2) Persons who have not attained a degree of the standard and type indicated in 1) will be accepted if they have had some practical experience in a legal or commercial environment.
3) A minimum 2:2 (Hons) non-law degree (or equivalent from a foreign institution) in which student has studied sufficient legal topics and obtained a minimum of 2:2 grades in them.
4) Persons who hold a 2:2 or better degree in which no legal subjects were studied, and who either demonstrate the necessary analytical skills, and/ or have experience in a legal or commercial environment.
5) Persons that hold Third Class LLB degrees from the University of Buckingham, may be allowed to upgrade from a Diploma in International & Commercial Law if they satisfy conditions laid down by the Director of the Programme regarding the upgrade.
Dissertation module, which is compulsory for all students, accounts for 60 units.
Taught Modules, which account for 120 units. Taught modules for all courses are assessed by various methods, including essays and or oral presentations.
Students will therefore have to select 120 units of taught Modules.
There are 15 unit Modules and 30 unit Modules. The 15 unit Modules are taught over one term and the 30 unit Modules are taught over two terms.
Students complete the research component by doing a dissertation of 15,000 words, excluding footnotes.
The Programme offers the following pathways and degrees:
Postgraduate Diploma in International & Commercial Law
LLM in International & Commercial Law (General)
LLM in International & Commercial Law (Financial Law Specialist)
LLM in International & Commercial Law (International Trade and Maritime Law Specialist)
LLM in International & Commercial Law (Corporate Law Specialist)
If a Student wishes to specialise in any of the above, they must complete 120 credits in the listed specialised Modules below, to qualify.
A student may be awarded an LLM with a designation as specialising in a certain area provided that such student has at least obtained a pass mark in modules totalling no less than 120 Units from the list of modules qualifying for such specialist designation, with a minimum of 60 Units at merit level of these Modules, and a pass mark in every other subject. A student shall be entitled to count 60 units towards such requirement provided that the LLM Course Director is satisfied that such dissertation is substantially in the specialist area. The modules, which qualify the candidate for such designation, are as follows:
LLM in International & Commercial Law (Financial Law Specialist):
• Banking Law and Fintech *
• Financial Crime, Money Laundering and Market Abuse
• Artificial Intelligence and the Law
• Corporate Law and Corporate Insolvency
• A dissertation on a suitable area of Financial Services Law
LLM in International & Commercial Law (International Trade and Maritime Law Specialist)
• International Trade and Maritime Law*
• Corporate Law and Corporate Insolvency
• Marine Insurance
• Law of World Trade
• International Intellectual Property Law
• A dissertation on a suitable area of International Trade and Maritime Law
LLM in International & Commercial Law (Corporate Law Specialist)
• Corporate Law and Corporate Insolvency *
• Financial Crime, Money Laundering and Market Abuse
• Banking Law and Fintech
• International Intellectual Property Law
• Artificial Intelligence and the Law
• A dissertation on a suitable area of Corporate Law
* Essential module for specialist pathway
The programme will be classified as per the General Regulations for Higher Degrees within the Regulation Handbook, available on the UoB website.
• To develop the critical skills necessary to analyse and evaluate complex legal problems and related issues.
• To give students an opportunity to examine and discuss specialist aspects of commercial and international law, and develop and practise a number of advanced key skills, including research skills.
• To give students the opportunity to undertake substantial independent research projects in areas of international, comparative or commercial law and enable them to evaluate their own decision making.
• To enable students to develop a co-operative approach to problem-solving through seminar discussions.
Knowledge and Understanding
On completing this programme students will acquire:• An in depth understanding of complex and specialist areas of Commercial Law, International Law, Financial and Corporate Law (depending upon what choices they make);
• An understanding of the context in which certain legal rules are developed, or applied in specialist areas of law;
• For non-UK law graduates, an in depth understanding of how the English legal system works and operates
Teaching/Learning Strategy
• Structured lectures and seminars in the taught course options chosen by the student;• The undertaking of a dissertation to gain knowledge of specific specialist area of commercial, comparative or international law. The research option will be supported by supervision of their research.
Assessment Strategy
1. Dissertation 60 credits (Compulsory Module)2. Taught Modules (120 credits) All Unit courses are assessed by various methods, including essays and or oral presentations.
Cognitive Skills
• Ability to critically identify and analyse specialist legal and related issues, and assess the validity of different arguments and concepts;• Ability to critically evaluate existing legal rules, and evaluate proposals for changes to legal rules;
• Ability to critically apply knowledge to difficult legal problems and produce well-supported conclusions based upon sound analysis of the legal principles.
Teaching/Learning Strategy
• Seminar groups• Written assignments
• Students are required to make oral presentations
• Feedback from tutors and supervisors of research
• Dissertation (compulsory)
Assessment Strategy
• Seminar groups• Written assignments
• Students are required to make presentations
• Feedback from tutors and supervisors of research
• Dissertation (compulsory)
Practical/Transferable Skills
Key Skills• To analytically apply knowledge of specialist areas of commercial, international and comparative law to complex problem situations;
• To present, in writing or orally, a concise and coherent argument based upon legal and related material, and be able to defend such arguments;
• To provide a critical evaluation of unresolved problems in commercial, international and comparative law at an advanced level.
Practical Skills
• Identify, find, use and be up-to date with primary and secondary legal resources at an advanced level;
• To act independently in planning and managing tasks, including the conduct of their own dissertations;
• To make oral presentations on complex and specialist legal issues in a concise and coherent way
• To critically engage in academic debate on commercial, international and comparative legal issues, both in writing and orally;
• To read and comprehend complex legal and related materials;
• To use advanced information
Teaching/Learning Strategy
• Structured lectures, seminars• Written assignments
• Oral presentations
• Dissertation (Compulsory)
• Feedback from tutors and research supervisors
• Students, who need to be, are instructed in the use of the main legal databases to which the university subscribes;
• Students, who need to be, are instructed in the use of the law library;
• Seminars and tutorials
• Written assignments and comments from tutors;
• Dissertations; and comments from supervisors;
Assessment Strategy
• Seminar groups• Written assignments
• Students are required to make oral presentations
• Feedback from tutors and supervisors of research
• Dissertation (compulsory).
• Relevant Subject Benchmark Statement(s)
• Other (list)
PROGRAMME STRUCTURES
LLM International and Commercial Law
PLMF1PIC / Full Time / January Entry
Winter
International Intellectual Property Law [L7/15U]
Public International Law: Issues and Contemporary Practices [L7/15U]
International and Comparative Human Rights Law (International Mechanisms) [L7/15U] (LAWPGXXXX1)
Banking Law and Fintech [L7/30U]
International Trade and Maritime Law [L7/30U]
Corporate Law and Corporate Insolvency [L7/30U]
Financial Crime, Money Laundering and Market Abuse [L7/30U] (LAWPGXXXX3)
Spring
(Continued)
Artificial Intelligence and The Law [L7/15U]
Law of World Trade [L7/15U]
Law of War [L7/15U]
Marine Insurance [L7/15U] (LAWPGXXXX2)
Banking Law and Fintech [L7/30U]
International Trade and Maritime Law [L7/30U]
Corporate Law and Corporate Insolvency [L7/30U]
Financial Crime, Money Laundering and Market Abuse [L7/30U] (LAWPGXXXX3)
(Continued)
Summer
(Continued)
Note: 1: International Students must complete a minimum of 30 units of study per term, in order to comply with Visa requirements 2: With the exception of the 60 Unit Dissertation, all other modules are electives and students can choose which ones to complete, whilst ensuring that the required amount of units equates to 120 Units in order to qualify for the LLM International and Commercial Law and except where a student wishes to obtain a specialism, in which case the required modules (as detailed in the Summary of the Programme, above) should be completed.
LLM International and Commercial Law
PLMF1PIC / Full Time / September Entry
Autumn
Winter
International Intellectual Property Law [L7/15U]
Public International Law: Issues and Contemporary Practices [L7/15U]
International and Comparative Human Rights Law (International Mechanisms) [L7/15U] (LAWPGXXXX1)
Banking Law and Fintech [L7/30U]
International Trade and Maritime Law [L7/30U]
Corporate Law and Corporate Insolvency [L7/30U]
Financial Crime, Money Laundering and Market Abuse [L7/30U] (LAWPGXXXX3)
Spring
(Continued)
Artificial Intelligence and The Law [L7/15U]
Law of World Trade [L7/15U]
Law of War [L7/15U]
Marine Insurance [L7/15U] (LAWPGXXXX2)
Banking Law and Fintech [L7/30U]
International Trade and Maritime Law [L7/30U]
Corporate Law and Corporate Insolvency [L7/30U]
Financial Crime, Money Laundering and Market Abuse [L7/30U] (LAWPGXXXX3)
(Continued)
Summer
(Continued)
Note: 1: International Students must complete a minimum of 30 units of study per term, in order to comply with Visa requirements 2: With the exception of the 60 Unit Dissertation, all other modules are electives and students can choose which ones to complete, whilst ensuring that the required amount of units equates to 120 Units in order to qualify for the LLM International and Commercial Law and except where a student wishes to obtain a specialism, in which case the required modules (as detailed in the Summary of the Programme, above) should be completed.