Showing content for section Overview
Overview
If you want to add to your existing law qualifications by specialising in an area of law that interests you, or if you’re a graduate from another subject area who's looking to develop your legal knowledge, our LLM Law degree course is the perfect next step for you.
By selecting modules and a dissertation that you’re passionate about from our wide range of options , you’ll tailor your degree to meet the needs of your career. This Master’s degree is ideal for you if you’re already practising law and you want to specialise, or if you’re considering a career in legal research or teaching.
You’ll learn from subject experts as you develop your knowledge, and study topics that could range from human rights to intellectual property law and employment law.
To study this course you may have previous work experience in law, although this isn’t required, and you should want to expand your understanding of a range of legal subjects. You’ll have strong analytical skills, alongside critical thinking skills and the ability to criticise and analyse situations.
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and international students.
Course highlights
- Choose specialist modules in an area that interests you
- Develop an in-depth understanding of legal issues and law
- Learn from subject experts
- Explore topics such as corporate governance and employment law
- Work with an external company during your final project
- Prepare for or build on your law career
Contact Information
Contact Student Recruitment CentreEntry requirements
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and international students.
September 2024 / January 2025 start
- A second-class honours degree or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications.
Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 (or equivalent) with no component score below 6.0.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English speaking country
Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees (September 2024 / January 2025 start)
- Full time: £12,000
- Part time: £4,000 per year
(including Transition Scholarship)
- Full-time: £12,000
- Part-time: £4,000 per year
- Full time: £17,900
- Part time: £5,970 per year
University of Portsmouth graduates may receive a 20% alumni tuition fee discount.
Fees are subject to annual increase. Read our tuition fees terms and conditions.
You'll be able to pay your fees in instalments. Find out how to pay your tuition fees.
Tuition fees terms and conditions
Funding your studies
Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students and our international student scholarships.
Loans, scholarships and bursaries
Browse funding such as the Government Postgraduate Loan, our scholarships for new and returning students, and subject specific loans.
Funding for international students
Learn more about sponsorships, scholarships and loans for students applying from outside of the UK.
Financial support for disabled postgraduate students
Explore financial support for students who have disabilities or dependents during their studies.
Additional costs
These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees, so you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending. Additional costs could include:
- Accommodation: Accommodation options and costs can be found on our accommodation pages.
- Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
- General costs: Such as photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
- Final project transport or accommodation: where necessary, which related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Read more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
Modules
What you'll study
Optional modules
Students will be expected to identify the relevant legal and governance issues and provide advice to the company's directors on the application of the law. Students will identify possible breaches of legal rules and governance principles and explain the likely remedies or punishments.
Students will also learn how to engage in independent research as well as produce a legal dissertation which subjects a specific legal area(s) of their choice to in-depth investigation and critical analysis. The module will be assessed by virtue of submission of a dissertation. The learning and teaching strategy for this module will focus on preparing students to carry out independent research in order to compose a dissertation under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor. Students will be invited to attend a series of research methods sessions designed to prepare them for the task of researching and writing the proposal and dissertation. Students will be required to select a topic appropriate to their LLM pathway.
Learning is designed around the full experience and utilization of the learning cycle and other traditional theories and practices.
The student will construct a learning contract in conjunction with an academic supervisor and an appropriate work place advisor. The contract is designed to encourage the student to actively manage their own learning processes by reflecting on past experience, identifying learning needs, planning development activities and reflecting on the development process.
It is assessed by a single piece of coursework.
This module considers the legal principles that underpin data protection law and policy, and examines their application in relation to a number of salient fields (e.g. artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, automated decision-making, social media). It aims to equip students with knowledge and understanding of these principles in order to provide advice to fictional clients.
This module will introduce students to the approaches, rules, and maxims of statutory interpretation. What do words mean? How do they acquire meaning? What rules/methods should one apply to identify meanings of words in statutes? Students will learn both about general approaches to interpretation and applications in specific fields including human rights statutes, criminal law statutes, and tax statutes. Besides, students will have the opportunity to apply these principles and rules in a comparative context. The module's assessments are designed to test students' understanding of the general concepts and their ability to apply rules and maxims to cases.
This module introduces students to principles of statutory interpretation in a comparative context. The use of international examples lends a global character to the module. Students work both individually and in groups to complete activities in class. The module is taught using the Socratic Method. It invites students to improve their communication, especially their speaking and writing skills. But it also offer opportunities to engage creatively with with the content. For example, we use Legos in class to build models and apply statutory principles and maxims to interpret them.
Disputes arising out of international business transactions such as sales, agencies, distributorships, licensing, franchising, foreign investment, intellectual property, banking and finance, insurance, maritime and electronic transactions, and building and construction matters are usually settled by international arbitration. With the recent movement towards globalization and liberalization of international trade and commerce, methods of settlement of international commercial disputes remain a matter of great interest to the international business community. Recent years have witnessed an upsurge in new arbitrations laws and rules nationally and internationally. The knowledge of international commercial and investment arbitration is thus very crucial for any international business and investment lawyer in the modern-day world. The course will teach the concept of alternative dispute resolution with special focus on international commercial and investment arbitration, theories of international arbitration and its various important practical aspects.
The course will focus on a range of topics such as ad hoc and institutional arbitration, their jurisdiction and applicable procedural laws, substantive laws applicable to disputes, the nature and role of arbitration agreements, the conduct of the arbitral proceedings, the legal relationship between courts and the arbitral tribunal, public policy relevant to arbitration, the arbitral award, challenges to the award, and recognition and enforcement of awards. Although these aspects will be examined in light of international arbitration law and practice, references will be made to various important national arbitration laws and practices wherever relevant. The teaching approach will be to combine a substantive legal understanding of the topics together with a practitioner's perspective. The use of technology in international arbitration as it stands today will also be explored.
It will introduce students to the core principles of international family law, examining both the institutional framework and the core issues that fuel current legal and political debates triggered by the globalisation of family life. The syllabus is intended to offer a general overview of the international and regional systems of international family law. Students will be introduced to the two main sources of international legal principles governing this area international human rights law and private international law. From there it will proceed to examine the formation and dissolution of adult relationships involving a cross border element, including the rules governing international marriages and financial support on separation. It will then address aspects of issues relating to children, including children's rights, recognition of parental responsibility and the international movement of children.
Reference will be made to what intellectual property actually is as well as how it is protected internationally via the diverse range of multilateral and bilateral IP agreements (treaties and conventions) currently and historically in place along with the organisations with responsibility for oversight of them (e.g. WIPO and WTO). All the major intellectual property rights will be identified, discuss and critically examined. These intellectual property rights will include, patents, trademarks, copyright, design rights and geographical indications. Reference will also be made to the impact of technology on how intellectual property is currently protected and in the future; specifically the impact of the Internet and artificial intelligence will be examined.
You'll explore categorisations of law and the English system's sources and administration, and relate these principles to business settings. You'll tackle scenarios by applying laws correctly to develop your analytical and practical skills, and build core expertise for your legal studies.
When you finish this module you'll understand key proficiencies for communicating legal positions so you're prepared for your legal journey.
Students will appraise the theoretical underpinning of the tools,concepts and techniques on which the recommendations are based in order to discriminate between sense-making devices and empirically based theories. Students will explore a range of perspectives in strategic management to provide an open-minded view of the subject area in order to develop a good basis for decision making.
In addition, it will relate this to technological developments and their implications on the law.
Students will be given directed reading and set tasks which will require them to investigate the subject and conduct advanced research. Research and investigation is a key component of the teaching strategy. The set tasks (which will include group tasks) will be discussed and further explored in the seminars.
The first part of the syllabus will examine the theoretical and philosophical foundations of human rights, as well as the relevant institutional and normative framework on the international and European levels.
The second part of the syllabus will focus on the consideration of substantive rights, exploring how these are protected within the ECHR system. In this regard, particular emphasis will be given on seminal judgments and decisions that interpret the provisions of the relevant instruments and are responsible for 'translating' human rights into justiciable claims. Using these interpretations as a frame of reference, the lectures will aim to critically assess the consistency, coherence and effectiveness of judicial protection of rights in Europe. In doing so, traditional and radical arguments on the state obligations stemming from the prohibition of torture, the freedom of religion and the right to non-discrimination / equal treatment will be tested against the backdrop of recent cases. Apart from the obvious legal dimension, the moral and political dilemmas that emerge form the backbone of the analysis of these rights, leading to an attempt to imagine a holistic theory of human rights that would be suitable for Europe in the midst of current crises.
However, where markets may not work as expected, because of business or government practices that harm consumers, other businesses, or the very fabric of economic life, competition law intervenes in order to ensure efficiency, welfare, fairness, economic freedom and protection of competitors.
This module is designed to develop an understanding of both the core economic concepts of competition, and the substantive and procedural aspects of competition law, in particular of the European Union and the United Kingdom. Classes will give students a basic understanding of the economics of competition law and the importance of market competition. They will investigate the means by which competition laws tackle such problems as cartels and anti-competitive agreements among undertakings, monopolies and the abuse of dominant positions, vertical restraints, merger control and state aid. Broader issues- such as the challenges of competition law enforcement in the international context-will also be reviewed. Seminars will be built around the legal provisions and case law on the subject matter and using that knowledge, students will learn how to apply the concepts so acquired to individual problems and case scenarios. Specifically, seminars will involve students in an assessment of a) the principal mechanisms by which EU and UK law seek to control collusive and anticompetitive practices between firms, b) cartels, c) abusive pricing and non-pricing practices that powerful firms in a market can adopt, d) the merger control required before mergers and acquisitions take place, e) the vertical agreements between firms upstream and downstream from one another in the supply chain, such as agency, franchising and distribution agreements and f) damages that citizens and companies can seek when they are victims of infringements of the competition laws.
It will introduce students to the core principles of international family law, examining both the institutional framework and the core issues that fuel current legal and political debates triggered by the globalisation of family life. The syllabus is intended to offer a general overview of the international and regional systems of international family law. Students will be introduced to the two main sources of international legal principles governing this area international human rights law and private international law. From there it will proceed to examine the formation and dissolution of adult relationships involving a cross border element, including the rules governing international marriages and financial support on separation. It will then address aspects of issues relating to children, including children's rights, recognition of parental responsibility and the international movement of children.
You'll explore categorisations of law and the English system's sources and administration, and relate these principles to business settings. You'll tackle scenarios by applying laws correctly to develop your analytical and practical skills, and build core expertise for your legal studies.
When you finish this module you'll understand key proficiencies for communicating legal positions so you're prepared for your legal journey.
The module will specifically explore the evolution of the attitude of English judiciary towards ADR as well as highlight latest international developments in this area. Furthermore, the students will get comprehensive understanding of relevant principles, theories, strategies and tactics used at various stages in mediation and negotiation processes. In addition to this, students will be able to test their acquired knowledge in practice by participating in a number simulated negotiation and mediation sessions.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
How you'll spend your time on this LLM Law course
We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.
We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to be on campus and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change. You should receive your full timetable several weeks before you start with us.
It is our expectation that all international students will join us here on campus in Portsmouth.
Course structure
This Master's degree will take:
- 12 months full-time
You can expect:
- 2-3 days on campus per week during the University term
- Some online learning activities, including pre-recorded lectures
Teaching
Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.
You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate degree, but the majority of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face.
Assessment
You'll be assessed through a variety of means, including:
- coursework
- reports
- reflective essays
- exams
Full details of assessment can be found in the modules in the 'What you'll study' section.
Term dates
September start
The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project / dissertation.
January start
Courses that start in January have the same amount of teaching as September-start courses, but they normally run over a longer time period.
January-start courses normally run between 14–18 months, beginning in January and ending in the spring / summer of the following year. There are breaks at Christmas, Easter and in the summer. In the last few months you’ll be writing your project / dissertation.
Career development
Careers this Master’s prepares you for
During this LLM Law Master's you'll develop your law knowledge and research skills, and have the opportunity to work with an external company on your final project.
Career planning
During your course you'll have expert career support from our Careers and Employability Centre, your tutors and our Business and Law Career-Ready Programme. This support will continue for 5 years after you graduate.
Career support
You'll benefit from:
- Networking events
- Regular emails from the Career Ready Programme sharing job opportunities, application tips and events
- Applied projects with companies such as IBM, Boeing and Hampshire County Council
- Workshops to enhance your employability skills
- Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair
- 1-to-1 appointments
- CV and cover letter advice
- Interview preparation and practice
- Support starting your own business
Supporting you
Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.
As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.
In addition to the support you get from your personal tutor, you'll also have access to our student engagement officers. They can give you confidential, impartial advice on anything to do with your studies and personal wellbeing, and refer you to specialist support services if you need extra help or support.
The Maths Cafe offers free advice and help with maths skills in a friendly, informal environment. You can come to our daily drop-in sessions, develop your maths skills at a workshop, or use our online resources.
You'll have help from a team of study support tutors. Based within the Faculty of Business and Law, these tutors are familiar with the specific requirements your assignments and work closely with faculty academics. This means they can give you focused support with the specific study skills you need to be successful on your course. They're available face-to-face, by phone, email, and by video call.
They can help with:
- academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations, projects and literature reviews)
- reflective writing skills
- critical thinking skills
- delivering presentations (including observing and filming presentations)
- understanding and using assignment feedback
- managing your time and workload
- revision and exam techniques
If you're a mature student, specialist support to help you return to learning is available.
As well as support from faculty staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University's Academic Skills Unit (ASK).
ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:
- academic writing
- note taking
- time management
- critical thinking
- presentation skills
- referencing
- working in groups
- revision, memory and exam techniques
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
Joining us as an international student
You'll feel at home in our international community and our diverse city. You'll be joining over 5,000 international students from more than 150 countries who are studying with us.
Learn more about international student life and how we can help you with visas, applications, arrival and settling in.
How to apply
Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.
There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start dates in September and January, as long as there are places available. If you wait until your start month to apply, you may find that the course is full.
If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.
You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.
Extra information for international students
If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.
You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Ready to apply?
Start this course in September 2024
Apply now (Part-time 30 months)
Start this course in January 2025
I'm a current Portsmouth student, or a recent Portsmouth graduate
If you're currently in your final year of study at Portsmouth, or you graduated since July 2023, you're eligible to make a fast track application. You'll have:
- a shorter application form to complete
- access to the 20% Alumni fee discount
- a guaranteed conditional offer, for most Master's courses
After you apply
Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.
You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.
Learn more about how we assess your application.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.