Open the door to an international career in law
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
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Upcoming eventsLearn from experienced legal professionals and world-class academics as you immerse yourself in realistic simulations of legal practice.
Our LLM Law (Juris Doctor) can put you on the path to practising law in the USA. If you'd like to know more information about the course and admissions requirements, make an appointment with our Regional Manager for the US and Canada.
Intellectually challenging and skills-focused, this course will ensure you are ready to embrace the challenges of an international career in law. You'll graduate with a unique insight into how professional legal practice works, enabling you to perform at the highest levels and in firms of all types.
A University of York LLM is an internationally recognised qualification and the LLM Law (Juris Doctor) can put you on the path to legal practice around the world. Subject to any local requirements, completing this course could be a stepping stone to sitting Bar exams in jurisdictions as diverse as the USA, Australia and Hong Kong.
This degree also meets requirements that can enable you to progress to the next stages of professional qualification as a barrister or solicitor in England and Wales.
A modern, dynamic learning method that ensures you experience and understand law in its practical, social and theoretical contexts
In the first two years of the programme, you will work collaboratively with around 12 other students on a series of real-life legal problems. These will develop your knowledge of the core legal subjects:
You will also develop an understanding of how professional ethics guide and inform practice, as well as vitally important legal skills such as critical thinking, communication and teamwork.
In your final year you will continue to gain an understanding of corporate and commercial law and legal practice. You will work on modules which will help you to understand how a global lawyer operates, and produce outputs which reflect the tasks they would undertake for clients. A key part of the final year will be an independent learning project which will enable you to pursue an area of interest related to modern legal practice, drafting a piece of professional know-how.
Core modules:
Core modules:
You will also study two option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
You will also study three option modules in Semester 1 and three option modules in Semester 2. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£9,250 | £25,800 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
Student Finance England's eligibility criteria states that student finance is only available for one- or two-year, full-time postgraduate programmes. As this is a three-year, full-time programme, unfortunately it does not attract government funding. As such, if you are applying for this programme, you would have to self-fund for your studies.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
York Law School is the only Law School in the UK to build its LLM (JD) programme around problem-based learning. In PBL, you will encounter a range of authentic 'problem' scenarios raising a wide range of legal issues. These will usually involve more than one area of law, so you will come to understand the interrelationships between areas of law that exist in practice and society, and the 'messiness' of law as it arises in real-world contexts.
Through the process, you will reflect on deeper social and theoretical issues, such as questions of justice, fairness and human rights. Tutor-facilitators will guide you through particular points and issues, helping you to gain the maximum possible from each study.
You'll also learn through a range of other resources including plenary lectures, written subject guides and a variety of relevant material in our virtual learning environment.
York Law School is located on Campus East. Nearly all of your teaching will take place within the Law building or nearby on Campus East.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
In your first two years, summative assessment includes coursework tasks, individual learning portfolios and reflective analysis, and formal assessment of contribution in PBL and Skills sessions. Some modules have additional forms of assessment, such as presentations or drafting advice to clients. All summative assessments will count towards your final module grades.
In your final year, your assessments may also include production of a range of internal and client-focused reports and pieces of legal advice, legal documents and presentations. You'll also prepare an extended piece of professional writing in the form of a major piece of client advice or a practice know-how report set by a current legal professional.
None of the modules offered by York Law School currently include formal examinations as a form of assessment.
The LLM Law (Juris Doctor) is a key stepping stone to legal practice in jurisdictions across the globe. As an internationally recognised qualification with an emphasis on combining functioning legal knowledge and a strong base of practice skills, it provides a clear pathway into the law and legal services sector and corporate/commercial practice.
You'll have access to Link Days with law firms, plus a full range of employability sessions and networking opportunities on legal and other careers, arranged and facilitated by the Law School's dedicated law employability tutor.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent |
| International pre-masters programme | Pre-masters from our International Pathway College |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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