CPE/Graduate Diploma in Law

About the Course

The CPE programme has become an established and widely recognised route into both branches of the legal profession.

The Joint Academic Stage Board externally validates the programme, which is specifically designed to enable non-law graduates to satisfy the academic stage of the process of legal training, thereby enabling successful students to embark on a vocational training course with a view to entering the legal profession as a solicitor or barrister.

Aims

The programme covers the core modules that constitute a qualifying Law degree (and therefore exemption from the academic stage of legal training) in an accelerated one-year format.

Download the Course Brochure.

Enquiries

Dr. Gerard Conway,
Lecturer in Law and CPE/GDL Director
Brunel Law School,
Brunel University,
Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH
Email gerard.conway@brunel.ac.uk
Tel   +44 (0)1895 267492
Fax  +44 (0)1895 269 875

Related Courses

• Master of Laws (LLM Law)

Special Features

Law at Brunel University is well-established and highly rated for its published scholarship, and well known amongst law firms for its distinctive undergraduate sandwich courses.

The Law School at Brunel provides a personalised approach to the CPE programme, with a relatively small class cohort that allows students to get to know both the academic staff and each other during the year of study.

The course begins with a two-week, specially designed induction programme, delivered by an experienced CPE lecturer, in order to facilitate your transition to legal studies.

The Law School is currently establishing a CPE Alumni Network that you will be able to benefit from as a student, in the form of talks on careers options and advice and through contact opportunities, and later by joining.
 
Brunel has an excellent, award-winning Placement and Careers Service, with a dedicated contact point for Law, and you will be able to benefit from this service throughout the programme.

Simeon Muir studied the CPE at Brunel

I studied first for a Politics and History degree at Brunel and then went on to the Law CPE Programme. I was impressed by Brunel Law School’s reputation and high rankings in The Times university league tables. Also, I wanted to study the CPE in an academic environment and be taught by lecturers who were experts in their fields, as I thought this would give me a greater knowledge and understanding of the law.  I preferred the more personalised approach at Brunel to some of the bigger CPE providers.

My CPE year was a tough year. There was a lot of material to be learned and law seemed completely alien to begin with. However, all the lecturers were very keen to explain things both during and after classes, and on a one-to-one basis. I found the system of lectures followed by seminars a very good way of learning. The way the course was taught gave me a detailed understanding of law, rather than simply learning to pass the exams and then forgetting about it. Consequently, much of what I learned is still at the forefront of my mind and this is invaluable now that I am planning to practise at the Bar and specialise in criminal law.

Charles Olubokun

I previously studied Business Administration, Personnel Psychology then Corporate Finance and have worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Whispering and Wireless Ltd and Nigeria Telecommunications Ltd (NITEL), which a major player in Telecoms in Africa. In choosing the CPE as a path, I set out to look for and study in a school with an international reputation and academic excellence and found that Brunel possessed these. The lecturers are made up of knowledgeable professionals in the field of law; their conceptual analysis of key principles in relation to major challenges of our time is evidenced through their publications. The delivery approach in Brunel is superb, it presents law as an intellectual discipline in its own right, which allowed one to develop the skills of analysis, reasoning and discussion required to be successful beyond the ordinary level of a lawyer. The skill, competence, determination and knowledge developed during the course in handling large volume of materials and meeting priority dates are invaluable preparation for what is needed for a successful legal career. Following the CPE, applied to and was accepted on the LLM programme at Brunel. I plan to practise as a solicitor within the London area, and I would also like to help educate the future generation, especially would be lawyers. If I have to start all over, I would rather start with Brunel.

Gilles Ponchon

I had been studying French Law for four years in France where I come from. I wanted to qualify as a solicitor in the UK and I took the CPE to achieve this. I applied at Brunel because it was outside London but not beyond reach, and besides, Brunel has had all the facilities required to study correctly: modern accommodations, study rooms for postgraduates, the Library with extended opening hours, and a dvd rental service.... There are many activities organised on site and outside, like visiting Oxford and Cambridge. I found the content of the course interesting and the different lecturers easy to talk to during and after classes. The methods of teaching were classically structured (lecture-seminar), which was a good thing for a foreign student in his first year in England. The separation of LLB students and CPE students for the seminar only has been a good idea. I intend to qualify as a lawyer in France and a solicitor in England and practise in an international law firm in the UK. I enjoyed my time at Brunel. The campus has all the facilities you will need and Uxbridge is very close. 

Kathryn Richmond

Before Brunel, I studied for a BA (Hons) Philosophy with Cultural Studies at St. Mary's College, University of Surrey. I had also gained experience as a ski instructor in Switzerland, with the Jersey Business School as an administration assistant for its professional qualifications, and with the Citizens Advice Bureau, Support Caseworker. Brunel attracted me for the CPE because of its diverse environment, good value, convenient location, and in-depth teaching to a University standard compared to other, business-based providers. I found the CPE to be intense, but rewarding. I had a good group of people studying with me. We all supported each other, and the staff were very helpful with lots of feedback. I responded well to the methods of teaching and lectures help, while I found I also had to be self-motivated to cover all the course material. What I most enjoyed was the variety of the subject matter and the supportive environment. I am now studying the BPTC at BPP, after which I have a legal internship in Jersey for the summer and am aiming for a pupillage in 2012 at commercial law Chambers somewhere in the UK.

Tobias Edvardsson

I received my LLM from Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. In Sweden we have different system when it comes to law school. If you elect to study to become an Advokat (a combination of solicitor and barrister), a Judge or a Prosecutor, you choose the law programme and you study for four and a half year and then your receive your LL.M. directly without a prior LL.BAs a former IT-entrepreneur and IT-consultant, I spent almost ten years starting up new business and helping existing ones in the IT and Telecommunications industries. There were two primary reasons I chose Brunel: good ranking and closeness to London. Before applying, I asked friends and tried to collect information regarding the general thought of Brunel and of all the Universities I considered Brunel came out on top.

I enjoyed every minute of that year. I thought it was a good mix of lectures and seminars with a suitable level of teaching. The thing I most liked was the dedication and commitment of the teachers. That drive helped me to get started and stay focused, which I much needed as a foreign student. Another surprise was the wonderful students with whom I took the course. The ambience was relaxed and I felt all the time that I could ask for help if needed. Many of the fellow students are still my friends and we keep in touch. Now, I use the qualification and experience routinely in my work. About eighty five percent of the agreements I write or negotiate are in English and many with one of the parties being established England.

My plans for the future are to stay at the law firm Lindahl, which is one of the main law firms in Sweden, to become a partner and focus even more on IT law, especially outsourcing, cloud computing and software licensing.

Course Content

The CPE in Law programme seeks to cover the 'core' modules, which constitute a qualifying law degree (and therefore exemption from the Academic Stage of Legal Training) in an accelerated (one-year) format. In accordance with The Joint Academic Stage Board regulations, students will be required to undertake eight modules including the seven 'core' modules of the qualifying law degree (see below), and Evidence. Each module will be worth 20 credits and the overall programme will consist of 160 credits taken at level three.

Additionally, students will have to complete a formal induction programme lasting two weeks before the main body of the course begins. This induction programme will involve directed study and a course in English Legal Institutions and Method, and covers essential legal research skills in order to prepare students and furnish them with the basic skills that they will require for the study of law. This full-time programme is intended to run over a single academic year, with 40-50 study hours over 36 weeks, inclusive of a two week period for the formal induction course and a two week examination period at the end of each term.

Modules (all core)

• Two-week Induction
• Contract Law (Year 1 of part-time programme)
• Criminal Law (Year 1 of part-time programme)
• Public Law (Year 1 of part-time programme)
• Tort (Year 1 of part-time programme)
• European Union Law (Year 2 of part-time programme)
• Land Law (Year 2 of part-time programme)
• Trusts (Year 2 of part-time programme)
• Evidence (Year 2 of part-time programme)

Transfer between full-time and part-time routes
During Term 1, students will have a choice to transfer from the full-time to the part-time course, but not vice versa except before the first two weeks of ordinary term have elapsed. After Term 1, transfer from the full-time to the part-time will be considered on an individual basis in exceptional circumstances.   

Assessment

Modules will be taught through lectures and seminars. Students will be required to read set materials in preparation for these classes. These materials will be made available either through the School, in the library or on the web. Students will be expected to discuss the material, read, engage in role-play and to undertake research exercises.

Work undertaken will be assessed primarily through unseen examination papers. In some years, essays may be assigned in some modules, but all modules allow for optional formative assessment (ie which are not part of your final assessment grades) in order to provide students with ongoing feedback. This should enable students to obtain feedback from teachers and appreciate what is required from written work at an advanced level before undertaking examinations. The Evidence module will be assessed by means of a long essay; this is designed to enable students to acquire and demonstrate independent learning and legal research and writing skills.

Careers

Career opportunities for graduates are wide-ranging. You may take advantage of your professional exemptions and train to become a barrister or solicitor, but your graduate diploma could take you into careers other than law, including industry, commerce, public administration and the social services.

In addition, the course has been attractive to law graduates from other jurisdictions who wish to acquire a through grounding in the common law of England and Wales, in order to facilitate international practice from their own jurisdiction. 

Fees for 2013/14 entry

UK/EU students: £8,000 full-time; £4,000 part-time

International students: £12,000 full-time; £6,000 part-time

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally be expected to have obtained at least a second class undergraduate degree in a discipline other than Law. A good degree is clearly a prerequisite for any candidate wishing to apply to undertake the CPE/Graduate Diploma in Law. Owing to the intensity and level of difficulty of the course most candidates would be expected to have gained at least a 2.1 in an academic discipline. However, candidates with a lesser degree would be considered if there was clear evidence that the individual possessed sufficient commitment and intellectual capability. In addition, mature applicants (aged at least 25 years) are welcome to apply if they demonstrate relevant professional and prior educational achievement.

If your degree is from an institution outside the UK and Ireland, you will need to obtain a Certificate of Academic Standing from the Solicitors Regulation Authority and/or the Bar Standards Board. Further information is available on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website and on the Bar Standards Board website (see Form D).

English Language Requirements

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
• TOEFL Paper test: 580 (TWE 4.5)
• TOEFL Internet test: 92 (R20, L20, S20, W20)
• Pearson: 59 (51 in all subscores)
• BrunELT 65% (min 60% in all areas)

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.