LLM (Part-Time)

Staffordshire Law School is recognised as one of the best Law Schools in the country. Recently awarded top marks by the Quality Assurance Agency and the Law Society as one of the best providers of Legal Education in the UK for undergraduate, postgraduate and professional awards.

Staffordshire University Law School has a strong commitment to academic development and offers a comprehensive range of legal education.

An enthusiastic team of well-qualified staff offer a depth of specialist legal knowledge and practical experience.

Extensive facilities are provided in a modern, purpose built Law School which exemplifies the University's commitment to legal education.

One of the key attributes of the LLM programme at Staffordshire University is its flexibility in terms of time, content and outcome.

Students may study either by attendance or by distance learning (International Sports Law).

Students may study on a full or part time basis.

Students may study for a general award or graduate with a specific named route.

Students may take a mixture of face to face and Distance Learning.

Students with non-law degrees may study on the LLM.

Students from non common law jurisdictions may study on the LLM.

Students may be credited for prior study.

'The LLM really worked well for me - I work full time and I could fit it around my job.  The course content is exactly what I expected with the right mix of independent study and tutorial debate; the best part of the tutorials is the discussion stemming from a pure legal topic to exploration into socio-legal and philosophical elements.  A great course and highly recommended to all - practitioners and theorists alike.'

'I enjoyed the research side of the LLB and wanted to further my legal knowledge and improve my legal research skills.  The LLM has given me the perfect opportunity to achieve this.'

'As a postgraduate course, the LLM is far more challenging than an undergraduate course.  It requires a far higher level of independent research and self motivation, but the understanding gained from this makes it well worth the effort, and the tutors are always on hand to help with any queries or difficulties.'

'Unlike undergraduate courses where the subjects are taught by the lecturers, the LLM requires students to have researched the given area and be able to discuss this information at seminars with the tutor and the rest of the group; this makes for far more interesting, in-depth discussions in seminars and as such I have gained a far deeper level of understanding.'

'My experience on the LLM has been a thoroughly positive one, made even more enjoyable by the friendly and profesional tutors and law school staff.'

The Law Masters Programme allows students to study both full time and part time, by attendance or by distance learning for the award of a general Masters degree in Law, the LLM, or to choose from a whole suite of more specific and more specialised awards with subject designators, the title of which depends upon the modules studied.

The LLM Award (delivery by attendance)

For a general award students may offer the required credits from any combination of modules available within the programme. The 15 credit single module Legal Research Methodology is compulsory for all students without postgraduate research training and makes a good introductory module for those returning to study after a gap.
In addition graduates in subjects other than Law, and Law graduates from non common-law jurisdictions, will normally be required to take part, or all, of the single module. For the award of LLM, where a dissertation is required, that dissertation may be on any legal topic. 
 
It should be noted that not all of these modules may be offered in any single semester, or indeed in any single academic year, but every effort will be made to accommodate student wishes. 
 
LLM Awards with Specific Subject Designators
To receive a specific named award the student must have studied at least 30 credits worth of taught modules in the designated subject area and their dissertation must also be in that area. Where there is the possibility of a number of named routes being available, students will be able to select the designation of their award when they submit their dissertation.

DEGREE CLASSIFICATION
Masters degrees are awarded in three classifications: pass, merit and distinction.

Academia
Many of our LLM graduates have taken the award specifically as way into further postgraduate learning, this time by research as most MPhil PhD courses require students to have already completed a masters course.
Yet others have used the qualification as a way into teaching at any level from School through FE to HE level ( it is perhaps worth mentioning that a number of our staff have themselves studied at masters level and indeed a fair number did their LLMs with us).

Business
Many of our part-time LLM students are already in employment and see the LLM as way of enhancing both their skills and their CVs. It is always gratifying, when former students contact us with news of jobs or promotions gained as a result of doing our award.

The legal profession
It may seem strange that this specifically ‘non-practice’ based award should offer any career prospects in the legal profession, but in fact it does. Given the difficulty in securing training contracts, some students undertake the LLM after their LPC in order to gain an advantage over other less qualified candidates for places. Yet others do the LLM before the LPC for the same reason.  Also a number of practitioners undertake LLM study in order to either change or enhance their current area of practical expertise. As for our international students most of those are already practising lawyers and come to the UK to enhance their knowledge and skills before returning to practice in their own countries.

International NGOs
A good number of our international students on returning to their home countries have taken up positions in one of the many international non-governmental organisations, an outcome we are particularly proud of.

For more information about LLM (Part-Time) please contact: