Graduate Diploma in Law/CPE

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The Bournemouth University Graduate Diploma in Law/Common Professional Examination (GDL/CPE) is a one year course, intended primarily for non-law graduates planning to enter the legal profession.

This course is primarily aimed at non-law graduates from UK universities who are planning to enter the legal profession. If you do not have a UK or Irish undergraduate degree but do have relevant academic qualifications or significant vocational experience, you may also be eligible to join the course – contact us for more details.

Although it is fundamentally aimed at entry to the legal profession, it is a highly valued qualification in its own right and supports a wide range of career opportunities. The course is approved by the SRA.

The course offers a learning environment with focused support and attention. The course is based around a small group which means you will benefit from individual time with our academic staff. The teaching team is made up of experienced academics whose education is informed by their professional qualifications and experience and by their research and publication interests.

Key information

Next start date:

September 2020, September 2021

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

1 year full-time

Accreditations:

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Entry requirements:

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

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in each component of speaking, listening and reading. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

Accredited by:

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students.

This course covers the foundations of legal knowledge required by The Law Society and The General Council of the Bar. It has eight taught units.

You'll have the opportunity to research and write a paper on a further area of law that interests you, and that you may wish to pursue in the future.

Download the programme specification (pdf 369kb)

Core units

Legal Systems, Skills and Research: You will be introduced to the UK Legal Systems, Legal Skills and Legal Research Methods. This unit will also give you the opportunity to undertake facilitated research on an area of law not covered elsewhere on the programme and including some coverage of administrative law.
Law of Obligations 1: This unit will provide you with knowledge of the constituent elements of contract law and the relevant principles to be able to critically evaluate and apply them. You will conduct effective research, state the law and apply it coherently, relying upon appropriate sources and employing legal reasoning.
Constitutional and EU Law: You will be introduced to the fundamental principles of UK constitutional and to the past and future relationship with the European Union as a source of domestic law. This unit aims to provide you with the ability to understand and demonstrate knowledge of constitutional law and aspects of EU law, and to apply that knowledge to a range of legal scenarios.
Law of Obligations 2: This unit aims to provide an academically challenging examination of the issues in the Law of Torts and an introduction to the Law of Restitution; and to develop your ability to apply the fundamental principles of these areas of Law to a wide range of situations.
Law of Trusts and Estates: Equitable interests and trusts provide a dynamic source of private law rights, obligations and remedies. Recognised as the most important of equity’s creations, the trust concept is used prolifically in spheres such as pensions, tax, commerce and asset protection, both inter vivos and testamentary. This unit aims to provide the knowledge and understanding necessary in the recognition, creation and administration of various statutory, express and implied trusts.
Property law: You will gain an an overview of the legal classifications and concepts of property, and specifically examine the private law relating to rights, estates and interests in land in England and Wales. Upon completion, you'll be able to demonstrate knwoledge and understanding of the difference between real and personal property, basic principles of the law of equity, nature of rights, estates and interests in land/ real propoerty and how they are created, protected and defended and the relationship between the law of real property and other areas of law.
Human Rights Law: The unit contributes to your understanding of the relationship of politics and law. It also provides you with knowledge of an area of UK law which is pervasive. Sharpening your understanding of the continuing importance of the common law and expanding your awareness of the international influences on the development of UK law. It deals with important areas of overlap between law and politics and morality.
Criminal Law: You will study the core legal principles of criminal liability relating to a range of criminal offences and the substantive law of the major offences against the person and property and the partial and general defences. Given the nature of criminal practice and the immediacy of legal advice required in the early stages of investigation and prosecution, knowledge and understanding of the general foundations of criminal liability is essential.

Skipping individual units

If you've studied any of these areas of law before and want to apply to skip a unit, your application must be made with evidence before you start the course. We usually ask for transcripts, syllabus and unit specifications. We may also ask you to have a short telephone interview with the course leader.

To skip a unit, you'll need to apply to:

BU if you are considering the Legal Practice course or Solicitor route to legal qualification.
The Bar Standards Board if you are considering the BPTC or Barrister route to qualification.

The Bar Standards Board will not recognise any decisions we make about skipping units. If you are in any doubt about your future career path, you should make separate applications to the Bar Standards Board and BU

Programme specification

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.

Your application

For the Graduate Diploma in Law we are looking for applicants who:

Are non-law graduates planning on entering the legal profession
Show commitment to their studies
Have previous experience of working to strict deadlines
Have excellent research skills.

Information on the type of applicant sought

Selection methods

We’ll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at their applications. Applicants who do not meet the minimum entry criteria may be invited to interview. We would encourage you to 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 post graduate how to apply pages.

When to apply

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

The normal requirements for embarking on a postgraduate taught degree are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent
Applicants without a UK or Republic of Ireland Honours degree must either have

Equivalent overseas qualifications (involving at least 3 years full time study) or
Meet the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority/ The Bar Standards Board for entry as a mature student or
Equivalent academic or vocational qualifications that meet the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority/ The Bar Standards Board.

For further information on the entry requirements please see the following regulators' web pages:

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

International entry requirements

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:

China: 学士学位 (Bachelor degree) with a minimum of 65% overall
Nigeria: Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution in Nigeria
Thailand: Thai Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution.
Vietnam: Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of at least 7.0, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.
Turkey: Bachelor’s Degree (Lisans Diplomasi -four years) to be considered for a postgraduate course at BU.

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.

Careers

Although your degree will typically prepare you for a career in the legal profession, it is a highly valued qualification in its own right. This means it could open up a broad variety of career opportunities across a range of sectors.

Employers of BU Graduate Diploma in Law graduates include 3PB Barristers, Harold G Walker Solicitors, the Court of Justice and Spoor & Fisher, and we have alumni working across areas such as PR and finance, as well as law.

Potential job roles

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section.

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

No hidden extras

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
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement.
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
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

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:

Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Optional fieldwork travel, outdoor wear and footwear (where applicable)
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.

Repeat units

Deposits

International (non-EU) students need to pay a non-refundable £2,000 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.

Financial help available from BU

Course changes

Changes in 2019

Date	Changes to this course
31/01/2019	Where the change was made: Key information Change: This course will no longer be recruiting to the part time study route Previous text: 2 years part-time
10/06/2019	Where the change was made: Course details Change: All units updated Previous text: Legal System Process & Skills; Law of Contract; Law of Tort; Land Law; Law of Trusts; Constitutional & Administrative Law; Criminal Law; Law of the European Union; Another Area of Law

Changes in 2018

Date	Changes to this course
13/04/2018	Where the change was made: Key information and course details Change: This course will no longer be delivered at GTA University Centre, Guernsey Previous text: Location: GTA University Centre, Guernsey for part-time