UNIVERSITY OF KENT
Programme Specification
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she passes the programme. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found in the programme handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this specification is reviewed by the University and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.LLB with a year in Hong Kong SAR (China)
1. Awarding Institution/Body / University of Kent
2. Teaching Institution / University of Kent at Canterbury
3. Teaching Site / Canterbury
4. Programme accredited by: / Law Society and Bar Council
5. Final Award / LLB and Diploma
6. Programme / Law
7. UCAS code (or other code) / M104
8. Relevant QAA subject benchmarking group/s / Law
9. Date of production/revision / 2008
10. Applicable cohort/s / 2008 entry
11. Educational Aims of the Programme
The programme aims:
· To provide a programme which will attract and meet the needs of both those contemplating a career in the legal professions and those motivated primarily by an intellectual interest in English law and the desire to understand the workings of another jurisdiction.
· To contribute to widening participation in higher education by offering a wide variety of entry routes.
· To provide students with a grounding in English law and the opportunity to acquire an understanding of another related legal system, and the opportunity to study in another jurisdiction.
· To encourage the development of a feel for a cosmopolitan and international legal world.
· To provide a sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the principal institutions and procedures of the English legal system.
· To provide a sound grounding in the major concepts and principles of English law, and the law of the European Union.
· To develop a critical awareness of law in its comparative, historical, socio-economic and political contexts, and to introduce students to a range of different theoretical approaches to the study of law.
· To offer a range of modules covering the foundations of legal knowledge, as defined by the Law Society and the Bar Council, which will enable students who successfully complete them, to obtain exemption from the initial or academic stage of training for entry into the legal professions.
· To offer students an in-depth experience of studying Law in a Hong Kong law faculty where they will obtain a Diploma depending upon their individual ability.
· To offer students the opportunity to study some aspects of law of mainland China.
· To offer students the opportunity to live and study abroad with the object of promoting international understanding.
· To provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship and which requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge.
· To offer the opportunity to acquire direct experience of legal practice and to critically reflect on it through participation in the University Law Clinic.
· To enable students to manage their own learning and to carry out independent research, including research into areas of law they have not previously studied.
· To develop general critical, analytical, functional, comparative and problem-solving skills which can be applied in a wide range of different legal and non-legal settings.
· To provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate for graduate employment both in the legal professions and other fields.
12. Programme Outcomes
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas. The programme outcomes which have specific references to the subject benchmarking statement for Law are indicated with LB.
Teaching/learning and assessment
methods and strategies used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
Knowledge and Understanding
A. Knowledge and understanding of: / Teaching/learning.
1. The principal features of the English legal system, including its institutions, procedures and sources of law. LB / The principal methods are:-
Lectures, both traditional and interactive (Socratic); legal problem classes; tutor-led seminars; directed reading; independent research for course assessments; feedback on course assessments.
Assessment.
Written examinations (open and closed book); coursework (including essays, legal problems and class tests); optional dissertations, when undertaken, assess in particular in-depth knowledge.
In Hong Kong by way of a combination of course work (usually) and examination. Exemplification is provided in the following website:
http://www.hku.hk/law/programmes/courselistupdate0809.htm
2. The principal features of the law of the European Union.
3. The concepts, principles and rules of a substantial range of English legal subjects, including an in-depth knowledge of some areas of law and, depending on options, an in-depth knowledge of the law of the European Union, International law and Comparative law. LB
4. The concepts, principles and rules of Public Law, the Law of Obligations and several specialised areas of law as studied in a Hong Kong law faculty.
5. The relationship between law and the historical, linguistic, socio-economic and political contexts in which it operates. LB
6. A range of theoretical, comparative and critical perspectives which can be applied to the study of law.
Skills and Other Attributes
B. General Transferable Intellectual skills: On successful completion of the programme students should be able to: / Teaching/learning.
1. Effectively apply knowledge to analyse complex issues. / These skills are developed primarily through discussion and argument in seminars and legal problem classes, in the preparation for and participation in seminars, delivery of class presentations, and in the preparation and writing of course assessments including, where chosen, dissertations.
Year 2 develops Comparative, European and International law skills through the options that the students may choose from. This is further developed in year 3, from the extensive range of courses the students can choose from whilst abroad.
Optional participation in the moot programme, in the work of the Law Clinic and in the Critical Legal and other student legal groups provide further opportunities to enhance these skills.
Assessment.
Written examinations, oral examinations and course assessments, assessed class presentations and, where chosen, dissertations and moot performances.
2. Recognise and rank items and issues in terms of their relevance and importance. LB
3. Collect and synthesise information from a variety of English and International sources. LB
4. Formulate and sustain a complex argument supporting it with appropriate evidence.
5. Recognise potential alternative solutions to particular problems and make a reasoned choice between them. LB
6. Independently acquire knowledge and understanding in areas, both legal and non-legal, not previously studied. LB
7. Demonstrate an independence of mind and an ability to critically challenge received understandings and conclusions.
8. Reflect constructively on their own learning processes. LB
C. Subject-specific skills:
Application and problem solving.
On successful completion of the programme students should be able to:
a) Recognise the legal issues arising in a factual situation of limited complexity in English, European, Comparative and International law. LB
b) Identify and apply the case and statute law relevant to it. LB
c) Provide an informed and reasoned opinion on the possible legal actions arising from it, and their likelihood of success. LB / Teaching /learning
Legal problem-solving skills are primarily developed through preparation for, and participation in, legal problem-based seminars, larger problem/case classes and optional participation in the moot programme and in the work of the Law Clinic.
Assessment.
Written examinations and course assessments including class tests and, where undertaken, assessed mooting performance.
Sources, research and evaluation.
On successful completion of the programme students should be able to:
a) Identify the legal and related issues which require to be researched. LB
b) Effectively locate and use primary and secondary legal and other relevant sources. LB
c) Conduct independent legal research using a range of resources, both paper and electronic. LB
d) Critically evaluate an area of law both doctrinally and in terms of its socio-economic and other consequences.
e) Function in both the English and the broader milieu of Hong Kong and International law. / Teaching/learning.
Legal research classes and exercises including year 1 induction. Preparation and feedback on course assessments and, where undertaken, dissertations and work in the Law Clinic.
Legal research developed to an advanced level in year 2.
Assessment.
All by course assessments and, where undertaken, dissertations. Additionally for d) by written examinations.
D. Key skills:
Communication and Literacy.
On successful completion of the programme students should be able to:
a) Use, both orally and in writing, the English Language in relation to legal matters and generally, with care, accuracy and effectiveness. LB
b) Engage constructively and effectively in arguments and discussions of complex matters in English law and European, International and Comparative law. LB
c) Give a clear and coherent presentation on a topic using appropriate supporting materials.
d) Read complex legal and non-legal materials. LB
e) Employ correct legal terminology and correct methods of citation and referencing for legal and other academic materials.
f) Produce work in appropriate formats. / Teaching /learning
Seminar contributions, class presentations and, where undertaken, mooting together with feedback on them; the preparation, writing and feedback on written course assessments including, where undertaken, dissertations.
Assessment.
Written course assessments, assessed class presentations and, where undertaken, assessed moot work. Written and oral examinations
Teamwork, Numeracy and IT
On successful completion of the programme students should be able to:
a) Work collaboratively in groups to achieve defined tasks, to respond to different points of view and to negotiate outcomes. LB
b) Present and evaluate information in a numerical or statistical form. LB
c) Wordprocess their work and use a range of electronic databases and other information sources. LB / Teaching/ learning
a) through group work in Public Law 1 and, where undertaken, moot and Law Clinic work.
b) and c) through legal research classes and feedback on written coursework.
Assessment.
Written module course assessments, including a piece of group work in Public Law 1.
For more information on which modules provide which skills and on the specific learning outcomes associated with the Certificate and Diploma awards, see the module mapping below.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards
The programme is offered on a full-time basis and students complete the programme in four years. Study on the programme is divided (in Kent) into a number of blocks called modules. Modules can be either single-weighted modules or double-weighted modules. Single-weighted modules carry 15 credits and double-weighted modules 30 credits. One credit corresponds to approximately 10 hours of ‘learning time’. This includes all taught and supervised classes and all private study and research. In the Hong Kong subjects are divided into semester units (or modules, a one semester module equals six credits and a full year, 48 credits.)
The programme is divided into four stages. Stages 1, 2 and 3 are undertaken in Kent. Stage A (Abroad) is undertaken in Hong Kong. Each stage comprises 120 (successful completion of Stage A equates to 120 credits) credits and students must achieve specified requirements before being permitted to proceed to the next stage. For full-time students each stage represents an academic year of study. Thus for a full-time student each Kent year of study involves approximately 1200 hours of learning time. Each module is designated at one of three ascending levels, Certificate (C), Intermediate (I) or Honours (H). To be eligible for an award of LLB Hons, students normally have to obtain 480 credits, at least 210 of which must be Level I or above, and at least 120 of which must be level H. Students successfully completing Stage 1 of the programme and meeting credit framework requirements who do not successfully complete Stage 2 will be eligible for the award of the Certificate in Law and Society. Students successfully completing Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the programme and meeting credit framework requirements who do not successfully complete Stage A and/or Stage 3 will be eligible for the award of the Diploma in Law.
Modules and curriculum
Students follow a programme of modules designed in stages 1 and 2 to introduce them to the study of English Law, together with that of European Union Law. The final year (stage 3) consolidates the programme. The programme is as follows:
Stage 1
The required modules are:Critical Introduction to Law
Obligations I
Criminal Law
Public Law 1
Stage 2
The required module is Obligations 2.In addition, it is recommended that students take the two following modules amongst their choices:
European Law
International Law
Stage A
Spent at Hong Kong University. An extensive range of subjects is offered, most with an English, Hong Kong, mainland Chinese or International aspect. In addition students may elect to study law modules that introduce them to the law of the host jurisdiction. All modules are taught in English. Students will be free to select courses they wish to study which, when totalled, amount to a full year of study for a Hong Kong student (60 credits). Full details of the credit system are to be found in the HKU ‘Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws’ at the website:http://www.hku.hk/law/faculty/underprospectus.htm
Hong Kong University specifies a small number of courses as being unsuitable for exchange students and also has capped numbers for a small number of other courses. Full details are provided at the website:
http://www.hku.hk/law/programmes/courselistupdate0809.htm
along with the course list.
Stage 3
There are no required modules for stage 3. However, students wishing to obtain professional exemptions should take:Equity and Trusts
Property Law
The stage 1 required modules together with the one stage 2 required module, Obligations 2, constitute the common platform on which the LLB programme is built.
Credits and Awards
· Students who successfully complete the year abroad are awarded a certificate for the relevant course of study taken at the partner University.
· In common with all the four year law and language programmes, marks obtained during the year abroad are converted and incorporated into the degree profile of the students counting for two out ten of the module marks, ie 60 Credits, which go to make up each student’s degree profile (the remaining eight being comprised of four module marks from stages 2 and 4 respectively). The University of Hong Kong assesses student performance in the same manner as UK universities.