Law

Entry requirements

An honours degree (minimum 2:2) in any subject.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

Do you want to pursue a career as a lawyer?

Would you like to develop the legal knowledge and skills needed to start or enhance your professional legal career?

The LLM Law is a practical, profession-focused course that engages actively with the academic stages of training needed to pursue a career as a solicitor or barrister. The course has a heavy practitioner focus, particularly with regard to developing the essential knowledge needed for a career as a solicitor, barrister or other qualified lawyer or to allied careers, such as working in Criminal Justice, or further academic study in law.

This degree is particularly aimed at non-law graduates who want to study law at postgraduate level before beginning a legal career and for professionals already working in legal roles looking to enhance their careers through a formal law qualification.

You can choose from four study modes:

Full-time, 1 year (September and January start)

Full-time, 2 years with Placement year (September and January start)

You’ll explore the nature of the legal profession, reviewing, analysing and evaluating specific cases, and study the operation and fundamental principles of the legal system of England and Wales. We’ll introduce you to the social, economic and political contexts of the law as well as the impact of underlying policy issues relating to the operation of the legal system.

You’ll develop your research and analytical skills appropriate to law and apply these skills to an in-depth study of a particular area of law through your dissertation or research project.

The full-time Professional Placement option offers you the chance to enhance your qualification by spending a year completing a professional placement or engaging with a research project at the University. Although we cannot guarantee placements for students, we will provide you with practical support and advice on how to find and secure your placement.

For aspiring solicitors, the professional placement may count as ‘qualifying work experience’ (QWE) before the SQE assessments are taken (experience from previous roles can also count). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has more detailed guidance on QWE: SRA | Qualifying work experience | Solicitors Regulation Authority

The LLM offers excellent preparation for graduates to continue to the Bar examinations or, as the programme is aligned with aspects of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), to SQE-specific training or directly into employment in the legal sector.

The LLM offers an opportunity to gain an overview of the main areas of the SQE and the capacity to enter the workplace with confidence, relevant skills and legal knowledge. On completion of further relevant study and training, LLM graduates may pursue careers as solicitors, barristers, legal executives, paralegals, legal technologists and patent attorneys.

Information for international students

If English is not your first language IELTS 6.0 (with no less than 5.5 in any component) or equivalent is the minimum requirement.

Fees and funding

For further information about our tuition fees please visit our Student Fees and Finance pages.