Graduate Diploma in Law/CPE

• 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.

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 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.

This course will suit non-law graduates with a keen interest in law. You’ll be looking to develop your legal knowledge in order to enter a legal profession or for career progression. We encourage applications from those with an appreciation of the legal system and enthusiasm to learn new skills.

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.

Please complete the application process at your earliest convenience after applications have opened, usually around 1 October for the following year.

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

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

• Solicitors Regulation Authority
• The Bar Standards Board

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.

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 (4 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 2:2
• Thailand:  Thai Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5/4.0
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0
• Vietnam:  Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.

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) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in writing, speaking, listening and reading 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.

Graduates from the course are now undertaking roles such as:

• Legal Secretary
• Paralegal
• Translator
• Associate Director
• Senior Lawyer.

After completing this course, you can continue your studies on BU's Legal Practice Course (LPC). The LPC is the vocational stage of training for solicitors. If you’re interested in qualifying as a barrister, you can seek advice on the Bar Vocational Course from barristers in the law team

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
• 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.
• 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

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. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our wegbsite for information regarding financial support funds. 
• 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
• 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 optional field trips (where applicable).
• Travel costs to a 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.
• 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.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement, if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

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 £3,000 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.

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

Date
Changes to this Course

24/01/2022

Where the change was made: Hero Summary Text, Key Information & Accreditations.

Change: Removal of reference to SRA accreditation, including the removal of logo and any text.

Previous Hero Summary Text: This highly valued qualification is primarily intended for non-law graduates planning to enter the legal profession. Accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the course will prepare you for a wide range of career opportunities and further study.

Key Information: Solicitors Regulation Authority  (text removed).

Accreditation: Removal of logo.