Postgraduate Laws LLM

Our world-class, flexible Postgraduate Laws programmes are designed to meet a diverse range of needs. With 32 specialisations and 65 courses, you can either build a broad range of skills or specialise in a specific field.

Students accepted to the Postgraduate Laws programmes start at three points of entry, namely at PGCert, PGDip or LLM. Your point of entry is determined by your entry qualifications but does not set your exit award. It is your choice to leave the programme with a PGCert, PGDip or an LLM - or all three!

You can collect all three qualifications as you wish, provided you complete within a maximum of five years.

• All students are eligible for a PGCert award upon completion of five modules.
• Upon completion of a total of ten modules (five towards a PGCert plus an additional five), you are eligible for a PGDip award.
• Upon completion of a total of sixteen modules (five towards a PGCert plus five towards a PGDip plus an additional six), you are eligible for an LLM award.

How you study

The programme is offered online and is fully supported by a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You study at a time and pace that suits you (subject to course-specific deadlines) using the study materials provided, and revision forums from academic staff.

Study materials

You have access to study materials developed by academics from Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) and University College London (UCL). These include a Postgraduate Laws Handbook with practical information; Programme Regulations, Study Guides written for your chosen modules; a comprehensive skills guide; and past exam papers, examiners' commentaries and sample scripts, which give you valuable insights into how to perform well in exams.

Online support

You have access to:

• The Student Portal with the University's 'Ask a Question' contact form, and an interactive student induction to prepare you for study.
• A University of London email account.
• The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with an induction module, a library literacy module, course materials, introductory videocasts for each course, the Director's vlog and the 'Ask Me Anything' Director's forum for academic queries.
• The Student Café, where you can share perspectives with fellow students from all over the world.
• The Online Library with a dedicated Law Librarian holds thousands of journal articles which you can access free of charge. Access more than 10 legal databases, including Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw and other valued materials.
• The Introduction to English Common Law MOOC, available through Coursera.
• Senate House Library provides free reference access for all registered distance and flexible learning students.

Time commitment

You will need to spend about 120 hours on each module (or 1,920 hours for the full LLM). Approximately 40 to 50 hours per module are linked to assessment activity such as self-assessment exercises found in the study guides and preparation for taking the exam.

To complete the full LLM in two years, you will need to study for roughly 20 hours per week throughout the two years. It is up to you how you schedule your studies, depending on your work and personal commitments.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a 45-minute unseen written exam, which you can sit in May or October. You can sit your exams at any of our approved centres around the world.

You don't have to sit exams in every session. As long as you finish within your five-year registration period, you can plan your exams as you choose.

Programme structure

Each course is divided into four modules (each assessed separately). Often we recommend the order to take modules to help you study the course effectively.

To complete the qualifications for an LLM, you must take 16 modules from four courses. within five years.

Courses available:

You can specialise in any of the following areas:

Entry requirements

For the LLM entry point, you normally need one of the following:

• A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with second-class honours from the University of London.
• A second-class bachelor's degree (or equivalent), where at least half the units are in law-related subjects.
• A pass in the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) of England and Wales, or the Qualifying Exam of the Solicitors' Regulation Authority of England (or corresponding exams in Scotland or Northern Ireland), plus a second-class bachelor's degree (or equivalent).
• The Common Professional Examination or a Graduate Diploma in Law, plus a second-class bachelor's degree (or equivalent).
• You are qualified as a solicitor or barrister in England or Wales or the equivalent elsewhere.

Your entry point is just your starting point in the Postgraduate Laws programmes. Irrespective of your entry point, you can be awarded the PGCert, the PGDip, the LLM, or all three, provided that you complete your study within five years.

English Language requirements

You need a high standard of English to study this programme. You meet our language requirements if you have achieved one of the following within the past three years:

• (IELTS) International English Language Testing System - overall score of at least 6.5 and at least 6 in the written test.
• (TOEFL) Test of English as a Foreign Language - overall score of 92 or above with at least 22 in the Reading and Writing sub-tests and at least 20 in the Speaking and Listening sub-tests.
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) – overall score of 59 or above with at least 59 in both Reading and Writing elements and at least 54 in Speaking and Listening elements.
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English.
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (grade C or above).

Computer requirements

Provision on the Postgraduate Laws programmes is fully electronic. Our students are expected to have excellent internet access. However, if circumstances prevent you from accessing the internet, you can make a case to the programme director, who has the discretion to offer printed copies of the basic learning materials. This is reserved for extraordinary circumstances and solely for the purposes of enhancing accessibility: examples include disability or imprisonment.

Career opportunities

The Postgraduate Laws programmes provide you with many of the key attributes required by law firms – advanced, specialist legal training and the ability to work in a multinational legal environment. Our graduates regularly advance to high-level positions in a variety of sectors, including banking, financial services, financial regulation, human rights agencies, NGOs and public service.

Many professional associations and Bar Councils also accept our qualifications towards professional development quotas. For example, in England and Wales, the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority accredits our programmes (including individual modules taken on a standalone basis) towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

What do employers think of our graduates?

We advise you to explore the local recognition status before you register, even if you plan to receive support from a local teaching institution.

You can study for a prestigious Master of Laws (LLM) anywhere in the world with the University of London.