.ucc.ie/en/law/courses/phd/