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“At the University of Bolton, we take great pride in providing a quality, supportive learning environment for our students.” Professor George E Holmes DL | President & Vice Chancellor
“...tutors are very supportive and you’re not just a student ID number, at this university you are an individual with a name.” Ellisse Vernon | BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing
If you're a law graduate focused on building a career as a solicitor, the University of Bolton's Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice is ideal. Our highly experienced team will support you in developing the legal knowledge and skills required for the Solicitors Qualification Examination assessments. We'll help you learn to apply fundamental legal principles and gain the essential legal and interpersonal skills that underpin practice as a solicitor.
Key information
Award:
PgDip
Mode of Study:
Full-time
Duration:
12 months
Location:
University of Bolton
Start date:
To be confirmed
Course Details
The main aim of the University of Bolton's PgDip Legal Practice is to support you in developing the skills and knowledge required for the Solicitors Regulation Authority's suite of Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE) assessments. We offer outstanding facilities for legal learning and excellent opportunities for work experience that support you in gaining the high-level professional and transferable skills and attributes needed for career success. Our expert team will guide you in building a systematic and critical understanding of complex legal, economic, cultural, ethical and political issues that will enhance your legal problem-solving skills.
What is the Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE)?
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is a centralised assessment that forms part of a new route towards becoming a solicitor in England and Wales. It is administered by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Introduced in September 2021, the SQE route will eventually replace the route known as the Legal Practice Course (LPC).
Why study the PgDip Legal Practice at the University of Bolton?
This Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) Legal Practice course at the University of Bolton will prepare you for the SRA's centralised SQE assessments. It's suitable if you're a law graduate or have completed a law conversion course.
Our School of Law team features barristers, solicitors and solicitor advocates. We are dedicated to supporting you through your legal education and preparing you for success as a fully qualified solicitor. This course covers the full spectrum of knowledge and skills required for the SQE1 and SQE2 assessments – please see this page's Teaching and Assessment section for more information.
We also have a full-service Legal Advice Centre where you'll be able to work alongside our legal professionals to build confidence, skills and hours towards your required qualifying work experience (QWE).
In addition, as a student with the School of Law, you'll benefit from access to the full range of support services offered by the University of Bolton, including:
Academic support to assist you in developing your skills in expressing legal concepts
Careers guidance through our experienced career progression team
Employment support from our employability team, who work to provide opportunities for our students to enter legal work if required.
Highlights
Our mission is to develop innovative, rewarding and career-focused training.
You can join our vibrant, focused and supportive community of legal scholars working towards the SQE and recognition as a solicitor.
The School of Law's dedicated and well-qualified team deliver teaching and supervision, drawing on their professional experience as qualified solicitors, barristers and solicitor advocates.
The University of Bolton's excellent libraries, 24/7 IT facilities, WiFi and learning areas are freely available for your use.
You'll have access to a research and study skills module to support your academic skills development.
The programme is designed to run alongside your work commitments, allowing you to earn while you learn.
Key Features
This PgDip Legal Practice course offers you the opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and understanding of legal practice to prepare you for the SQE assessments set by the SRA.
Our expert team will support you in developing broader legal thinking. The ability to view legal problems from different angles can reveal new insights, helping to advance your career in the legal sector.
Our teaching team offers specialist knowledge of the legal sector, underpinned by their first-hand experience working in legal practice.
Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work in advance and ensuring that in-class learning is highly interactive.
At the School of Law, we regularly review our courses to ensure we offer our students the best possible education and opportunities. An industry advisory board that brings together representatives from legal practice, the judiciary and the legal sector supports this process, ensuring our courses reflect the needs of employers and the wider legal industry.
By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
You should have at least a lower second class honours degree (2:2) in law or another relevant subject (or a comparable qualification from a UK or overseas institution).
If you don't possess the above qualifications but have substantial managerial or employment experience equivalent to a degree, we'll be happy to consider your application. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis and be dependent on experience and interview.
You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 7.0 with normally no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is a single, rigorous assessment for all aspiring solicitors.
There are four stages to becoming a solicitor by the SQE route. Firstly, you must gain a degree (or equivalent). Since you're here, you've probably already completed this step.
Next, you must pass the SQE1 and SQE2 assessments. This PgDip Legal Practice course offered by the School of Law at the University of Bolton supports you in achieving this.
Alongside successfully completing your SQE assessments, you'll need to undertake a minimum of two years of full-time (or equivalent) Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) in a qualifying legal role. Studying this course will also help you prepare for the QWE, as the knowledge and skills you'll develop are essential for practice. You may also be able to gain experience towards your QWE by assisting in our in-house Legal Advice Centre.
Lastly, you must meet the SRA's character and suitability requirements when submitting your application to become a solicitor.
While working towards this PgDip, you'll have the option of transferring to the LLM Legal Practice offered by the University of Bolton. However, if you would prefer to take a break from studying before working towards a master's degree, you'll have the option to study the LLM Law (Legal Practice) top-up after completing this PgDip.
What can I do with this qualification?
While studying towards your SQE1 and SQE2 assessments, you'll likely wish to undertake QWE towards becoming a qualified solicitor. If you qualify as a solicitor, you'll have direct contact with clients, with the broadest caseload coming from high street practices, which cover criminal, family, probate and business law. Opportunities are available in private practice, in public sector bodies such as local authorities and the Government, and the in-house legal departments of companies.
As a graduate with sound legal knowledge, you'll also be able to find employment in areas such as human resources, business and finance. Alternatively, you may wish to continue your studies to the master's or doctoral level.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use this qualification as a stepping-stone into various other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate. Some possibilities include:
Immigration
Police
Trading standards
Investment banking
Tax advice/inspection
Teaching and education
International aid/development
Human resources
Health and safety
Probation/social work
Accountancy
Political research
Charity and advice work
Recruitment
Stockbroker
Marketing
Course fees
Useful information
While working towards this PgDip, you'll have the option of transferring to the LLM Legal Practice offered by the University of Bolton. However, if you would prefer to take a break from studying before working towards a master's degree, you'll have the option to study the LLM Law (Legal Practice) top-up after completing this PgDip.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year:
EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status.
If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement.
Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the
normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in
March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.
This course is not currently accepting international online applications.
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
The PgDip Legal Practice will be delivered using a wide range of materials, all designed to give you the very best start. These will include e-lectures, face-to-face workshops and the chance to learn and develop your skills within the University's Legal Advice Centre. Core textbooks and guided learning materials will support your studies.
While the major focus of this course is to prepare you to take the SRA's centralised SQE assessments at an external test centre, the PgDip Legal Practice is a stand-alone qualification. You'll need to commit to a considerable amount of personal study to succeed, engaging in background reading, online activities, preparation for sessions, and completing assessment work. To gain the PgDip Legal Practice award you'll need to complete the University's assessments, which typically include written coursework, project work, oral assessments and portfolios. We'll provide feedback to help you learn what you have done well and where you need to improve.
Initially, teaching and learning will focus on preparing you to sit the SQE1 assessments. These two multiple-choice question papers will test your Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK), including ethics and professional conduct. Using realistic client-based scenarios and ethical problems and situations, these exams will assess your application of law in the following areas:
FLK1 – Business Law and Practice; Dispute Resolution; Contract; Tort; Legal System of England and Wales; Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law and Legal Services.
FLK 2 – Property Practice; Wills and the Administration of Estates; Solicitors Accounts; Land Law; Trusts; Criminal Law and Practice.
Our expert team will also support you in learning the practical skills required for the SQE2 legal skills assessments. You'll be tested for the six professional legal skills: interviewing, advocacy (known as SQE2 oral), case and matter analysis, legal research, legal drafting and legal writing (known as SQE2 written). These assessments will also test your negotiation, ethics and professionalism.
SQE2 is conducted in the context of five legal practice areas: business law, civil litigation, criminal litigation, property practice, and wills and the administration of estates.
Please visit https://sqe.sra.org.uk/ for full details of the SRA's assessment and exam arrangements.
Our team will support you as you learn and revise all required knowledge and skills. We'll also help you gain postgraduate-level study and lifelong learning skills.
We use a blended learning and teaching style, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
Applied Legal Practice - FLK1
Applied Legal Practice - FLK2
Applied Legal Practice - SQE2
Assessment methods
Level
Assesment method
Level one
Coursework 75%, Practical exams 25%
Learning activities
Level
Learning activity
Level one
Guided independent study 77%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23%
Disclaimer
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
