GDL Vs LLB (For a graduate) which route?
Hi guys
Are there any advantages of doing a LLB over GDL?
I could spend two years doing a GDL with one of the many providers (College of Law, BPP) or I could do an LLB with the OU (College of laws course) or another uni (UoL/Birkbeck etc...). Both would probably take aroud the same time, and both would cost exactly the same give or take a few hundred pounds.
What are your thoughts?
I know that with certain providers once you do the GDL and BVC (with them) they award you the LLB anyway...
I am a bit confused... Does anyone have any thoughts/ experiences on this? Part of me would actually like to study the LLB as I am wondering whether it might be more thorough/enjoyable and beneficial.
Any thoughts?
Are there any advantages of doing a LLB over GDL?
I could spend two years doing a GDL with one of the many providers (College of Law, BPP) or I could do an LLB with the OU (College of laws course) or another uni (UoL/Birkbeck etc...). Both would probably take aroud the same time, and both would cost exactly the same give or take a few hundred pounds.
What are your thoughts?
I know that with certain providers once you do the GDL and BVC (with them) they award you the LLB anyway...
I am a bit confused... Does anyone have any thoughts/ experiences on this? Part of me would actually like to study the LLB as I am wondering whether it might be more thorough/enjoyable and beneficial.
Any thoughts?
Depends how much of the law you like. With the LLB you will be studying six modules a year for three years, whereas the CPE you just do the necessary modules to qualify.
Thanks for that.
Is the GDL any less valued than the LLB? If not, then isn't it possible that those studying law for four years are undermined? That someone can study for e.g. a BA in thumb-twiddling and then do the GDL.
I am just trying to cover all the bases before making my decision.
Many thanks
Is the GDL any less valued than the LLB? If not, then isn't it possible that those studying law for four years are undermined? That someone can study for e.g. a BA in thumb-twiddling and then do the GDL.
I am just trying to cover all the bases before making my decision.
Many thanks
Hello! I used to have the same problem, especially since being an international student, cost is a HUGE factor for me.
I decided to go for the 2-yr. LLB over the 1 to 2-yr. GDL/CPE because I think the extra modules could really help in the long run. I also felt that the extra year in University could help me mature a bit more. Your situation however, may be entirely different. I suggest having a look around this site: http://affiliatedlaw.blogspot.com/
The title says 'Cambridge Affiliated' but it's got good info about senior status law in general. I think this page in particular should be interesting for you: http://affiliatedlaw.blogspot.com/2008/07/one-or-two-year-conversion.html
As for the GDL being less valued than the LLB, I can't say, but my guess is that it is more or less equally valued since you still get an LLB degree in the end.
LOL at the thumb-twiddling bit. I think the assumption with regard to GDL students is that they have already developed certain skills through their first degree which would allow them to finish major subjects quicker. I wish that same assumption applied here where I live... law here is a 4-year graduate course.
In any case, I wish you luck with your decision!
I decided to go for the 2-yr. LLB over the 1 to 2-yr. GDL/CPE because I think the extra modules could really help in the long run. I also felt that the extra year in University could help me mature a bit more. Your situation however, may be entirely different. I suggest having a look around this site: http://affiliatedlaw.blogspot.com/
The title says 'Cambridge Affiliated' but it's got good info about senior status law in general. I think this page in particular should be interesting for you: http://affiliatedlaw.blogspot.com/2008/07/one-or-two-year-conversion.html
ukclean
Is the GDL any less valued than the LLB?
As for the GDL being less valued than the LLB, I can't say, but my guess is that it is more or less equally valued since you still get an LLB degree in the end.
ukclean
If not, then isn't it possible that those studying law for four years are undermined? That someone can study for e.g. a BA in thumb-twiddling and then do the GDL.
LOL at the thumb-twiddling bit. I think the assumption with regard to GDL students is that they have already developed certain skills through their first degree which would allow them to finish major subjects quicker. I wish that same assumption applied here where I live... law here is a 4-year graduate course.
In any case, I wish you luck with your decision!
Thanks for that suntory.
I am having a dilemma... lol
I can either do a Graduate entry LLB with the Open university (2-4 years depending on how hard I choose to/have time to study) or a GDL with one of the providers (coll of law or BPP). It would all in all cost about the same from what I have seen.
ARRGH! I have never been so confused about what to do. I want the best of all worlds!!
I am having a dilemma... lol
I can either do a Graduate entry LLB with the Open university (2-4 years depending on how hard I choose to/have time to study) or a GDL with one of the providers (coll of law or BPP). It would all in all cost about the same from what I have seen.
ARRGH! I have never been so confused about what to do. I want the best of all worlds!!
Original post by ukclean
Thanks for that suntory.
I am having a dilemma... lol
I can either do a Graduate entry LLB with the Open university (2-4 years depending on how hard I choose to/have time to study) or a GDL with one of the providers (coll of law or BPP). It would all in all cost about the same from what I have seen.
ARRGH! I have never been so confused about what to do. I want the best of all worlds!!
I am having a dilemma... lol
I can either do a Graduate entry LLB with the Open university (2-4 years depending on how hard I choose to/have time to study) or a GDL with one of the providers (coll of law or BPP). It would all in all cost about the same from what I have seen.
ARRGH! I have never been so confused about what to do. I want the best of all worlds!!
Hello,
I am having the SAME problem - with added matters!
I am a norwegian citizen who has resided in Canada since 2006.
I have completed my 3 year BA in philosophy from a canadian university and would now like to move to UK. I would like to study law to be a qualified lawyer in UK, but do not know the difference between the Canadian terms from the UK terms. I see UK offers LLB, LLM and GDL - I DO NOT KNOW which one is better or which one will make me a qualified lawyer.
I know i am way close to my deadline but i am applying for fall 2013.
PS: also, I am wondering if I should be applying to UK as a Canadian student or a Norwegian student?
best,
Confused
Original post by Sanaria
I have completed my 3 year BA in philosophy from a canadian university and would now like to move to UK. I would like to study law to be a qualified lawyer in UK, but do not know the difference between the Canadian terms from the UK terms. I see UK offers LLB, LLM and GDL - I DO NOT KNOW which one is better or which one will make me a qualified lawyer.
You would have been better off starting your own thread really.
An LLB is an undergrad law degree. An LLM is a post-grad masters degree in law. The GDL is the Graduate Diploma in Law which is a conversion course that allows non-law graduates to pursue a career in law. None of these will make you a qualified lawyer.
As a non-law graduate, the GDL is what you would be looking at (although you could do a law degree if you really wanted to). It is a 1 year (or 2 if taken part time) highly intensive course that covers the core modules from a law degree.
As a foreign student you will first need to apply for a Certificate of Academic Standing from the SRA to confirm that your qualifications are suitable to do the GDL. You will also need to check whether you will need a visa to study here.
Once you've done the GDL you do the 1 year (or 2 if taken part time) Legal Practice Course (LPC) which teaches you legal practice. You then have to do a two year training contract (TC) which is like an apprenticeship during which you gain experience is a variety of areas of law and do your final courses. Once you've done all of this you qualify as a solicitor.
You should be aware that competition to obtain a TC is extremely high and many people who complete the academic stages never manage to obtain one. Do your research thoroughly before committing to self-fund these courses.
I have assumed that you want to be a solicitor. If you want to be a barrister then there is a different process. There is guidance on becoming a solicitor on the Law Society website and for barristers on the Bar Council website that you might find helpful. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Original post by Sanaria
Hello,
I am having the SAME problem - with added matters!
I am a norwegian citizen who has resided in Canada since 2006.
I have completed my 3 year BA in philosophy from a canadian university and would now like to move to UK. I would like to study law to be a qualified lawyer in UK, but do not know the difference between the Canadian terms from the UK terms. I see UK offers LLB, LLM and GDL - I DO NOT KNOW which one is better or which one will make me a qualified lawyer.
I know i am way close to my deadline but i am applying for fall 2013.
PS: also, I am wondering if I should be applying to UK as a Canadian student or a Norwegian student?
best,
Confused
I am having the SAME problem - with added matters!
I am a norwegian citizen who has resided in Canada since 2006.
I have completed my 3 year BA in philosophy from a canadian university and would now like to move to UK. I would like to study law to be a qualified lawyer in UK, but do not know the difference between the Canadian terms from the UK terms. I see UK offers LLB, LLM and GDL - I DO NOT KNOW which one is better or which one will make me a qualified lawyer.
I know i am way close to my deadline but i am applying for fall 2013.
PS: also, I am wondering if I should be applying to UK as a Canadian student or a Norwegian student?
best,
Confused
Original post by Bambilicious
You would have been better off starting your own thread really.
An LLB is an undergrad law degree. An LLM is a post-grad masters degree in law. The GDL is the Graduate Diploma in Law which is a conversion course that allows non-law graduates to pursue a career in law. None of these will make you a qualified lawyer.
As a non-law graduate, the GDL is what you would be looking at (although you could do a law degree if you really wanted to). It is a 1 year (or 2 if taken part time) highly intensive course that covers the core modules from a law degree.
As a foreign student you will first need to apply for a Certificate of Academic Standing from the SRA to confirm that your qualifications are suitable to do the GDL. You will also need to check whether you will need a visa to study here.
Once you've done the GDL you do the 1 year (or 2 if taken part time) Legal Practice Course (LPC) which teaches you legal practice. You then have to do a two year training contract (TC) which is like an apprenticeship during which you gain experience is a variety of areas of law and do your final courses. Once you've done all of this you qualify as a solicitor.
You should be aware that competition to obtain a TC is extremely high and many people who complete the academic stages never manage to obtain one. Do your research thoroughly before committing to self-fund these courses.
I have assumed that you want to be a solicitor. If you want to be a barrister then there is a different process. There is guidance on becoming a solicitor on the Law Society website and for barristers on the Bar Council website that you might find helpful. Good luck in whatever you decide.
An LLB is an undergrad law degree. An LLM is a post-grad masters degree in law. The GDL is the Graduate Diploma in Law which is a conversion course that allows non-law graduates to pursue a career in law. None of these will make you a qualified lawyer.
As a non-law graduate, the GDL is what you would be looking at (although you could do a law degree if you really wanted to). It is a 1 year (or 2 if taken part time) highly intensive course that covers the core modules from a law degree.
As a foreign student you will first need to apply for a Certificate of Academic Standing from the SRA to confirm that your qualifications are suitable to do the GDL. You will also need to check whether you will need a visa to study here.
Once you've done the GDL you do the 1 year (or 2 if taken part time) Legal Practice Course (LPC) which teaches you legal practice. You then have to do a two year training contract (TC) which is like an apprenticeship during which you gain experience is a variety of areas of law and do your final courses. Once you've done all of this you qualify as a solicitor.
You should be aware that competition to obtain a TC is extremely high and many people who complete the academic stages never manage to obtain one. Do your research thoroughly before committing to self-fund these courses.
I have assumed that you want to be a solicitor. If you want to be a barrister then there is a different process. There is guidance on becoming a solicitor on the Law Society website and for barristers on the Bar Council website that you might find helpful. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Most of the above posting is correct. However as you are a Norwegian citizen you are an EEA citizen (the EU plus a few other countries including Norway). That means you have the right to come to the UK as a student. However because you haven't lived in the UK or other EEA country for the three years prior to starting your course, you will be have to pay full international fees and have no help from Student Finance.
Two things you might want to look at are these:-
As an EEA citizen you would be eligible for any course in Scotland free of charge but the only Scottish university which teaches English ;aw is Dundee.
You should look at whether it is cheaper/easier to qualify in Canada or Norway and then transfer as a qualified lawyer.
Original post by Sanaria
Hello,
I am having the SAME problem - with added matters!
I am a norwegian citizen who has resided in Canada since 2006.
I have completed my 3 year BA in philosophy from a canadian university and would now like to move to UK. I would like to study law to be a qualified lawyer in UK, but do not know the difference between the Canadian terms from the UK terms. I see UK offers LLB, LLM and GDL - I DO NOT KNOW which one is better or which one will make me a qualified lawyer.
I know i am way close to my deadline but i am applying for fall 2013.
PS: also, I am wondering if I should be applying to UK as a Canadian student or a Norwegian student?
best,
Confused
I am having the SAME problem - with added matters!
I am a norwegian citizen who has resided in Canada since 2006.
I have completed my 3 year BA in philosophy from a canadian university and would now like to move to UK. I would like to study law to be a qualified lawyer in UK, but do not know the difference between the Canadian terms from the UK terms. I see UK offers LLB, LLM and GDL - I DO NOT KNOW which one is better or which one will make me a qualified lawyer.
I know i am way close to my deadline but i am applying for fall 2013.
PS: also, I am wondering if I should be applying to UK as a Canadian student or a Norwegian student?
best,
Confused
The above responses answer your questions well.
I am in a similar position to you, from Canada (not Norwegian) and have been looking into whether I should do to GDL or an LLB.
First, I do not know where you live in Canada but I am from Québec and the universities here offer the LLB directly in undergraduate or one can apply after finishing an undergraduate degree for an advanced route (however obviously Québec likes to be different and you are certified to practise Civil Law unless you do a course at UdeM or McGill in both Civil/Common) other Canadian universities may call their programme an LLB or JD (they are tending to shift to JD to emulate the American standard) in that you do need an undergraduate degree before studying for the law degree. This is a recent phenomen as in the past the education system was much more similar to that in the UK and if you research lawyers at law firms most have only an LLB (undergraduate degree).
I guess the main question to ask yourself is do you see yourself staying in UK afterwards and solely practising there? If you do wish to come back to Canada, having an LLB will most likely be necessary for qualification purposes. In my case, I am still deciding between the two, but I feel like I will invest the time and money for an LLB and taking more courses to widen my knowledge in English Law will be a benefit as well as having the possibilty to practise later on in Canada or elsewhere.
Original post by nulli tertius
Most of the above posting is correct. However as you are a Norwegian citizen you are an EEA citizen (the EU plus a few other countries including Norway). That means you have the right to come to the UK as a student. However because you haven't lived in the UK or other EEA country for the three years prior to starting your course, you will be have to pay full international fees and have no help from Student Finance.
Two things you might want to look at are these:-
As an EEA citizen you would be eligible for any course in Scotland free of charge but the only Scottish university which teaches English ;aw is Dundee.
You should look at whether it is cheaper/easier to qualify in Canada or Norway and then transfer as a qualified lawyer.
Two things you might want to look at are these:-
As an EEA citizen you would be eligible for any course in Scotland free of charge but the only Scottish university which teaches English ;aw is Dundee.
You should look at whether it is cheaper/easier to qualify in Canada or Norway and then transfer as a qualified lawyer.
As a BA holder, and Canadian domiciled, they wouldn't be able to study in Scotland for free. They could do the accelerated LL.B but then frankly if that was their route they may as well apply to a senior status LL.B at one of the more prestigious English universities.
Regarding going back to Canada etc, I know someone that studied the Scottish LL.B (ordinary degree, so no honours) and has now gone back to complete a couple modules and sit the bar in Canada. So it is possible, but with living expenses in the UK and lack of funding it's probably just as expensive as doing it in Canada...
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Zedd
As a BA holder, and Canadian domiciled, they wouldn't be able to study in Scotland for free. They could do the accelerated LL.B but then frankly if that was their route they may as well apply to a senior status LL.B at one of the more prestigious English universities.
Regarding going back to Canada etc, I know someone that studied the Scottish LL.B (ordinary degree, so no honours) and has now gone back to complete a couple modules and sit the bar in Canada. So it is possible, but with living expenses in the UK and lack of funding it's probably just as expensive as doing it in Canada...
Regarding going back to Canada etc, I know someone that studied the Scottish LL.B (ordinary degree, so no honours) and has now gone back to complete a couple modules and sit the bar in Canada. So it is possible, but with living expenses in the UK and lack of funding it's probably just as expensive as doing it in Canada...
I take your point on this.
Hi guys, I was also asking my self the same question as I am a non law degree holder. After an extensive research I came to conclusion that LLB is far better than GDL in terms of knowledge and recognition. Remember that GDL is not equal to LLB it is just an alternative, to become eligible for LPC. LLB is recognised worldwide as QLD (qualifying law degree) whereas GDL is only recognised in the UK mainly. However there is no evidence to suggest that LLB students get preference for training contracts as nearly half of solicitors and barristers come from non-law background (via GDL).
I am starting my LLB accelerated 2 Years programme at BPP.
Good Luck.
Sam
I am starting my LLB accelerated 2 Years programme at BPP.
Good Luck.
Sam
Hi ihshah,
Great to hear that you're stsrting your accelerated LLB (Hons) with us. We look forward to having you and hope you enjoy your time studying with us. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards
BPP University
Great to hear that you're stsrting your accelerated LLB (Hons) with us. We look forward to having you and hope you enjoy your time studying with us. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards
BPP University
Original post by Lord Jon
It's worth chiming in here.... that If you do an LLB in a Scottish uni .... You will only be qualified in Scots Law (the law of Scotland) and not that of England and Wales
The University of Dundee does English Law as well, although I would agree that if you want to do English Law then it is probably better to apply to a 'senior status' LL.B at an English university.
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