Programme Specification and Regulations 2011-2012 - LLB and Diploma in Law (Revised Regulations)

Table of Contents

1. Programme Specification and Regulations for the LLB, Diploma in Law and related individual courses (Revised Regulations)
2. Important information regarding the Programme Specification and Regulations booklet
3. Programme Specification
4. Detailed Regulations
   1. 1 Structures of the programmes
   2. 2 Credit transfer and accreditation of prior learning
   3. 3 Registration
   4. 4 Assessment for the programme
   5. 5 Number of attempts permitted at an examination
   6. 6 Assessment offences and penalties
   7. 7 Progression within the programme
   8. 8 Schemes of award
   9. 9 Receiving the final Diploma and Diploma Supplement
   10. 10 Fees and refunds
   11. 11 Transfer of registration
   12. 12 Students with specific access requirements
   13. 13 Complaints, suspension and termination of registration
5. Individual Course Summary
6. Detailed Regulations for the provision of individual courses
7. Annex A - Structure
8. Annex B - Syllabuses
9. Annex C - Transfers and Credits (within LLB and Diploma in Law)
10. Annex D - Scheme of Award
11. Annex E - Assessment Criteria
12. Annex F - Diploma teaching institutions
13. Glossary of terms
14. Related documents and other sources of information

1 Structures of the programmes

LLB Degree

1.1

As indicated in the Programme Specification, the LLB degree under these Regulations is offered under four schemes of examination, as follows:

• Scheme A consists of 12 courses (360 credits), examined in three parts, each of four courses.
• Scheme B consists of 12 courses (360 credits) examined in four parts, each of three courses.
• Graduate Entry Route A consists of nine courses (270 credits) examined in two parts, the first of four courses and the second of five courses.
• Graduate Entry Route B consists of nine courses (270 credits) examined in three parts, each of three courses.

1.2

A student may apply for credit and/or accreditation of prior learning for up to four Year 1 courses under Scheme A and Scheme B. Credit transfer or accreditation of prior learning is not permitted under Graduate Entry Routes A and B.

1.3

A student must attempt all the required examinations for the Scheme or Graduate Entry Route for which they are registered.

1.4 (GR)

It is a student's responsibility to ensure that their choice of courses complies with the current regulations.

1.5

Subject to satisfying the provisions in Section 7 and Annex A. a student may apply to change their choice of optional courses at any stage in their studies until they make an examination entry for the course concerned. An application to change the choice of optional course from a student who has entered the examination for the course concerned will not be considered until after the examination results for that session have been published.

1.6

A student may apply to transfer between certain Schemes and Routes, as indicated in Annex C. An application to transfer which is submitted after a student has made entry to any examination will not be considered until after the result of that examination has been published. The result of that examination will then be taken into account by the University in instances when permission to transfer is dependent on the student's examination record and/or where the student is applying to transfer between the routes or schemes of the LLB.

Students wishing to obtain a Qualifying Law Degree

1.7

In England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) require a student to meet the following requirements in order for the final LLB degree to be a Qualifying Law Degree:

• the entire course of study, including any study for which credit transfer or accreditation of prior learning has been awarded, must not exceed the following limits:

• the degree programme from which credits were transferred must have formed part of a Qualifying Law Degree and
• the student must make no more than three examination attempts at any Foundations of Legal Knowledge course and
• credits transferred in respect of the Foundations of Legal Knowledge courses and the remaining Foundations of Legal Knowledge courses taken for the degree must total at least 180 credits (90 European Credit Transfer System Credits) and
• students with an effective date of registration of 1 September 2007 or later must satisfy the requirements for demonstrating subject specific and transferable skills, as agreed between the University and the Joint Academic Stage Board, by selecting a Laws Skills Portfolioviaeither Laws Skills Pathway 1 or Laws Skills Pathway 2 and
• students are required to satisfy the examiners in EU law.

Laws Skills Portfolio

1.8

A student registered with effect from 1 September 2007 or later who wishes to obtain a Qualifying Law degree as detailed in paragraph 1.7 is required to successfully complete a Laws Skills Portfolio.

Laws Skills Pathway 1

A student takes the Laws Dissertation optional course as one of their final-year courses and, in addition, submits evidence of their dissertation research process for the Laws Skills Portfolio, along with evidence of achievement in the other skills areas.

Laws Skills Pathway 2

In addition to their final-year courses, a student undertakes a small-scale independent research project as the evidence base for the Laws Skills Portfolio, along with evidence of achievement in the other skills areas.

1.9

The Laws Dissertation optional course is available only to a student who is both in their final year of the LLB degree and who is seeking a Qualifying Law Degree, as indicated by past or concurrent registration for EU law.

1.10

Research for the Laws Skills Portfolio may be on a topic in a previously or concurrently studied law course; the topic must be one not otherwise treated in depth in the normal course of studies.

Diploma in Law

1.11

The Diploma in Law consists of four compulsory courses (120 credits in total) as follows:

• Common law reasoning and institutions (30 credits)
• Criminal Law (30 credits)
• Elements of the law of contract (30 credits)
• Public law (30 credits)

1.12

No accreditation of prior learning or credit can be awarded from any course of the Diploma.

1.13

A student may choose to take the examination for all four courses of the Diploma in Law on the same occasion, or take all the examination in two stages, each consisting of two courses.

Attendance requirements

1.14

A Diploma in Law student is required to attend a full or part-time course of instruction at a Diploma teaching institution that is recognised to teach for this purpose, and comply with the institution's attendance requirements. Attendance records are submitted by the institution to the University each year. The University may refuse permission to sit an examination to a student whose attendance is unsatisfactory, except where a student is re-sitting an examination.

1.15 (GR)

The University reserves the right not to award the Diploma in Law to, or to publish the examination results of, a student who has not regularly attended an appropriate institution and satisfactorily completed a course of instruction there.

Transfer from the Diploma in Law to the LLB degree

1.16 (GR)

A student who obtains the Diploma in Law will be considered to have satisfied the entrance requirements for the LLB and may transfer their registration to the LLB degree and receive appropriate credits.

Transfer from LLB and Diploma in Law (Old Regulations)

1.17

A student registered for the Diploma in Law or LLB degree (Old Regulations) may apply to transfer to the Diploma in Law or LLB degree (Revised Regulations) subject to the provisions set out in paragraphs 1.18 to 1.22.

1.18

A student registered under the Old Regulations for the Intermediate examination of Scheme A or the First Year examination of Scheme B or the Diploma in Law may transfer if they:

• have never made an examination entry or have made an examination entry and only received the overall result 'Not Up' or 'Not to Count';

or

• have, within the last three years and at the first attempt, passed the Intermediate examination of Scheme A or the First Year examination of Scheme B or the Diploma in Law.

1.19

A student registered under the Old Regulations for the Part I examination of Scheme A or the Second Year examination of Scheme B or a Diploma in Law student who has transferred and is registered for the Part I or the Second Year examinations of the LLB degree may only transfer if they:

• have never made an examination entry at that Part or Year or have made an examination entry and only received the overall result 'Not Up' or 'Not to Count';

and

• have, within the last three years and at the first attempt, passed the Intermediate examination of Scheme A, First Year examination of Scheme B or the Diploma in Law.

A student who has failed one subject of either the Intermediate examination of Scheme A or the Diploma in Law and who later registers for/transfers to the Second Year examination of Scheme B, having been credited with the First Year examination, is not permitted to transfer to the Revised Regulations.

1.20

A student who, within their period of registration under the Old Regulations, has transferred between Schemes and/or Graduate Entry Routes will not normally be permitted to transfer to the Revised Regulations.

1.21

A student registered for the LLB degree (Old Regulations) on Graduate Entry Route A or Graduate Entry Route B may apply to transfer if they have never made an examination entry under the Old Regulations or if they have made an examination entry at Level 1 or the First Year only and received the result 'Not Up' or 'Not to Count' at that Level or Year.

1.22

Transfers to the Revised Regulations are not permitted in any circumstances where credit for courses passed under the Old Regulations would be taken into account in the classification of the award under the Revised Regulations.

1.23

A student who is permitted to transfer to the Revised Regulations, having passed courses under the Old Regulations, will be credited with the same courses passed. A student will not be able to re-sit a course for which they have received credit.

1.24

A student who transfers from the Old Regulations to the Revised Regulations will carry their period of registration with them.

1.25

Upon transfer to the Revised Regulations, a student will continue on the same Scheme, Route or Diploma for which they were registered under the Old Regulations

1.26

A student who has transferred from the Old Regulations to the Revised Regulations will not be permitted to transfer back to the Old Regulations at a later date.

1.27

A student who has transferred from the Old Regulations to the Revised Regulations who wishes to transfer between Schemes or Routes of the LLB degree will be required to follow the rules for transfer and credit given in Annex C.

Occasional students and Supplementary subjects

1.28 (GR)

With effect from 1 September 2010, a student will no longer be able to register under Occasional students and Supplementary subjects arrangements.

1.29 (GR)

The following applies to students who have registered as Occasional students before 1 September 2010: a student may sit the examination for individual courses subject to the approval of the University and may not make more than two attempts at any course. No credit can be carried forward towards an award for any examination successfully passed under the Occasional student arrangements.

1.30 (GR)

The following applies for students registered for Supplementary subjects before 1 September 2010: examinations for Supplementary subjects can only be taken if the student has been awarded a degree or diploma offered by the University through the University of London International Programmes.

1.31 (GR)

The maximum period of registration for an Occasional student or for a student taking a Supplementary subject is four years from the effective date of registration.

1.32 (GR)

Successful Occasional students and a student taking Supplementary subjects will receive a certificate for each course they pass.

1.33 (GR)

The mark(s) obtained in any Supplementary subject(s) will not alter the classification or mark for the degree or diploma already awarded.

Individual Courses

1.34

The University offers individual courses from the LLB and Diploma in Law as non-credit bearing courses.

1.35

In order to be accepted on an individual course, an applicant must satisfy the entrance requirements.

1.36

Students may take up to two individual courses.

1.37

An applicant who has already been awarded the LLB degree or Diploma in Law as an International Programmes Student may apply to register for individual courses. The mark(s) obtained in any individual course(s) will not alter the classification or mark for the degree or diploma already awarded (see section 8 of the Detailed Regulations).

1.38

The minimum period of registration for an individual course is one year and the maximum period of registration is two years from the effective date of registration.

1.39

A certificate of achievement will be presented to students who successfully complete the assessment of an individual course.

1.40

The completion of a non-credit bearing individual course will not be taken into account for admission, or for credit, to the LLB degree or Diploma in Law or Diploma in the Common Law nor will the accumulation of passes in relevant courses count towards those awards.