Postgraduate Law Courses

Time for a Brainstorm?

The thought of brushing out the cobwebs and getting the old grey matter moving again for study can be daunting whether you are a recent graduate or someone who has completed undergraduate study some time ago. However, postgraduate qualifications are highly regarded by employers and represent a very valuable career progression tool.

Why bother with a postgraduate law qualification?
Postgraduate law qualifications are not just for lawyers but can be useful for those dealing with legal aspects in a whole range of careers including business, engineering, the energy sector, the construction sector and many more. Generally speaking there are two types of law postgraduate course: the generic and the niche. The generic course can be a very useful building block for someone who wishes to begin or enhance a career in any kind of professional business environment. Given the global nature of business these days, an international law qualification can open doors that a UK degree cannot.

 

The niche postgraduate law courses usually have a different focus altogether. They concentrate on one area of the law, for example employment law, oil and gas law, construction law or the law of arbitration. They offer significant career enhancement opportunities in a particular sector and can come with professional body recognition, which carries its own benefits (see below).

 

Can I take such a qualification even although I am not legally trained?
It depends. Some qualifications have entry requirements that insist on an undergraduate law degree for entry, However, some courses will allow entry to students with a first degree in a business or management discipline or, in the case of some of the niche courses, with a first degree in, say, human resources (for an employment law course) or surveying or engineering (for a construction law course).

 

Can I take such a qualification even if I don’t have a first degree at all?
Again, it depends. Despite the tag, some postgraduate law degree programmes will allow entry to applicants who have some considerable work experience in a particular field, but no first degree; indeed such a person may be brighter and will have more industry insight and experience than someone fresh out of an undergraduate degree.

 

Is delivery flexible?
For those in full time employment already, there is often a physical, practical problem: getting to class. There are plenty of part-time courses around, but many require attendance at classes in the evening, perhaps two nights a week. Often this presents not only a time issue but also a motivational. For those with families as well, there is a whole new dimension to this problem. For some, there is even a geographic problem where the desired course is taught at a university 100 miles away.

 

There may, however, be a solution at hand. More and more universities in the UK are offering web based postgraduate law courses. There are some very attractive and challenging web based courses available, and the same qualification is gained, whether the course is completed face to face or on a web-based course.

 

The benefit is that the student can log on and do the work at any time of the week, day or night, and from anywhere in the world. These environments are usually interactive, so that you can correspond online with students and the tutor. If looking at such a course, be careful to look closely at the reputation of the institution concerned- does it have a track record for this kind of delivery of law courses or not? As with any other educational product, the quality of this kind of package can vary, as can the reputation of the university offering it.

 

Professional accreditation
Some law courses are accredited by professional or industry bodies. This means that the course has been closely examined by that body which has then offered its formal stamp of approval. An accreditation of a course can have a number of potential benefits: the time spent on the course might qualify as CPD which is required to be undertaken by some professional bodies and successful completion of the course might even lead to exemption from professional body examinations. However, the non-tangible benefits of such accreditation should not be forgotten: the course has been scrutinised by a professional body which has put its reputation on the line by formally approving the course content and delivery: a good sign of a quality course.

Image of the institution
Finally, anyone looking for a postgraduate law course should be careful to shop around. There are a wide range of generic (sometimes international) postgraduate law courses out there, and even a number of niche courses in any particular sector. Have a close look at the web pages of the university – a well organized web page is usually a sign of a highly organised institution, and this bodes well for quality of course and of delivery. Look also at the ethos of the institution – is it a vocationally oriented university? If it is, the usefulness and reputation of the end product may be enhanced in the market; a purely academic degree from a purely academic institution may not be what employers want.

This is the message I want to leave you with: for career enhancement opportunities that are worth a return to a period of brainstorming study activity, be sure to choose a course according to what is likely to be attractive in the workplace. The answer may not be as simple as you think……

Derek P. Auchie
Senior Lecturer in Law
The Robert Gordon
University Aberdeen

 

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