SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL LAW
(TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR HIGHER DEGREES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BUCKINGHAM)
- Entry to the Postgraduate Diploma in International and Commercial Law may take place in September or January. Applications for admission to the programme of study leading to the granting of a Diploma in International and Commercial Law must be made to the Admissions Tutor no later than two months preceding the beginning of the programme. Students are expected to have a first degree in law or relevant work experience, in addition to the required standard of English Language, as specified on the University website. Students enrolled on the Diploma in International and Commercial Law may transfer with the approval of the LLM Programme Director to the Master of Laws in International and Commercial Law in accordance with the LLM regulation 1(b).
- Candidates are required to study the module Advanced Legal Research (20 units) and modules comprising 100 Units from the subjects specified in Regulation 3 below. The choice of modules is subject to the approval of the LLM Programme Director. Approval will not normally be given to study on a module the substantial content of which is similar to one previously studied by the candidate as part of a degree examination.
- Students who enrol in the September intake, are required to take, during the Autumn termat least 40 units of taught modules as follows: Advanced Legal Research (20 units) andas many units of taught courses as they wish, chosen from the available modules specified in Regulation 4 below.
- The modules included in the curriculum, which are 40 units unless indicated otherwise, are:
Term 1
(Autumn Term)
September Intake only / Term 1 ( January Intake)
Term 2 ( September Intake)
(Winter Term) / Term 2 (January Intake)
Term 3 ( September Intake)
(Spring Term)
Advanced Legal Research (compulsory) / Advanced Legal Research (compulsory) / Banking Law
Banking Law / Law of Business Organisations
Money Laundering, Off-shore Banking and Asset Recovery (20 Units) / Law of Business Organisations / International Oil & Gas Laws & Policy
Commercial Conflict of Law (20 Units) / International Oil & Gas Laws & Policy / International Trade and Maritime Law
Law of World Trade
(20 Units) / International Trade and Maritime Law / Public International Law
Public International Law / Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual Property Law / EnvironmentalRegulationsEnergy Exploitation (20 Units)
Law of World Trade
(20 Units) / Indigenous Rights in Land and Resources(20 Units)
International Medical Law & Ethics
(20 Units) / Money Laundering, Off-shore Banking and Asset Recovery (20 Units)
Marine Insurance (20 Units) / Law of War (20 Units)
Commercial Conflict of Laws (20 units)
together with such other modules as may be specified by the LLM Programme Director from time to time. Some of the modules listed in Regulation 3 may not be offered in any one year.
5. Each of the taught modules specified in Regulation 3 will be examined in three parts. The first part comprises an assessment of the written (20%) and performance of the candidate during seminars (5%), which will account for 25% of the overall mark; the second part comprises a written examination paper, which will account for 75% of the overall mark.
6. A Postgraduate Diploma in International and Commercial Law will be awarded to a candidate who has satisfied the examiners in each of the taught modules, including Advanced Legal Research comprising 120 units.
7. A candidate who is not awarded the Diploma may, if so recommended by the Board of Examiners on one occasion only, be given the opportunity to resit all examinations taken.
8. A candidate for the Postgraduate Diploma who successfully passes all examinations on his or her first attempt shall be credited with 120 units towards the LLM. Such a candidate may be awarded a LLM by passing a further 60 units of taught and/or research modules. For this purpose, a student holding the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the University of Buckingham, may submit one dissertation of no more than 20,000 words to be counted as 60 units. These 60 units may be taken during either of the two academic years that follow the academic year in which the Diploma examinations were completed.
9. Students who wish to be awarded the LLM by completing this 60 unit dissertation are required to submit a research proposal to the Law School Research Officer and LLM Programme Director. Approval of the Research Officer and LLM Programme Director is required before students are able to proceed by dissertation. The LLM Programme Director and Law School Research Officer are required to consider whether appropriate supervisory requirements can be met when considering proposals.
10. One typed copy of the dissertation must be submitted by the date indicated by the Course Director. An electronic copy must be sent via TurnItIn by the time specified. The length of the dissertation should not exceed a maximum of 20,000 words excluding footnotes and bibliography. The electronic copy must be submitted by the time specified after which the student will be unable to electronically submit therefore incurring penalties for late submission.