Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Diploma in Law

Overview
Structure
Study materials
Fees
Assessment
Requirements
Leaders

Is this programme for me?

This programme is for you if you:

want to obtain an LLB degree of international standing which has provided the first step on a career route for many thousands of practising lawyers worldwide.
wish to develop a critical awareness of the common law legal tradition and be able to apply analytical and problem-solving skills in a range of legal and non-legal settings.
would like to enhance key skills of communication, information literacy, analysis and argument.

Note: if you intend to practise as a lawyer, barrister or solicitor, we strongly recommend that you check on the requirements of the professional body in the jurisdiction in which you wish to practise before committing yourself to the degree.

Key dates
LLB application deadline	1 October in the year before you intend to sit your exams
LLB registration deadline	30 November in the year before you intend to sit your exams
Diploma in Law registration deadline	31 October in the year before you intend to sit your exams
Exams take place	May/June

Programme aims and values

The Laws Programme is committed to:

Promoting independent learning. We support you in developing your capacity to manage your own learning.
Providing a wealth of resources. With our Online Library and Laws Virtual Learning Environment, you have a resource-rich learning environment in which to develop your legal research skills.
Offering expert guidance in law. Our study materials are informed by current research and scholarship and engage with contemporary legal issues. Students are offered the opportunity not only to know the law but to understand it.
Developing ‘transferable’ intellectual skills. You have many opportunities to develop analytical and problem-solving skills and learn how to construct arguments.
Enabling you to develop critical awareness. Learn how to stand back and consider the ‘bigger picture’, develop an awareness of the context of law, nationally and globally.
Understanding the language of law. Learning how to use legal discourse is crucial for success. Being able to communicate effectively is a vital skill.

Prestige and career progression

In a world where degree providers are proliferating, the University of London LLB offers the security of an internationally recognised 'gold standard' established for over 100 years. The University of London was the first to offer a degree in English Law, in the 1890s. Upon graduation you will be joining a distinguished group of solicitors, barristers and judges around the world who began their careers by obtaining their law degree through the University of London International Programmes. The academic direction of the LLB and Diploma in Law is provided by a Consortium of outstanding University of London Law Schools: Birkbeck, King's, LSE, Queen Mary, SOAS and UCL.

Undergraduate Laws Scholarships

The University of London International Programmes is awarding scholarships to study law at an undergraduate level in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. The scholarships are for students beginning their studies in October 2012. For more information and how to apply see Undergraduate Laws scholarships.

Flexible study at a reasonable cost

You have 3-8 years to complete the LLB (or a minimum of 2 years on Graduate Entry Route A) and 1-5 years to complete the Diploma. The total fees payable to the University range from £2,618 on Graduate Entry Route A, to £4,291 on LLB Scheme B. For the Diploma in Law, the total fee payable to the University is £1,422 (you will also need to pay fees to the teaching institution). Details of fees payable to the University are provided on the fees page. Please note these figures do not reflect any annual fee increase and assume completion in the minimum study period permitted.

The LLB degree is offered under six different Pathways.

For the Diploma in Law there are four compulsory courses.

Scheme A - Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Structure: Scheme A (12 courses)

4 courses per year. Minimum 3 year completion Qualifying Law Degree if completed with 6 years.

Year 1 (four courses)
All 4 courses from the Intermediate list.
Year 2 (four courses)
At least 2 courses from Compulsory Finals and no more than 2 courses from Optional Finals Group 1.
Year 3 (four courses)
Any Compulsory Finals courses not already taken, plus Optional Finals from Group 1 or Group 2 to make up 4 courses.

Intermediate

Common law reasoning and institutions

[Registration with the Online Library is a requirement for successfully completing this course.]

This comprehensive introduction to the English legal system seeks to convey what is distinctive about the common law approach as a legal methodology and as it refl ects the history and politics of England and Wales. It examines the sources of law, the civil and criminal court structures, the role of judges and the jury. A running concern of the course is the question of fairness: the impact of the Human Rights Act on the criminal justice system and the issues of access to justice in the civil courts. This course is also vital in initiating students into the process of legal research and the final examination has a compulsory section on research activities carried out during the year.

Criminal law

This course examines general principles of criminal liability, a range of fatal and non-fatal offences against the person and selected offences against property. Attempts to commit offences, secondary liability and defences also form part of the University of London criminal law curriculum. Criminal law consists of a highly developed body of precisely formulated legal rules but as criminal conduct is subject to punishment it thus engages with broad issues of morality and policy. Understanding the tension between certainty in the law and social adaptation affects the development of criminal law will take students beyond the basic stage of understanding the substantive rules of criminal law.

Elements of the law of contract

Contracts are the legal basis of all commercial transactions. Covering the core topics – including formation of contracts, capacity to contract and privity, performance and breach of contract and remedies for breach of contract – the emphasis is on understanding the key underlying principles of English law. This is very much a case law subject, with judicial precedents stretching back nearly 400 years in some instances (but more usually of 19th- and 20th-century origin) and a small number of statutory provisions, as well as the impact of EU law. An understanding of what factors judges may, or must, take into account when exercising their discretion is crucial.

Public law

The UK constitution is famously ‘unwritten’ and thus contrasts with other constitutional models. Analysing key issues of sovereignty and the division of powers between legislature, executive and administration, one key question is how far the UK lives up to classic doctrine. Equally, membership of the European Union, and the Human Rights Act 1998, aff ect the overall picture of the relation between citizen and the state. To fully engage with this subject, students need to take an interest in current affairs and debates about what is involved in constitutional issues and reforms.

Compulsory Finals

Land law: Much of the work of solicitors turns around land law in the form of conveyancing (buying and selling dwellings or commercial enterprises) or the relations between landlords and tenants. Here the central principles of English law are portrayed, including the necessary historical context, as many of the basic concepts were established in social conditions very diff erent from today. Land law centres on the concept of the nature and quantum of the various interests that can exist in land, the principles governing the creation, transfer and extinction of these interests and the extent that those interests are enforceable against third parties.
Law of tort: The law of tort concerns the civil liability for the wrongful infliction of injury by one person upon another. The characteristic claim in tort is for monetary compensation or damages. There is no single principle of liability, which makes tort law complex; also there are other sources of monetary compensation for personal injuries (such as unemployment/social security payments, private insurance, criminal injuries compensation schemes, etc.) as well as the fact that the same harms may be pursued through the criminal justice system.
Negligence is a key topic and other topics include: interference with economic interest; trespass; defamation; vicarious liability as well as defences and remedies, and sources of future development including EU law.
Law of trusts: A part of Equity law, the law of trusts deals with the rules and principles governing the creation and operation of trusts – a particular method of holding property that developed historically primarily to preserve family wealth, particularly by minimising liability to taxation. The syllabus focuses on three broad areas: 1) the requirements for establishing a valid trust (including express private trusts; charitable trusts; implied and resulting trusts; constructive trusts); 2) the powers and obligations of trustees under a valid trust (including appointment, retirement and removal of trustees); 3) the remedies available when trustees act improperly.

Jurisprudence

Note: This course is compulsory for undergraduate Schemes only.

Students are not required to have taken an undergraduate course in Jurisprudence, but it will be assumed that they will have some familiarity with standard works in the field up to LLB standard.

Double section A/B: Modern legal theory

Selected topics in the development of Anglo-American legal philosophy from the origins of utilitarianism to the present day, including contemporary debates on philosophical method and the nature of law.

Double section C/D: Liberty, equality and law

Selected topics in the development of liberalism, including the ideas of liberty and equality and their relevance in the present day to our understanding of community, economics, cultural diversity and feminism.

Sequence: Either first.

Textbook: Ronald Dworkin, Law’s Empire new edition (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1998), ISBN: 9781841130415

Jurisprudence

Note: This course is compulsory for undergraduate Schemes only.

Students are not required to have taken an undergraduate course in Jurisprudence, but it will be assumed that they will have some familiarity with standard works in the field up to LLB standard.

Double section A/B: Modern legal theory

Double section C/D: Liberty, equality and law

Sequence: Either first.

Textbook: Ronald Dworkin, Law’s Empire new edition (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1998), ISBN: 9781841130415

Optional Finals Group 1

Administrative law

Administrative law has been hugely expanding in the late 20th century/early 21st century. Its core purpose is to ensure that any decisions or action taken by government are lawful and, when they are not, to provide redress for grievances. A range of grievance-redressing mechanisms are examined, including: judicial review, ‘ombudsmen’ and tribunals. The course also looks at how policies can be implemented through delegated legislation, informal rules, the use of discretion and so on. This subject will appeal to students who enjoyed studying Public law and who have an interest in public affairs.

Civil and criminal procedure

Focused on the substantive issues and values that underpin Civil and criminal procedure, the course is divided equally between Civil and criminal procedure. Students will be expected to compare and contrast Civil and criminal procedure and will need to have a good working knowledge of the court system and the way in which civil and criminal justice is organised and dispensed. Specific topics include: civil process before trial, commencement of proceedings, jurisdiction, responding to a claim, case management, summary disposals and trials, remedies and criminal procedure, police powers and bail, commencement of proceedings, pleas and plea bargaining, ID and other evidence and sentencing.

Commercial law

Commercial law is concerned with obligations between parties to commercial transactions and the relationship with rules of personal property. Students are expected to become familiar with the significance and implications of: ownership of or title to goods; the transfer of title and its effect on third parties; the passing of property between buyer and seller; the significance of possession; and responsibility for risk of loss of or damage to goods and its transfer from one party to another. Familiarity with the general ideas underlying contract, tort and trust law will provide a useful background. Emphasis is placed on both knowledge of principles and the ability to apply the rules of law to achieve practical solutions to practical problems.

Company law

This area of law is fast moving with frequent legislative change due to pressures for reform from the UK Department of Trade and Industry and from the EU with its policy of harmonising the company law of its member states. The syllabus centres on the way law regulates companies and the facilities company law offers, such as limited liability and transferability of shares – as well as the corresponding burdens (duties of disclosure, compliance with statutory procedures and common law duties) and the dynamics of the often tense relationship between shareholders and management. A vital course for anyone intending to operate in the commercial field; students will benefit from knowledge of Contract, Tort, Trusts and Public law.

Criminology

Criminology examines the relationship between the individual who breaks the laws of the state and the state’s power to lay down laws and to punish for breaches of those laws – but from a range of political, sociological, psychological and philosophical points of view. Criminology has long been at odds with legalistic approaches towards dealing with crime and raises often controversial aspects of social policy, social control, style of policing, and community involvement in the criminal justice system. The subject will appeal to those students who wish to
escape from heavily case-law oriented subjects and who are prepared to think critically about their societies and the nature of social order.

EU law

[EU law is a required course by the professional bodies in England and Wales for the LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree.]

The European Union (EU) is a relatively new legal system that combines characteristics of international law and national legal systems. EU institutions and law-making powers are examined as well as the key questions of the impact of EU law on national law and its overall consequences for a) business enterprises and b) individuals. As EU law is highly responsive to economic and social changes, legal rules and judicial decisions are studied in their wider context. The subject will appeal to students who enjoyed studying Public law or who have an interest in public affairs, politics, economics or international relations.

Evidence

The law of evidence governs what facts may be presented – and contested – in the courtroom, the techniques for eliciting evidence, and the role of the lawyers, jury and judge in an adversarial system. The subject is an attractive mixture of the intensely practical (e.g. how is cross-examination controlled? what is a jury permitted to hear? when has the burden of proof been discharged?) and the abstract and academic (what is a ‘fact’? what does ‘relevance’ mean? when is evidence prejudicial?). Highly relevant to actual day-to-day legal practice, the subject will appeal especially to students intending to practise in court.

Family law

Family law affects every member of society, from conception to the grave. Originating in religious law, today the legal regulation of family relationships involves a complex relation between the family and the state. Marriage and divorce and the legal status of offspring are intertwined with questions of financial provision and child protection, not to mention public policy issues arising from advances in biological science or the rise of children’s rights. Family law is highly porous in relation to expert knowledge from disciplines such as psychology and sociology, which means that understanding the statute and case law is not a discrete or isolated study.

History of English law

Full understanding and enjoyment of studying legal history develops both historical and legal skills. Thanks to the large amount of surviving materials, the origins of the common law may be traced in considerable detail from its effective beginnings as the body of customary laws applied in the royal courts during the first two centuries following the Norman Conquest in 1066. The institutions of the common law courts, procedure and modes of trial are traced through to the early modern period, followed by an examination of the historical development of the substantive law of land law, contract and tort. This course will appeal to students who enjoy exploring a wide range of reading materials for themselves.

International protection of human rights

International protection of human rights law concerns protection afforded to individuals. This course seeks to instil a holistic and critical awareness of the fundamental concepts, principles, theories and philosophies underlying international human rights as well as an understanding of the principal internal mechanisms installing and enforcing/monitoring these rights. Specific topics covered include: the individual in international law; debates about universalism vs cultural relativism; genocide; the history, politics and specific human rights legal enactments instituted by the United Nations; enforcement mechanisms; a review of the systems by reference to key vulnerable groups, notably refugees; the evolution of international individual responsibility for acts such as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Introduction to Islamic law

This course offers students an overview of Islamic law, covering its religious, historical and contemporary dimensions. The emphasis of the first part of the course is on the religious and historical foundations of Islamic law, including the emergence of different schools of Islamic law and their consolidation in the main authoritative sources of Islamic law. The course then goes on to examine the application of Islamic law in contemporary jurisdictions, including the reform of Islamic law, focusing on Islamic family law with a shorter section on Islamic criminal law, covering a range of jurisdictions from the Middle East and South Asia. Aspects of civil law and
international law are also covered.

Labour law

Labour law has key consequences both for individuals in their job settings and the operation of the labour market in general. The course begins with matters that may be pursued by individuals, covering contracts of employment, unfair dismissal, redundancy, equal pay, and sex and race discrimination. (Understanding of contract law and a willingness to grapple with EU law is important here.) The second part deals with ‘collective’ labour law: the protection of the worker re trade union membership and activities; the status and organisation of trade unions; trade union recognition; the legal regulation of collective bargaining and the law relating to trade disputes. This course will appeal to students interested in industrial relations and their historical and political contexts.

Public international law

Public international law has been increasingly under the spotlight as it governs – among other things – the agreed rules of the use of force. Public international law concerns legal relations between states but also deals with the role of the United Nations and other international organisations and, in the fields of human rights and international criminal law, the rights and duties of individuals. The course moves from examining basic principles – the sources of international law and the bases of recognising statehood – through specific issues of jurisdictional immunities, treaties and state responsibility to go on to see how these principles are applied in specific areas such as international criminal law, human rights, international environmental law and the law of the sea.

Optional Finals Group 2

Conflict of laws: Also known as private international law, this is the body of rules applied by the English courts to cases with a foreign element, dealing with core issues of jurisdiction, substantive decision-making and recognition of the laws of other jurisdictions. Existing case law has been developed in recent years with the statutory implementation of International Conventions and Law Commission reports – yet there are questions as yet unsettled, which increases the importance of academic writing and also gives students the chance to present their own solutions. The course covers all English domestic law.
Dissertation: The Dissertation course option offers final-year students the opportunity to undertake in-depth legal/sociolegal research. Students design their own research question – and submit a research proposal online – on a topic they have not previously (or concurrently) studied in depth. The Dissertation option will be examined a) by electronic submission of a 10,000 word Dissertation and b) a short final examination.
The Dissertation is a course in its own right and it may be used to complete the Laws
Skills Portfolio.
Intellectual property: Intellectual property is a rapidly expanding body of law that has come into increasing domestic and international prominence. Involving both artistic and scientific concerns, intellectual property underpins a wide variety of everyday activities for individual consumers – hence in turn its immense economic and industrial significance. The law of intellectual property rights seeks a difficult balance between rewarding the right owner and the needs of society to gain access to scientific, technological or cultural benefits. It includes copyright, patent and trade mark law. The course examines the range of different domestic and international legal categories involved
in regulating this form of intangible property, and pays specific attention to the ways in which English law, lacking any discrete law of unfair competition, frequently relies on ‘press-ganging’ a range of independent rights (such as confidentiality) to serve that purpose.
Succession: Who is entitled to a person’s property on their death, whether that person has made a will or dies intestate? And should there be any restrictions on whom people who make wills are allowed to leave property to when they die? These are the basic questions underpinning the law of succession, and they will affect all people who have access to some form of property, whether as inheritors or as those passing on property. The aim of this course is to explore in detail the operation of inheritance law, especially how a valid will is made, how it can be challenged, how it is administered and what happens when a person dies without leaving a valid will.

Notes:

This page is intended for use by prospective students as a guide. The structure shown above is subject to confirmation in the 2011-2012 Regulations. The Regulations also contain full details on the rules that govern the choice of any course.
EU law: In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board require students to pass 'EU law' in order to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree.
Commercial law, Company law and Intellectual property are prerequisites for Contract law.
Jurisprudence is optional for Graduate Entry Route only.

Scheme B - Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Structure: Scheme B (12 courses)

Intended for those wishing to study at a more measured pace, with 3 courses per year. Minimum 4 year completion Qualifying Law Degree if completed within 6 years.

Year 1 (three courses)
Common law reasoning and institutions plus 2 other courses from the Intermediate list
Year 2 (three courses)
The remaining course from the Intermediate list plus 2 courses from Compulsory Finals
Year 3 (three courses)
At least one course from Compulsory Finals and no more than two courses from Optional Finals Group 1
Year 4 (three courses)
Any Compulsory Finals courses not already taken plus Optional Finals from Group 1 or Group 2 to make up three courses

Intermediate

Common law reasoning and institutions

[Registration with the Online Library is a requirement for successfully completing this course.]

Criminal law

Elements of the law of contract

Public law

Compulsory Finals

Land law: Much of the work of solicitors turns around land law in the form of conveyancing (buying and selling dwellings or commercial enterprises) or the relations between landlords and tenants. Here the central principles of English law are portrayed, including the necessary historical context, as many of the basic concepts were established in social conditions very diff erent from today. Land law centres on the concept of the nature and quantum of the various interests that can exist in land, the principles governing the creation, transfer and extinction of these interests and the extent that those interests are enforceable against third parties.
Law of tort: The law of tort concerns the civil liability for the wrongful infliction of injury by one person upon another. The characteristic claim in tort is for monetary compensation or damages. There is no single principle of liability, which makes tort law complex; also there are other sources of monetary compensation for personal injuries (such as unemployment/social security payments, private insurance, criminal injuries compensation schemes, etc.) as well as the fact that the same harms may be pursued through the criminal justice system.
Negligence is a key topic and other topics include: interference with economic interest; trespass; defamation; vicarious liability as well as defences and remedies, and sources of future development including EU law.
Law of trusts: A part of Equity law, the law of trusts deals with the rules and principles governing the creation and operation of trusts – a particular method of holding property that developed historically primarily to preserve family wealth, particularly by minimising liability to taxation. The syllabus focuses on three broad areas: 1) the requirements for establishing a valid trust (including express private trusts; charitable trusts; implied and resulting trusts; constructive trusts); 2) the powers and obligations of trustees under a valid trust (including appointment, retirement and removal of trustees); 3) the remedies available when trustees act improperly.

Jurisprudence

Note: This course is compulsory for undergraduate Schemes only.

Students are not required to have taken an undergraduate course in Jurisprudence, but it will be assumed that they will have some familiarity with standard works in the field up to LLB standard.

Double section A/B: Modern legal theory

Double section C/D: Liberty, equality and law

Sequence: Either first.

Textbook: Ronald Dworkin, Law’s Empire new edition (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1998), ISBN: 9781841130415

Jurisprudence

Note: This course is compulsory for undergraduate Schemes only.

Students are not required to have taken an undergraduate course in Jurisprudence, but it will be assumed that they will have some familiarity with standard works in the field up to LLB standard.

Double section A/B: Modern legal theory

Double section C/D: Liberty, equality and law

Sequence: Either first.

Textbook: Ronald Dworkin, Law’s Empire new edition (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1998), ISBN: 9781841130415

Optional Finals Group 1

Administrative law

Civil and criminal procedure

Commercial law

Company law

Criminology

EU law

[EU law is a required course by the professional bodies in England and Wales for the LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree.]

Evidence

Family law

History of English law

International protection of human rights

Introduction to Islamic law

Labour law

Public international law

Optional Finals Group 2

Conflict of laws: Also known as private international law, this is the body of rules applied by the English courts to cases with a foreign element, dealing with core issues of jurisdiction, substantive decision-making and recognition of the laws of other jurisdictions. Existing case law has been developed in recent years with the statutory implementation of International Conventions and Law Commission reports – yet there are questions as yet unsettled, which increases the importance of academic writing and also gives students the chance to present their own solutions. The course covers all English domestic law.
Dissertation: The Dissertation course option offers final-year students the opportunity to undertake in-depth legal/sociolegal research. Students design their own research question – and submit a research proposal online – on a topic they have not previously (or concurrently) studied in depth. The Dissertation option will be examined a) by electronic submission of a 10,000 word Dissertation and b) a short final examination.
The Dissertation is a course in its own right and it may be used to complete the Laws
Skills Portfolio.
Intellectual property: Intellectual property is a rapidly expanding body of law that has come into increasing domestic and international prominence. Involving both artistic and scientific concerns, intellectual property underpins a wide variety of everyday activities for individual consumers – hence in turn its immense economic and industrial significance. The law of intellectual property rights seeks a difficult balance between rewarding the right owner and the needs of society to gain access to scientific, technological or cultural benefits. It includes copyright, patent and trade mark law. The course examines the range of different domestic and international legal categories involved
in regulating this form of intangible property, and pays specific attention to the ways in which English law, lacking any discrete law of unfair competition, frequently relies on ‘press-ganging’ a range of independent rights (such as confidentiality) to serve that purpose.
Succession: Who is entitled to a person’s property on their death, whether that person has made a will or dies intestate? And should there be any restrictions on whom people who make wills are allowed to leave property to when they die? These are the basic questions underpinning the law of succession, and they will affect all people who have access to some form of property, whether as inheritors or as those passing on property. The aim of this course is to explore in detail the operation of inheritance law, especially how a valid will is made, how it can be challenged, how it is administered and what happens when a person dies without leaving a valid will.

Notes:

This page is intended for use by prospective students as a guide. The structure shown above is subject to confirmation in the 2011-2012 Regulations. The Regulations also contain full details on the rules that govern the choice of any course.
EU law: In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board require students to pass 'EU law' in order to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree.
Commercial law, Company law and Intellectual property are prerequisites for Contract law.
Jurisprudence is optional for Graduate Entry Route only.

Scheme F - Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Structure: Scheme F (12 courses)

This scheme is intended for students who are not seeking a Qualifying Law Degree and who are studying on a part-time basis. Subject to some course selection constraints, you may choose a minimum of two courses and a maximum of four courses per year. Please consult the current prospectus for examples of course selections in Scheme/Route F.

Intermediate

Common law reasoning and institutions

[Registration with the Online Library is a requirement for successfully completing this course.]

Criminal law

Elements of the law of contract

Public law

Compulsory Finals

Land law

Much of the work of solicitors turns around land law in the form of conveyancing (buying and selling dwellings or commercial enterprises) or the relations between landlords and tenants. Here the central principles of English law are portrayed, including the necessary historical context, as many of the basic concepts were established in social conditions very diff erent from today. Land law centres on the concept of the nature and quantum of the various interests that can exist in land, the principles governing the creation, transfer and extinction of these interests and the extent that those interests are enforceable against third parties.

Law of tort

The law of tort concerns the civil liability for the wrongful infliction of injury by one person upon another. The characteristic claim in tort is for monetary compensation or damages. There is no single principle of liability, which makes tort law complex; also there are other sources of monetary compensation for personal injuries (such as unemployment/social security payments, private insurance, criminal injuries compensation schemes, etc.) as well as the fact that the same harms may be pursued through the criminal justice system.
Negligence is a key topic and other topics include: interference with economic interest; trespass; defamation; vicarious liability as well as defences and remedies, and sources of future development including EU law.

Law of trusts

A part of Equity law, the law of trusts deals with the rules and principles governing the creation and operation of trusts – a particular method of holding property that developed historically primarily to preserve family wealth, particularly by minimising liability to taxation. The syllabus focuses on three broad areas: 1) the requirements for establishing a valid trust (including express private trusts; charitable trusts; implied and resulting trusts; constructive trusts); 2) the powers and obligations of trustees under a valid trust (including appointment, retirement and removal of trustees); 3) the remedies available when trustees act improperly.

Jurisprudence

Note: This course is compulsory for undergraduate Schemes only.

Students are not required to have taken an undergraduate course in Jurisprudence, but it will be assumed that they will have some familiarity with standard works in the field up to LLB standard.

Double section A/B: Modern legal theory

Double section C/D: Liberty, equality and law

Sequence: Either first.

Textbook: Ronald Dworkin, Law’s Empire new edition (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1998), ISBN: 9781841130415

Optional Finals Group 1

Administrative law

Civil and criminal procedure

Commercial law

Company law

Criminology

EU law

[EU law is a required course by the professional bodies in England and Wales for the LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree.]

Evidence

Family law

History of English law

International protection of human rights

Introduction to Islamic law

Jurisprudence and legal theory LSE

[This course is compulsory under Schemes A, B and F and optional under the Graduate Entry Routes.]

Labour law

Public international law

Optional Finals Group 2

Conflict of laws: Also known as private international law, this is the body of rules applied by the English courts to cases with a foreign element, dealing with core issues of jurisdiction, substantive decision-making and recognition of the laws of other jurisdictions. Existing case law has been developed in recent years with the statutory implementation of International Conventions and Law Commission reports – yet there are questions as yet unsettled, which increases the importance of academic writing and also gives students the chance to present their own solutions. The course covers all English domestic law.
Intellectual property: Intellectual property is a rapidly expanding body of law that has come into increasing domestic and international prominence. Involving both artistic and scientific concerns, intellectual property underpins a wide variety of everyday activities for individual consumers – hence in turn its immense economic and industrial significance. The law of intellectual property rights seeks a difficult balance between rewarding the right owner and the needs of society to gain access to scientific, technological or cultural benefits. It includes copyright, patent and trade mark law. The course examines the range of different domestic and international legal categories involved
in regulating this form of intangible property, and pays specific attention to the ways in which English law, lacking any discrete law of unfair competition, frequently relies on ‘press-ganging’ a range of independent rights (such as confidentiality) to serve that purpose.
Succession: Who is entitled to a person’s property on their death, whether that person has made a will or dies intestate? And should there be any restrictions on whom people who make wills are allowed to leave property to when they die? These are the basic questions underpinning the law of succession, and they will affect all people who have access to some form of property, whether as inheritors or as those passing on property. The aim of this course is to explore in detail the operation of inheritance law, especially how a valid will is made, how it can be challenged, how it is administered and what happens when a person dies without leaving a valid will.
Dissertation: The Dissertation course option offers final-year students the opportunity to undertake in-depth legal/sociolegal research. Students design their own research question – and submit a research proposal online – on a topic they have not previously (or concurrently) studied in depth. The Dissertation option will be examined a) by electronic submission of a 10,000 word Dissertation and b) a short final examination.
The Dissertation is a course in its own right and it may be used to complete the Laws
Skills Portfolio.

Notes:

This page is intended for use by prospective students as a guide. The structure shown above is subject to confirmation in the 2011-2012 Regulations. The Regulations also contain full details on the rules that govern the choice of any course.
EU law: In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board require students to pass 'EU law' in order to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree.
Commercial law, Company law and Intellectual property are prerequisites for Contract law.
Jurisprudence is optional for Graduate Entry Route only.

Graduate Entry Route A - Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Structure: Graduate Entry Route A (9 courses)

Enables graduates with a degree awarded by an institution acceptable to the University to follow a shorter route. 4 courses followed by 5 Minimum 2 year completion Qualiying Law Degree if completed within 6 years.

Year 1 (four courses)
All four courses from the Intermediate list (see list below)
Year 2 (five courses)
Law of tort, Law of trusts, Land law and two courses from Optional Finals Group 1 or Group 2

Intermediate

Common law reasoning and institutions

[Registration with the Online Library is a requirement for successfully completing this course.]

Criminal law

Elements of the law of contract

Public law

Optional Finals Group 1

Administrative law

Civil and criminal procedure

Commercial law

Company law

Criminology

EU law

[EU law is a required course by the professional bodies in England and Wales for the LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree.]

Evidence

Family law

History of English law

International protection of human rights

Introduction to Islamic law

Jurisprudence

Note: This course is compulsory for undergraduate Schemes only.

Students are not required to have taken an undergraduate course in Jurisprudence, but it will be assumed that they will have some familiarity with standard works in the field up to LLB standard.

Double section A/B: Modern legal theory

Double section C/D: Liberty, equality and law

Sequence: Either first.

Textbook: Ronald Dworkin, Law’s Empire new edition (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1998), ISBN: 9781841130415

Labour law

Public international law

Optional Finals Group 2

Conflict of laws: Also known as private international law, this is the body of rules applied by the English courts to cases with a foreign element, dealing with core issues of jurisdiction, substantive decision-making and recognition of the laws of other jurisdictions. Existing case law has been developed in recent years with the statutory implementation of International Conventions and Law Commission reports – yet there are questions as yet unsettled, which increases the importance of academic writing and also gives students the chance to present their own solutions. The course covers all English domestic law.
Dissertation: The Dissertation course option offers final-year students the opportunity to undertake in-depth legal/sociolegal research. Students design their own research question – and submit a research proposal online – on a topic they have not previously (or concurrently) studied in depth. The Dissertation option will be examined a) by electronic submission of a 10,000 word Dissertation and b) a short final examination.
The Dissertation is a course in its own right and it may be used to complete the Laws
Skills Portfolio.
Intellectual property: Intellectual property is a rapidly expanding body of law that has come into increasing domestic and international prominence. Involving both artistic and scientific concerns, intellectual property underpins a wide variety of everyday activities for individual consumers – hence in turn its immense economic and industrial significance. The law of intellectual property rights seeks a difficult balance between rewarding the right owner and the needs of society to gain access to scientific, technological or cultural benefits. It includes copyright, patent and trade mark law. The course examines the range of different domestic and international legal categories involved
in regulating this form of intangible property, and pays specific attention to the ways in which English law, lacking any discrete law of unfair competition, frequently relies on ‘press-ganging’ a range of independent rights (such as confidentiality) to serve that purpose.
Succession: Who is entitled to a person’s property on their death, whether that person has made a will or dies intestate? And should there be any restrictions on whom people who make wills are allowed to leave property to when they die? These are the basic questions underpinning the law of succession, and they will affect all people who have access to some form of property, whether as inheritors or as those passing on property. The aim of this course is to explore in detail the operation of inheritance law, especially how a valid will is made, how it can be challenged, how it is administered and what happens when a person dies without leaving a valid will.

Notes:

This page is intended for use by prospective students as a guide. The structure shown above is subject to confirmation in the 2011-2012 Regulations. The Regulations also contain full details on the rules that govern the choice of any course.
EU law: In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board require students to pass 'EU law' in order to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree.
Commercial law, Company law and Intellectual property are prerequisites for Contract law.
Jurisprudence is optional for Graduate Entry Route only.

Graduate Entry Route B - Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Structure: Graduate Entry Route B (9 courses)

Intended for graduates who wish to study at a more measured pace, with nine courses taken in three stages. 3 courses per year. Minimum 3 year completion Qualifying Law Degree if completed within 6 years.

Year 1 (three courses)
Common law reasoning and institutions plus two other coures from the Intermediate list
Year 2 (three courses)
The remaining course from the Intermediate list plus 2 courses from Law of tort, Law of trusts and Land law
Year 3 (three courses)
The remaining compulsory course not already taken from Year 2 plus 2 courses from Optional Finals Group 1 or Group 2

Intermediate

Common law reasoning and institutions

[Registration with the Online Library is a requirement for successfully completing this course.]

Criminal law

Elements of the law of contract

Public law

Optional Finals Group 1

Administrative law

Civil and criminal procedure

Commercial law

Company law

Criminology

EU law

[EU law is a required course by the professional bodies in England and Wales for the LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree.]

Evidence

Family law

History of English law

International protection of human rights

Introduction to Islamic law

Jurisprudence and legal theory LSE

[This course is compulsory under Schemes A, B and F and optional under the Graduate Entry Routes.]

Labour law

Public international law

Optional Finals Group 2

Conflict of laws: Also known as private international law, this is the body of rules applied by the English courts to cases with a foreign element, dealing with core issues of jurisdiction, substantive decision-making and recognition of the laws of other jurisdictions. Existing case law has been developed in recent years with the statutory implementation of International Conventions and Law Commission reports – yet there are questions as yet unsettled, which increases the importance of academic writing and also gives students the chance to present their own solutions. The course covers all English domestic law.
Intellectual property: Intellectual property is a rapidly expanding body of law that has come into increasing domestic and international prominence. Involving both artistic and scientific concerns, intellectual property underpins a wide variety of everyday activities for individual consumers – hence in turn its immense economic and industrial significance. The law of intellectual property rights seeks a difficult balance between rewarding the right owner and the needs of society to gain access to scientific, technological or cultural benefits. It includes copyright, patent and trade mark law. The course examines the range of different domestic and international legal categories involved
in regulating this form of intangible property, and pays specific attention to the ways in which English law, lacking any discrete law of unfair competition, frequently relies on ‘press-ganging’ a range of independent rights (such as confidentiality) to serve that purpose.
Succession: Who is entitled to a person’s property on their death, whether that person has made a will or dies intestate? And should there be any restrictions on whom people who make wills are allowed to leave property to when they die? These are the basic questions underpinning the law of succession, and they will affect all people who have access to some form of property, whether as inheritors or as those passing on property. The aim of this course is to explore in detail the operation of inheritance law, especially how a valid will is made, how it can be challenged, how it is administered and what happens when a person dies without leaving a valid will.
Dissertation: The Dissertation course option offers final-year students the opportunity to undertake in-depth legal/sociolegal research. Students design their own research question – and submit a research proposal online – on a topic they have not previously (or concurrently) studied in depth. The Dissertation option will be examined a) by electronic submission of a 10,000 word Dissertation and b) a short final examination.
The Dissertation is a course in its own right and it may be used to complete the Laws
Skills Portfolio.

Notes:

This page is intended for use by prospective students as a guide. The structure shown above is subject to confirmation in the 2011-2012 Regulations. The Regulations also contain full details on the rules that govern the choice of any course.
EU law: In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board require students to pass 'EU law' in order to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree.
Commercial law, Company law and Intellectual property are prerequisites for Contract law.
Jurisprudence is optional for Graduate Entry Route only.

Graduate Entry Route F - Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

This scheme is intended for students who are not seeking a Qualifying Law Degree and who are studying on a part-time basis. Subject to some course selection constraints, you may choose a minimum of two courses and a maximum of four courses per year. Complete in 3-8 years.

Year 1

Common law reasoning and institutions plus 1,2 or 3 other course from the Intermediate list.

Please consult the current prospectus for further Scheme F structure.

Intermediate

Common law reasoning and institutions

[Registration with the Online Library is a requirement for successfully completing this course.]

Criminal law

Elements of the law of contract

Public law

Compulsory Finals

Land law

Law of tort

Law of trusts

Jurisprudence

Note: This course is compulsory for undergraduate Schemes only.

Students are not required to have taken an undergraduate course in Jurisprudence, but it will be assumed that they will have some familiarity with standard works in the field up to LLB standard.

Double section A/B: Modern legal theory

Double section C/D: Liberty, equality and law

Sequence: Either first.

Textbook: Ronald Dworkin, Law’s Empire new edition (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1998), ISBN: 9781841130415

Optional Finals Group 1

Administrative law

Civil and criminal procedure

Commercial law

Company law

Criminology

EU law

[EU law is a required course by the professional bodies in England and Wales for the LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree.]

Evidence

Family law

History of English law

International protection of human rights

Introduction to Islamic law

Labour law

Public international law

Optional Finals Group 2

Conflict of laws: Also known as private international law, this is the body of rules applied by the English courts to cases with a foreign element, dealing with core issues of jurisdiction, substantive decision-making and recognition of the laws of other jurisdictions. Existing case law has been developed in recent years with the statutory implementation of International Conventions and Law Commission reports – yet there are questions as yet unsettled, which increases the importance of academic writing and also gives students the chance to present their own solutions. The course covers all English domestic law.
Dissertation: The Dissertation course option offers final-year students the opportunity to undertake in-depth legal/sociolegal research. Students design their own research question – and submit a research proposal online – on a topic they have not previously (or concurrently) studied in depth. The Dissertation option will be examined a) by electronic submission of a 10,000 word Dissertation and b) a short final examination.
The Dissertation is a course in its own right and it may be used to complete the Laws
Skills Portfolio.
Intellectual property: Intellectual property is a rapidly expanding body of law that has come into increasing domestic and international prominence. Involving both artistic and scientific concerns, intellectual property underpins a wide variety of everyday activities for individual consumers – hence in turn its immense economic and industrial significance. The law of intellectual property rights seeks a difficult balance between rewarding the right owner and the needs of society to gain access to scientific, technological or cultural benefits. It includes copyright, patent and trade mark law. The course examines the range of different domestic and international legal categories involved
in regulating this form of intangible property, and pays specific attention to the ways in which English law, lacking any discrete law of unfair competition, frequently relies on ‘press-ganging’ a range of independent rights (such as confidentiality) to serve that purpose.
Succession: Who is entitled to a person’s property on their death, whether that person has made a will or dies intestate? And should there be any restrictions on whom people who make wills are allowed to leave property to when they die? These are the basic questions underpinning the law of succession, and they will affect all people who have access to some form of property, whether as inheritors or as those passing on property. The aim of this course is to explore in detail the operation of inheritance law, especially how a valid will is made, how it can be challenged, how it is administered and what happens when a person dies without leaving a valid will.

Notes:

This page is intended for use by prospective students as a guide. The structure shown above is subject to confirmation in the 2011-2012 Regulations. The Regulations also contain full details on the rules that govern the choice of any course.
EU law: In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board require students to pass 'EU law' in order to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree.
Commercial law, Company law and Intellectual property are prerequisites for Contract law.
Jurisprudence is optional for Graduate Entry Route only.

Diploma in Law

For the Diploma in Law there are four compulsory courses.

Four compulsory courses

Common law reasoning and institutions

[Registration with the Online Library is a requirement for successfully completing this course.]

Criminal law

Elements of the law of contract

Public law

And

Your teaching institution will also provide classes in study skills and, where necessary, additional English language support. You will be expected to have undertaken research exercises and made extensive use of Online Library resources.

Note:
For the Diploma in Law students must attend a recognised centre, which is listed offering this programme on the Institutions Directory. There are currently Diploma-teaching institutions in Bangladesh, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom. Your teaching institution will also provide classes in study skills and, where necessary, additional English language support.

How you study

You receive specially designed learning materials and have access to a significant array of online resources. Please note that online access is a requirement for registration to the LLB and the Diploma in Law. The cost of your materials is included in your initial and continuing registration fees.

The study materials are designed to guide you through the syllabus for each course and direct your reading of the prescribed textbooks, study packs and Online Library resources. Although all study materials are specially produced for self-directed learning, many students choose to pay for additional educational support through an independent teaching institution either full time or part time, and benefit from the more formalised support this provides. Diploma in Law students must have registered through, and be studying at, a teaching institution that has been specifically granted Diploma Teaching Status by the University of London.

You are strongly advised to apply to us and wait for confirmation that you are eligible to register before enrolling with an institution. Enrolment with an institution does not mean that a student is automatically registered with the University.

Study materials include:

Studying law. An introduction to the fundamental knowledge, skills and techniques that the study of law demands.
Subject Guides for each law course studied that take you systematically through the course topics, with instructions on reading, learning activities (with feedback) and guidance on answering sample examination questions.
Textbooks. You will receive one copy of the textbook for each of the four Intermediate/Diploma in Law courses and for the compulsory Part I courses. You will need to buy/loan some additional textbooks, so before you register for the programme we do advise you to consider the facilities available to you locally, and how accessible books are likely to be.
Statute books are provided for all courses where a statute book is permitted in the examination.
Study Packs. Key recommended readings in the subject guides are provided on CD-ROM for all the compulsory courses and selected options.
Student Handbook (first year students only) contains a wealth of specific advice and information on navigating your way through the programme and the University of London International Programmes, with key dates and contact details for further support.
Regulations. These tell you about syllabuses, programme structures, how to enter for exams, marking schemes, transfers etc, and are provided in electronic format.

Study support and online resources

Laws VLE - The password protected Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) provides a centralised location for accessing many resources. It hosts Law subject pages provided by legal academics, computer marked assessments, discussion forums and facilities for you to set up your own profile page.
Pre-course exercises - Offer a 'taster' so that you can try out the type of skills that you will be expected to develop as you work through the Laws programme
Online legal research exercises - Designed to build and enhance your ability to find primary and secondary legal materials using electronic sources, and to conduct legal research generally.
Online Library - Gives access to Justis.com, JSTOR, ABI/INFORM, Lexis® Library, Westlaw, Academic Search Complete, Business Search Premier, and Casetrack.
Induction day - A one-day induction held in London in late September each year to introduce new students to studying for the Diploma in Law and LLB. Prospective students are welcome to attend in order to find out more about the programme.
Weekend courses - There are four weekend courses held in London each year in November/December, February, March and April. Tuition is given by experienced law lecturers. These courses are intensive, with up to eight hours of lectures and tutorials each day. Each weekend covers different topics and students are encouraged to attend all four. The weekend courses concentrate on important areas of each course and new developments and recent legislation.
You will also have access to news items, Examiners' reports and past exam papers, the Student Handbook, Subject Guides, Regulations and reading lists.

What our students say

Gisela Stuart
LLB graduate, UK.
MP for Birmingham Edgbaston and Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

"Studying, revising, looking after a family and staying sane is no easy task! I was lucky; I had a tolerant and supportive spouse, children who respond to a flexible routine, and the stamina and determination needed of success. I was thrilled when I actually completed the degree: the presentation ceremony at the Barbican Centre was one of the most moving and magnificent experiences of my life. I am now MP for Birmingham Edgbaston. This is due in no small part to the skills I acquired as an International Programmes student at the University of London."

Fees

LLB and Diploma in Law fees	2012-2013

Application fee	£ 70
Initial registration fee	£ 829
Continuing registration fee	£ 340
Examination fees:
one paper, referred paper or re-sit paper	£ 229

Individual courses	2012-2013
Application fee	£ 70
composite fee per individual course	£ 436
re-sit fee for one paper	£ 229
ConvertGBP x 1

Dates for 2012/13 academic session:
The application handling fee is valid until the application closing date, 1 October 2012.
The registration fee is valid until the registration closing date, 30 November 2012.
The continuing registration fee is valid and payable between 1 August 2012 and 30 November 2012.
The examination fees apply to students entering the 2013 examinations and are payable between 30 November 2012 and the examination entry deadline date, 1 February 2013.

Please note: fees are subject to annual review. The University reserves the right to amend previously announced fees, if necessary. All fees must be paid in pounds sterling, which may be paid either by Western Union Quick Pay, a credit/ debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Electron, JCB), banker’s draft/cheque or international money/postal order, made payable to ‘The University of London’.

The fees you pay us cover the University administration costs and, when you register, for the materials you are sent as part of your introductory study package. In addition you will need to set aside money for other costs (see 'Other costs' below). For further information about different types of fees please see the Fees section of our website.

Other costs

Besides the fees payable to the University, you should budget for the cost of purchasing textbooks (this may well be in the region of £300 per year); the cost of any course or tuition you may or (for the Diploma) are required to take and the fee levied by your local examination centre to cover their costs.

Financial assistance

Students resident in the UK may be able to obtain a discretionary award to cover registration and examination fees from their local education authority to whom such inquiries should be addressed. Some employers, in both the public and the private sector, are also prepared to provide such funding. Both local education authorities and some other employers do from time to time provide financial assistance towards the cost of attending short courses.

Malaysian LLB scholarship

The University of London International Programmes and King's College London have established a scholarship which is awarded annually to an LLB student who is a citizen of Malaysia. This scholarship was awarded for the first time in 1995. Funding for the scholarship comes from the University of London International Programmes and the successful applicant enters King's College London to complete Part I and Part II of their degree.

Details of how to apply are given in the Student Handbook sent to all registered students.

Note: King's College London has asked us to point out that the award of a scholarship place is exceptional and that they cannot normally consider other applications from distance learning students wishing to transfer into the King's LLB in their second year of study. Students are asked not to contact King's College London directly in this respect or in connection with the scholarship, which will be administered by the University of London International Programmes Examinations Office.

Other Laws scholarships

The Laws Programme is currently piloting LLB scholarship schemes in Uganda and Tanzania, and Diploma in Law scholarship schemes in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. Please see Regions and countries pages for further information.

Assessment

For all courses (except the LLB final-year Dissertation option) assessment is entirely by unseen written three-hour examinations at the end of each stage of study. Examinations are held in May/June at local centres in over 190 different countries as well as in London (please see the Assessment and examinations section of our website for further details). Examinations are marked by University of London approved academics to ensure your work is assessed to the same standard as College-based students of the University.

The Laws courses are not ‘modular’: you must complete each stage of the course before proceeding to the next. That is one reason for the high reputation of our qualifications.

LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree

The LLB as a Qualifying Law Degree in England & Wales

For almost a century and a half, the University of London LLB by External study has provided a route into the world of law in many countries. The University of London LLB by External study is recognised as a Qualifying Law Degree so long as certain specific conditions are met – as outlined below.

Holding a Qualifying Law Degree fulfils the requirements of the Academic Stage of legal training and enables students to proceed to the Vocational Stage of training for legal practice in England & Wales. A number of other jurisdictions internationally also recognise the degree as at least partial fulfilment of the Academic Stage requirements.

We strongly advise you to contact the legal professional bodies in the jurisdiction where you intend to practise to find out the specific requirements, and the extent to which the University of London LLB by External study satisfies them, before you register.

In particular, please note that the LLB degree obtained through the Graduate Entry Routes is not accepted as a Qualifying Law Degree in some jurisdictions (although it is in England & Wales).

Qualifying Law Degree requirements

In order for a University of London LLB degree by External study to count as a Qualifying Law Degree in England & Wales, the following requirements must be satisfied:

The period of study must not be more than six years (whereas eight years are permitted to pass the LLB as an academic degree).
The student must have satisfied the examiners in respect of the Foundations of Legal Knowledge subject areas, which includes EU law.

The following subjects in the LLB cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge subject areas:

Common law reasoning and institutions
Public law
Elements of the law of contract
Criminal law
Law of tort
Land law
Law of trusts
EU law

The student must have passed the ‘foundation’ subjects in not more than three attempts (whereas four attempts are permitted to pass the LLB as an academic degree).
The student must have received training in legal research.
The student must have demonstrated the attainment of various skills including legal research, oral communication and IT skills through production of a satisfactory Skills portfolio. Please see ‘LLB and Diploma in Law subject outlines’ on page 30 of the full Undergraduate Laws prospectus for details.

You will be required to have undertaken legal research exercises. You will be expected to have made use of library resources, including the University’s Online Library, throughout your studies, especially for research purposes.

Decisions for students seeking a Qualifying Law Degree

Students who wish to graduate with an LLB that is a Qualifying Law Degree need to make decisions year by year. The diagram below shows what these decisions are for all the different pathways.

Scheme A	Scheme B	Graduate Entry Route A	Graduate Entry Route B
2nd or 3rd year of study	3rd or 4th year of study	2nd year of study
Register for the optional subject EU law	Register for the optional subject EU law	Register for the optional subject EU law
		Choose Laws Skills Pathway 1 or Laws Skills Pathway 2*
3rd year of study	4th year of study		3rd year of study
Choose Laws Skills Pathway 1 or Laws Skills Pathway 2*	Choose Laws Skills Pathway 1 or Laws Skills Pathway 2*		Register for the optional subject EU law
			Choose Laws Skills Pathway 1 or Laws Skills Pathway 2*

* Laws Skills Pathway 1: register for the Dissertation optional subject and complete the Laws Skills Portfolio.
Laws Skills Pathway 2: undertake a small-scale separate research project and complete the Laws Skills Portfolio.

Academic Requirements

LLB

In order to satisfy the entrance requirements for the LLB you must normally* be at least 17 years of age at the time of registration and have passes in:

either two subjects at GCE 'A' level and at least three further subjects at GCSE/GCE 'O' level at Grade C or above
or three subjects at GCE 'A' level (with one 'A' level at not less than Grade D)
or three subjects at GCE 'A' level and one further subject at GCSE/GCE 'O' level at Grade C or above
or two subjects at GCE 'A' level, plus two further subjects at GCE 'AS' level

English language requirement

The language of instruction, reading and assessment is English; success in the LLB requires a good level of English competence. Any candidates in doubt as to their abilities in written and/or oral English are strongly advised to undertake English language
courses and tests before enrolling on the programme.

The Undergraduate Laws Programme policy on English language requirements is that all applicants must:

sign a statement on their application form acknowledging that they are aware of the required English language standard; and
verify that they either have met the required standard or are undertaking examinations/proficiency tests to meet it.

Required standard

Candidates will usually be considered to meet the English language requirements on the basis that:

their first language/mother tongue is English;

or they provide satisfactory evidence showing that they have had:
substantial (minimum of 18 months) education (secondary or higher) conducted in English; or
substantial (minimum of 18 months) work experience conducted in English; or
passed acceptable examinations in English equivalent to GCSE/GCE ‘O’ Level English Language grade C (please see page 37 of the full Undergraduate Laws prospectus); or
passed, at an appropriate level, a test of proficiency in English acceptable to the University (please see page 37 of the full prospectus).

Graduate entry to the LLB

The following are eligible to apply for graduate entry:

graduates holding a full first degree from a state university in the United Kingdom or another European country or in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong SAR, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa or the Caribbean
graduates holding a full first degree from a regionally accredited institution in the USA
graduates holding a full first degree from an Indian Institute of Technology or a four-year, full-time first degree from a recognised university or a three-year, full-time first degree from a limited number of acceptable universities in India
graduates holding a four-year full-time first degree from a limited number of acceptable universities in Vietnam.

Note: Applications from students with other degrees not listed above will be considered at the discretion of the University. Professional qualifications cannot be considered for graduate entry.

Online access

Online access is now a requirement for registration to the LLB and Diploma in Law programmes. If you do not have appropriate online access you will not be able to undertake the compulsory online legal research exercises, complete the online Skills Portfolio or fulfil IT skills requirements.

Diploma in Law

To be eligible to register for the Diploma in Law you must:

normally* be aged 18 years of age or older before 1 September in the year you register with the University and
be admitted to a course of instruction at a teaching institution which has been given 'Permission to teach' the Diploma (for further details see the Institutions section of our website).

Notes:

The University of London reserves the right to request applicants to provide evidence acceptable to the University of oral and written competence in English before an offer of registration can be made.
There are many other acceptable qualifications [pdf: 6pgs, 87KB], both from the UK and overseas, which the University accepts instead of British 'O' and 'A' levels. Applicants with other qualifications not listed above and/or suitable work experience will be considered by the University on an individual basis.
If you do not satisfy the criteria for automatic acceptance we will still consider your application on an individual basis under our Special Admissions procedures. If we cannot accept you with your current qualifications and experience, we will advise you what qualifications you could take in order to become eligible in the future.
In all instances where an 'A' level examination is specified, two 'AS' level examinations can be accepted as equivalent to, and will replace, one 'A' level.
The same subject may only be offered once and at one level.
*Applications will be considered from applicants who do not meet the normal minimum age requirement for admission. Each application will be considered on an individual basis, and the decision taken at the discretion of the University of London.

Recognition of prior study

The University can recognise your prior study in one of two ways:
(a) On the basis of a completed first degree from an institution acceptable to the University for this purpose you can be given advanced standing and undertake the Graduate Entry LLB. This
means that you will only have to study nine subjects rather than 12. You must however, study all nine as you cannot be given any recognition for individual subjects previously studied
in the case of Graduate Entry.
(b) In the case of the 12 subject LLB, on the basis of an intermediate or equivalent examination of an appropriate degree at a university that is acceptable to the University for this purpose you can be given credit transfer for the credits undertaken as equivalent to the intermediate examination under Scheme A or the equivalent subjects undertaken in the first or second year under Scheme B.

The university will assess all requests for credit transfer on a case by case basis and a fee is payable. Undergraduate Laws prospectus for further details.

Academic direction - Laws - LLB

The University of London Undergraduate Laws Programme is governed academically by the six University of London Colleges with Law Schools or Departments. Collectively, they are known as the Laws Consortium. The six Colleges are: Birkbeck, King’s College London, The London School of Economics and Political Science, Queen Mary, the School of Oriental and African Studies, and UCL (University College London).

Academic leaders

Professor Jenny Hamilton

I joined the University of London International Programmes as the new Director of the Undergraduate Laws programme in January 2010.

As Director, I am primarily responsible for driving forward strategic planning and key initiatives and one of my most important responsibilities is to review and develop the quality of the student learning experience.

I lectured at the University of Strathclyde Law School, Glasgow, Scotland from 1996 to 2009. I graduated LLB at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, then obtained her LLM from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Previously, I was a qualified barrister and solicitor (Australia) and also a teacher. My current research interests are in commercial law and financial services regulation, and my main teaching areas included Commercial Law; International Economic Law and Financial Services Regulation.

Patricia McKellar

I am a Senior Lecturer (Learning & Teaching) Laws and I am part of the team involved with development and implementation of the learning, teaching and assessment strategy for the University of London Undergraduate Laws programme specifically in relation to the embedding of e-learning technologies and the development of an interactive learning environment. Working very closely with Steven Warburton, Senior Lecturer e-Learning Technologies, I have particular responsibility for guiding and supporting the college-based academic staff in implementing the strategy in their particular courses.

Dr Steven Warburton

I am a Senior Lecturer in Technology Enhanced Learning at the University of London International Programmes, working as part of the Undergraduate Laws Programme team, developing technological and pedagogical support for our legal teaching programme that attracts around 18,000 globally distributed students. I am also an Associate Research Fellow at King's Learning Institute, King's College London and a Fellow of the Centre for Distance Education at the University of London where I chair the research strategy group.

Apply online

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Alumni Inspiration LLB: Janani Wijetunge (Sri Lanka)

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Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Diploma in Law