Programme Specification 2018-2019
Programme Specification 2018-2019
Programme Specification 2018-2019
2018–2019
Laws
Contents
Important information regarding the Programme Specification............................................. 2
Programme title and name of awards .................................................................................... 3
Entrance requirements ........................................................................................................... 7
Educational aims and learning outcomes of the programmes .............................................. 8
Learning, teaching and assessment strategies ................................................................... 17
Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 18
Student support and guidance ............................................................................................. 19
Quality evaluation and enhancement .................................................................................. 19
After graduation .................................................................................................................... 20
University of London 1
Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Terminology
The following language is specific to the Undergraduate Laws:
Module: Individual units of the programme are called modules. Each module is a self-
contained, formally structured learning experience with a coherent and explicit set of learning
outcomes and assessment criteria.
• The LLB now includes three additional optional modules: Introduction to criminology
(Level 5); Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) (Level 6); and International
commercial law (Level 6). ADR is restricted to 300 students in the first year.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
• Equity and Trusts will be a Level 6 module from 1 November 2018. However, Equity
and Trusts will also be available at Level 5 in May/June 2019, October 2019,
May/June 2020 and October 2020 to those students who have already made an
attempt at Equity and Trusts at Level 5.
• From 2018-2019 a new award, the Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law, will be
offered.
• If you successfully complete the online course Law skills for graduates [LA1050] you
will be eligible for the Graduate Entry LLB.
Exit Awards
• BA in Law (unclassified) (BA)
Individual modules
There is also the provision for individual modules of the programme to be studied on a
stand-alone basis.
The awards are placed at the following Levels of the Framework for Higher Education
Qualifications (FHEQ):
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Relevant QAA subject benchmarks group
Subject benchmarks set out national expectations about standards of degrees in a range
of subject areas, as defined by the Quality Assurance Agency
The subject benchmark for Law can be found here
Awarding body
University of London
Registering body
www.london.ac.uk
University of London
Academic direction
The following member institutions contribute to the programme: Birkbeck; King’s College
London; London School of Economics and Political Science; Queen Mary, University of
London; School of Oriental and African Studies and University College London.
Mode of study
Flexible and online or locally supported study
Students studying the Certificate of Higher Education in Common Law must attend a full or
part-time course of instruction at a teaching centre recognised for these purposes by the
University.
The University of London website provides a list of local teaching centres you can study
with
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Programme structures
LLB
The LLB is offered for both Standard and Graduate Entry, as follows:
Individual modules
We offer modules from the LLB as individual modules. All individual modules require 300
notional study hours and will be examined in accordance with the requirements set out in the
module descriptor.
Exit Awards
Students who for academic or personal reasons are unable to complete the LLB may be
awarded a BA in Law, DipHE Law or CertHE Law on successful completion of ten, eight or
four modules respectively.
Exit Awards are granted at the discretion of the Board of Examiners and once a student has
accepted an Exit Award they will not be permitted to continue their study for the full award
with the University of London.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Maximum and minimum periods of registration
The maximum and minimum period of registration, from a student’s effective date of
registration, are:
Minimum Maximum
LLB Standard Entry Three years* Six years
LLB Graduate Entry Two years Six years
CertHE Common Law One year Five years
Graduate Diploma in One year Five years
Commercial Law
Individual modules One year Two years
Further information about the credit systems used by universities in the UK and Europe is
available in:
The Higher Education Credit Framework for England,
www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Academic-Credit-Framework.pdf
The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England,
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/qualifications-frameworks.pdf
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System,
http://ec.europa.eu/education/tools/ects_en.htm
Where credits are assigned to each module of a programme, credit indicates the amount of
learning carried out in terms of the notional number of study hours needed, where one credit
is equivalent to 10 notional hours of learning. The specified FHEQ credit level indicates the
depth, complexity and intellectual demand of the learning involved. The details below
indicate the UK credits and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)
values.
For the LLB, CertHE Common Law and Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law each module
has been assigned a credit value of 30 at either FHEQ Level 4, 5 or 6.
• LLB Standard Entry requires completion of 360 credits in total, equivalent to 180
ECTS credits
• LLB Graduate Entry requires completion of 270 credits in total, equivalent to 135
ECTS credits
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Entrance requirements
Applicants must submit an application in line with the procedures and deadlines set out on
the website
To be considered for registration for an undergraduate degree or Diploma of Higher
Education with the University of London, applicants must normally satisfy:
o the University of London’s general entrance requirements;
o any additional programme specific entrance requirements; and
o English language requirements.
o Programme specific entrance requirements, including those for Graduate Entry, are
set out in detail here
Qualifications:
Applicants must have passed qualifications that satisfy category G in the Qualifications for
Entrance schedule.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Where an applicant does not meet the prescribed English language proficiency requirements
but believes that they can demonstrate the requisite proficiency for admission the University
may, at its discretion, consider the application.
Internet access
Students will require regular access to a computer with an internet connection to use the
University of London’s online resources and systems.
The computer should have at least the following minimum specification:
• a web browser with Cookies and JavaScript enabled (a latest version of Firefox or
Chrome is recommended);
• a good internet connection;
And the following applications installed:
• a word processor that accepts Microsoft Word formats (.doc and .docx);
• a pdf reader.
The University of London welcomes applications from disabled students and/or those who
have access requirements. The University will make every effort to provide reasonable
adjustments to enable those with a disability, learning difficulty or access requirements to
have the same opportunity as all other students to successfully complete their studies. The
University is committed to managing the application procedure and the programme itself to
ensure that services are accessible for all students and that an inclusive environment is
created. Students with a disability, or others who may need access arrangements to assist in
taking examinations, should complete the relevant section of the application form, or contact
the Inclusive Practice Manager. A separate room or other arrangements may be considered.
Requests are considered by a University panel, whose purpose is to ensure that students
with disabilities and/or specific access requirements are neither advantaged nor
disadvantaged by such arrangements when compared with other students. These
considerations remain separate from the academic selection processes.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
• support that learning through providing a resource-rich online learning environment;
• the principal features of the legal system including familiarity with its institutions and
procedures;
• the key principles and values of a range of legal areas extending beyond the core.
• identify and use primary and secondary legal sources relevant to the topic under
study;
• identify contemporary debates and engage with these whilst accurately documenting
the law in the area.
Analysis, evaluation, critical judgement and synthesis
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Autonomy
Students will be able to:
• act independently in planning and managing their own learning and the tasks in
areas which students have studied;
• read a range of complex works within and about law and summarise arguments
accurately;
• use standard information retrieval systems to access legal information and internet
resources.
• the essential features of the legal system studied, including general familiarity with its
institutions and procedures;
• the core principles of Public law, Contract law and Criminal law.
Subject application/problem solving
Students will be able to:
• identify and apply case law and statutes relevant to the identified legal issues;
• draw on these sources to address defined and/or routine problems in a legal context.
Subject sources and research
• identify and use primary and secondary legal sources relevant to the specific topics
studied;
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Analysis, evaluation, critical judgement and synthesis
Students will be able to:
• collect and synthesise legal materials and use them in a focused and coherent
manner;
• rank identified issues and related facts in terms of their relevance and apply
knowledge gained from identified sources to analyse relatively straightforward issues;
• act independently in planning and managing tasks with guidance in the areas which
they have studied;
• the key principles and values of a range of legal areas extending beyond the
compulsory modules;
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
• identify and use primary and secondary legal sources relevant to the topic under
study;
• identify contemporary debates and engage with these whilst accurately documenting
the law in the area.
Autonomy
• act independently in planning and managing their own learning and the tasks in
areas which students have studied.
Key Skills
• read a range of complex works within and about law and summarise arguments
accurately;
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
• use standard information retrieval systems to access legal information and internet
resources;
• be open minded and have a capacity to handle ideas and scrutinise information in
critical, evaluative and analytical ways.
Exit Awards
• the essential features of the legal system studied, including general familiarity with its
institutions and procedures;
• the core principles of Public law, Contract law and Criminal law.
Subject application/problem solving
• identify and apply case law and statutes relevant to the identified legal issues;
• draw on these sources to address defined and/or routine problems in a legal context.
Subject sources and research
Students will be able to:
• identify and use primary and secondary legal sources relevant to the specific topics
studied;
• collect and synthesise legal materials and use them in a focused and coherent
manner;
• rank identified issues and related facts in terms of their relevance and apply
knowledge gained from identified sources to analyse relatively straightforward issues;
University of London 13
Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Autonomy
Students will be able to:
• act independently in planning and managing tasks with guidance in the areas which
they have studied;
• demonstrate basic competence in retrieving information from the VLE and online
library.
• the essential features of the legal system including familiarity with its institutions and
procedures;
• the key principles and values of legal areas extending beyond the core;
• identify the relevant legal issues arising from particular factual situations;
• identify and apply case law and statutes relevant to the identified legal issues;
• apply their knowledge in a logical and coherent way to address routine legal issues
arising over a range of legal areas.
Subject sources and research
Students will be able to:
• identify and use primary and secondary legal sources relevant to the topic under
study;
University of London 14
Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Analysis, evaluation, critical judgement and synthesis
Students will be able to:
• collect and synthesise legal materials and use them in a focused and coherent
manner;
• rank identified issues and related facts in terms of their relevance and apply
knowledge gained from identified sources to analyse legal issues;
• demonstrate competence in retrieving information from the VLE and online library.
• knowledge and understanding of the principal features of the legal system including
familiarity with its institutions and procedures;
• knowledge of the key principles and values of a range of legal areas extending
beyond the core;
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
• apply their knowledge so as to provide practical and reasoned advice and solutions
to particular problems over a wide range of legal areas.
Subject sources and research
Students will be able to:
• identify and use primary and secondary legal sources relevant to the topic under
study;
• identify contemporary debates and engage with these whilst accurately documenting
• act independently in planning and managing their own learning and the tasks in
areas which they have studied;
• read a range of works within and about law and to summarise their arguments
accurately;
• use standard information retrieval systems to access legal information and internet
resources.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Module guides
These are intended to guide students through the modules as well as to introduce them to
particular topics within the syllabus. Each module guide sets out the learning outcomes for
that module as well as providing advice on studying the module. This includes the essential
reading and a series of self-test activities together with sample examination questions,
designed to enable students to test their understanding. Module guides are supplemented
each year with a pre-exam update as appropriate, available on the Laws VLE.
Study packs
These are available online for some modules and include essential and further readings.
Statute books
Students will receive a statute book (where relevant) for some compulsory and optional
modules.
• laws module pages with news and updates, provided by legal academics associated
with the Undergraduate Laws;
• discussion forums where students can debate and interact with other students;
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
• computer marked assessments – multiple choice questions with feedback are
available for some modules allowing students to test their knowledge and
understanding of the key topics;
• online legal research exercises – exercises which are designed to build and enhance
their ability to find legal materials using electronic sources and to conduct legal
research more generally;
• law reports;
Assessment
The LLB, CertHE Common Law and Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law provide for
formative as well as summative assessment. Formative assessment is designed to provide
students with feedback on progress and inform development but does not contribute to the
overall mark achieved. Formative assessment is provided through online learning activities
and the online legal research exercises undertaken in the Legal system and method module
and the online course Law skills for graduates. Students may also undertake essays or
problem questions set by University of London examiners, and receive individual feedback.
Modules studied individually or as part of the LLB, CertHE Common Law or Graduate
Diploma in Commercial Law will be formally examined. Students should refer to the module
descriptors for information about the assessment methods used for each module.
All summative assessment is set and marked by academics appointed by the University of
London as Chief Examiners/Examiners, and is marked to the same standards as for
students studying in the UK at one of the colleges of the University of London. Local
teaching institutions do not participate in the setting or marking of summative assessments.
As well as ensuring that students meet the same rigorous standards as students studying at
the colleges this also ensures the security of the assessment process.
The examinations, including resits, take place in May/June and October each year. These
are held at established centres worldwide.
Individual modules
A student may choose whether or not to be formally assessed in the individual modules for
which they are registered. Students who choose to be formally assessed will be examined in
the same way as students studying for a full award.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Full details of the dates of all examinations are available on the website
• ‘How to’ guides: These guides have been created to provide students with the
relevant programme information and will provide a reference point throughout their
studies. These guides are available on the Laws VLE after registration. They include
information about the resources available and how to access them and procedures
for assessment and examinations.
• The Laws VLE: This gives access to materials (including lessons, activities and
assignments) for each module studied.
• Module guides for each module studied: These introduce and develop the topics.
• Online discussion forums: These allow students to communicate with each other.
• Past examination papers and Chief Examiner reports: These provide generic
feedback from assessment.
• Programme Regulations
• University of London library: Registered students may use some resources located
within the Senate House library.
• Employability skills module – guidance on how to manage your career in the future,
available through the Laws VLE.
• A University of London email account and web area for personal information
management.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Review and evaluation mechanisms
Procedures are in place to assure the standards of the award and the quality of the student
experience, which include programme development, delivery, management, systematic
monitoring and ongoing review and enhancement of all University of London programmes.
Improvements are made as necessary to ensure that systems remain effective and rigorous.
• Annual programme reports are produced for all programmes in order to review and
enhance the provision and to plan ahead;
• Every year independent external examiners submit reports to confirm that a
programme has been assessed properly and meets the appropriate academic
standards;
• Annual student information statistics are produced and are referenced in all
systematic reporting within the University of London;
• Periodic programme reviews are carried out every 4-6 years to review how a
programme has developed over time and to make sure that it remains current and
up-to-date.
After graduation
Further study
Successful completion of the programme may allow students to progress to a higher level
award in the subject area.
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Programme Specification 2018-2019 Laws (LLB/CertHE Common
Law/Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law/Individual modules)
Students must contact the legal professional bodies in the jurisdiction where they
intend to practise to find out the specific requirements, and the extent to which the
University of London LLB satisfies them, before registration.
A legal qualification opens the door to a variety of career paths where the skills and
knowledge acquired are highly valued. The types of organisations included are financial
institutions and accountancy firms, governmental and nongovernmental organisations, the
Police service, and teaching.
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