If you’re not a law graduate, or you have a law degree from outside England and Wales, this masters qualification will give you a qualifying law degree.
You’ll acquire a more in-depth knowledge of the law over a much wider range of legal subjects than is offered in the Graduate Diploma in Law. This extra depth and understanding will give you a head start in your career as a solicitor or barrister.
We’re a forward-thinking, innovative law school. Our research helps shape global policy. We do what we do to empower people, to protect people and improve people’s lives.
The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) ranks us joint tenth in the UK, with Oxford and Warwick. Ninety per cent of our research was judged world-leading or internationally excellent.
We offer a wide range of law and criminology courses. Our leading criminology courses are delivered by internationally-renowned academics within our Centre for Criminological Research; one of the four original criminological centres of excellence in the UK.
Uniquely among English Russell Group law schools, we also offer the opportunity for you to complete both the academic and vocational stages of qualifying as a solicitor in our Centre for Professional Legal Education.
Our graduates include CEOs, lawyers, partners in big corporate firms, judges and barristers. Others are solicitors, academics, politicians and policy makers or work in criminal justice or at the Home Office.
Many of our graduates become legal practitioners. But you can use your postgraduate training in different ways, including business, policy development, teaching or research. Our staff can support you in whichever path you choose, having a wealth and variety of experience across all these areas.
Your course will give you the opportunity to meet and engage with professional organisations. And our excellent careers service will support you from the outset, helping you to identify your strengths and plan your next move. At the School of Law we also have an in-house careers adviser, offering specialised advice to Legal Practice Course, Graduate Diploma in Law and other postgraduate students who wish to pursue a career in the legal profession.
Many of our academics are internationally respected for their research. Their groundbreaking work informs what we teach.
Our research groups cover a lot of ground, including criminology, commercial law and law in its international context. You’ll benefit from their expertise and that of their professional contacts. Your course will equip you with an in-depth knowledge of your chosen area of law or criminology. Our Legal Practice Course is highly regarded. It will provide you with all the skills and knowledge you need to enter the legal profession in England or Wales.
We have our own courtroom, a dedicated postgraduate computer room and quiet study space. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building so you can easily access the library’s online collections. Our students can also access our e-resources from anywhere in the world.
Choices include:
You’ll attend compulsory seminars plus optional lectures. You’ll be assessed on your essays, examinations and a dissertation.
A pathway to professional legal practice and many other career goals
• The Masters in Law is a full-time 2-year graduate-entry programme designed for graduates in a discipline other than Law.
• The MLaw delivers a Qualifying Law Degree for entry to vocational training in England & Wales and Northern Ireland.
• The degree offers the highest quality of teaching, delivered through intensive small-group weekly seminars.
• The MLaw is designed for UK non-law graduates, and for law and non-law graduates from other countries who wish to acquire a thorough grounding in Law.
• The specially devised curriculum builds on the fact that students have already benefited from a university level education by enabling them to acquire a qualifying law degree in 2 years, rather than the three years it would normally take to obtain an LLB.
The Masters in Law is an accelerated, two year, full-time postgraduate degree in law.
The Masters in Law (MLaw) is designed for graduates in a discipline other than Law who wish to obtain a Law degree for professional practice or in aid of other career goals.
The degree offers the highest quality of teaching, delivered by weekly intensive 2 hour seminars.
Particular emphasis is placed on seminar teaching, dedicated to the needs and aspirations of Masters students.
The programme is delivered through a series of taught modules and culminates in the submission of a dissertation on an original topic.
Legal Methods and Skills
European Constitutional Law
Constitutional Law in Context
European Internal Market Law
Rights and Accountability
Criminal Law
Contract Law
Torts
Equity
Land Law
Evidence
Contemporary Issues in Property Law
Dissertation
Also known as the Common Professional Exam, this is a one-year conversion course for non-law graduates or those who have a law degree from another country.
You can fast-track your way to the next stage of legal training to become either a barrister or solicitor in England or Wales.
We’re a forward-thinking, innovative law school. Our research helps shape global policy. We do what we do to empower people, to protect people and improve people’s lives.
The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) ranks us joint tenth in the UK, with Oxford and Warwick. Ninety per cent of our research was judged world-leading or internationally excellent.
We offer a wide range of law and criminology courses. Our leading criminology courses are delivered by internationally-renowned academics within our Centre for Criminological Research; one of the four original criminological centres of excellence in the UK.
Uniquely among English Russell Group law schools, we also offer the opportunity for you to complete both the academic and vocational stages of qualifying as a solicitor in our Centre for Professional Legal Education.
Our graduates include CEOs, lawyers, partners in big corporate firms, judges and barristers. Others are solicitors, academics, politicians and policy makers or work in criminal justice or at the Home Office.
Many of our graduates become legal practitioners. But you can use your postgraduate training in different ways, including business, policy development, teaching or research. Our staff can support you in whichever path you choose, having a wealth and variety of experience across all these areas.
Your course will give you the opportunity to meet and engage with professional organisations. And our excellent careers service will support you from the outset, helping you to identify your strengths and plan your next move. At the School of Law we also have an in-house careers adviser, offering specialised advice to Legal Practice Course, Graduate Diploma in Law and other postgraduate students who wish to pursue a career in the legal profession.
Many of our academics are internationally respected for their research. Their groundbreaking work informs what we teach.
Our research groups cover a lot of ground, including criminology, commercial law and law in its international context. You’ll benefit from their expertise and that of their professional contacts. Your course will equip you with an in-depth knowledge of your chosen area of law or criminology. Our Legal Practice Course is highly regarded. It will provide you with all the skills and knowledge you need to enter the legal profession in England or Wales.
We have our own courtroom, a dedicated postgraduate computer room and quiet study space. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building so you can easily access the library’s online collections. Our students can also access our e-resources from anywhere in the world.
You’ll attend seminars and be assessed by examination.
The General Law programme at Aberdeen is one of the best programmes in terms of scope and areas of interest you can choose to study at advanced level. If your first degree was in a specific area of law there is nothing preventing you from choosing another area of law completely or a complementary area. You could study environmental law areas such as oil and gas law, energy and environmental law, low carbon energy transition with further environmental regulation. If you are more interested in criminal law you could look at Criminology, the politics of human rights, humanitarian law. If you are more interested in business you might choose international law, intellectual property law, world trade organisation or for business with a creative aspect you might think about specialist in cultural property issues or law for business and arts and museums law. There are many possible mixes of these general areas of law you might want to explore. Employment possibilities are huge from this range of areas of law and include all notable areas to practise law and careers within the legal profession to welfare sectors such as employment, business, HR and finance.
Law careers
You may become a Barrister if you wish to represent people at High Court and Magistrates court to put legal argument forward for decision. You could start off as a legal executive to later qualify as a solicitor with further training or after a number of years experience you may wish to become a judge. If you want some work experience you could become a court usher. Other careers include a Paralegal. This role undertakes much of a lawyers role in drafting documents, meetings and contracts. If you decide your law degree is useful for other areas you may look at Civil Service careers, become a politician, work in the police, city, or teach.
This programme is ideal if you want to be a generalist to an advanced level rather than a specialist in a specific area of law. You develop your analysis and research skills and you have the option of wide ranging courses to choose from which stretches your intellectual thinking capabilities in a top 10 School of Law (Complete University Guide 2018)
Courses listed for the programme
Semester 1
Compulsory
Optional (4 courses 2 in Semester 1 and 2)
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
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Human Rights and Criminal Justice are both relevant if you are working internationally or with people who are international especially but human rights law probably pertains to many disciplines within law in different guises in relation to the various rights which humans have rights to enjoy. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 as a response to some of the issues within the second world war. The UK Human Rights Act was passed a lot later in 1998 to provide equality, fairness, dignity and respect. There are civil rights and political rights and each country has a different interpretation of these rights. When combined with criminal justice the emphasis is on fair treatment in relation to human rights.
The degree gives you the greatest possible chance of a range of careers as it is split between Human Rights and Criminal Justice but within this you can study oil and minerals, humanitarian law, use of force criminal law which allows you the greatest choice of careers within law, civil service, diplomacy and negotiation, policing, human rights NGOs and advocacy groups and more. The programme has a strong emphasis on law, politics and Human Rights areas such as education, health, housing and family rights. You develop unique insights that align with employment options within this area of law.
Semester 1
Optional
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
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There has always been a need for well trained lawyers in Criminal Law internationally and at Aberdeen you gain understanding of the various jurisdictions and their criminal justice systems to enable you to work internationally within the discipline. You study detailed criminal evidence and proof, issues in criminal justice, theories and law with highly respected professionals such as Professor Pete Duff who has worked at the Criminological Research Centre at Oxford and City University Hong Kong and University of the South Pacific. The programme gives you the skills and knowledge to practice back in your home country within the law. Some alumni have gone on to work at the United Nations or within human rights fields globally.
The LLM in Criminal Justice and Human Rights reflects established areas of research strength in the School of Law, and offers options which are both of international relevance and which meet the demand for studying contemporary issues in UK criminal justice and human rights at an advanced level. You study Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship and two optional courses each in Semester 1 and 2.
Graduates from Aberdeen have worked directly in the law profession in their home countries, others have been funded by the UN and have worked globally in the area of human rights.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
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*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
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It has been a huge challenge to get criminal justice systems to comply with human rights in many parts of law but particularly in applying criminal justice globally. In studying the programme at University of Aberdeen you gain real understanding about the close relationship between the two disciplines and how they inter relate. This programme will really help you within the legal profession when you practice law and provide advice in this area. You study in an international environment with over 40 different nationalities studying postgraduate law at Aberdeen. This gives you a much wider insight into experience of people from other countries and you are taught by academics with considerable experience in practicing the law. You are taught by a school which is ranked in the top 10 in the UK (The Complete University Guide 2018).
The LLM in Criminal Justice reflects established areas of research strength in the School of Law, and offers options which are both of international and/or comparative relevance and which meet the demand for studying contemporary issues in comparative criminal justice at an advanced level.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/" target="_blank">funding database via thehttps://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php " target="_blank"> programme page
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Oil and gas law gives you a wide range of knowledge to manage the affairs of international oil and gas companies within the full spectrum of law careers plus the knowledge to work within regulation and offer expertise in case law developments within the various environmental laws involved at government level. This is a specialist area of environmental law in which you study the hydrocarbon industry in terms of corporate liability and responsibility, downstream energy law, investment and arbitration law which is relevant when working with other companies on high risk exploration areas. This is an internationally relevant programme due to the nature and operations of the oil and gas industry.
Courses offered cover licensing and other methods of state control of hydrocarbon resources, commercial contracting, regulation of the oil and gas industry, principles of environmental law and maritime planning. The intention is that by the end of the programme you will have developed the analytical skills and knowledge to provide you with a firm foundation for work in this sector. The programme provides you with the opportunity to examine and critically assess key legal issues in the oil and gas sector both in the UK and in other leading jurisdictions. This programme specifically allows you to acquire a portfolio of professional skills which involve extra classes and simulated practical experience. This allows you to apply your skills directly to situations involving immediate application.
Semester 1
Optional
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/" target="_blank">funding database via the programme page and the https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php " target="_blank">latest postgraduate opportunities
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If you are interested in private law or the governance of nation states and their inter relationships with each other you get the opportunity to study a wide range of course modules within international affairs at Aberdeen, which is ranked in the top 10 UK best universities and schools to study law. You study business transactions, comparative international insolvency law, private international law, and a choice of law for business and more. You can have a wide choice of career options open to you which can include working at large influential organisations such as the Hague Conference on Private Law or European Commission and you could be looking at influencing major new areas of law in your career. You could also get involved in any regulatory process within nation states such as regulations, procedures, process, or harmonisation of law and contracts. This is a very interesting area of law which will provide a lot of job satisfaction.
Private International Law Theory and Institutions is a compulsory course designed to provide the core elements on which students can build up your knowledge. Other courses in the Programme introduce students to topical issues of practical relevance. Most of these course focus on aspects pertinent to civil and commercial operations. One of the courses is offered in the field of international family law.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
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Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.Find out about international fees:
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
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This programme offers you the opportunity to obtain an advanced qualification that is both academically rigorous and professionally beneficial. Drawing on both the civil and common-law traditions, it combines the comparative study of the modern development in key areas of private law, and also the dynamics of European harmonisation initiatives. It is particularly suited to those who have studied a range of private law subjects at undergraduate level, although it is also open to those whose undergraduate law degree has combined other specialisations.
You must complete 180 credits of study – 60 credits are taken in the compulsory dissertation and the remaining 120 credits are taken in taught courses. Your courses will be led by members of the Law School academic community.
You are expected to prepare in advance by reading the required materials and by reflecting on the issues to be discussed, and your participation in classes will be assessed.
For the dissertation you will have a supervisor from whom you can expect guidance and support, but the purpose of the dissertation is to allow you to independently design and conduct a piece of research and analysis.
Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of demand for particular courses, we may not be able to run all courses as advertised come the start of the academic year.
This programme is designed to equip students with recognised Masters-level training in European Private Law.
You will receive advanced legal training enabling you to identify and interpret problems relating to private law using tools of comparative analysis.
As well as providing training in legal research, you will gain an understanding of the main challenges for modern comparative law, including issues of European harmonisation. The programme will also enable students to progress to the PhD should they so wish.
"Having a degree from the University of Edinburgh definitely was an advantage when applying for positions." - Nathalie, LLM Graduate
This conversion course will allow you to go on to the next stage of training to qualify as a solicitor or barrister if you are a non-law graduate. As with the LLM Qualifying Law Degree, this course covers the key foundation subjects needed to complete the academic stage of your training for either profession, as required by the major professional bodies in law.
You will have the opportunity to be partnered with a mentor, a Leeds-based legal professional, who will be able to advise on your career aspirations and provide practical support to help you deepen your understanding of legal practices. You will benefit from tailored career development sessions focusing on interview skills, CV writing and networking.
You could opt to study on campus and learn through a mix of online activities, directed study and small group workshops, or you could choose the distance learning option with your course delivered entirely online.
Changes to legal education and training
Legal education and training is currently under detailed review by professional regulators in the legal sector. The review will examine the routes currently open and the qualifications required to become a solicitor or barrister, and includes a reflection on changes to and removal of existing routes, as well as the possibility of establishing new ones.
Currently, students can complete a qualifying law degree, the Graduate Diploma Law (GDL) and then the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) to become a barrister, this route will remain unchanged until summer 2017 at the earliest. The route of a qualifying law degree or GDL, and then the Legal Practice Course to qualify as a solicitor will remain in place until summer 2019.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) will announce their findings as soon as possible and their decisions will then affect the available routes to qualification as a solicitor or barrister.
For more information visit the SRA and BSB websites:
Our course is delivered by staff with significant professional expertise. You will engage in activities designed to optimise your employment prospects and enhance professionalism. All students on the course have a professional mentor - a legal practitioner in the local area who can provide practical support and advice during the period of study and provide work-based learning and career opportunities. Local law firms engage with us by teaching, leading career development sessions, acting as mentors and judging and providing prizes for a number of legal competitions.
Caroline Acton of Berwins Solicitors in Harrogate completed both the PG Dip Law and the Legal Practice Course at Leeds Law School. She says, "Throughout the course I developed vital professional skills such as interviewing and advising within legal areas."
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to proceed to the next stage of your legal training. To qualify as a solicitor, you could choose to study the Legal Practice Course (LPC) with us. If you intend to become a barrister, you could apply to take the Bar Professional Training Course.
This programme is suitable for solicitors in Scotland to enter the legal profession. It is an essential part of your training within law and it is Stage 1 (PEAT 1) of the professional training for solicitors in Scotland. At Aberdeen you gain a Diploma from a team trained and experienced in law with strong networks to ensure your training is 'fit for purpose.' Your training is complemented by presentations from law professionals and you can become involved in the various law societies which are student led clinics and projects designed to align your skills to real challenges.
The DPLP is a practical transaction- based learning programme which aims to prepare suitably qualified graduates for legal practice in Scotland. The DPLP satisfies the requirements of Professional Education and Training Stage 1 (PEAT 1) of the professional training programme for solicitors in Scotland. Completion of PEAT 1 is required for entry into the legal profession in Scotland.
If you have either an undergraduate degree or postgraduate degree in law this is an essential qualification to allow you to practice. If you want to further your studies after postgraduate level University of Aberdeen offers two very useful qualifications in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution. Depending upon where you work is based both qualifications offer very useful tools to progress and widen your work opportunities either in the UK, Scotland or internationally.
Optional Courses
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*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
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You may be interested in professional development such as:
Our Legal Practice Course (LPC) at Manchester Law School gives you the essential training you need to prepare for life as a solicitor. Our client focused LPC will give you the legal knowledge, skills and commercial understanding to thrive in today's market, placing an emphasis on simulating real-life legal scenarios.
The course is both practical and interactive, using workshops and effective teaching methods supported by online materials, to help you develop the practical and theoretical skills required for legal practice. You will learn how to think and behave like a legal professional from the outset.
Specialist LPC facilities
Recognising the challenging nature of solicitor training, the Law School offers a number of specialist facilities for the use of students on the LPC programme. Students benefit from specialist postgraduate study areas, LPC study suite and legal libraries. There is also a mock courtroom in the Law School.
Practitioner Mentor Scheme
Specifically for LPC students at Manchester Law School, this scheme helps you to establish a direct link with someone in practice who you can approach for advice and questions.
Competitive course fees
Our LPC fees are more affordable than several other providers. We offer an alumni discount to former LLB or Graduate Diploma in Law students.
Pro Bono
Manchester Law School offers excellent Pro Bono opportunities, allowing students to undertake voluntary legal work with many organisations. Our dedicated careers adviser will provide assistance initiating new links to the profession. You will also receive support with careers from your tutors and you will have the opportunity to increase your links at our many events including external speakers and local and national firms.
Award-winning Faculty environment
At Manchester Law School you will have access to an outstanding Faculty building, housing spacious study and IT zones, laptop counters, cafes and coffee shops, and free WiFi. You will benefit from highly modern facilities on our thriving campus too, at the heart of the UK’s second city.
The LPC is delivered in our purpose-built Law School by a highly experienced academic team from a variety of legal professional backgrounds. Your tuition will be delivered through a combination of methods, mainly workshops and electronic learning.
Simulating a law firm's identity, you will work through transactional case studies, which are designed to reflect realistic legal challenges and scenarios. This approach allows you to learn skills such as interviewing clients, writing letters of advice, preparing legal documents and making court appearances.
You will receive the opportunity to hone your legal skills through involvement in one of our voluntary legal work schemes that offer pro bono legal services to those in need. Manchester Law School also offers competitive work placements for successful candidates providing vital work experience.
