Graduate LLB (Hons) Professional Law and SQE

Course content

Our distinctive course comprises core modules and a wide choice of options. During your first two years, your core modules include a series of 'Foundations in Law' modules, which cover the core areas of English law and academic skills as defined by professional bodies. There are also core legal skills modules through which you will develop key skills applied by professionals in practice.

In your final year, the course will prepare you for the two Solicitors Qualifying Examinations, SQE1 and SQE2, the Solicitors Regulation Authority's professional qualification assessments for prospective solicitors. Supported by qualified tutors with a wide range of practice experience at the highest levels and access to extensive customised learning resources, you'll develop the functioning legal knowledge, and oral, written and research skills required of newly qualified solicitors, as assessed in SQE1 and SQE2.

Our range of option modules allow you to develop an individual learning pathway to reflect your career interests. In your third year, the option modules are practice-focused and designed by lawyers experienced in the relevant practice area. These will help enhance your employability, as you develop the understanding and skills required by solicitors to progress matters and transactions for their personal or business clients. You'll also complete a professional legal practice module, which will provide valuable insight into the current legal services market; the range of legal services providers and how they operate; the impact of technology; and the professional competencies required by solicitors.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

In year 3, international and EU students pay a reduced fee of £15,000.

Additional costs

Although students may decide to purchase some textbooks or other resources, we have an extensive physical and electronic library, so that there is no requirement to do so.

We offer a number of scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition fees and living costs:

• UK/EU students: scholarships
• Overseas students: scholarships

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with expert tutors, many of whom are also qualified legal practitioners, experienced in vocational and professional legal training. Your learning activities and assessments will provide a foundation for further professional training programmes, and legal practice.

Teaching format

A core teaching method employed in York Law School is problem-based learning. This method will develop your skills of analysis, reasoning and judgement. Through this approach, you'll also develop communication and project management skills that will enhance your effectiveness in the world of work. This will involve you working in a 'student law firm' in which you will work on simulated corporate and commercial law problems brought to you by virtual clients and based on real-life legal scenarios. You'll learn to identify the relevant legal principles, and unravel the legal and contextual issues that lie at the heart of the problem. As in real life, the problems are messy and typically involve several legal topics interacting and overlapping.

For SQE1, you'll develop client advice that will form the foundation for applying specific legal principles and rules to the scenarios presented in multiple choice questions (MCQs). Every workshop will build your SQE1 functioning legal knowledge, which you'll then apply in practise sets of MCQs, on which you'll receive feedback. For SQE2, you'll prepare for and practice the range of oral and written skills tasks that form the SQE2 assessment, receiving individual feedback. The practice-focused modules will be based on simulated transactions and matters, and incorporate legal documentation. You'll advise your clients and undertake the tasks carried out by solicitors to progress transactions and matters for their individual and business clients.

Your learning and workshop preparation will be supported by a wide range of customised learning resources. These include an extensive pool of SQE1 MCQs, plus text and media resources, and a high number of online interactive exercises, all focused on developing the required functioning legal knowledge for SQE1. The SQE2 learning resources include scenarios and materials that replicate those used in the SQE2 oral and written skills assessments. You'll use practitioner know-how in the practice-focused modules.

In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.

Facilities

The York Law School has a purpose-built space for problem-based learning with classrooms that offer a modern, professional learning environment. As a student you'll also have the opportunity to participate in advising members of the public in the Baroness Hale Legal Clinic.

Teaching location

York Law School is located on Campus East. Most of your teaching will take place within the Law and Sociology building or nearby on Campus East.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.

Assessment and feedback

We use a variety of formats to assess your critical understanding and problem-based learning skills, including:

• coursework essays
• problem-analysis and application of relevant law
• client advice

There will also be multiple choice questions and skills performances, of the type that are used in the SQE assessments.

You will receive regular tutor feedback in workshops, and on formative activities.

SQE1 and SQE2 Assessments

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) offers a number of sittings of the centralised SQE1 and SQE2 assessments each year. There is a separate exam fee, payable to the SRA for each assessment, which is not included in your course fee. Should you choose to do so, you may apply to sit the January or July SQE1 assessment during the third year of your LLB course and, if successful, the subsequent October SQE2 assessment following your course.

Entry requirements

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.