Master of Laws (LLM)

Modules

You must start your studies with one of the compulsory law modules. Your final module will be The law dissertation (W800).

To gain this qualification you need 180 credits as follows:

90 credits from the following:

*Or the discontinued module Continuing professional development in practice (UYA810) if previously studied as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Professional Practice (Employment Law Advice) which is only available to those working for ACAS.

Plus either 30 credits from the following:

Or 30 credits from the following:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B866, D864, D867, D872, D873, T863, T867, T877, T878, T879, TD866, TU870, TU871, TU872 and TU875

plus 60 credits from the following:

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 14 March 2023.

Career relevance

There is a growing demand for professionals who have an in-depth understanding of the role and purpose of law in our increasingly global society, and the associated advanced legal research and reasoning skills.

This degree will contribute to your career development by providing transferable skills that are highly valued by employers. Typically, holders of the LLM will:

• deal with complex legal issues both systematically and creatively
• communicate their subject knowledge clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
• demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems
• act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks
• reflect on the responsibilities linked to the application of knowledge
• demonstrate the ability to conceive, design, implement and adapt a substantial piece of independent research with scholarly integrity
• exercise initiative and personal responsibility
• be able to develop a persuasive legal argument based on evidence
• demonstrate independent learning ability required for continuing professional development.

If you are interested in becoming a lawyer (solicitor or barrister) you need to study our undergraduate Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons).

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.