LLM Professional Law - LLM/PGDL/CPE
Looking for a law conversion course in Birmingham? Our LLM Professional Law is open to graduates from all subjects. Our LLM Professional Law course, which incorporates the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) / Common Professional Examination (CPE), will provide you with a Master’s-level qualification....
Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Information about the arrangements the University has put in place for the 2021/22 academic year in response to Covid-19 and the emerging variants can be found here.
Should the impact of Covid-19 continue in subsequent years of your course, any additional and/or alternative arrangements put in place by the University in response will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Full Time/Part Time
- Location City Centre
- Award LLM/PGDL/CPE
- Start date September 2021
- Fees View course fees
- School School of Law
- Faculty Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences
Course overview
Looking for a law conversion course in Birmingham? Our LLM Professional Law is open to graduates from all subjects.
Our LLM Professional Law course, which incorporates the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) / Common Professional Examination (CPE), will provide you with a Master’s-level qualification. You don't need a Law degree to apply - the course is available to any student with a qualifying honours degree in any subject.
Postgraduate Diploma in Law
Our PGDL is also available as a standalone course, if you do not wish to complete the full Masters course..
What's covered in this course?
While most providers deliver the course at graduate level as the Common Professional Examination / Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL), we have designed this course so that successful completion provides both a qualification at Master’s level and professional body accreditation.
This course is accredited by the Joint Academic Stage Board, which represents the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales, and upon completion you are eligible to undertake the next stage of legal training (the Legal Practice course if you want to become a solicitor or the Bar Professional Training course if you want to become a barrister).
Professional Placement option
For our LLM Professional Law degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.
This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Please note that placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.
For full details, please click here.
Why Choose Us?
- You’ll have regular support from tutors in a friendly and supportive learning environment.
- This course is a conversion LLM – you don’t need a degree in Law to be eligible to study it.
- The course is focused on practice-led, skills-based teaching and assessment.
- You may have the opportunity to undertake an internship in the US, strengthening your employability prospects.
- You’ll also have the chance to get involved with pro-bono projects in the UK, as well as other legal work experience that contributes towards your final award for the course.
- Our Law Clinic can give you opportunities to volunteer with local charitable legal advice providers and to work alongside legal professionals undertaking pro-bono work, allowing you to make a genuine difference to the lives of Birmingham residents.
- Birmingham City University has just launched the UK's first Centre for Brexit Studies, researching all aspects of the UK's vote to leave the EU, including the impact it has on domestic law and legislation.
Find out more
Entry Requirements
Essential Requirements
| Typical Offers (UK Students) | ||
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Minimum Second Class UK degree or international equivalent in any subject area. |
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Additional information for EU/International students
| Essential | ||
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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| English language requirements 2017/18 | ||
| IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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| Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page | |
Fees & How to Apply
- UK students
- International students
Award: LLM/PGDL/CPE
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £8,800 per year
- Apply
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £9,700 per year
- Apply
- Part Time
- 2 Years
- Show fees
- Year 1 (40 credits) £2,000
- Year 2 (140 credits) £6,900
Fees for Part-time students
This course can be studied on a Part-time study basis. The cost per year of study is based on credit requirements for that year as shown here.
Award: LLM/PGDL/CPE
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £13,200 per year
- Apply
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £14,520 per year
- Apply
- Part Time
- 2 Years
- Show fees
- Year 1 (40 credits) £3,000
- Year 2 (140 credits) £10,300
Fees for Part-time students
This course can be studied on a Part-time study basis. The cost per year of study is based on credit requirements for that year as shown here.
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead.
Full Time Applications
To apply for this course full time, please fill in the application form on the Graduate Diploma in Law Central Application Board website.
Personal statement
Students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.
Your postgraduate personal statement is going to shine a light on your personal experience, academic success, personal skills and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Your passion and motivations
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Why this course?
Show that you’ve researched the course offering. What is it about this particular course that appeals to you? Is it the lecturers? The modules? Etc.
What makes you a good postgraduate candidate?
Tutors want to know that you can handle postgraduate study, so show them how your undergraduate experiences or work life has equipped you for a more advanced level of study. Key areas to address are research and group work but this can vary depending on your chosen course.
Relevant academic or work experience
Add anything relevant that relates back to your chosen course and shows how your skills will contribute towards your learning. What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in? What awards have you won? What employment or voluntary experience do you have that has helped you develop transferable skills? How do these specifically relate to the course you are applying for?
You should also mention your future plans and how a postgraduate qualification fits in. Try to look beyond your postgraduate study – do you plan to jump straight into a specific career or follow your studies with a research degree? Lastly, use plain, professional English and, where possible, utilise the language of your chosen industry.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
Additional costs
Students are required to purchase textbooks for each module, which range from roughly £30. Although not required, on some modules students may be advised to purchase a ‘cases and materials’ book, but second-hand versions are often appropriate.
The US placement also requires students to self-finance travel and accommodation while they are there.
Course in Depth
Modules
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits):
20 credits
The module will provide a comprehensive overview of common criminal offences against persons, property offences and defences under English law, as largely prescribed by domestic statutes and common law (case law). Through this overview, you will develop crucial practical skills, namely how to effectively undertake research, interpret and analyse sources of law and apply those findings to solve problems.
20 credits
The module aims to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the law of contract (introducing you to the ways in which the law regulates, polices and enforces contracts) and the law of tort (focused on the more common tortious wrongs, associated defences and remedies) in English law.
20 credits
This module will explore the UK constitutional framework including sources of law, institutions, and key constitutional principles. It will enable you to develop a critical understanding of the UK constitutional institutions involved in the legislative process, including accountability mechanisms.
20 credits
The module aims to provide you with an intellectually stimulating and practice-led, knowledge-applied education in both land law (the law of property as it relates to land) and equity and the law of trusts. The module will provide you with a sound basis of the knowledge needed in order for you to apply the legal concepts and principals involved in property law to typical legal problems from land law and trust law practice.
20 credits
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the concept of the European Union as an organisation and, more particularly, to provide you with an intellectually stimulating and academically rigorous education in how the organisation of this body and the regulation that comes from it affects the UK.
20 credits
This module enables you to pursue a detailed study of a particular topic within a field of law or jurisprudence (the theory or principles behind the law) that is of particular interest to you where the School of Law has expertise. The module accommodates the specific requirement of the professional bodies of one other area of legal study, in addition to the study of the seven foundations of legal knowledge which must be successfully completed by anyone wanting to proceed to the next stage of training for entry into the legal profession.
0 credits
The module accommodates the requirement of the Joint Academic Standards Board, comprising the Solicitor’s Regulatory Authority and Bar Standards Board, for students to acquire a knowledge and understanding of the fundamental doctrines and principles which underpin the law of England and Wales.
20 credits
This module enables you to gain enhanced knowledge and understanding of the techniques needed for advanced legal research. It serves a double purpose. As a foundation to other Level 7 modules in law, it supports you in acquiring the knowledge of research methods and skills in applying those methods required to succeed in postgraduate legal research – both in scholarship and for practitioners.
40 credits
The aim of this module is to provide a framework for you to undertake a piece of disciplinary relevant research at Masters level the output of which may be either a placement, integrated project or dissertation. This is founded upon Birmingham City University’s teaching and learning philosophy which integrates theory into practice.
Course Structure
For the first part of the course, you will learn primarily through a focus on problem-based learning supported by face-to-face teaching sessions and directed learning exercises provided through the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle).
In this first part of the course (the PGDL stage) you will learn about how to study law and how to present legal argument, as well as the key substantive legal rules and principles relating to certain ‘foundation’ areas of law. For those who have enrolled for the LLM version of the course, the Masters stage of the course enables you to further develop your legal knowledge, research, presentation and analysis skills either in relation to a particular theoretical topic of interest to you or in the context of a practical placement.
Teaching sessions and directed learning exercises will be designed to help develop the skills and techniques needed to successfully complete the module assessments, and to forge a successful career in the legal sector. Engagement with teaching sessions and materials on the VLE is monitored by teaching staff to encourage engagement and provide a basis for individual and group feedback.
There are a range of assessments on the course, including oral assessment, written coursework, portfolios, employer assessment, reflective essays and more traditional exams. The range of assessments has been designed to ensure achievement of the course learning outcomes and the development of skills that we view as essential for a future successful career in practice or the further study of law, while retaining balance to ease assessment pressure points.
For more information on attendance requirements, course contact time and suggested self-study hours, download the course specification.
For those who have enrolled on the full time LLM version of the course, in semester three you will undertake an online course on advanced legal research methods/practical legal research, and either a dissertation or an extended placement and reflective piece of writing on your placement experiences. This module will take place in semester 5 for Part Time students
Students choosing the dissertation option will need to communicate with their supervisor on regular occasions throughout the module.
Our course is accredited by the Joint Academic Stage Board (representing the Solicitor’s Regulatory Authority and the Bar Standards Board).
Employability
Employment Opportunities
Previous students have gone on to successful careers in the legal professions. We have recent ex-students currently working as solicitors at regional law firms such as Duncan Lewis, Syeds Law Office Solicitors and Wragge & Co, as well as national and international firms, such as and at national and international firms such as DLA Piper. We also have ex-students who have qualified as barristers and one who is a QC.
We also have a number of students who have used the course to further their own business or current career paths and those who have entered non-legal professions (such as banking).
Our GDL includes several ways you can help improve your employability:
- Graduate Plus Scheme
- US internship (within an optional module)
- UK work placement (within an optional module)
- Pro bono projects that provide voluntary legal work experience opportunities and networking opportunities
- Parliament and Supreme Court trip
- Legal careers sessions and networking events
- Debating and Mooting societies
OpportUNIty
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
International Students
The School of Law at Birmingham City University is home to students from a wide number of countries studying on traditional degree programmes and short-term international courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
A legal education at Birmingham City University is widely recognised and many of our international students return to their home country to either pursue legal practice or requisite professional qualifications in their jurisdiction.
As a law student you will not only develop and refine knowledge in discrete areas of English and international law but also develop key transferable skills designed to enhance your employability profile. Many international students have travelled thousands of miles to study at Birmingham City University and the School offers you an engaging and diverse study experience based in the city of Birmingham which is the second largest city in the UK.
Due to our proximity close to the legal and business district of the city we enjoy strong links with Birmingham Law Society and law firms around the West Midlands. The benefit of these links is passed directly onto you so that you can enhance your network of contacts whilst seeking relevant legal practice experience to enhance your employability profile.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Facilities and Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £260 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at the City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Law, Business, Social Sciences and English courses
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The facilities at the Curzon building include two bespoke Law Courtrooms, replicating a Crown court and a Magistrates court. These rooms will play a key part in your learning experience, allowing you to try your hand in mock court cases, whilst also being the venue for our Mooting and Debating Societies.
On top of this, the Curzon building houses an extensive Law library, with books covering every aspect of Law history.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive new library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Brand new, accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Lauren Haddock
Senior Lecturer, Course Director for the Postgraduate Diploma in Law/LLM Professional Law
Lauren Haddock joined Birmingham City University in July 2015, following a number of years as a visiting lecturer whilst working in the industry.
More about LaurenDr Sarah Cooper
Director of Research, Reader in Interdisciplinary Legal Studies
Dr Sarah Cooper is a Reader in Law and Interim Director of Research in the School of Law. Sarah teaches English Criminal Law, and leads the School of Law’s modules in American Criminal Procedure and Evidence, and American Legal Practice, which prepares students to be interns in the United States.
More about SarahDr Ewan Kirk
Senior Lecturer
Ewan Kirk is currently the Senior Personal Tutor on the LLB Programme within the Law School. Ewan currently teaches EU Law and Intellectual Property Law at undergraduate and postgraduate level. His areas of research interest include intellectual property law and internet law.
More about EwanJill Molloy
Senior Lecturer
Jill Molloy is a Senior Lecturer in Law, and LLB Year 1 Tutor. She is the module leader for Evidence, Proof and Argument and co-teaches the lectures in Criminal Law on the LLB.
More about JillSonya Smith
Deputy Head of the School of Law (Academic Programme Development)
Sonya Smith is Deputy Head of the School of Law (Academic Programme Development) at Birmingham City University. Prior to joining the University Sonya was previously a solicitor dealing first of all with family law matters, then moving into employers’ liability and personal injury claims.
More about Sonya