About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: M99017-2
- Applications: University
- Level: Postgraduate
- Department: Bristol Law School
- Campus: Frenchay
- Duration: Two years part-time, open learning.
- Delivery: Distance/open learning
- Study Abroad: No
- Programme leader: Alexandra Geal LLM
Introduction
The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) is one of a group of professional law courses offered by UWE. The course provides a focused route of study for non law graduates to enter the legal profession by allowing those who wish to qualify as barristers or solicitors to complete the academic stage of training without having to take an undergraduate law degree. The course also satisfies the requirements of Joint Academic Stage Board (JASB).
The course is primarily intended to prepare you for a successful transition onto the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), but will also be of significant value to those considering alternative career options, where an appreciation and understanding of the legal system and basic lawyerly skills would prove valuable. Additionally, the credits achieved may (along with further study) qualify you to study at Masters level.
The course is highly rated as the starting point for graduate legal study and many solicitors and barristers currently in practice have chosen the GDL route into the profession, using the knowledge they obtain in another academic field to enhance their legal skills or as a change of direction.
Find out more about studying the GDL at UWE.
Structure
Content
The part-time course is preceded by a distance learning preliminary directed study course, concentrating on English legal system and method.
The course is then structured into two teaching blocks (each of which is studied over a year) to cover the seven foundations of legal knowledge, identified by professional bodies. An independent research project enables an eighth area of legal study to be covered in-depth.
Four modules are studied each year and you are provided with a detailed study schedule to help plan your time in the periods between tuition days.
Content
All modules studied during the Graduate Diploma in Law are compulsory and represent the aspects of law that are most relevant in legal practice. These modules are divided across the two years of study, as follows:
Pre-Course Preparation:
- English Legal System - The aim of this module is to provide you with a basic understanding of the English Legal System; its concepts, institutions and procedures. In addition, you are given a basic introduction to legal terminology, legal reasoning and legal method, which you will continue to practice and develop throughout the course.
Year One (part-time):
- Public Law - At the end of this subject, you will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the workings of the UK constitution and the theoretical principles which underlie it. The significance of human rights at both the European and national level will be studied and a sound knowledge and understanding of the legal machinery for the protection of human rights will be developed.
- Obligations I (Contract Law) - This module will provide you with a sound knowledge and understanding of the concept of a contract and an appreciation of Contract Law in the Law of Obligations. This includes factors and theories which have influenced the development of Contract Law, principles governing the formation and discharge of contracts and some of the key debates surrounding the subject area.
- Obligations II (Law of Tort) - This module will enable you to understand the conceptual basis of tortious liability and to acquire a sound knowledge of the main areas of tort. You will be encouraged to draw contrasts and make comparisons with other areas of legal liability and to evaluate the law of tort as a compensation system.
- Criminal Law - This module will focus on providing you with a knowledge and understanding of the general principles of liability in criminal law, particularly the underlying policy issues which underpin criminal law and the difference between criminal law theory and criminal law in action.
Year Two (part-time):
- Equity and Trusts - This subject area covers the relationship of equity to law and enables you to understand the conceptual basis of the trust and acquire a knowledge of the main substantive areas of trust law. You will be encouraged to evaluate the present day relevance of established equitable doctrines, to appreciate the creativity of equity in developing basic equitable principles and extending their areas of application, and to gain an understanding of the principal uses of the trust in modern society.
- Property Law - This subject area draws heavily on practical problems and enables you to view these problems in a historical and social context. The methods by which a commodity or land may be held will be studied and the rights and interests a person may hold over a particular parcel of realty will be explored. It also gives a practical introduction to the transfer of title to land and rights over land.
- European Union Law - This module will provide you with a knowledge and understanding of the major components and workings of European Union law. You will also study law-making structures and processes in order to provide you with an appreciation of the pervasive nature of EU law and its effect on domestic UK law.
- Independent Research Project - You will be allocated a research task, focusing on a specific subject area, chosen by members of the teaching team, before beginning this project. The research topic will fall outside of the taught syllabi studied during the course in order to meet JASB regulations. You must then construct a 4000-5000 word response to this research topic, which will form the assessment for the module.
Teaching and learning
We recognise that a number of students have considerable demands on their time and that a part-time, flexible mode of study would be more beneficial for you. There are thirteen tuition days in each year and the assessment standard is exactly the same as on the full-time course.
During tuition days, cases and legislation will be researched and discussed, based on developments in law, which enables realism to be brought to the course and provides an insight into situations you are likely to face in your law career.
During September at the start of each year of the course, there will be an introductory, three-day, tuition session at the University. In year one you will be introduced to research methodology and given a comprehensive overview of civil and criminal court systems. In addition you will be issued with books and tutors' materials in the four subjects you will study during the year.
There are five more two-day tuition sessions between October and May. These sessions are held on Thursdays and Fridays. During these tuition days, there will be intensive seminars, lectures and workshops, and the opportunity to discuss individual problems with both personal and academic tutors.
Assessment
The assessment schedule will be made available at the start of the year. Assessment for the seven foundation subjects is a mixture of coursework (accounting for 25%) and examinations (accounting for 75%), which are held at the end of each teaching block (some subjects will be assessed 100% by examination). The Independent Research Project will be assessed through the 4000-5000 word response to your allocated research task. Mock assessments with generic and/or individual feedback will be available throughout the course to provide you with the opportunity to continuously improve your performance and monitor your progress. This may be in the form of written or verbal feedback and helps you to develop the skills and techniques to deal effectively with all forms of assessment.
Special Features
Study facilities
Bristol Law School has excellent, state-of-the-art facilities, including dedicated postgraduate study rooms and mock law courtrooms, which you can use for group or private study. The courtrooms are also equipped with the latest recording equipment to record the advocacy sessions for later analysis. Our 24-hour law library and computer rooms allow you to access a wide range of legal resources at any time of the day/night, including Hein Online, LexisNexis, Westlaw and iLaw.
Interactive support is also available 24/7 through our Simulations in Transactional Activities (SIMITA) virtual learning environment. This gives you the opportunity to acquire and practise case working skills, with the help of technology that behaves and feels exactly like that of a modern professional office.
Dedicated Support
We pride ourselves on the student experience we offer and our students are given the highest level of support both during their studies and after they have graduated. Highly experienced and supportive tutors, drawn from the academic side of law, as well as experienced practitioners, enable you to develop your knowledge quickly on the course.
Every student is allocated a personal tutor, with whom they can discuss all aspects of the course and who is available to give you one-to-one guidance on career development. There is a dedicated law careers support member of staff, as well as careers events, to help you further your career after completion of the GDL.
Pro Bono Unit
The Bristol Law School Pro Bono Unit has developed a comprehensive programme to provide opportunities for you to undertake legal Pro Bono work in and around the Bristol area. The unit (which includes its free Community Legal Advice and Representation Service (CLARS)) has also received national recognition through the various awards it has achieved.
Careers/further study
Studying for the GDL is a stepping stone in achieving a successful career as a solicitor or barrister. Many students who complete the GDL decide to go on and study the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) or Legal Practice Course (LPC) to achieve these career ambitions.
However,the GDL course alone provides you with the fundamental principles of law that may be required in other careers and is a valuable qualification, which improves your transferable skill development, particularly through the review and analysis of case law.
Entry
Entry requirements
Applicants should normally have one of the following:
- A non-law bachelor's degree, or
- A 'stale' law degree, where seven or more years have elapsed since graduation, or
- An academic or professional qualification at degree equivalent level.
If English is not your first language, you will also need to demonstrate your English Language proficiency. For example, you should have either:
- A minimum grade of 6.5 overall on the British Council International English Language Test (IELTS)
- A TOEFL score of at least 600 (written) or 250 (computer) scale.
Fees
Full details of fees for this course can be found on our postgraduate fees pages.
For funding options, please see our funding and scholarship information.
How to apply
Applications for the part-time course should be made on the UWE Postgraduate and Professional Part-time application form and returned to the University directly. Enquiries about the course should be made to bilpinfo@uwe.ac.uk
Or by post to:
Bristol Institute of Legal Practice
Bristol Law School
University of the West of England, Bristol
Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QY
Formal decisions on applications will be made from late March onwards, preceding the start of the course in September. The deadline for applications will be in mid-August.
For further information on the GDL course, please contact the CPE course administrator at:
For further information
Page last updated 14 December 2011