Diploma in International and Commercial Law

Qualification Start dates Entry requirements Full- or Part-time Assessment
Postgraduate Diploma January An honours law degree Level of English required Full-time (9 months) 100% exam

Course outline

You may opt or be required to undertake a Diploma in International and Commercial Law. A Diploma will be awarded if you successfully pass 100 units of taught modules. After the first term of study, your performance will be reviewed and if it is of a sufficiently high standard, you will be permitted to upgrade to the LLM.

If you achieve a pass at your first attempt, you may decide that these units be credited towards the LLM in International and Commercial Law. If so, you may study a further 80 units of taught modules and if these are successfully passed, then an LLM will be awarded.

Following successful completion of the Diploma in International and Commercial Law, you should have developed a range of skills, which include:

  • A sound understanding of each of the chosen areas of law
  • Confidence in the analysis of complex case-law
  • The ability to make your argument convincingly, orally and in writing
  • The ability to take a co-operative approach to problem solving

If you achieve a pass at your first attempt, you may decide that these units be credited towards the LLM in International and Commercial Law. If so, you may study a further 80 units of taught modules and if these are successfully passed, then an LLM will be awarded.

Teaching methods

The main teaching method is by seminar. It encourages the development of clear analytical skills and creates a forum where you can test your ideas against the arguments of your peers. Whether you enter the legal profession or business world you will find it is essential to have developed persuasive abilities.

PG Diploma options are taught in the form of three hours of seminars spread over each of the teaching weeks of the course.

Diploma seminars for subjects which are also taught at LLB level take place in two hour blocks every fortnight.

In either case, you are expected to read the cases and other materials relevant to the particular seminar in advance. At the seminar you will be asked to support your opinions and discuss your analysis of the area with your fellow students. In some modules you may be expected to make a presentation on a topic given to you by your tutor. Whilst these tasks may seem daunting at the beginning of the year, you will rapidly gain confidence as your debating skills develop.

Course options

All students on the course must study Legal Research & Research Methods. In addition, subjects may choose to study a combination of the following:

  • Banking Law
  • Sale of Goods
  • Tax Havens, Money Laundering and Trust Laws
  • Commercial Law of Conflicts
  • Systems Analysis in International Law
  • Corporate Insolvency Law
  • Agency and Insurance Law
  • Law of War
  • International Medical Law and Ethics
  • Law of World Trade
  • Company Law
  • International Trade and Maritime Law
  • International Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Intellectual Property Law and the Creative Industries