Thinking of postgraduate study after your Law degree? What are your options?

Many of you now coming to the end of your undergraduate Law         degree may be thinking about           postgraduate study for next               academic year or beyond.

This can be divided as follows:

Vocational Study related to your Law degree

This, at present, comprises the Legal Practice Course (LPC) for aspiring solicitors or the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) for intending barristers.

LPC

If you are considering applying for the LPC for September 2016 there are still places available at most providers.

There is no official closing date so providers will keep their course lists open for as long as possible.

How to apply

If you are applying for a full time LPC, you use the Central Applications Board website Lawcabs
You are allowed to make up to 3 choices of institution.  Bear in mind, that if you are a Law student at the University of Chester, you are guaranteed a place at the University of Law centre of your choice, provided you get at least a 2:2 in your undergraduate degree.

BPTC

Applications for the BPTC have now closed for September 2016 and will reopen for 2017 in late November. Check for updates on the BarSAS website.

You will also have to pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test before starting your course. See
Bar Standards Board for further information.

You must also join one of the Inns of Court before enrolling on the BPTC.

Don't forget, there are large sums of money available in scholarships from the Inns of Court.

• The application deadline for scholarships is always the first Friday in November in the year before you wish to commence the BPTC.
• You can only apply to one Inn.

Academic study related to your Law degree

LLM

You might be thinking about going on to Masters study and, in particular an LLM.  This could be a good idea if you really want to focus on a particular area of law, such as Human Rights, and intend to forge a career using that expertise.

A few points to remember about studying a Masters:

• It can be expensive, though new funding arrangements come into place in the UK from August 2016. See Find A Masters for details.

• You can often study part-time enabling you to work at the same time as studying

• You need to be motivated to study your chosen specialism at a higher level.  Even if you are doing a taught Masters as opposed to a Research Masters (known as an MPhil) you will be expected to carry out hours of study outside of lectures.

• Think again, if you are considering a Masters to make up for a poor result in your undergraduate degree.  Employers will see through this and look at your original degree result first!