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Are you a law graduate, or have you done a GDL or CPE, and want to train for SQE1? This course is designed to help you prepare for your SQE1 assessment; the first step in your journey to qualifying as a solicitor. 

Our LLM Professional Legal Practice course aims to develop the academic and legal knowledge required for the SQE1 assessment and professional practice. 

This course has been designed to build and develop your legal knowledge. It will give you the best opportunity to prepare  for the external assessment methods used in the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) in September 2021. The SQE is a two-part national assessment for anyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.  This course is designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge to sit stage 1 of the SQE assessment (SQE1) through integrated preparation modules. It also lays the foundations to help you achieve your employment goals. 

You can also progress to studying our SQE2 short course and go on to sit the second stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE2) alongside undertaking work experience. 

You can see the SQE Website for more information on the exams, including the costs and fees involved to sit the exam. You will be responsible for booking and arranging the timing and location of your SQE1 assessment. 

The programme will provide knowledge of how the law is applied in practice, as well as enabling you to track your progress throughout the programme. In addition to this, it will also provide you with a critical understanding of how to respond professionally to different legal scenarios. You will be expected to think creatively and understand how to interpret and use legal rules to support arguments.

The final dissertation module will allow you to focus your interests through your chosen topic area. You will further develop techniques used in academic research and the professional skills needed for practice. It will improve your ability to undertake effective legal research and further your analytical and reflection skills in practice and policy. You will be encouraged to reflect on your progress and application of legal professional values and ethics throughout the programme.

In addition to achieving a Masters in Law degree, you will also have the opportunity to enhance your profile and experience by gaining an internationally recognised LLM qualification. In an increasingly competitive market, this offers you the means to set yourself apart from other graduates and enhance your future employability. 

Dr Victoria Roper, Associate Professor at Northumbria University, answers crucial questions about the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination in the BBC's podcast series; Not All Lawyers Have Law Degrees.

 

Course Information

Level of Study
Postgraduate

Mode of Study
1 year full-time

Department
Northumbria Law School

Location
City Campus, Northumbria University

City
Newcastle

Fees
Fee Information

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Entry Requirements 2024/25

Standard Entry

Applicants should normally have:

A Qualifying Law Degree awarded at a minimum of a 2:2 honours, or a GDL qualification, both awarded less than 7 years ago. Relevant professional qualifications or suitable experience will also be considered.

International qualifications:

If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry

English language requirements:

International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

 *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS.  You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

Fees and Funding 2024/25 Entry

Full UK Fee: £9,500

Full International Fee: £9,500



Scholarships and Discounts

Discover More about Fees, Scholarships and other Funding options for UK and International applicants.

ADDITIONAL COSTS

1. Optional professional accreditation/fee – Solicitors Qualifying Examination 1 (SQE1) exam fee, cost of £1,622. This is not an additional cost that students or employers will have to pay to obtain our Northumbria award. Students/employers will have to pay it if the student wishes to sit the Solicitors Regulation Authorities external SQE 1 exam, which does not contribute to our award, but for which our programme does prepare them. 2. Whilst books are made available via the University library, students may be advised to purchase books for their modules at an approximate cost of £200 per annum. 3. Travel expenses for optional work experience with agencies - approximately £100

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Any Questions?

Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help.  They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.

 

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

Accessibility and Student Inclusion

Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.

We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.

You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need. 

We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:

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