Why study this course with LJMU?
- Gain a solid foundation in legal knowledge and skills
- Full Time Study Option
Provides legal knowledge with linked practical skills in the Six Foundations of Legal Knowledge:
- Contract Law
- Crime
- Equity & Trusts
- Land Law
- Public & EU Law
- Law of Tort
About this course
Designed specifically for non-law graduates, this Foundations in Law PG Cert, will provide the legal knowledge and competencies that will allow you to proceed onto the Solicitors Qualifying Examination preparatory courses.
You have already acquired numerous transferable skills from your undergrad degree. Opting for law later on demonstrates your drive and commitment to embark on a fresh career path.
Delivered by academics and qualified professional practitioners, this postgraduate programme will provide the legal knowledge and competencies needed in the Six Foundations of Legal Knowledge; Contract Law; Crime; Equity & Trusts; Land Law; Public & EU Law; and the Law of Tort.
It aims to provide both legal knowledge and linked practical skills in order to put you in a strong position to commence any SQE prep course with confidence, so you can go on to complete the vocational phase of qualifying as a solicitor.
The Rice-Jones Trust Scholarship
The Rice-Jones Charitable Trust was set by an individual who wanted to benefit postgraduate law students studying in the North West of England. The individual's late husband and father were both lawyers, and this inspired her to help students who show academic promise and a commitment to the legal profession, but who may not necessarily have the financial support to undertake their studies.
The Rice-Jones Charitable Trust is registered at the Charity Commission with registration number 1171890. Click here for full details.
The Rice-Jones Charitable Trust Scholarship is available to applicants who have accepted a place to study on a postgraduate law course, including but not limited to the Graduate Diploma in Law, the Legal Practice Course, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, the Bar Professional Training Course or the Master's in Law.
The amount offered and purpose for which the Scholarship award is offered is at the absolute discretion of The Rice-Jones Charitable Trust and may vary per individual. A successful applicant may be in receipt of a grant of up to £20,000.
The deadline for applications is 31 March 2025. Apply using this form, any queries please contact the email address in the form.
Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Your Learning Experience
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
The part-time course is 6 months (2 semesters) and runs from September to May. It is taught 2 days a week – usually each day consisting of 6 hours face to face delivery.
Teaching methods
From day one students will be introduced to the English Legal System and acquire knowledge and understanding of the legal theories and principles which underpin the areas of substantive law being studied.
Students will do an introductory non-credit induction studying the English Legal System and practical legal research to put the basics of law into context before they undertake their 6 compulsory modules.
As the course progresses, students will demonstrate their learning achievement through a series of formative assessments, culminating in their final examinations.
Applied learning
Students will acquire subject knowledge and legal skills through seminars, supplemented by large group sessions and supported by extensive learning materials. In the seminars students will be applying their new-found legal knowledge to problem-based scenarios and questions.
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
The testing of the knowledge is through examinations which consist of both multiple choice questions (MCQ) type questions (to replicate the SQE 1 assessments) and problem type questions.
Where you will study
The School is based in the Redmonds Building, in the heart of the bustling Mount Pleasant Campus and Liverpool's growing Knowledge Quarter. Redmonds Building is shared by two Schools within the Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies - Liverpool Screen School and the School of Law - and Liverpool Business School, making for a rich blend of student learning experiences. The building is home to high quality lecture theatres and seminar rooms, a mock court room, social spaces, and a café. It is only a short walk from LJMU's Aldham Robarts Library, which contains all the resources you will require for your studies.
Course tutors
Qualified Solicitor and Head of Professional Legal Studies. Anita's areas of expertise include: Property, Accounts, Tax, Probate and Commercial Property laws. Anita's research includes the area of succession laws.
For students who have never studied law before, engaging in such an interesting and challenging discipline is the first step needed to work towards to qualifying as a solicitor.
Career paths
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 97% of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2025). Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
As this is designed for those wishing to become solicitors, the programme gives the students both practical and legal knowledge needed in a competitive legal sector.
Tuition fees and funding
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus wifi.
Financial Support
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages. The University offers a range of financial support for students. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist financial support pages including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.
Additional Costs
In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:
- Accommodation
- Travel costs and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
- Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
GCSEs and equivalents
Maths and English Grade 4 (C) or above
Further information
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Extra Requirements
Additional apprenticeship requirements
Due diligence of potential apprentice employers must be undertaken during the admissions process in line with the requirements of the ESFA. During the application phase, applicants must have an initial meeting with relevant staff and undertake a skill scanning exercise (LJMU Apprenticeship Policy, 2022)
Mature entry
The programme team has a strong commitment to widening participation and positively welcomes non-standard applicants. Candidates with some management experience or those who are about to enter a managerial role and have demonstrated an aptitude for study can be accepted without previous experience of higher education.
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RPL
In line with the UK Quality Code (2018) fairness and reliability are embedded principles within admissions and recruitment, and inclusivity pervades throughout the process from outreach activity to processes and practices to enrolment.
Recognition of prior learning for apprenticeship applications to the programme will be in alignment with the present LJMU Recognition of Prior (Experiential) Policy acknowledging:
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
- Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL)
However not excluding other details from the policy for the purposes of this document it is important to note that the policy will be used for application for credit to be awarded and Apprentices may be awarded credits at the appropriate level and when suitably mapped against the programme and/or module learning outcomes. In addition, Apprentices joining the programme the award of Recognition of Prior Learning and Experience (RPLE), a new category for Apprenticeship programmes only, is permitted after assessment but the award of RPLE will not result in the release of credit (LJMU Apprenticeship Policy, 2022).
The process, which will include apprenticeship applicants undertaking a self-assessment followed by an interview with the LJMU tutor, will compare the individual’s existing knowledge, skills, and behaviours with those required in the relevant apprenticeship standard to achieve occupational competence. The finalised agreement on the amount of RPLE to be awarded must be endorsed by the apprentice employer. It will then result in an individual training plan (ILP) that accounts for relevant prior learning and experience, reducing the content, duration, and cost where training is not required (LJMU Apprenticeship Policy, 2022).
Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.
How to apply
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
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The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.