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King's College London
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Postgraduate degree

Law & Professional Practice MSc/PGDip

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The MSc Law & Professional Practice is a two-year postgraduate degree, with the first year available as a stand-alone Postgraduate Diploma. It enables graduates without prior legal education or training in the UK to prepare for a career in an evolving and competitive sector as a solicitor or barrister, providing a comprehensive and rigorous graduate introduction to law and practice.

Key benefits

  • Study at a Top 20 global Law School with rich professional links in the heart of legal London.
  • Achieve your master’s level legal training from a world-class Russell Group university where both legal research and breadth of professional experience inform your teaching.
  • Gain deep foundational legal knowledge, study specialist, practice-based legal subjects and develop critical legal practice skills to maximise your employability prospects.
  • Develop your academic and professional skills, knowledge, and practical experience by working in small groups, in the manner of teams in a law firm, applying legal principles to client issues focused on ‘real-life’ problems, with our bespoke problem-based learning approach.
  • Taught by leading legal academics and experienced lawyers who have also worked extensively in legal education, supported by King’s professional networks and links with law firms, and underpinned by the academic excellence and the cutting-edge research of our globally renowned Law School.
  • Includes access to BARBRI SQE1 preparation course at no cost (MSc) or at 50% discount (PGDip).

Our innovative and professionally focused programme enables students to train in the foundational and specialist areas of the Law and Practice of England & Wales, whilst gaining expertise in analysis, research, and application to ‘real life’ client and commercially orientated issues in an international context. Students will, in addition: • Gain industry specific knowledge and have opportunities to explore, in-depth, key complementary areas for legal practice such as Legal Technology, Business Strategy and Psychology. • Put their skills into practice through workshops encountering ‘real-life’ applications and problems, including representing, engaging with, and advising simulated clients. • Access options for work experience with real clients in the King’s Legal Clinic and other pro-bono opportunities. • Develop the systematic mindset required of legal practice along with key ‘practice-ready’ skills and attributes, such as problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, time and self-management, resilience, confidence, flexibility, creative growth mindset, research, legal analysis, critical thinking, and appropriate, contextualised oral and written communication. • Acquire other vital employability skills via our integrated careers team. The Postgraduate Diploma modules and Year One MSc modules provide the foundational knowledge basis in the core areas of substantive and procedural law required for professional legal practice as a barrister or solicitor in England & Wales, enabling progress to both the SQE and the Bar Training programme, with access to the BARBRI SQE1 preparation programme at no cost for MSc students and at 50% discount for Diploma students. The MSc additionally provides modules in a range of business-critical legal practice disciplines: • specialist, practice-based legal subjects, including Business Practice, Litigation Practice, Real Estate Practice, Mergers & Acquisition, Employment and Company Financing. • practice-focused non-law modules including Legal Technology, Strategy and Psychology. MSc students will also develop their research skills through a practice project.

Base campuses

strand-quad
Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

waterloo-banner
Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

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Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures
Seminars
Group Work

Teaching on the course is delivered through a combination of lectures and workshops.

The standard format for workshops for all modules is 2-hour small group workshop sessions using our bespoke problem-based learning approach or with other interactive activities, such as group discussions and student presentations.

There will also be online activities, extra-curricular modules, practitioner masterclasses and legal research seminars in disciplines drawing on the expertise of the legal research centres at King’s to provide students with a variety of interactive activities that will enhance understanding of and give insights into law and legal practice.

In addition, students will spend self-directed time working in ‘law firm’ teams to address simulated client applications and problems.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

  • Course Work
  • Examinations
  • Presentations

The modules are assessed primarily through either coursework or examination. Some modules include assessment methods such as drafting legal documentation, practical legal research, presentations, or interviews. 

Structure

Required modules

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 285 credits for the MSc and 120 credits for the Postgraduate Diploma. Year 1 - You are required to take the following modules:

Foundations: Introduction to Law (0 credits)
Crime (15 credits)
Public Sector I – Constitutional and Administrative Law (15 credits)
Transactions and Liabilities – Contract and Tort (30 credits)
Business Organisations and the Company (15 credits)
Private Client – Equity and Trusts (15 credits)
Public Sector II – EU Law (15 credits)
Land Law (15 credits)

Year 2 - You are required to take the following modules:

Legal Communication (15 credits)
Practice Project (45 credits)

Optional modules

Year 1 – In addition students may take take:

Accounts for Legal Practitioners: The Fundamentals (0 credits)
Wills and Estate Administration: The Fundamentals (0 credits)
Business Finance (0 credits)
Negotiations (0 credits)

Year 2 - In addition you are required to take 105 credits from a range of optional modules which may typically include:

Employment Practice (15 credits)
Business Practice (15 credits)
Litigation Practice (15 credits)
Strategy for Legal Practitioners (15 credits)
Introduction to Psychology (15 credits)
Company Financing (15 credits)
Family Law & Practice (15 credits)
Clinical Education (15 credits)
Commercial Law (15 credits)
Real Estate Practice (15 credits)
Mergers & Acquisitions Practice (15 credits)

Students may also take Legal Practice Technology (0 credits).

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

Our Law & Professional Practice programme provides non-law graduates with knowledge in specialist, practice-based legal subjects. This combined with the critical legal practice skills gained will benefit students planning a career in Law. Additionally, the course includes a number of transferable skills, such as the ability to self-manage and communicate well, which are valuable when applying for professional roles.

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,070 per annum (2022/23). The MSc is 2 years full-time. The PGDip is 1 year full-time.

International:

Full time: £29,460 per annum (2022/23). The MSc is 2 years full-time. The PGDip is 1 year full-time.

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000.

If you receive an offer on or before 31 March, payment is due by 25 April 2022.
If you receive an offer between 1 April and 30 June, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer between 1 July and 31 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer between 1 August and 21 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer from 22 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions.
  • Library fees and fines.
  • Personal photocopies.
  • Printing course handouts.
  • Society membership fees.
  • Stationery.
  • Graduation costs.
  • Travel around London and between campuses.

Funding

Our innovative and professionally focused programme enables students to train in the foundational and specialist areas of the Law and Practice of England & Wales, whilst gaining expertise in analysis, research, and application to ‘real life’ client and commercially orientated issues in an international context. Students will, in addition: • Gain industry specific knowledge and have opportunities to explore, in-depth, key complementary areas for legal practice such as Legal Technology, Business Strategy and Psychology. • Put their skills into practice through workshops encountering ‘real-life’ applications and problems, including representing, engaging with, and advising simulated clients. • Access options for work experience with real clients in the King’s Legal Clinic and other pro-bono opportunities. • Develop the systematic mindset required of legal practice along with key ‘practice-ready’ skills and attributes, such as problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, time and self-management, resilience, confidence, flexibility, creative growth mindset, research, legal analysis, critical thinking, and appropriate, contextualised oral and written communication. • Acquire other vital employability skills via our integrated careers team. The Postgraduate Diploma modules and Year One MSc modules provide the foundational knowledge basis in the core areas of substantive and procedural law required for professional legal practice as a barrister or solicitor in England & Wales, enabling progress to both the SQE and the Bar Training programme, with access to the BARBRI SQE1 preparation programme at no cost for MSc students and at 50% discount for Diploma students. The MSc additionally provides modules in a range of business-critical legal practice disciplines: • specialist, practice-based legal subjects, including Business Practice, Litigation Practice, Real Estate Practice, Mergers & Acquisition, Employment and Company Financing. • practice-focused non-law modules including Legal Technology, Strategy and Psychology. MSc students will also develop their research skills through a practice project.

Base campuses

strand-quad
Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

waterloo-banner
Waterloo Campus

Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Loading...

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures
Seminars
Group Work

Teaching on the course is delivered through a combination of lectures and workshops.

The standard format for workshops for all modules is 2-hour small group workshop sessions using our bespoke problem-based learning approach or with other interactive activities, such as group discussions and student presentations.

There will also be online activities, extra-curricular modules, practitioner masterclasses and legal research seminars in disciplines drawing on the expertise of the legal research centres at King’s to provide students with a variety of interactive activities that will enhance understanding of and give insights into law and legal practice.

In addition, students will spend self-directed time working in ‘law firm’ teams to address simulated client applications and problems.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

  • Course Work
  • Examinations
  • Presentations

The modules are assessed primarily through either coursework or examination. Some modules include assessment methods such as drafting legal documentation, practical legal research, presentations, or interviews. 

Structure

Required modules

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 285 credits for the MSc and 120 credits for the Postgraduate Diploma. Year 1 - You are required to take the following modules:

Foundations: Introduction to Law (0 credits)
Crime (15 credits)
Public Sector I – Constitutional and Administrative Law (15 credits)
Transactions and Liabilities – Contract and Tort (30 credits)
Business Organisations and the Company (15 credits)
Private Client – Equity and Trusts (15 credits)
Public Sector II – EU Law (15 credits)
Land Law (15 credits)

Year 2 - You are required to take the following modules:

Legal Communication (15 credits)
Practice Project (45 credits)

Optional modules

Year 1 – In addition students may take take:

Accounts for Legal Practitioners: The Fundamentals (0 credits)
Wills and Estate Administration: The Fundamentals (0 credits)
Business Finance (0 credits)
Negotiations (0 credits)

Year 2 - In addition you are required to take 105 credits from a range of optional modules which may typically include:

Employment Practice (15 credits)
Business Practice (15 credits)
Litigation Practice (15 credits)
Strategy for Legal Practitioners (15 credits)
Introduction to Psychology (15 credits)
Company Financing (15 credits)
Family Law & Practice (15 credits)
Clinical Education (15 credits)
Commercial Law (15 credits)
Real Estate Practice (15 credits)
Mergers & Acquisitions Practice (15 credits)

Students may also take Legal Practice Technology (0 credits).

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

Our Law & Professional Practice programme provides non-law graduates with knowledge in specialist, practice-based legal subjects. This combined with the critical legal practice skills gained will benefit students planning a career in Law. Additionally, the course includes a number of transferable skills, such as the ability to self-manage and communicate well, which are valuable when applying for professional roles.

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £14,070 per annum (2022/23). The MSc is 2 years full-time. The PGDip is 1 year full-time.

International:

Full time: £29,460 per annum (2022/23). The MSc is 2 years full-time. The PGDip is 1 year full-time.

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000.

If you receive an offer on or before 31 March, payment is due by 25 April 2022.
If you receive an offer between 1 April and 30 June, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer between 1 July and 31 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer between 1 August and 21 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer from 22 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions.
  • Library fees and fines.
  • Personal photocopies.
  • Printing course handouts.
  • Society membership fees.
  • Stationery.
  • Graduation costs.
  • Travel around London and between campuses.

Funding

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