LLM Law

Choose six option units:

• Principles of International Law and International Organisations: This unit will provide you with a sound grounding in the principles underpinning international law. You’ll be encouraged to understand theory of international law, structures of international legal obligations and the subjects of this international legal order. Secondly, you’ll examine international organisations and their role, purpose and relationship with states. You’ll familiarise yourself with institutions, their origins and structures as well as challenges faced within the globalised world.
• Corporate Law: Theory and Practice: This unit will expose you to the theoretical basis of corporate law. You’ll examine key issues in contemporary corporate law and learn to evaluate corporate law issues from key theoretical and practical perspectives.
• Regulation and Policy of International Commerce: You’ll be introduced to key concepts of English commercial law forms and discuss several developments of the regulatory frameworks that control commercial practices.
• Information Technology Law: This unit will provide you with a thorough grounding and critical appreciation of online policy, regulatory scope for online activities and strategic impact on business decisions.
• International and Comparative Intellectual Property Law: Gain an understanding of the international framework of IP law and national IP law in major jurisdictions has become indispensable for professionals working in the context of the modern economy. This unit will provide you with a thorough grounding and critical appreciation of both international and national IP law.
• International Tax Law: The unit explores the legal frameworks governing cross-border taxation, with a primary focus on UK international tax law, to develop a critical understanding of sovereign tax jurisdiction, fiscal competition, and international legal cooperation in tax enforcement. Key areas of study include anti-avoidance and anti-evasion laws, the distinction between legal tax planning and illicit tax evasion, and the role of international institutions such as the OECD, in shaping global tax policy.
• Law of International Commercial Transactions: This unit aims to provide a comprehensive scrutiny of the transactional aspects of commercial law, such as cross-border trade and financing of international sale of goods. It provides you with an opportunity to explore how the law on this subject matter regulates the activities of buyers, sellers and banks. Furthermore, it will provide you with a basis for a technical and academic investigation of the issues in the Law of International Trade.
• International Criminal Law & Justice: You’ll be encouraged to review the law in light of developments at international criminal justice institutions, most notably the International Criminal Court, but also within the wider framework of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. You will gain an awareness and knowledge of international criminal law and procedures whilst being mindful of the demands of Realpolitikin the quest for justice.
• International Human Rights Law: This unit will help you develop a critical understanding of international human rights law, and the structures for its protection. You'll gain an understanding of the substantive content of international human rights law and a critical appreciation of the relationship between international and regional human rights law.
• International Law of the Environment: This unit will examine the particular sectors of environmental policy that are the subject of international legal regulation and obligations. This will involve an appraisal of how international legal regulation has developed in these areas, taking into account various challenges, legal and political, that have been influential in shaping their respective evolution. It will also focus on selected legal topics concerning the implementation of international environmental law. In particular, it will consider various relatively recent developments in international environmental law that have served to broaden participation beyond the level of the nation state as regards the monitoring and enforcement of international environmental protection obligations.
• Public Diplomacy and International Relations: The unit embeds the practice of diplomacy in the multi-polar international relations settings and will give you an opportunity to explore different contexts, dimensions and actors involved in both state-centred and non-state actors’ acts of diplomacy. You will explore: the historical development of the field and the international system and their links with diplomacy practice; how international relations theory can help us to understand international politics and the various positions and perspectives on current global issues; dynamics of exercising power in international relations; security policy and practice, including humanitarian and post-conflict interventions; theoretical approaches and transnational political economy perspectives on world politics. 
• International Taxation: This unit aims to provide a technically and academically challenging examination of the issues in international taxation faced by multinational corporations and individuals. You'll develop the ability to apply the fundamental principles of international taxation to a wide range of situations.
• Contemporary Issues in Intellectual Property Law: Intellectual property law requires a study of contemporary issues, brought together by a study of the substantive law in the context of emerging technologies, creative industries, businesses and market practices. It is of increasing significance in the legal profession as well as at a policy level. This unit aims to provide an understanding of the general principles of the substantive laws relating to contemporary intellectual property laws and their application within industry.
• Innovation and Branding: Substantive Law and Practice: This unit will enable you to understand the legal regimes governing Inventions, Innovation and Branding with particular focus on patents, trade marks and related rights. You will be able to apply legislation and judicial decisions to practical situations that may arise in the workplace and to use knowledge of prevailing Patents and Trade Marks law to maximum advantage.
• Political Communication and Campaigning: This unit provides an overview and critical appraisal of the academic study of political marketing, campaigning and reporting in the context of a diversified and international media environment. You will explore the historical development of political communication, by political parties, by mainstream media and via social media. 
• Social Theory and Political Communication: This unit highlights the wider theoretical underpinnings of analysis of political communication and provides an introduction to the broader contextual and conceptual basis in which political communication is conducted.  It draws on a range of social and political theory to highlight key concerns to scholars of political communication. These are framed around discussions of power, the nature of the economy and society; the role and function of democracy; the gendered nature of social and political relations; the nature and role of technology; the role of ideology and hegemony; and the public. 
• Discourse, Rhetoric and Power: This unit aims to expose the political character of social relations and practices by discovering the centrality of rhetoric and the construction of meaning in their constitution, institutionalisation, and contestation. You will develop an understanding of such insights from a variety of perspectives, as well as their implications for critical political analysis.
• Corporate Crime and Compliance: This unit will examine the theoretical basis of the law on corporate crime and its relationship with compliance. You will examine key issues in contemporary law on corporate crime and enforcement in the international context and evaluate issues in corporate crime and enforcement from key theoretical and practical perspectives.

Please note that 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. 

• Dissertation: The dissertation provides an opportunity to conduct research on an area of law associated with the knowledge and skills gained during the course. You’ll develop further skills in critical thinking, evaluate new and existing relevant research and enhance your conceptual understanding of law.

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.

We are looking for applicants who:

• Have a background in a law-related discipline or demonstrate a passion for law
• Can evaluate legal situations and contribute to group discussions and debates
• Are self-motivated and competent in managing their own study and workload.

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, and leaves 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.

A Bachelor’s Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

You should have familiarity with the law or thorough subject knowledge in a related discipline such as accounting, management or business. 

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 a minimum of 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.

Roles our graduates have gone on to include:

• Arbitrator
• Judge’s Assistant
• In house counsel
• Patent Attorney
• Senior Lawyer.

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:

• Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• 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
• 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
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances
• 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 compatibility restrictions
• 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
• 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 Student Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies​​
• Accommodation and living costs. Please visit our website for more information
• ​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
• 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.

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries 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.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. 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.