University of Plymouth offering qualifying law degrees recognised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

The University of Plymouth is the largest university in the southwest of England, with over 30,000 students and is the fifth largest UK university based on student population. (Larger universities are Open, London, Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan respectively. It has almost 3,000 staff (one of the largest employers in the southwest), and an annual income of around £160 million.

Faculty of Social Science and Business

The faculty is home to the Plymouth Business School and the School of Law and Social Science. Courses on offer include in the areas of: Accounting Banking and Finance, Business, Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies, Economics, English as a Foreign Language, Hospitality, International Relations, Law, Management and Leadership, Marketing, Modern Languages, Politics, Public Services, Shipping and Logistics, Social Research, Sociology, Sports Management, Tourism.

Plymouth University also has strong links with the cruising industry; the Plymouth Business School, located within the grounds of the campus, offers courses in the Maritime and Cruising sector. The school offers BSc (Hons) in Cruise Management, where students can opt to take a year out to work with P&O or Princess Cruises for a period of two, four month periods.

The University of Plymouth

Law School Launch at the National Marine Aquarium. (September 2006)

Top legal expert Sir Anthony Holland joined staff and students of the University of Plymouth as the special guest at the launch of the university’s new Law School in the Atlantic reef room of the National Marine Aquarium on Plymouth’s Barbican.

Sir Anthony was joined by nearly one hundred leading members of the legal profession in the South West, who have welcomed the news that the university is building on the success of its undergraduate degrees in law by adding professional qualifications and postgraduate provision to its portfolio.

The news has also been welcomed by students as it means that – on successful completion of the LLB (Hons) degree or BSc (Hons) Law degrees – they can stay at the university and progress to the vocational stage of the Legal Practice course or Bar Vocational course, in order to qualify as a solicitor. It has also opened up opportunities for graduates in other subjects to become lawyers through the Graduate Diploma in Law.

The expanded provision follows the Law Society’s approval of the university taking over the established Legal Practice course from the University of Exeter and the approval of the Law Society and Bar Council for the non-law graduate conversion course – the Graduate Diploma in Law.

Students at Plymouth can also now continue to postgraduate study in law – they have the option of taking the Diploma and Master of Laws (LLM) in Legal Practice, as well as the Graduate Diploma in Law, depending on their first degree. Further LLM degrees in Maritime and Marine Law are planned for 2007.

Speaking about the expansion in the university’s law provision, Guy Walker, Senior Partner at leading South West law firm Nash & Co, said: “As a senior partner at Nash & Co and a director of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, I welcome the news that the University of Plymouth is now providing students with the opportunity to train all the way to their professional exams.”

Professor Simon Payne, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Business, said: “Our undergraduate degrees in law have always been extremely popular and, in our experience, many of our graduates wish to remain local. We’re delighted that we can provide progression to these higher qualifications so that they can continue to study here and go on to find careers with South West firms or beyond.”

6th October 2006

The School of Law
Contact

Contact SSB

To receive a course brochure or to make any enquiries about studying with or working for, the Faculty of Social Science and Business please contact:

Faculty of Social Science and Business
University of Plymouth
Cookworthy Building
Drake Circus
Plymouth
Devon
PL4 8AA

Tel: +44 (0)1752 585500
Fax: +44 (0)1752 585501

Email: ssb.enquiry@plymouth.ac.uk

Main reception
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA

Tel: +44 (0)1752 600600