PgDip Solicitors Qualifying Examination

• 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 SQE course offered by the School of Law at the University of Bolton supports you to achieve this.

Alongside successfully completing your SQE assessments, you’ll need to undertake a minimum of two years 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 with SQE 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 master’s or doctoral level.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience or postgraduate study may be required. They 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

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £9,000 for the academic year 2023/24.

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £13,200 for the academic year 2023/24.

Useful information

While working towards this PgDip, you’ll have the option of transferring to the LLM with SQE 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 2022-2023 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.

Bursaries

Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.

The PgDip SQE 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.

This course will prepare you to take the SRA’s centralised SQE assessments at an external test centre. Initially, teaching and learning will focus on 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 to learn the practical skills required to pass 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 the knowledge and skills required. We’ll also help you gain postgraduate level study and lifelong learning skills.

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

Learning activities

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.