LLM in Legal Practice

Semester one

Core units

• ​​The Citizen & the State: This unit is designed to develop your critical understanding of the legal relationship between citizens and the government in the UK for the purposes of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE). You will be expected to evaluate the legal system through the constitutional principles that underpin the UK democracy.
• Obligations: This unit is designed to develop your critical understanding of the core principles of contract law and the core principles of tort law for the purposes of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE). You will be expected to evaluate these legal principles and apply them to legal practice scenarios.
• Criminal Law & Practice: You will be expected to understand, apply and critique (a) the core principles of criminal law, (b) the substantive offences and defences examined on the SQE and (c) the professional practice of criminal law.

Semester two
Core units

• Civil Procedure: During this unit you will develop your critical understanding of the principles, procedures and processes involved in dispute resolution for the purposes of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE). You will evaluate these legal principles and apply them to legal practice scenarios, and demonstrate knowledge of the case management skills, costs management, claim forms, and trial bundles utilised in civil claims.
• Trusts, Wills & the Administration of the Estate: This unit is designed to develop your critical understanding of Trusts, Wills and the Administration of the Estate for the purposes of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE). You will be expected to understand, apply and critique the core principles of trust law and how these apply to the administration of estates and wills. Further to this, you will be introduced to the rules of taxation concerning the administration of estates and wills.
• Property Law & Practice: This unit is designed to develop your critical understanding of the core principles of property and planning law, including freehold & leasehold real estate law and practice, for the purposes of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE). You will be expected to evaluate these legal principles and apply them to legal practice scenarios.

Option units (choose to either complete the Dissertation OR to study all three other units)

• Dissertation (For those intending to progress to a career at the Bar): The aim of this unit is to enable you to consolidate academic knowledge, analytical and professional skills in a dissertation. You will be expected to design, research and write a research piece of academic work. The findings of your research will primarily aim to advance legal knowledge. This unit’s focus is to enhance your ability to undertake research in a law work environment, work independently, advance your critical analytical thinking and hone your writing skills.
• Legal Practice Research Project: The aim of this unit is to enable you to consolidate academic knowledge, analytical and professional skills in an extended legal research project. You will be expected to design, research and write a research piece of work with professional orientation. The findings of your research will primarily aim to advance knowledge in a professional audience. This unit’s focus is to enhance your ability to undertake research in a law work environment, work independently, advance your critical analytical thinking and hone your writing skills.
• Business Law & Practice: This unit is designed to develop your critical understanding of the legal nature of business organisations, and the relevant legal rules, procedures & applicable taxes for the purposes of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE). You will be expected to evaluate these legal principles and apply them to legal practice scenarios and understand which legal business structures are most suitable for your client’s needs.
• Legal Services, Solicitors Accounts & Ethics: This unit is designed to develop your critical understanding of the Legal Services industry, Solicitors Accounts and Ethics for the Solicitors’ Qualifying Exam (SQE). This unit also analyses the role of the solicitor in the legal profession and wider society. You will be expected to consider the impact the solicitors’ profession has on the wider world including the profession’s impact on the climate crisis and pursuit of justice. Furthermore, this unit will improve your understanding of commercial awareness.

*Please note that these option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

The entry requirements for this course are:

• A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject or equivalent

Please note students wanting to progress to a career at the Bar who do not have a UK or ROI degree must apply to the Bar Standards Board for a Certificate of Academic Standing before studying this course.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

• India: Bachelor’s degree (three years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55%  
• Nigeria:  Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:4
• China:  Chinese Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with 65% or above 
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0 
• Ghana: Bachelor's degrees from University of Ghana or Legon with a grade of 2.00 or above, or from Cape Coast with a grade 2.5 or above 
•  USA: US Bachelor’s degree (four years), with a 2.5 GPA or above  

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

• IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in all other components, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

We encourage applications from individuals with excellent research, analytical skills and enthusiasm for debates. We are looking for self-managed learners who are happy to work hard to meet the demands of this rewarding course. 

Furthermore, we seek individuals with a keen interest in developing new skills and who will draw upon their existing experiences, to enhance their legal expertise and careers prospects. 

We’ll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at their application – there are no interviews or additional selection activities. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. For more information, take a look at our postgraduate how to apply pages.

Please see our website for the application deadlines. You should apply as early as possible to be considered for your course of choice. If you require a student visa, apply for the visa as soon as you have an unconditional offer and receive your CAS. There may be delays in visa processing in your country and you need to be in Bournemouth ready to study for the start of term.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Our fees commitment means your tuition fees are fixed at the price quoted
• Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study.
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service.
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces.
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatability restrictions.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow.
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances. 
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills.
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses​​.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable). 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study. 
• SportBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full time fee.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. For September 2024 and January 2025 entry, a £5,000 deposit is required.  You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment/ There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit.

• You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
• You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

We offer a range of scholarships to eligible students who are beginning their studies at BU. Please visit our funding pages for details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.