Graduate Diploma in Law
If you’re looking to make the change into legal study and already have an undergraduate degree in another discipline then our GDL is your pathway into legal practice.
Many employers favour GDL students in an increasingly competitive legal job market. Through studying another degree subject, and building your career in another discipline, you will have gained many transferable skills. By choosing law at a later stage than some others, you are showing motivation and determination to pursue a new career. Employers actively seek candidates with these benefits.
When you study the GDL with us you will:
- Learn to think like a lawyer and develop practical legal skills through small group workshops and problem-based learning
- Be ready to complete your legal training and go on to study the LPC or BPC
- Explore an area of law that interests you via your own Research Project or our unique Law of Organisations module
- Spread out your study and exams with our structured modular study pattern, so you can focus on key areas each semester and complete exams as you go, instead of all at the end of the year
- Enjoy flexible study – choose to study full-time or part-time at one of our locations nationwide, or online
- Receive access to our award-winning careers support to help you with your training contract and pupillage applications
- Be taught by qualified lawyers, with lectures and practical workshops to develop your legal skills
Whether you choose to progress onto the LPC or BPC, you will benefit from our excellent employment and pupillage rates -
- 95% of our 2017/18 full-time, UK, LPC graduates have secured work or further study within fifteen months of successfully completing this course (based on Graduate Outcomes data).
- 59% of our full-time UK/EEA BPC students graduating in 2018 secured a pupillage (based on student data collated September 2020). Previously the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).
What is modular study?
Our GDL is modular. This means that you complete the exam for each module at the end of the semester while the information is still fresh in your mind, similar to how you might have done for your undergraduate degree.
Successful completion of the GDL then qualifies you to proceed on to the LPC or BPC to qualify as a solicitor or barrister, respectively.
Campus Information
Birmingham
Our Birmingham campus is located in the city’s Jewellery Quarter, just a short walk away from the centre of the city and other universities – making it a great place to study. The campus has a café, allowing you to grab hot and cold food whilst on the go and, with great transport links and the Birmingham Snow Hill Train Station just round the corner, you’re never far from the rest of the UK.
Chester
Studying at our Chester campus provides you with the perfect combination of a historic city with modern amenities, and the campus is just 10 minutes from Chester’s city centre. The cobble stone streets of this Roman-walled city are home to a range of great restaurants, bars and pubs to keep you entertained day or night.
London Moorgate
Our newly refurbished campus is close to both underground and mainline train stations such as Moorgate, Farringdon and Liverpool Street and is walking distance from other underground stations such as Bank and Old Street.
Guilford
Guildford is one of the most popular places in the South of England for pubs, restaurants, bars and clubbing. There are two excellent theatres and an Odeon cinema, as well as a large leisure centre and state of the art sports complex, Surrey Sports Park. Guildford is a bustling, student-friendly town with a diverse range of eateries that cater to all tastes.
Leeds
With more than 200 law firms operating from the city, Leeds has been described by the UK Legal 500 as ‘second only to London’, offering you the chance to enhance your career prospects by providing access to a large range of major employers.
Manchester
Our Manchester campus, which hosts both our legal and business courses, is located in the heart of the city, close to leading law firms and Manchester Piccadilly Train Station. The Metrolink, which connects the whole of Manchester and surrounding areas, is just a 2 minute walk from campus.
Berlin
In addition to Berlin’s rich cultural history, it is becoming famous for its wealth of flourishing technology companies and a growing number of successful entrepreneurs. Germany’s capital city is a green city where many different cultures meet and different languages are spoken, making the city creative, open and transformational.
Hong Kong
Our classes take place in the teaching facilities of the Hong Kong Management Association, an organisation that focuses on advancing management excellence through its strong business links in the surrounding community.
London Bloomsbury
Our campus is a 2 minute walk from Goodge Street Underground Station and is right next to Tottenham Court Road – a street with a large range of shops, bars and restaurants, and bus links to all other parts of London.
Nottingham
Our Nottingham campus has brand new, modern teaching facilities and innovative student spaces - it even has a retro gaming arcade. All this within walking distance of numerous restaurants, theatres, pubs and entertainment venues.
Bristol
Although compact in size, Bristol is the South West’s commercial hub and a vibrant, student-friendly place to be. Its size enables it to remain friendly but also big enough to provide excellent employment opportunities. The city is known for its creative character, rich history and culture, including its role as the birthplace of world famous artist Banksy, whose artwork can be seen dotted around the city in public spaces.
Intakes
- Sep
- Jan
Application Processing Time in Days: 10
Application Process
Minimum English Language Requirements
| English Level Description | IELTS (1.0 -9.0) | TOEFL IBT (0-120) | TOEFL CBT (0-300) | PTE (10-90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert | 9 | 120 | 297-300 | 86-90 | |
| Very Good | 8.5 | 115-119 | 280-293 | 83-86 | |
| Very Good | 8 | 110-114 | 270-280 | 79-83 | |
| Good | 7.5 | 102-109 | 253-267 | 73-79 | |
| Good | 7 | 94-101 | 240-253 | 65-73 | |
| Competent | 6.5 | 79-93 | 213-233 | 58-65 | |
| Competent | 6 | 60-78 | 170-210 | 50-58 | |
| Modest | 5.5 | 46-59 | 133-210 | 43-50 | |
| Modest | 5 | 35-45 | 107-133 | 36-43 | |
| Limited | 4 | 32-34 | 97-103 | 30-36 | |
| Extremely Limited | < 4 | < 31 | < 93 | < 30 |
Job Opportunity Potential
We are one of the world’s largest law schools with an impressive history going back to 1876. We employ over 900 staff and have over 14,000 students studying law, criminology and policing, as well as business through our dedicated business school. ULaw has an outstanding reputation as a full service legal and educational training specialist, operating from 15 locations in 13 cities across the UK along with our international locations in Berlin and Hong Kong, and additional global reach through online and virtual provision.
We offer our employees an inclusive and supportive work environment and are committed to developing you through a variety of means including educational sponsorship, discounted course fees and a range of in-house training. We also offer a generous annual leave allowance and private medical insurance.
As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. However, as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals are currently under-represented within the University – which does not reflect our diverse study body – we would particularly welcome applications from BAME candidates. All appointments will be made on merit.
PSW Opportunity
- 2 Years Post Study Work Visa
Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria
Entry requirements
- 2:2 or above from a UK Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent qualification(s)
India
English Language Requirements
- An English Language level equivalent to IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
Entry Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree / Professional Bachelor’s Degree from India – 50%
- Course Type: Full Time
- Course Level: Post Graduate Diploma or Certificate
- Duration: 09 Month
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Total Tuition Fee:
12050 GBP
Annual Cost of Living: 9207 GBP
Application Fee: N/A