Graduate Diploma in Law (CPE/ GDL)

Course Profile

Location: Central London (Oxford Circus tube)
Fees 2010
Fee Discounts 2010
Course Enquiries

Applications

Deadlines

Full-time GDL - 2 Feb 2010 for the first round of applications for the academic year 2010/11. Please note that applications submitted after this deadline will still be considered and an offer will be made subject to places being available.
Part-time GDL - Recruitment is ongoing throughout the academic year. Students should apply no later than the 15th August 2010 for the September start of this course.

Introduction

The Graduate Diploma in Law (otherwise known as the Common Professional Examination or the CPE) is a postgraduate law course that can be taken by non-law graduates (graduates who have a degree in a discipline that is not law, or who do not have a qualifying law degree) wishing to qualify as either a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales.

The University of Westminster offers the GDL course on a full-time (day time) and part-time (evenings) mode. All full-time applications must be submitted to the Central Applications Board. Part-time applications must be submitted directly to the University of Westminster.

The full-time course normally takes one year to complete and the part-time takes two years. Successful candidates can go on to study either the Legal Practice Course which will lead to qualification as a solicitor or the Bar Vocational Course which will lead to qualification as a barrister.

The GDL does not aim to cover everything contained in a three-year law degree. It seeks to develop a knowledge of the core areas of law and the skills of legal analysis and research that are essential for success on the professional courses and in the early years of practice.

The School of Law has been successfully running the full-time GDL course since 1977 and the part-time course since 1993. For the academic year 2010/11, the fees for the full-time course is 5,250 (EEA students) and 10,400 (non-EEA students). Fees for the part-time course (per year) is 2,590 (EEA students) and 5,200 (non-EEA students). Discount applies to students who have obtained a 2.1 degree or or above from a UK institution or equivalent. For the academic year 2010/11, this discount is 500GBP for full-time students and 250GBP for part-time students per year.

Please note that the University of Westminster does not offer the Bar Vocational Course. For further information on how to qualify as a solicitor or barrister, please visit either the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the Bar Council website. Alternatively, please read the following guidance document recently produced about the [Common Professional Examination (CPE/ GDL) Rules issued by The Solicitors Regulation Authority 2008.]

Read more on the course entry requirements for the GDL programme at The University of Westminster.

Course Enquiries

For further information on applying to the course, admissions process or administrative issues please contact GDL Admissions Office.

Course Entry Requirements

To be eligible for the GDL course, all applicants must meet the following requirements:

A minimum 2:2 degree classification (other than an honorary degree) from a UK university or a recognised overseas institution which The Law Society considers to be an equivalent.

All applicants holding a non-English language based qualification or who have not studied in the UK before are required to undertake the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. Applicants are required to obtain a minimum score of 7.0 for admissions onto the GDL Course. Please click here for further information on the IELTS course offered by The University of Westminster. Students who have obtained 6.5 are encouraged to visit the English Pre-Sessional course website.

Before starting the course, all applicants holding a non-UK degree must obtain a Certificate of Academic Standing from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (for intending solicitors) or the Bar Council (for intending barristers) confirming that the applicant is eligible to take the GDL. To obtain the Certificate of Academic Standing, please contact the Professional Competence Team at the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Important notes

Students may submit an application for the GDL course prior to obtaining a Certificate of Academic Standing or IELTS certificates. Where applicable, conditional offers are made to students subject to production of their original certification at enrolment in September.

Read more on the fees and discounts for the Graduate Diploma in Law 2010 or alternatively, read more on how to submit an application to the Full-time GDL or Part-time GDL courses.

Additional Information