The Law Conversion Course (PDGL) at BPP Law School is the new course for those who did not study Law at undergraduate level. This conversion course allows you to take ‘your first step’ into a legal career.
The new PGDL at BPP has been developed following extensive research done by firms, chambers, and aspiring lawyers. The course is taught by experienced solicitors and barristers, and BPP offer flexible study options to fit student’s commitments, including full-time, part-time, and online options. Additionally, BPP hold impressive employment rates; 96.5% of their graduates secured employment or went onto further study.
The course holds a modular structure, meaning assessments are spread out over the academic year. The PGDL at BPP consists of nine compulsory modules, seven of which ensure the degree is qualifying under the SRA. These modules include company law, contract law, criminal law, legal foundation skills, land law, public law, tort law and trusts law.
These are taught in a variety of ways, including BPP Adapt, Virtual Practice, and the BPP’s ‘Five-Step approach.’ BPP Adapt is an innovative online platform which collects insight on how students best learn; this ensures students have an entirely personalised learning path. The Virtual Practice element consists of working on real-world tasks in a stimulated legal environment. This involves realistic document handling and case management which mirrors Barristers’ work, which progresses legal practice skills.
The full-time programme is taught over two terms (each of which are 15 weeks) and contact hours are typically between 8 to 10 hours per week. Additionally, students are expected to complete 30 hours of independent study per week. The part-time programme is taught over four terms, and BPP offer a variety of study options, including evening, weekend, day and online. The online PGDL offers a structured programme of classes using BPP’s Online Classroom Live, which consists of live online workshops at scheduled times.
Students are taught through a combination of online resources and live workshops and are taught in small groups of no more than 20 students. There are a variety of assessments including coursework and examinations. Coursework is in the form of essays, reports or case studies, or individual or group presentations. Examinations include written elements and or multiple-choice questions, which could be unseen or part-seen, where materials are released in advance. BPP offers flexibility in how these examinations are taken.
The entry requirements for the PGDL at BPP is a minimum 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) in any subject from a UK institution. If students do not meet this requirement but have other strong qualifications, references, or work experience, they can also be considered for the course.
The locations of the PGDL at BPP are Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge, and London Waterloo.
The London Waterloo campus offers part-time options on Saturdays, evenings, and weekdays – starting in January or September.
The Online campus offers full-time and part-time day, evening, and Saturday, with the starting months of May, January, and September. The price of the PGDL at BPP is dependent on location; fees online and at London Waterloo being the most expensive at £11,938. Fees for Birmingham, Bristol and Cambridge are £9,661, and £9,538 for Leeds and Manchester.
By Lauren Kelly