Legal Foundations
LLM
Postgraduate degree
A postgraduate law course designed to support your progress towards legal qualification in England and Wales.
- Study the seven foundations of legal knowledge and prepare for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.
- Work with external partners and gain real-world legal clinic experience.
- Enhance your future employability in law-related fields.
This Master of Laws is a career-enhancing legal qualification that will position you to become a lawyer of the future. The course is designed to support you to make progress towards legal qualification in England and Wales, covering the seven foundations of legal knowledge and offering preparatory learning for Part 1 of the external Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Depending on your project module choices, you'll also have the opportunity to obtain preparatory learning and practical experience relevant to the SQE Part 2 Assessment.
Bath Spa University is designated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as an authorised SQE training provider.
What you'll learn
You'll undertake eight core modules and select one project module option, covering the seven foundations of legal knowledge and offering preparatory learning for elements of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.
The learning structure will enhance your academic and organisational skills and develop new legal skills and knowledge. You'll have the opportunity to work with external partners to support clients with a range of legal problems, or to undertake a supervised research project on a legal area of your choice.
This course includes or offers the following modules. Please check the programme document for more information on which modules are core, required or optional.
Trimester One
You'll study modules:
- Legal Systems Research and Skills
- Constitutional and EU Law
- Obligations and Dispute Resolution
- Public Law
Trimester Two
You'll study modules:
- Property Law and Practice
- Criminal Law and Practice
- Business Law and Practice
- Trusts, Wills and Estates
Trimester Three
You'll have the opportunity to choose a Legal Clinic or Legal Research Project module option. The Legal Clinic module option offers the opportunity to gain legal experience in real world client scenarios.
Students that do not wish to complete the project modules can choose to exit the course with a PgDip qualification upon successful completion of the core modules.
You'll be assessed through a range of methods including examinations, tests, reports, essays, practical skill exercises, and portfolio and dissertation writing. The core modules include formative assessments similar to that used on the SQE.
You'll be taught using a range of methods including in-person seminars and practical skill workshops, supervision, client-based interaction and digital learning.
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To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.
Opportunities
You'll get the chance to engage with a range of guest speakers and legal practice stakeholders, and you'll have the opportunity to visit the Bath Law Clinic at the beginning of the programme.
The Legal Clinic module option offers experience, learning and support that will enhance your legal practice knowledge and future employability.
The course has been designed to support you to make progress towards legal qualification in England and Wales. The course will also equip you to follow other law-related career paths.
You'll have the opportunity to compete in open competitions across a range of extracurricular activities including debating and mooting.
Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.
Facilities and resources
The course is taught at our Newton Park campus, with an option to visit Bath Law Clinic.
Fees
Student | Annual tuition fee |
---|---|
UK full time | £8,985 |
UK part time | £4,493 |
International full time | £16,625 |
Additional course costs
You may need to pay additional course costs over and above your tuition fees, for example, for specialist equipment or trips and visits. Please check the course Programme Document (linked under the main image on this page) for details of any additional costs. You can also read our Additional Course Costs Policy for further information.
Funding opportunities
Please visit our Funding pages for an overview of the funding options that may be available, including scholarships and bursaries.
Interested in applying?
We're looking for applicants with an inquiring mind, an interest in the study and practice of law and a determination to pursue a career in a law-related field.
You'll have, at minimum, a lower second-class honours UK or ROI degree (or equivalent overseas NARIC qualification), or equivalent professional experience through APL or APEL (including at least two years work experience). See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) web page to learn more.
For international students: IELTS min 6.5 (min. 5.5 in each category). There may be visa and other regulatory limitations related to the optional Legal Clinic module.
All applicants should be advised of the external character and suitability requirements in respect of future legal professional qualification.
Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.
Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.
Applicants are recommended to undertake preliminary reading around the study and practice of law in England and Wales. A good starting point is Steve Wilson, Helen Rutherford, Tony Storey, Natalie Wortley, Birju Kotecha, English Legal System (4th edition, Oxford University Press (OUP) 2020).
Course leader: Emmanuel Nartey
Email: e.nartey@bathspa.ac.uk
- Award
- LLM Legal Foundations or PGDip Legal Foundations
- School/s
- Bath Business School
- Campus or location
- Newton Park
- Course length
- One year full-time or two years part-time.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for our postgraduate courses vary. We're generally looking for a good honours degree or equivalent.
Some courses also require an interview or the submission of a portfolio of work.
Please contact our admissions team for more information: admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.