Graduate Diploma in Law
Programme Details
Duration: 1 year full-time
Entry Requirements: You must be a graduate (with at least a high 2:2 or equivalent) or have been granted a Certificate of Academic Standing from one of the professional bodies (the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board. If your first language is not English, and you have not studied at degree level in English before, we require a qualification in English, currently IELTS 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each component.
Course fees: For information on course fees please visit Fees and Funding
About the Programme
The course is strictly a postgraduate diploma in law; it is taught and examined to a higher level than most other GDLs. For ease of reference we refer to it throughtout these pages simply as the Graduate Diploma in Law or GDL.
You may be a graduate in any discipline except law. The Graduate Diploma in Law is a one year full-time postgraduate programme that allows you to "convert" to law if you wish to enter the legal profession in England and Wales. The Graduate Diploma in Law is also known as the Common Professional Exam.
This programme will, on successful completion, lead on to the next stage of professional legal training, the Legal Practice Course or the Bar Professional Training Course. The Legal Practice Course (LPC) is also available here. The University of Sheffield is the only prestigious research-led university to offer both the GDL and the LPC. So you could experience a seamless legal education here.
The GDL runs from mid September to the middle of June and involves just 9 months of intensive study. All the subjects required by the professional bodies are covered. You also study English Legal System and enhance your skills and understanding through a legal research project. Human Rights, EU law and Restitution are studied within their respective contexts and are integral to the teaching of several modules. The course includes the study of Company Law, which is not a component of every GDL, but which we believe to be an essential foundational element of the understanding of the law of England and Wales. Examinations are in September, January and late May/early June.
You will need to prepare for challenging and intensive study. The reward will bring you a step closer to a career as a barrister or solicitor. We’ll help you by providing you with directed pre-reading on English Legal System modules in preparation for your research project, a personal academic tutor, and expert legal careers guidance. You’ll also join a prestigious School of Law with an excellent reputation and modern facilities.
We also offer a two-year law conversion course, the MA in Law. The MA in Law is a qualifying law degree, allowing you two years to get to grips with the foundational legal subjects and offer a choice of options together with the chance to produce a dissertation at Masters level.
Programme StructureThis programme is organised on a modular basis, this section gives you further information about the modules you will be studying over the year. |
Applying to SheffieldAll the information you need for making an application to our Graduate Diploma in Law programme can be found in this section. |
Contact Us
If you need to contact us with any queries or if you require any further information regarding this programme, please use the contact form from the link below and someone will contact you.
Alternatively if you would like to speak to someone in person please ring us on +44 (0)114 222 6752 and we will be happy to answer your queries/questions.