LLM Law

Law graduates find employment in a diverse range of roles, both inside and outside the legal profession. Studying law will develop your communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, which will make you stand out to employers across a number of fields. Graduates from our programme work as:

What can you do with a law degree?  

• Year 1

• Our teaching will be by academic staff and offer a blended and flexible approach, including on-campus delivery, with on-line support through our Digital Learning Environment. You will have opportunities to get involved in extra-curricular activities, such as research seminars, external speakers, publish in our Plymouth Law Review, as well as joining our excellent Student Law Society to participate in activities such as mooting and networking events. Join our LLM and gain both a relevant and advanced understanding of the law and the skills to strengthen your competency as a practitioner or researcher.

  During the year, you will study two core modules in semester 1: Legal Theory: Themes and Debates and Research Methods in Law. These modules will ensure you have the skills necessary to put your ideas and thoughts together on what you wish to pursue in depth in your dissertation. In semester 2, you will study two modules of your choice.

  You will complete your studies with a dissertation, an in-depth and individual exploration of a legal issue that interests you, assisted by a member of our law staff acting as your supervisor.

  Core modules

  • Law Dissertation (LAW720)

    The dissertation module provides the opportunity to undertake a substantial self-directed, research project on a legal topic of choice. It will require engagement with and utilisation of research and scholarly skills developed through the Research Methods in Law and Legal Theory LLM modules.

  • Legal Theory: Themes and Debates (LAW721)

    This module allows students to develop advanced understanding of law’s theoretical underpinnings. It deploys key ideas and theories to analyse and raise foundational questions about the development and performance of modern legal systems, institutions and doctrines. It gives learners the opportunity to enhance their critical evaluation and argumentation skills by engaging with advanced theoretical scholarship and complex ideas.

  • Research Methods in Law (LAW722)

    This module introduces students to the concepts and methodologies commonly used in legal research. It aims at enabling students to understand how a range of different methods are applied in the context of law and how they relate to legal theory. It also enables students to design their own research projects and contextualise the work carried by others.

  Optional modules

  • Global Inequality, Vulnerability and Justice (CRIM747)

    This module engages the student with global issues that relate to crime, deviance and harm. By utilizing an advanced perspective which examines a range of case studies, students will develop critical responses in relation to global power structures and the causation of inequality and vulnerability.

  • Contemporary Themes in Environmental Law and Policy (LAW725)

    The module provides a critical insight into contemporary environmental challenges and the legal and policy responses, developed or developing, applied to them. Research-led, and with learning structured around a critical and applied context, the module focuses on the framing of solutions to various global and local environmental issues.

  • Independent Research Portfolio in Law (LAW726)

    This module provides the opportunity to undertake self-directed study set within the subject matter of one of the LL.M Law elective modules. (NB it is available only where the timetable or insufficient numbers means the elective module is not available, and cannot be studied in this format if available or already undertaken as a delivered module.)

  • International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law (LAW727)

    This module focuses on developing an advanced critical understanding of international humanitarian and human rights law. The former involves an examination of the law of armed conflict, whilst exploring the core principles and distinctions of IHL. The latter offers a multidisciplinary examination of the tensions between universal human rights and the rights of national citizens.

  • Challenges in the Digital Economy (LAW723)

    This module focuses on the cross-section between intellectual property and information law in the digital environment and economy. It examines issues of dissemination and control, commerce and key debates in policy and law.

  • Children, Rights and the State (LAW724)

    This module examines the role of law in the complex relationship between children, their families, and others including medical professionals, social workers, and other agents of the State.

  • Environmental Law of the Sea (LAW728)

    This module considers the regulatory framework applied to activities and development in the marine environment. Contextualised by the International law and its implementing measures, the module examines contemporary issues relating to the sustainable use of the marine environment, by way of a theoretical and practical analysis of the law, to provide insight into this dynamic and contemporary area of regulation.

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

LLM Law Programme Specifiction Sep23 7116

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

You should have a second-class honours undergraduate degree or equivalent in law, or containing some study of law. Other undergraduate degrees, such as criminology or other social sciences, may be considered as appropriate, on a case by case basis.Non-standard applications, such as those with substantial experience in an appropriate field, will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
International
We welcome applicants with international qualifications. Please view the country guides for further information regarding the equivalency of your degree. International applicants will be required to provide evidence of their English language ability, for example by achieving an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 5.5 in each element) or equivalent. View our English language requirements. Pre-sessional English language courses are available if you do not meet these requirements.

To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary. 

We welcome deferred entry applications. If you wish to apply for deferred entry then please indicate this within your personal statement.

Most of our taught programmes begin in September. Applications can usually be made throughout the year, and are considered until programmes are full. 

Familiarise yourself with the information required to complete your application form. You will usually be required to supply:

If you require further information take a look at our application guidance.

If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by University of Plymouth, please visit our Additional support for students with an impairment, health condition or disability website. 

Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Once you are happy that you have all of the information required you can apply using our online postgraduate application form (the blue 'Apply now' icon on this page).

You will normally receive a decision on your application within four weeksof us receiving your application. You may be asked to provide additional information; two academic/professional references, confirming your suitability for the course; or to take part in an interview (which in the case of overseas students may be by telephone or video conference) and you will be sent a decision by letter or email.

We aim to make the application procedure as simple and efficient as possible. Our Admissions and Course Enquiries team is on hand to offer help and can put you in touch with the appropriate faculty if you wish to discuss any programme in detail.

If you would like any further information please contact the Admissions and Course Enquiries team:

You can view or download our admissions policy from the student regulations, policies and procedures page. Prospective students are advised to read the policy before making an application to the University.