Common Law

The modules studied for the CertHE Common Law are the same as the Level 4 modules of the LLB.

Contract law

Criminal law

Legal system and method

Public law

• Download the Programme Specification
• View Programme Regulations

Recognised Teaching Centre

Contact your teaching centre to find out the application deadline:

Local Teaching Centres in your country.

Local teaching support

To study the CertHE Common Law you must enrol and study at a local teaching centre that has been approved by the university to support the programme. Your application can only be submitted via an approved teaching centre.

Study materials

We will provide you with study materials developed by academics from the Laws Consortium. These include:

• Module guides
• Statute books (for all modules where they are permitted in the examination).

Online support

When you register, we will give you access to your Student Portal. You can then access your University of London email account and other key resources:

• The Laws Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) enables access to programme resources.
• An Online Induction offering live Q&A sessions on the VLE, study skills, the Online Library and Level 4 modules.
• Discussion forums for each module, where you can share perspectives with fellow students from all over the world.
• The Online Library provides access to over 100 million academic electronic items comprising E-books, E-journals, conference proceedings, etc. In addition, students can request items which are not held in the library via the library's Inter-Library loans service with the British Library. Access more than 10 legal databases, including Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw and other valued materials.
• Senate House Library provides free reference access for all registered distance and flexible learning students.
• Tutor Feedback Activity: for a limited number of modules, you have an opportunity to receive feedback on how you are performing against the criteria applied by examiners.

Study skills

Your approved local teaching centre will also provide classes in study skills and, where necessary, additional English language support.

Study events

The Study Support Event provides you with academic guidance from a University of London-approved tutor. Usually held in November, the event focuses on the core content of the first half of each module guide. Each day includes an overview of key topics, learning activities and guidance on planning your studies. There is a separate fee to attend this event.

The Revision Event typically takes place in March and focuses on revision for your examinations. Each day includes an overview of core topics and guidance on what examiners are looking for in an examination answer. There is a separate fee to attend this event.

Student support

We are committed to delivering an exceptional student experience for all of our students, regardless of which of our programmes you are studying and whether you are studying independently or with a teaching centre.

You will have access to support through:

• The Student Advice Centre – provides support for application and Student Portal queries.
• TalkCampus – a peer support service that offers a safe and confidential way to talk about whatever is on your mind at any time of day or night.

Assessment

All modules for the CertHE Common Law are assessed entirely by written/typed examination. These are normally held in May/June and October. You can sit a maximum of two modules in the October session.

Our examinations are set and marked by academics appointed as examiners. They reflect the same standards as those who study on-campus at the University of London Law Schools.

More about examinations

What qualifications do you need?

You must be aged 18+ by the date of registration and have a place to study the CertHE Common Law at an approved local teaching centre.

Each teaching centre has its own admissions criteria to determine if you are ready to study the programme. Contact your chosen centre directly for its requirements.

English Language requirements

You need to demonstrate a good level of English to be admitted to our programmes. We accept a range of evidence, including proficiency test scores. If you don’t have evidence but believe you can meet the standard, we may consider your case.

Do I meet the language requirements?

Computer requirements

We set minimum basic computer requirements because your study resources are accessed via the Student Portal and it is vital that you can access this regularly. For this degree, you will also need Adobe Flash Player to view video material and a media player (such as VLC) to play video files.

More about computer requirements

The fees below relate to new students registering for the 2023-2024 session. These are subject to annual increases of up to 5% per annum.

Disclaimer: Currency conversion tool.

You pay as you progress rather than in a single payment.

*The online examination administration fee is charged for each examination paper held online, including resits. This does not apply to any coursework submissions. This fee will be charged at the point of exam entry and is in addition to the exam entry fee listed above.

More about programme fees.

See the Programme Regulations for more details.

Additional Costs

You may also need to budget for:

• Textbooks (could extend to around £300 per year);
• tuition costs (if you choose to study at an approved local teaching centre); and
• examination centre fees (where applicable), which are paid directly to the venues where you sit your examinations.

We accept most traditional payment methods, including debit/credit card, international money order, and Western Union.

How to pay your fees.

Please note: all student fees shown are net of any local VAT, Goods and Services Tax (GST) or any other sales tax payable by the student in their country of residence. Where the University is required to add VAT, GST or any other sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the fees shown during the payment process. For students resident in the UK, our fees are exempt from VAT.

Further information on Sales Tax.

Your payment provider may apply additional transaction fees (if in doubt, please check with them before making a payment).

Further information about fee payment options can be found in the “How to pay your fees” link above.
 

The University of London was the first to offer a degree in English Law in the 1890s, and continues to offer the security of an internationally recognised 'gold standard'.

Upon achieving the CertHE Common law, you will hold a law qualification in some of the core legal subjects that have been examined by approved University of London academics.

You may also have the option of transferring to the Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

What do employers think of our graduates?

In some countries, qualifications earned by distance and flexible learning may not be recognised by certain authorities or regulators for the purposes of public sector employment or further study. We advise you to explore the local recognition status before you register, even if you plan to receive support from a local teaching centre.

The academic direction of the LLB is provided by a Consortium of outstanding University of London Law Schools: Birkbeck, King's, LSE, Queen Mary, SOAS and UCL.

Three of these (UCL, King’s and LSE) are ranked in the top 20 worldwide for Law (QS World University Rankings 2022) and in the UK's top ten (The Complete University Guide 2023).

Without the cost of moving to London, studying for your University of London degree anywhere in the world represents excellent value for money. However, there are additional sources of support depending on where you live and how you choose to study.

UK-based students may be entitled to apply for an undergraduate Student Loan or the City’s Business School Scholarship. Equally, some of our approved local teaching centres around the world offer discounts or scholarships for the face-to-face tuition they offer. (Check with your teaching centre for details.)

More on funding your study