• Develop a deepened understanding of law in a variety of contexts.
• Critically engage with the major theoretical debates on the role of law in a given field.
• Display the ability to deal with different types of legal systems and laws.
• Apply critical and contextual approaches across a wide variety of subject matter.
• Develop the ability to analyse, articulate and write on the subject, by linking previous or current experience with an academic inquiry, particularly via the dissertation.

General skills

• Develop a critical thinking about the role of law in varied contexts.
• Apply critical and comparative approaches across a wide variety of issues relating to the theorisation and application of law.
• To engage with and evaluate solutions to the challenges of a globalised legal environment.

Knowledge

• Ability to command key areas of legal discourse
• Ability to command key areas of legal doctrine
• Ability to understand the working of key national and/or international socio-political structures and institutions.
• Develop expertise by linking previous or current experience with academic enquiry, particularly via the dissertation.

Thinking skills

• Ability to engage with principal theoretical currents in specific areas of law.
• Ability to engage in post-structural, post-modern and post colonial theories
• Awareness of the contribution of non-legal legal disciplines to legal study.

Subject-Based Practical skills

• Ability to use a law library
• Ability to undertake a research project
• Ability to use on-line data bases

Skills for life and work (general skills)

• Ability to communicate complex ideas
• Ability to research and to work independently
• Ability to read texts deconstructively
• Acquire skills relating to advocacy and essay/report writing in these areas.

The typical duration of this programme is one year full-time or two years part-time. It is possible to move from full-time to part-time study and vice-versa to accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic commitments. Many of our students make use of this flexibility and this may impact on the overall duration of their study period.

The teaching year is divided into two semesters of roughly equal length. A typical full-time student will study two 30 credit modules per semester and a typical part-time student will study one module per semester. Dissertation of 60 credits is undertaken on completion of the four modules- during the summer for the full time student and in the second year for the part time student.

LLM Modular is awarded to students who have accumulated 180 credits (with four modules and a dissertation). Full time students do so in one academic year while part time studies spread it over two years.

Full Time Students

Part Time Students

Note: PG diploma in Legal Studies is awarded to students who have completed 120 credits, having completed the modules but not the dissertation.

In order to gain a Postgraduate Certificate, you will need to obtain 60 credits at Level M.

In order to gain a Postgraduate Diploma, you will need to obtain 120 credits at Level M

In order to obtain a Masters, you will need to obtain 180 credits at Level M. These credits will include a 60 credit level M core module of advanced independent research.

The individual modules are delivered through lectures and seminar series involving both staff and student presentations.

• Students prepare for classroom participation through reading and analysis of distributed material, readings from the indicative reading and their own research. This process develops the knowledge base of students, their thinking and analytical skills, the practical application of theories and doctrine and significantly contributes to the development of general skills in preparation for life and work.

Apart from class contributions, Students are expected to develop their ideas through research and preparation leading to a research based essay whose title is negotiated.

• Negotiated essay titles and supervision involves one to one interaction with the tutor where the student's choice of research subject and proposed essay structure are discussed. This process develops the knowledge base of students as there is discussion of content, their critical thinking and analytical skills as students are expected to contribute original ideas, the practical application of theories and doctrines and in acquiring research methods and essay writing.

The LLM programme, in general, offers several avenues for development of knowledge, critical thinking, practical application and general skills for life and work. These include Day schools, guest seminar series and voluntary placement schemes.

In addition to the four modules, Students also undertake a long essay, the LLM thesis, which further develops the skills listed above and elaborated in the assessment criteria, below.

As the LLM programme is designed as a researched based degree, the formal assessment method for most of the modules is the evaluation of an essay, approximately 7,000 words, submitted at the end of the semester. However, the titles and structure are negotiated by the student with the tutor which contributes to the research exercise.

• The research essays develop knowledge in the chosen area while at the same time demonstrating the links with other doctrines and related subjects and the overall context.
• As the essays are expected to be based on original research by students, the assessment criteria emphasises analysis and critical appreciation (as opposed to mere narratives).
• The content of the modules and the choice of the essay titles are geared to the development of practical skills based either on practical application or appreciation of theories/doctrines or evaluation of contemporary trends and developments.
• The essay writing process is a vital skill that is central to general ability to think, articulate and build ideas and projects- essential for life and work.