An extensive range of UK universities offer excellent LLM degrees which are recognised internationally for their quality and rigour.

Study this subject here:

The Business School, University of Gloucestershire

University of Surrey - Faculty of Management and Law

About Postgraduate Law study in the UK

Universities will offer research degrees (such as a PhD) and taught postgraduate degrees. LLM programmes are mainly taught degrees and they are the most common postgraduate degree in Law.

LLM programmes in most universities run across one year. Usually, students commence at the start of October, taking a number of taught modules (or subjects) in the Autumn term (October-December) and the Spring term (January-March). Examinations are held in May-June and a dissertation is then submitted in September. Some universities may allow programmes to be commenced at different times of the year but programmes generally begin in October.

Admission To LLM Programmes

To enter an LLM programme you will need a good undergraduate degree, usually equivalent to UK upper second class honours. It will not always be necessary to have a first degree in Law but it will be helpful if you have done at least some Law studies. If you have relevant work experience or have achieved particularly well in some relevant subjects then that may assist you.

If English is not your first language then you will need proof that you have good language skills. Most universities require an IELTS score 6.5 or 7 (or equivalent score on a different test).

What Should You Look For When Choosing A Programme?

With so many high quality programmes across the UK, what might you think about when choosing a programme?

The UK government’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) assesses the quality of the research in all universities. In 2001 the RAE used ratings of 1 (lowest) to 5* (highest), with ratings reflecting the degree of national and international excellence of research. The next RAE in 2009 will use a different rating system, but will still focus on the national and international excellence of research.

Research ratings are a factor to keep in mind, but there are very many UK Law Schools that produce excellent research. So, what else might you think about?

You will want to find out about the student experience. Some things will be evident from web sites but you can also contact the Law School and ask them questions about things you want to know. For instance, you may want to know, does the School or the University provide opportunities for career development? Are there events for postgraduates? What modules will be available in the year you want to study? If English is not your first language, are there language classes? How many students are in classes? How many postgraduates are studying at the School? Do students have opportunities to mix with postgraduates from other departments?

Law Schools can be very helpful, as can the International Offices of universities. The responses can give you a good sense of what it will be like to study at a particular university. You will often find that you then have someone of whom you can ask further questions later in the admissions process.

When you send an email asking questions, you may find you get more information if your questions indicate that you have looked at information on the university’s web pages. Try to ask questions that make reference to the specific programmes or events that you have read about on the web pages for the individual Law School, rather than asking a general question that could be addressed to any university. For example, if a university has a careers service then rather than ask, “Can you please tell me about career assistance?” you might say, “I see that the university’s Career Shop provides advice for all students. Can you please tell me whether any specific career assistance is provided for Law postgraduates?”

Applications and scholarships

Applications will usually be accepted throughout the year but it will be wise to apply several months in advance. Be sure to provide all the required documents as soon as you can. Documents such as transcripts of results will usually need to be originals or certified copies. Leave enough time for your application to be considered and remember that you may need to apply early for accommodation, student visas and the like.

UK universities do not have many scholarships available for taught postgraduate programmes. Where scholarships are available then you may need to apply as early as February.

Study this subject here:

The Business School, University of Gloucestershire

University of Surrey - Faculty of Management and Law

Good luck with your applications and with your studies.