Postgraduate Laws LLM

LLM, PGDip and PGCert

Available to study anywhere in the world

Our world-class, flexible Postgraduate Laws programmes are designed for UK and international students, of diverse backgrounds and educational levels, with enthusiasm to learn and achieve a postgraduate law qualification. You can study flexibly at your own pace, over a period of 1-5 years. You can achieve your LLM even without a prior degree, via three entry points, namely the Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma, and the LLM. Wherever you start, you can pick up three specialist awards with or without specialisation. For each of the three awards, you can select from 68 courses and achieve a general award, or an award from our 32 specialisations.

Make an enquiry Register your interest Join our webinar Download a prospectus

Video: Why I chose the University of London for my LLM — Hear from our graduates about why they chose the University of London’s online LLM.

Which point of entry should I choose?

You decide which level you enrol at and where to exit.

Your point of entry is determined by your entry qualifications but does not set your exit award. It is your choice to leave the programme with a PGCert, PGDip and LLM qualification - or all three! You can collect all three qualifications as you wish, provided you complete within a maximum of five years.

If you begin with the Postgraduate Certificate, you can still progress to the LLM by completing the requirements for each award and working upwards. You simply complete the additional modules necessary to achieve the next award. Please see in the table below:

Postgraduate Certificate	Postgraduate Diploma	LLM
5 modules	10 modules	16 modules from four courses

You must finish each award for which you are registered before moving on to the next, but transition is seamless and automatic.

Each course is divided into four modules (each assessed separately). Often we recommend the order to take modules to help you study the course effectively.

To complete the qualifications, you must take the following number of courses and modules within five years:

PGCert – Five modules from up to four courses.
PGDip – 10 modules from up to four courses.
Master of Laws (LLM) – 16 modules from four courses.

Progress through your awards

Once you achieve the PGCert or PGDip, you automatically progress to the next award and you simply complete the additional modules necessary to achieve the next award.

Courses available

To sit exams in October 2023
Application deadline	05 May 2023
Registration deadline	15 May 2023

The programme is offered online and is fully supported by a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You study at a time and pace that suits you (subject to course-specific deadlines) using the study materials provided, and revision forums from academic staff.

Study materials

You have access to study materials developed by academics from Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) and University College London (UCL). These include a Postgraduate Laws Handbook with practical information; Programme Regulations, Study Guides written for your chosen modules; a comprehensive skills guide; and past exam papers, examiners' commentaries and sample scripts, which give you valuable insights into how to perform well in exams.

Online support

You have access to:

The Student Portal with the University's 'Ask a Question' contact form, and an interactive student induction to prepare you for study.
A University of London email account.
The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with an induction module, a library literacy module, course materials, introductory videocasts for each course, the Director's vlog and the 'Ask Me Anything' Director's forum for academic queries.
The Student Café, where you can share perspectives with fellow students from all over the world.
The Online Library with a dedicated Law Librarian, holds thousands of journal articles which you can access free of charge. Access more than 10 legal databases, including Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw and other valued materials.
The Introduction to English Common Law MOOC, available through Coursera.
Senate House Library provides free reference access for all registered distance and flexible learning students.

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 Recognised 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.

Time commitment

You will need to spend about 120 hours on each module (or 1,920 hours for the full LLM). Approximately 40 to 50 hours per module are linked to assessment activity such self-assessment exercises found in the study guides, and preparation for taking the exam.

To complete the full LLM in two years, you will need to study for roughly 20 hours per week throughout the two years. It is up to you how you schedule your studies, depending on your work and personal commitments.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a 45-minute unseen written exam, which you can sit in May or October. You can sit your exams at any of our approved centres around the world.

You don't have to sit exams in every session. As long as you finish within your five-year registration period, you can plan your exams as you choose.

More about exams.

Entry requirements

What qualifications do you need?

For the LLM entry point, you normally need one of the following:

A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with second-class honours from the University of London.
A second-class bachelor's degree (or equivalent), where at least half the units are in law-related subjects.
A pass in the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) of England and Wales, or the Qualifying Exam of the Solicitors' Regulation Authority of England (or corresponding exams in Scotland or Northern Ireland), plus a second-class bachelor's degree (or equivalent).
The Common Professional Examination or a Graduate Diploma in Law, plus a second-class bachelor's degree (or equivalent).
You are qualified as a solicitor or barrister in England or Wales, or the equivalent elsewhere.

For the PGDip entry point, you normally need one of the following:

A second-class bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from the University of London or an acceptable institution.
A master’s degree.

For entry to the PGCert, you normally need one of the following:

A bachelor's degree from the University of London or an acceptable institution.
At least five years’ relevant work experience, such as accounting, banking, finance or insurance.

We accept a range of qualifications from around the world: see a full list for details.

Your entry point is just your starting point in the Postgraduate Laws programmes. Irrespective of your entry point, you can be awarded the PGCert, the PGDip, the LLM, or all three, provided that you complete your study within five years.

English language requirements

You need a high standard of English to study this programme. You meet our language requirements if you have achieved one of the following within the past three years:

(IELTS) International English Language Testing System - overall score of at least 6.5 and at least 6 in the written test.
(TOEFL) Test of English as a Foreign Language - overall score of 92 or above with at least 22 in the Reading and Writing sub-tests and at least 20 in the Speaking and Listening sub-tests.
Pearson Test of English (Academic) – overall score of 59 or above with at least 59 in both Reading and Writing elements and at least 54 in Speaking and Listening elements.
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English.
Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (grade C or above).
Duolingo: must achieve an overall score of at least 120.

Computer requirements

Provision on the Postgraduate Laws programmes is fully electronic. Our students are expected to have excellent internet access. However, if circumstances prevent you from accessing the internet, you can make a case to the programme director, who has discretion to offer printed copies of the basic learning materials. This is reserved for extra-ordinary circumstances and solely for the purposes of enhancing accessibility: examples include disability or imprisonment.

More about computer requirements.

If you have studied material as part of a previous qualification that is comparable in content, level and standard to our Postgraduate Laws modules, you might be exempted from the equivalent course of our degree. This process is known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Exemption. You will not need to study or be assessed in the module(s) to complete your award.

To be considered for RPL you should make a formal request within your application when applying online. Alternatively, this can be done through an online enquiry, once you have submitted your application.

Prior learning can be recognised for credit obtained from passed postgraduate modules or postgraduate qualifications.

The maximum credit carried through RPL for the:

LLM is five modules (four of which normally from the same course);
Postgraduate Diploma in Laws is three modules (normally from the same course);
Postgraduate Certificate in Laws is one module.

More about RPL and the application process

Your qualifications will need to be assessed by specialist academics on a case by case basis, before we can approve recognition and accreditation of Prior Learning. This is called discretionary RPL and involves a non-refundable application fee.

You will need to be eligible to study the programme and will need to provide the following for your RPL application to be considered: a completed RPL request form, the supporting documentary evidence (normally a transcript and syllabus of your previous studies) and the fee payable.

Note: All discretionary RPL requests must be submitted by the dates specified for the May or December intake in the year that you apply. Once submitted, we must receive all required supporting evidence by the deadline stated.

May 2023 intake
Submit RPL request by	30 April 2023
Submit supporting evidence by	11 May 2023

Further information on rules regarding RPL is covered in the Recognition of Prior Learning section of the appropriate Programme Regulations and Section 3 of the General Regulations.

Pay up-front	2022	2023
If you choose to pay up-front, this includes the registration fee and all modules fees for the LLM, PGDip or PGCert and you are protected against annual fee increases for these fees.
Total LLM (16 modules)	9818	9994
Total PG Diploma (10 modules)	6509	6628
Total PG Certificate (5 modules)	3751	3823
Pay as you go	2022	2023
With pay as you go, you pay a registration fee followed by the fee for each module when you register for it. Fees may be increased by up to 5% per year.
Registration fee	993	1018
Module fee	552	561
Individual module fees (standalone)
Individual module (taken on a standalone basis)	599	614
Extending registration per year for an individual module (taken on a standalone basis)	200	212
Additional fees (where applicable)
APL application fee	58	61
Examination resit fee	70	72
Online examination fee*	0	10
Changing a module	207	212

Disclaimer: Currency conversion tool.

*From 2023 the online examination administration fee will be charged once for each examination sitting held online, including resits.

More about programme fees.

Additional Costs

You also need to budget for exam centre fees, which are paid directly to the venues where you sit your exams.

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 Postgraduate Laws programmes provide you with many of the key attributes required by law firms – advanced, specialist legal training and the ability to work in a multinational legal environment. Our graduates regularly advance to high-level positions in a variety of sectors, including banking, financial services, financial regulation, human rights agencies, NGOs and public service.

Many professional associations and Bar Councils also accept our qualifications towards professional development quotas. For example, in England and Wales, the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority accredits our programmes (including individual modules taken on a standalone basis) towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

What do employers think of our graduates?

We advise you to explore the local recognition status before you register, even if you plan to receive support from a local teaching institution.

Academic direction for the Postgraduate Laws programmes is provided jointly by the Department of Law of Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) and the Faculty of Laws at University College London (UCL). These schools plan the structure and content, develop and write study materials, set the examination papers and mark scripts.

Dean of Postgraduate Laws

Professor Helen Xanthaki (LLB, MJur, PhD, SFHEA) specialises in legislation, legislative drafting and legislative quality. She is president of the International Association for Legislation, and works as consultant and trainer in legislative drafting for governments and international/regional organisations.

The combination of our low fees, avoidance of the considerable cost of living in London and possibility to continue earning whilst you study represents excellent value for money. In addition, there may be additional sources of support depending on where you live and how you choose to study.

Scholarships and bursaries

Up to 18 scholarships per year are available for high-performing students on the Postgraduate Laws programme. Bursaries are available for all University of London LLB alumni for their LLM, PGDip or PGCert programme fees at 30%. All applicants (including LLB alumni) residing in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Malaysia can take advantage of a 40% bursary for the LLM, PGDip or PGCert. More on LLM scholarships and bursaries.

Via Canon Collins, we offer scholarships to nationals of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

Can I get sponsored?

If you're employed, your employer may be willing to cover part/all of the programme fees if you can make a compelling case as to how this programme will boost your contribution to the workplace.

Our courses are ideal for employers because they get to retain you as an employee and benefit from your learning from the moment you begin.

How can I get sponsored by my employer?

We have a template available to help you present a case to your employer.

Employer sponsorship business case template [PDF]

Choose from 32 specialisations

If you choose to specialise, you need to study a minimum number of courses or modules within your specialist pathway. The number depends on the qualification you are working towards:

PGCert (a total of five modules) - At least four modules from one specialisation.
PGDip (a total of 10 modules) – At least eight modules from one specialisation.
LLM (a total of 16 modules from four courses) – At least three complete courses (12 modules) from one specialisation.

You can decide on any specialisation you wish to take after you register. As courses may fit into more than one specialisation, it is possible to collect a different specialisation for each of your awards.

If you complete a specialisation, this is outlined on your certificate (for example, ‘Master of Laws in the specialisation: Computer and Communications Law').

Courses usually fit into more than one specialisation, so you may be able to achieve a number of different specialist awards!

Postgraduate Laws LLM

LLM, PGDip and PGCert

Apply now

Study this programme at a teaching centre near you

Programme details