Start Date: January, September

Length of Programme: 1 year Full-Time / 1.5 year Part-Time

Mode of Study: Distance Learning / Study in the UK

Benefit from our Career Guarantee

If you start your PGDL and go on to study our LPC or BTC you'll benefit from our Career Guarantee.

If you don't get obtain a training contract or pupillage within six months of completing your LPC* or BTC** you can study another qualification at BPP for free.

Preparing you for practice

The BPP University PGDL is designed to help you make a smooth transition from being a non-law graduate into a career in law. We don't just give you an excellent qualification, we give you an insight into life in practice, so you enter the next stage of your training more informed, more prepared and more effective, and able to demonstrate a higher competency when applying for training contracts and pupillages.

Once you have successfully completed your PGDL exams, you have the opportunity to specialise or develop an understanding in alternative areas, take two extra modules and you could graduate with a Master of Law (LLM) awarded by BPP University.  The Postgraduate Diploma in Law is awarded by BPP University and is recognised as completion of the academic stage by the SRA and BSB.

When you have passed your PGDL, you're guaranteed a place on our LPC, the next step to becoming a solicitor. Or you can apply for our BTC, the next step to becoming a barrister. 

How the programme is taught

We assume you have no prior knowledge of law when you start your PGDL, so you get a full induction programme and a high level of support from day one. This includes outstanding learning materials and online resources. All study materials are included in the fee. All lectures and resources have online equivalents.

You'll be taught by our experienced legal professionals and academics with time split evenly between tutorials and lectures as well as regular consolidation sessions and a wealth of online resources. For full details view our Locations tab.

What you will experience in the classroom

BPP University's ethos is learning by doing. Classes are designed with an interactive focus, based on discussions, debates and resolving practical case studies. You will learn the academic knowledge, but as importantly you will learn how it's applied in practice, with a logical approach, presenting your arguments persuasively and in a structured manner.

You will study up to 21 hours a week consisting of live and online lectures and classes dependent on location and start date. Tutorials are taught in groups of around 18 students, giving you a high level of student/tutor contact time.

All our students also have a Personal Tutor and access to a Student Advisor, should you need any guidance or additional support outside of class time.

Independent research essay options

We offer a wide range of titles, and will always consider individual topics suggested by students. Current options include intellectual property, succession, company law, family law, housing law, medical law and public international law.

Study Options

Personalise your PGDL timetable

BPP gives you more control over the way you study with face-to-face, online distance learning, or a combination of both available. Classes are offered morning, afternoon, evening and weekends. Face-to-face PGDL classes are taught on two set days per week during the core teaching term, at the following centres, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge and Liverpool.

You can start in January or September. For full-time study, both options take nine months. Or if you choose part-time and start in January, you'll finish in 18 months – ready to start the LPC or BTC in September. If you start part-time in September the programme takes two academic years.

Optional modules

With the BPP PGDL, you're given access to an unrivalled range of additional modules, designed to get you ahead and give you the edge in interviews. Highlights include:

• Company law module
• Further specialist law modules – start specialising early in areas such as Intellectual Property or Public International Law, so you can demonstrate more expertise than other graduates.
• Professional Skills modules developed with leading city firms – Featuring areas like legal writing and legal research
• Mandarin Chinese – Gain an insight into the language used in one of the world's most important markets with free Mandarin Chinese lessons (London only).

Specialist careers advice

From the moment you accept your place until you secure your first legal position, you can use our careers service. With our one-to-one support, we aim to give you the edge when it comes to getting a training contract or pupillage. You'll have everything from access to our vacancies database to advice on filling out application forms, intensive interview coaching, employer research and networking opportunities with top firms.

Part-time PGDL

Our part-time programme is designed to fit around your other commitments such as work and family. BPP offers a variety of part-time modes:

• Evenings: taught between 6.00pm and 9.00pm. Each module is taught by a one-hour tutorial per week. All our lectures are recorded and made available to students online for flexibility of study
• Weekends: one Saturday every fortnight, consisting of tutorials. Lectures delivered online
• Day: taught on one half-day per week from 9am - 1.30pm in year 1 and from 9am - 2.40pm in year 2. Lectures are delivered online
• Distance learning: weekly online lectures and tutorials with optional face-to-face tuition.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

• You should hold a Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in any subject from a recognised institution
• Non-degree holders could also apply as mature students with their working and managerials experiences or with other qualifications or memebership of professional bodies.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Level 6.5 or equivalent, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components or;
• Provide HKDSE / HKALE certificate with satisfactory result or;
• Undertake our internal English Test.

How to apply

We recommend you apply as soon as you're ready – if you apply it earlier, you will have higher chance to get admitted to the programme.

Entry requirements

Educational background

• You should hold a Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in any subject from a recognised institution
• Non-degree holders could also apply as mature students with their working and managerials experiences or with other qualifications or memebership of professional bodies.

International students will also be expected to have an IELTS qualification of at least 6.5 with no element lower than 6.

How to apply

We recommend you apply as soon as you're ready – priority is given to applicants who have placed BPP as their first choice.

• Applications for the Full-Time Law Foundations Course (Diploma)
  1. Students are required to submit their application online through the Central Applications Board (CAB)
  2. Please send your Applicant ID & Form Reference to bpphk@austen.group
• For our part-time Law Conversion Course (Diploma) you apply directly with us by using the part time application form

If you have any questions about your application, you can fill in the contact form below and contact us at 2590-8600 or request a call back

How to study?

Our five-step approach

When you study with BPP, you will experience an innovative and personalised learning methodology designed to best prepare you for assessments and your career in legal practice.

BPP Adapt

Our innovative online platforms help progress you through your studies; using machine learning technology to collect insights based on how you learn. The sophisticated algorithm continually assesses your unique capabilities and areas for development so you can work through your studies on an entirely personalised learning path, testing and refining your knowledge and maximising your chances of success.

Virtual Practice

You will also complete and submit real-world tasks in a simulated legal environment, experiencing realistic document handling and case management in a way that mirrors legal practice in a barrister’s chambers. This contextualised approach helps develop your practical legal and digital skills, so you are better prepared for legal practice. It also helps you to recall and apply key legal principles, so you are better prepared for the centralised assessments set by external bodies.

Paying for your Law Conversion Course (Diploma)

Distance Learning

Full-time and Part-time Law Conversion Course (Diploma) programmes

Study in the UK

Full-time Law Conversion Course (Diploma) programmes

Additional charges

In addition to your programme fees, there may be additional charges associated with your studies, which include:

Overviews

The course is mainly assessed open-book home examinations. They may include examinations with a case and multiple-choice questions, an oral assessment and coursework. The pass mark for all assessments is 50%. Details are as follows,

Weighting of each assessment?