This is a research course and is awarded on the basis of a dissertation not exceeding 30,000 words, inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of appendices and bibliography. Students are assigned a supervisor by the Faculty's Degree Committee. The main aims of the course are: to give students with relevant experience at first-degree and/or Master's level the opportunity to carry out focussed research on an approved research topic in the field of Law under close supervision; to give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests and to enable students to engage in work which is innovative and at the leading edge of legal scholarship. A dissertation submitted for the Diploma in Legal Studies must afford evidence of serious study and the ability to discuss a difficult problem critically. An applicant interested in writing a thesis on international law should apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in International Law. Upon completion, Diploma candidates may apply to continue to the MLitt or PhD.