Why study at Aberdeen?

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Why study at Aberdeen?

• The Law School at Aberdeen has around 40 academic staff and an excellent academic reputation. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) published in December 2008, the School had a total of 80% of its submissions recognised internationally as being of excellence or of significance and originality, with the remaining 20% judged to be of national standing. In the previous two RAE’s the School’s research was awarded the highest numerical rating possible of 5, the only Scottish law school to do so. Law has been taught in Aberdeen for over 500 years: the University of Aberdeen was founded in 1495 with law as one of its foundation disciplines. The Law School has an international staff body and a wide range of subject specialisms in which it can offer supervision (for details, click here).

• You will join a thriving community of over 80 research students from all over the world, including Brazil, China, Cyprus, Germany, Turkey, Nigeria, Libya, the UAE, the USA, Thailand, as well as from the United Kingdom. The Law School also has a flourishing population of about 200 taught LLM students, around 80 students taking the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice and around 900 undergraduate students.

• You will be provided with excellent facilities and support to assist you to complete your research degree. All research students are allocated two supervisors, although normally one will take the lead role in supervision. Full time PhD students are also provided with a PC and desk in an office within the Law School (usually shared with other research students); access to the internet and to legal databases such as Westlaw and Lexis; access to printing and photocopying facilities; and a university email account. Part time and LLM by research students are provided with all of the above, except a permanent desk allocation. Instead they have access to a postgraduate research student hotdesk room.

• The Law School offers a comprehensive research student training programme, approved by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, covering both subject specific and general skills. To find out more about this, click here.

• You will be able to use our outstanding, dedicated law library, the Taylor Library, which is located within the Law School building. The University is has a flagship new library, opened in September 2011 as part of an ambitious investment programme. It supports the research and study activity of the entire University. The new library is due to open in September 2011, and will be additional to the Taylor Library.

• For international students, the University offers English language support and a popular international student society.  The research students run a Legal Research Society. In addition, there is a successful general Law Society, and a Law Mooting Society. The Law students also run a Legal Clinic, Casus Omissus, and publish a Student Law Review.

• Aberdeen, a beautiful, cosmopolitan city with a rich cultural life, is still small enough to maintain a sense of community. Situated on the east coast, both an attractive beach and the Scottish Highlands are close by. It has an international airport (flying time from Amsterdam, Dublin, London and Paris is just over one hour) and excellent rail links to London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

• Aberdeen is the European centre for the oil and gas industry and, as such, is home to many multi-national companies. This global commercial environment has led to a number of international law firms being located within the city, with oil and gas law being a particular specialism. Aberdeen has its own District and Sheriff Courts and is home to a sitting of the High Court of Justiciary, Scotland's highest criminal court, most weeks of the year.