Graduate Diploma in Law

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent, in any subject, but we’ll consider each application on its own merits.

Months of entry

September

Course content

About the course

Also known as the Common Professional Exam, this is a one-year conversion course for non-law graduates or those who have a law degree from another country. You can fast-track your way to the next stage of legal training to become either a barrister or solicitor in England or Wales.

Who we are

We’re a forward-thinking, innovative law school. Our research helps shape global policy. We do what we do to empower people, to protect people and improve people’s lives.

The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) ranks us joint tenth in the UK, with Oxford and Warwick. Ninety per cent of our research was judged world-leading or internationally excellent.

We offer a wide range of law and criminology courses. Our leading criminology courses are delivered by internationally-renowned academics within our Centre for Criminological Research; one of the four original criminological centres of excellence in the UK.

Uniquely among English Russell Group law schools, we also offer the opportunity for you to complete both the academic and vocational stages of qualifying as a solicitor in our Centre for Professional Legal Education.

Your career

Our graduates include CEOs, lawyers, partners in big corporate firms, judges and barristers. Others are solicitors, academics, politicians and policy makers or work in criminal justice or at the Home Office.

Many of our graduates become legal practitioners. But you can use your postgraduate training in different ways, including business, policy development, teaching or research. Our staff can support you in whichever path you choose, having a wealth and variety of experience across all these areas.

Your course will give you the opportunity to meet and engage with professional organisations. And our excellent careers service will support you from the outset, helping you to identify your strengths and plan your next move. At the School of Law we also have an in-house careers adviser, offering specialised advice to Legal Practice Course, Graduate Diploma in Law and other postgraduate students who wish to pursue a career in the legal profession.

How we teach

Many of our academics are internationally respected for their research. Their groundbreaking work informs what we teach.

Our research groups cover a lot of ground, including criminology, commercial law and law in its international context. You’ll benefit from their expertise and that of their professional contacts. Your course will equip you with an in-depth knowledge of your chosen area of law or criminology. Our Legal Practice Course is highly regarded. It will provide you with all the skills and knowledge you need to enter the legal profession in England or Wales.

We have our own courtroom, a dedicated postgraduate computer room and quiet study space. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building so you can easily access the library’s online collections. Our students can also access our e-resources from anywhere in the world.

Core modules

Core modules

• English Legal System
• Torts Law
• Crime
• Contract Law
• Public Law
• EU Law
• Land Law
• Equity and Trusts
• Legal Research Methods
• Company Law

Teaching and assessment

You’ll attend seminars and be assessed by examination.

Information for international students

Overall IELTS grade of 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each component, or equivalent.

Qualification and course duration

GDL