2021-22
Diploma in Professional Legal Practice
REGULATIONS
A student admitted onto the programme must follow the instructions issued by the School of Law and be aware of the content of the Programme Specification and the Programme Document (often referred to as the Programme or ‘Course’ Handbook) issued by the School which will contain further details of the Programme including, in some cases, further requirements associated with the award.
1. Admission
1.1 A candidate for the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice must:
a) possess a degree in Law of a Scottish University, or a qualification accepted by the Senate as equivalent; and
b) have passed or obtained exemption from the professional examinations of the Law Society of Scotland in those subjects required in terms of the Admission as Solicitor (Scotland) Regulations.
1.2 The Director of the Diploma of Professional Legal Practice shall have discretion to admit a candidate who is deficient in one element of the requirements of §1.1, but who could rectify the deficiency during the period of study for the Diploma. A candidate so admitted will not be awarded the Diploma until those requirements are satisfied.
2. Duration of Study
2.1 The minimum period of study for the award of a Diploma for full-time candidates is one academic session. The maximum period within which all full-time candidates must complete the programme is three years from the date of initial registration.
2.2 The minimum period of study for the award of a Diploma for part-time candidates is two academic sessions. The maximum period within which all part-time candidates must complete the programme is four years from the date of initial registration.
3. Programme Components
In order to qualify for the award of the Diploma a candidate must complete 120 credits of taught courses as specified in the relevant Programme Document. The courses will normally be undertaken during the academic session (September - June).
4. Minimum Requirement for the Award of Credits
Credits for courses contributing to a candidate's curriculum shall be awarded subject to the fulfilment of required conditions. The minimum requirements for the award of credits are set out in the Code of Assessment at §16.40 - §16.44 of the ‘University Fees and General Information for Students’ section of the University Regulations.
5. Assessment
5.1 For each academic session, assessment and reassessment are, in so far as not modified by these regulations, governed by the Code of Assessment which is contained in the ‘University Fees and General Information for Students’ section of the University Regulations published for that session.
5.2 In considering whether the candidate has achieved the requirements set out in §6, the results from courses for which the candidate has registered must be counted unless other provision is justified by good cause circumstances affecting the candidate.
This regulation applies where course registration continues:
a) on the date on which the first summative assessment for that course is to be submitted; or
b) on such other date as may be specified in the course document for that course.
6. Requirements for the Award of the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice and Rules for Award of Distinction and Merit
6.1 A candidate who has achieved 120 credits with a grade D3 or above in all courses will be eligible for the award of a Diploma.
6.2 §6.3 and §6.4 refer to the ‘weighted course grade profile’. This means the profile of course grades obtained on the contributing credits at the first attempt and weighted to reflect the relative credit weightings of the courses.[1]
6.3 A candidate who has achieved a grade point average[2] of 14.5 at the first sitting will be eligible for the award with Merit. Where the grade point average falls within the range 14.1 to 14.4 the Board of Examiners shall make the award with Merit where at least 50% of the weighted course grade profile comprises grades of B or above.
6.4 A candidate who has achieved a grade point average of 17.5 at the first sitting will be eligible for the award with Distinction. Where the grade point average falls within the range 17.1 to 17.4 the Board of Examiners shall make the award with Merit where at least 50% of the weighted course grade profile comprises A grades.
[1] Illustrations of weighted grade profiles are given in the Guide to the Code of Assessment.
[2] The grade point average is determined with reference to the schedule of grades and grade points contained in Schedule A and Schedule B of the University’s Code of Assessment. The grade point average is calculated by taking the product of each course’s weight and the candidate’s grade points and dividing the sum of these products by the sum of the courses’ weights. The weights shall correspond to the courses’ credit ratings unless specified otherwise in the relevant programme documentation. The grade point average is expressed to one decimal place (§16.34(a) of the Code of Assessment). In determining whether a candidate has satisfied requirements in relation to award and progress, no further rounding is permitted. For example, a grade point average of 8.9 would not satisfy a requirement for a grade point average of 9.0.