LLMLLM (Top-up)

School of Legal Studies

Welcome to the School of Legal Studies

Thank you for your interest in joining the School of Legal Studies at the University of

Wolverhampton.

The School of Legal Studies is one of the largest law schools in the country, and has over

thirty years’ experience of providing relevant, dynamic and forward-thinking legal

education.

Although we are a large law school, we pride ourselves on the level of support we offer to

each of our 1,500 students. With access to a personal tutor to offer academic support and

advice, students also benefit from our two dedicated student support staff and the

University’s Student Services Gateway.

As well as being friendly and approachable, our staff are committed to delivering the

highest quality of education possible in the most interesting and engaging way.

The University of Wolverhampton is dedicated to making higher education available and

accessible to all and has the highest participation rate among underrepresented groups in

the country.

We hope this brochure will give you a feel for the University, the city and the LLM, but if

you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Further information about

the School can also be found on our website at www.wlv.ac.uk/sls or come to visit us on

an Open Day. Attending an Open Day will give you the opportunity to really get a feel for

the School and what we have to offer.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Brian Mitchell, Dean

2 www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

TechnicalSupport forLegal LearningThe School makes full use of the

University’s web-based Virtual Learning

Environment, WOLF (Wolverhampton

Online Learning Framework) to support its

teaching.

As well as providing an electronic space for

tutors to make available any reference

material, notes, media and documents

related to a subject or module of study,

WOLF offers collaborative tools which

allow group discussions, project work and

multiple-choice tests.

A range of integrated tools is provided to

assist students in managing their study-

related activities, and monitor progress

within the context of the materials being

used. WOLF’s communication tools

increase opportunities for tutor interaction

with individuals, workgroups and the class.

WOLF is available for use both on and off

campus by staff and students.

Links with theProfessionWe have strong links with the legal

profession and local law firms, including

the Wolverhampton Law Society, Citizens

Advice Bureau and financial regulatory

bodies, and our committed and

experienced team of over 50 academic

staff has a wealth of practical legal

knowledge.

ResearchAs well as providing important insights to

inform current legal practice, research

undertaken in the School has a direct and

immediate benefit for our students.

Members of staff incorporate the latest

research findings into their teaching –

ensuring students have access to the latest

thinking in a variety of specialist areas.

The School is active in a number of legal

research areas, mainly Insolvency and

Company Law, Finance Law, Information

Law (including intellectual property and

information technology laws), Maritime and

Trade Law and Domestic Violence.

We have a specialist unit – The Institute of

Finance Law – which covers the legal

aspects of economic crime and

international banking law. Current research

in this area includes the regulation of

international banking conglomerates and

market manipulation.

Our research in Maritime Law is currently

focused upon rights of salvage and cultural

heritage in international waters. Research

into domestic violence led to changes in

the policy, practice and law relating to this

area, and research is also active through

the Information Law Research Group.

Researchers in the School have set up

links with international academics, based in

New Zealand, Australia, South Africa,

Canada, the United States, Hong Kong,

Singapore and France.

3www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

CoursesOur courses are delivered to the highest

standards. Many of the academic staff are

qualified lawyers and we continue to

update our course profile in consultation

with agencies such as the Law Society,

ensuring you have the relevant skills and

knowledge to succeed in the legal

profession. Our comprehensive portfolio of

courses includes:

Undergraduate:

• LLB (Hons) Advice Work

• LLB (Hons) by Flexible Learning

• LLB (Hons) International Corporate and

Financial Law

• LLB (Hons) Law

• BA (Hons) Business Law

• BA (Hons) Criminal Justice

• BA (Hons) Law

• BA (Hons) Social Welfare Law

• FD (Arts) Practice Administration

Postgraduate:

• CPE (LLDip)

• Legal Practice Course

• LLM

• LLM (Top-up)

• LLM International Corporate and

Financial Law

• MA Criminal Justice and Criminology

• MA Practice Management

4 www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

The Location• Wolverhampton is in the heart of the UK

– it’s easy to get to and is an ideal base

for exploring the rest of the country

• It’s approximately two hours by train

from London, the capital city, and only

16 miles from Birmingham

• The city is linked to all the major rail and

road networks – it’s just a few miles from

Birmingham International Airport, with

Heathrow and Manchester airports also

easily accessible

• You can travel between our four

campuses on the University’s free shuttle

bus – we are one of only a few

universities in the UK to offer this service

ShoppingA five minute walk from City Campus will

take you into the centre of Wolverhampton

and to the wide range of shopping

opportunities. As well as two large

shopping centres, a department store and

a bustling high street that houses all of the

major retail names, there are also some

great specialist outlets and boutiques to be

found.

Food and drinkThe diversity of the local population is well

represented in the eclectic range of

restaurants that Wolverhampton has to

offer including Chinese, Indian, Greek,

Thai, Spanish, Mexican and Italian, as well

as the usual fast-food outlets.

Wolverhampton has no shortage of evening

entertainment with an exciting range of

bars, pubs and clubs alongside music and

comedy venues that play host to

established as well as up-and-coming acts.

On City Campus in Wolverhampton, the

Students’ Union runs two bars and a

nightclub offering something for everyone.

Popular favourites include pub quizzes,

international evenings, live bands and

comedians. There are also bars and events

at the Walsall and Telford Campuses.

If you live any distance from the campus,

the ‘Safe Shuttle’ minibus service can see

you home safely.

CinemasThe Cineworld complex offers 14 screens

showing the latest releases and Bollywood

screenings with discounts for students

when you show your NUS (National Union

of Students) card.

In Walsall, you’ll find a 10-screen

Showcase cinema and at Telford, a multi-

screen UCI complex both offering special

rates for students. The Light House

Cinema in Wolverhampton shows

mainstream movies, but also offers

screenings of rare and foreign films.

As one of Britain’s newest cities,

Wolverhampton has gone from strength to

strength with massive investment from the

public and private sectors creating an

attractive environment and a wealth of

opportunities for residents.

Combine this with a vibrant mix of

shopping, art, theatre, sport and nightlife

and you can see why Wolverhampton is

emerging as a great affordable place to live

in the 21st century.

Located in the heart of the West Midlands,

Wolverhampton is the gateway between

the historic Black Country and the beautiful

countryside of Shropshire and

Staffordshire.

AroundWolverhamptonAs well as offering all of the usual

amenities you would expect from a

dynamic modern city, Wolverhampton is

ideally located for exploring the West

Midlands region.

Whether you prefer vibrant cities,

character-packed market towns or sleepy

villages, the West Midlands has it all. The

area is rich with captivating natural beauty

from the idyllic Shropshire countryside,

Cannock Chase or Malvern Hills to the

rugged appeal of the Peak District.

There is also a wealth of historic buildings,

stately homes and magnificent cathedrals,

not to mention the historic Warwick Castle

and the fun-packed Alton Towers.

5 Reasons to

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TheatresWolverhampton is home to the University’s

own Arena Theatre. This intimate and

atmospheric venue hosts plays and dance

exhibitions from local and national

companies, as well as work by our own

Dance and Drama students.

Also in the centre of the City is the Grand

Theatre. This majestic venue is regularly

pencilled into the touring schedule of some

of the UK’s most lavish stage shows. It’s

the place to go for opera, ballet and

national touring productions, and concerts

as well as the annual pantomime.

ArtThe recently renovated Wolverhampton Art

Gallery features a series of displays and

exhibitions including Georgian and

Victorian paintings and local archive

material, as well as an extensive Pop Art

collection in a spectacular new extension.

The New Art Gallery is one of Walsall’s

many startling surprises. It regularly hosts

international exhibitions and has the

Garman Ryan collection on permanent

display with works by Picasso and Van

Gogh.

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

SportThere are sports facilities on all our

campuses, including fitness classes, and

the new multi-million pound Walsall Sports

Centre is a world class National Judo

Centre of Excellence. Public facilities in

the region include swimming and brine

baths as well as golf clubs.

As for spectator sports, you can watch

football at the Molineux, Bescot Stadium or

The Hawthorns, horseracing at Dunstall

Park, speedway and dog racing at

Monmore Green – the list is as long as the

Wolverhampton Marathon.

A short train journey to Birmingham gives

you the National Indoor Arena – a regular

World Championship venue, Edgbaston

Cricket Ground, Alexander Stadium, and

the impressive homes of Aston Villa and

Birmingham City FC.

MusicWolverhampton has a fantastic music

scene, with the main venues just 200 yards

from the University. Almost every big name

on the gig circuit regularly checks in at The

Civic and Wulfrun Halls and new music is

catered for at the Varsity and Little Civic.

Nearby Weston Park is home to the annual

V Festival, one of the biggest and most

popular music festivals on the calendar,

and Shugborough Hall is an atmospheric

outdoor venue for classical music.

At City Campus, the Students’ Union

regularly stages a wide variety of music

events from live bands to jam sessions to

the more traditional choirs, orchestras and

brass bands.

6 www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

1 Student support

The School of Legal Studies offers a

friendly and supportive environment to

all its students. Each student is assigned

a Personal Tutor to offer academic

support and advice. Within the School of

Legal Studies, we also have two

dedicated Student Support staff that are

available to help students with problems

ranging from choosing the correct

programme of study to understanding

how the grades work. The School’s

Placement Officer offers careers advice

and placement support, and the

University’s Student Services Gateway is

also available to all students for advice

on a wide range of issues.

2 Quality teaching

As well as strong links with the legal

profession and local law firms, our

committed and experienced lecturers

have a wealth of legal knowledge with

particular expertise in corporate law,

finance law, insolvency law, criminal

justice and maritime law.

3 Employability

At the School of Legal Studies, we are

committed to helping students enhance

their employability. We offer a range of

work-based placement modules that are

coordinated by our dedicated Placement

Officer. These placements are invaluable

when it comes to securing a training

contract and enhancing your future

employability.

4 Good facilities

With continuous campus investment our

facilities are constantly improving and

expanding. In 2007, the University of

Wolverhampton will open a brand new

building which will include lecture

theatres, social learning spaces and

seminar rooms. The LPC course is

housed in purpose-built accommodation

at the Centre for Professional Legal

Studies at Wolverhampton Science Park.

5 Warm and friendly

At the University of Wolverhampton, you

benefit from all the facilities and activities

you would expect from a large university,

and also experience the warm and

friendly feel as one of around 1500

students who are studying at the School

of Legal Studies.

choose the School of Legal Studies

LLMThe LLM is a highly regarded postgraduate

qualification that combines a practical view

of legal issues raised with an academic

consideration of the matters stemming

from a range of related subjects. This

engaging course has been designed to

facilitate your development of the skills

necessary to succeed in both the legal and

business worlds.

The LLM allows you to develop knowledge

in a specialist area of your choice and will

suit those who have not yet secured a

training contract or pupillage, as well as

those looking to enhance their career

prospects.

This 180 Credit award is obtained after

completing the Research Methods module,

seven 15 Credit modules, and the

submission of a dissertation, supported by

a supervisor and personal tutor.

Course ContentCompulsory

Research Methods (15 Credits)

Dissertation (60 Credits)

Intellectual Property Law (15 Credits)

Information Technology Law (15 Credits)

Plus five elective modules

Up to three modules from:

Financial Services Law and Financial Crime

Commercial Awareness

International Corporate Finance

International Corporate Governance

Personal Liability & Disqualification of

Directors in an International Context

International Corporate Liquidation

Risk Management

Dispute Resolution and Conflict

Management

And two modules from: Level 3 (cannot

include modules which have already been

studied nor modules from the CPE).

7www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

Steven Gallagher,

Barrister-at-Law

After 20 years as an antiques dealer, Steven returned to education to study law at the

University of Wolverhampton. He graduated with a First Class LLB and went on to study the

Bar Vocational Course at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is currently topping-up his

BVC qualification to an LLM at the University of Wolverhampton.

“I chose to study at Wolverhampton for the LLB because I visited the School and was

impressed by the helpfulness and enthusiasm of all the staff. Since graduating I studied for the

Bar Vocational Course at another University and noted the difference in support and

availability of staff. As long as you are prepared to work hard then you will receive a great deal

of support from all of the staff and should enjoy the course here.

There are many good points about the course including the excellent teaching, the support

provided by staff and the international mix of students. The facilities are also very good,

especially the Learning Centre, and will be even better with the opening of the new teaching

rooms in September.

As a mature undergraduate, I was quite daunted by the prospect of returning to education but

I settled in very easily and thoroughly enjoyed my three years. Returning after experiencing

another university I soon settled back in and am very pleased I made the decision to return to

the University of Wolverhampton to study the LLM.

During my time here I have enjoyed being a member of the Student Law Society and

attending the debates and the annual ball as well as taking part in the mooting. I have also

enjoyed the speakers that the School arranges to address us including the recent visits by David

Blunkett and Judge Michael Fysh QC.”

What our students say

Length of study1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Start dates: September or February

CareerOpportunitiesThe LLM is designed both for those who

wish to pursue a career in Law, and for

those planning careers in business,

finance, banking, government or with

international agencies.

Other LLMawardsLLM (Top-up) – for those who have

completed the LPC or BVC

LLM International Corporate and Financial

Law

8 www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

What our students sayJean Alain Matipe Penda,

LLM International Corporate and Financial Law student

“The choice to come to United Kingdom and to the University of

Wolverhampton in particular was a tough one for me. I had been

accepted to three other UK university LLM programs and all of them

were good universities, but the University of Wolverhampton’s

reputation for excellence convinced me to come.

The quality of education is high; lecturers ensure and give reasonable

care to all students in order to improve their ability, skill and

professionalism in their particular field of law. Also the dynamic,

flexible curriculum appeals to a range of interests. The School of Legal

Studies has a high standard of technology-supported learning in the

law library – which leads to a high quality of education.”

LLM (Top-up)The University of Wolverhampton is

introducing a ‘top up’ LLM for

students who successfully obtain the

Legal Practice Course or Bar

Vocational Course at a recognised

institution.

The top-up route allows students to

develop knowledge in a specialist

area of their choice and will suit those

who have not yet secured a training

contract or pupillage, as well as those

looking to enhance their career

prospects.

This 180-credit award is obtained

after completing the Research

Methods module and the submission

of a dissertation, supported by a

supervisor and personal tutor.

CourseContent• Research Methods

• Dissertation

• Previously completed learning (LPC

or BVC – 90 Credits)

Length ofstudy12 months part-time

Start dates: September and February

Other LLMawards• LLM

• LLM International Corporate and

Financial Law

Professional DevelopmentThe School of Legal Studies actively encourages professional development for those

already in the legal professions and provides the option to take any of the modules out of

the LLM International Corporate and Financial Law course on a stand-alone basis.

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls 9

What is ELSA?ELSA is an international, independent, non-political, non-profit-making organisation run

by and for students. ELSA is a growing network of close to 300,000 students and

recent graduates from more than 200 universities in 35 countries across Europe. ELSA

operates primarily through its local groups.

ELSA Wolverhampton was founded in 2005 at the School of Legal Studies, University

of Wolverhampton. The association organises study visits to other ELSA groups in the

UK and in Europe, as well as a range of social events. ELSA has also organised

conferences and talks on issues of interest to its members.

“ELSA is an excellent organisation to be a part of,” explains Kirandeep Johal, President

of ELSA Wolverhampton. “The benefits are immeasurable; by participating in ELSA

students are able to acquire a broader knowledge of the European Legal System as well as

an increased insight into other cultures.”

ELSA offers three key areas of activities for its members: academic activities, seminar

and conferences, and the student trainee exchange programme (STEP).

International At the School of Legal Studies our vast

experience of welcoming students from all

over the world places us in the ideal

position to help you with your transition to

university life in the UK. Our culturally

diverse academic community provides a

supportive and inclusive learning

environment that is sensitive to the

requirements of international students.

As well as the wide range of support,

societies and activities that are available to

all University of Wolverhampton students,

the School of Legal Studies also has its

own European Law Students’ Association

(ELSA) group.

In and Around Campus

10 www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

The School is based at City Campus

right in the centre of Wolverhampton.

The railway station is less than a ten-

minute walk away and the campus is

serviced by a regular and convenient

bus service. We also operate a free

University shuttle bus service for

students between each of our

campuses and campus towns.

One of the main benefits of the central location of City

Campus is that everything you would expect or need is

a ten-minute walk away.

As part of our investment in your future, a multi-million

pound investment programme has created a learning

environment that gives you access to the latest

technology, in state-of-the-art surroundings.

The Harrison Learning Centre is a rich

source of electronic, online, hard copy,

and audio-visual material. As well as

providing a well-equipped studying

environment, the Centre also houses the

law library. The Learning Centre allows

students access to a number of legal

databases enabling you to search for UK

legislation, case law, law reports and

journals as well as EU and international

law material.

Our impressive Millennium City

Building has a 300-seat lecture theatre,

exhibition gallery, food court, and

social learning space.

The spectacular new Technology

Centre is a highly advanced centre for

teaching, studying, research and

business consultancy.

Teaching andAssessmentWe use a variety of teaching methods

including traditional lectures, interactive

sessions, workshops and presentations.

Most modules will be fully supported by a

range of electronic resources available on

WOLF, the University’s own Online

Learning Framework.

Assessment is varied, including case study

analysis, research-focused assignments,

preparation of reports, simulated

presentation to a corporate board and

formal examinations.

11

FeesPlease contact the Admissions team for

details of the current fees. See over the

page for contact details.

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

Useful Linkswww.llm.hobsons.com

www.prospects.ac.uk (see Law

under Communities)

www.llm-guide.com

EntryRequirementsNormally, you should have an Honours

degree or equivalent in Law or a related

subject with a high law content.

We will also accept a professional

qualification deemed to be equivalent to an

appropriate Honours degree.

Other qualifications or experience which

demonstrate appropriate legal or related

knowledge will also be considered.

You should also have a good standard of

written and spoken English (IELTS 6.0 or

equivalent).

Finding OutMoreIf you would like more information about

the School of Legal Studies, please

contact us:

School of Legal Studies

University of Wolverhampton

City Campus - North

Molineux Street

Wolverhampton WV1 1SB

Tel: 01902 321515

Fax: 01902 322696

Email: sls-enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

If you would like more information about

the course, fees, or to enroll, please

contact admissions:

Tel: 01902 321633

Fax: 01902 323569

Email: sls-enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Further information is also available on the

University of Wolverhampton website,

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

Open DaysOpen Days are held throughout the year for anyone who might be interested in applying to

the School of Legal Studies. We encourage you to bring your parents, partners or friends

to share the day with you. Attending an open day will give you the opportunity to really get

a feel for the School and what we have to offer.

Here are a few more reasons:

• Look round the School and view our facilities

• Get an overview of what our courses are about

• Experience first hand where you could be studying

• Get advice on financial matters and learning support

• Meet staff to discuss all aspects of the course and study

• View accommodation

If you would like to attend an Open Day please complete the online Open Day form or

contact the SLS Admissions team on:

Tel: 01902 321633

Email: sls-enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Location Map

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