School of Law

Once you have enrolled please sign on to Moodle. You will have been automatically enrolled on your course pages as well as the School of Law - PGT Induction Moodle, and the general information page for the LLM programme "Important Guidance 2023/24". Here you will find important information regarding our scheduled induction programme and guidance to help support you throughout your studies. Course documents for each of our courses will also be made available to assist students with final course choice selection. It will be possible  to change courses during the first week of classes, but all enrolments must be finalised by the given deadline.

The LLM induction programme will begin on 12 September, with full details of the School’s scheduled events being circulated to students in advance. It is important that you engage with the induction programme as you will receive important information about the organisation of the LLM, academic standards, course evaluations and exams, and extra-curricular opportunities. Including some of the best ways of getting to know the University of Glasgow, and the people with whom you will study, work, and discover common interests over the course of the coming academic year.

We look forward very much to welcoming you for the start of what we hope will be a stimulating and exciting academic year of study. In the meantime, if you have any queries regarding your application and admissions process, please do not hesitate to contact our PG Admissions team via their online enquiry service: http://www.gla.ac.uk/enquireonline

Further enquiries of an administrative nature can also be addressed to LLM Enquires: law-llmenquiries@glasgow.ac.uk

Once registered, you can begin to enrol on courses and classes using MyCampus. Throughout the year you will access MyCampus to see your class and exam timetables, record any absences you may have, amend your enrolments during the add/drop period or check your assignments and grades. A link to MyGlasgow is at the bottom of most university web pages. If you need assistance, you can log a support request via the Help and Support form.

MyGlasgow

MyGlasgow is the university’s student portal. It provides direct access to university web services including MyCampus, Webmail, Moodle, Library Account, IT Helpdesk and Sport Online. It also provides student news, help, support and guidance, and links to other web pages. Login to MyGlasgow using your Glasgow Unique Identifier (GUID) and password, which has been sent to you separately in your “Access to your Student Account” email.

Campus card collection for new students joining the university at the beginning of Semester 1

When you register at the university on MyCampus you will be asked to upload an image of yourself. The photograph you upload will be used to produce your Campus card which will be used throughout your time at the university as the primary means of formal identification.

Further guidance regarding this process for 2023-24 will be issued by the University on the Registry's website: www.gla.ac.uk/services/registry/registration/.

Please note that your card can only be issued if you have completed MyCampus registration.

The university grades its courses in terms of credits (you may find credits referred to online as Units, but this is the same thing). The credit value of a Master’s degree is 180. Each of your six courses have a credit value of 20 and the dissertation has a credit value of 60. All courses are taught and assessed  within a single semester, so student should be mindful of their academic workload per semester when selecting their curriculum.

If you wish to change your programme of study you must speak to the Postgraduate Taught Administrator as soon as possible, as no course or programme changes will be permitted after the stated deadline.

The Masters programme consists of the following structure:

a. Six courses to be selected from the appropriate list
b. A dissertation

Participants in the programme (general and specialist) are required to attend the seminars arranged for each course; prepare for and actively participate in class; and present the written work set in each course, such as essays and exams.

The dissertation is a piece of research on a topic identified by you, in consultation with a member of staff. The dissertation is written during the summer months, i.e. after the end of the taught seminars.

Students will be permitted to progress to dissertation only if they have obtained a grade point average of 12 (equivalent to C3) or above in their taught courses.

While we make every effort to allow students to take courses which are their first choices this cannot be guaranteed in all cases.

Choosing courses

In order to meet the requirements for the LLM, full-time students must, over the course of the year, take six courses before proceeding to dissertation. You may not take more than three courses each semester. Students studying for the LLM on a part-time basis are required to take three courses in the first year and three courses in the second year before proceeding to dissertation.

Each LLM programme, with the exception of the General LLM, sits within a ‘pathway’. There are three pathways: 

• Intellectual Property: LLM in Intellectual Property in the Digital Economy 
• Commercial Law: LLM in International Commercial Law; LLM in Corporate and Financial Law; LLM in International Competition Law 
• International Law: LLM in International Law; LLM in international Economic Law; LLM in international Law and International Security; LLM in Human Rights

Please remember that you should choose courses relevant to your programme of study; courses within the same pathway are more likely to be relevant than those which are not, although some courses belong in more than one pathway, and we recognise that there may be good reasons to expand your course selection outside a pathway.You will see in the following section which courses are relevant to each particular programme of study.

Courses within programmes can be categorised in three ways: compulsory, core, and optional.  

• Compulsory: Compulsory courses must be taken to fulfil programme requirements.  
• Core: Core courses are directly relevant to programmes of study and are listed below.  
• Optional: Optional courses which may sit outwith a given programme of study.   

You should choose at least five options from your elected programme of study (e.g. any compulsory courses and core options relevant to your programme). 

For your sixth course, you will be able to choose an optional course from within any of our LLM programmes (including another course within your programme). In some cases you may be offered choices from outside the LLM programmes.  

When making your sixth course choice you should note that where the course lies in the same pathway as your programme we work hard to avoid all timetable clashes (although we cannot guarantee that there will be none). Choices may be more restrained by timetabling across pathways – we do not guarantee that a course in intellectual property law will not clash with a course in international law. You should also keep in mind that some courses are incompatible with other courses or specific programmes – e.g., students taking ‘Intellectual Property and the Market’ (LAW5034) cannot enrol on the courses ‘Copyright in the Digital Environment’ (LAW5013), ‘Patents and Innovation’ (LAW5170) or ‘Trade Marks and Brands’ (LAW5160). Make sure you always check the relevant course documentation for information on courses excluded from or otherwise incompatible with your programme.   

Programme Options

GENERAL LLM (M300-5303)

The General LLM allows students to choose from the full range of Masters courses available at the School of Law at the University of Glasgow. Students have the opportunity to put together a course of study that suits their own academic needs and which they may use to build on for future employment or academic specialisation. This allows for student flexibility in drawing on the academic and practical expertise available in the School of Law.

If required, students may consult with the relevant Programme Convenor in choosing their courses from a specialised area, and individual Course Convenors are available to answer course specific questions.

All Course Options – see listing for individual programmes

• Advanced International Competition Law – (LAW5038) 
• Advanced Introduction into ECHR – (LAW5208) 
• Advanced Introduction to International Criminal Law – (LAW5039) 
• Advanced Introduction to the Law of the United Nations – (LAW5068) 
• Climate Change Law and Governance – (LAW5196) 
• Competition Law Enforcement – (LAW5195) 
• Comparative Corporate Law  - (LAW5203) 
• Contemporary Issues in Intellectual Property Law – (LAW5011) 
• Copyright in the Digital Environment – (LAW5013) 
• Corporate Governance – (LAW5015) 
• The Law of Secured Finance – (LAW5197) 
• Finance and Social Justice Project – (LAW5198) 
• Foundations in International Law – (LAW5026) 
• Information Law and Policy – (LAW5206) 
• Intellectual Property and the Market – (LAW5034) 
• Intellectual Property, Technology and Communities – (LAW5207) 
• International and Comparative Intellectual Property Law – (LAW5132) 
• International Capital Markets Law – (LAW5014) 
• International Commercial Arbitration – (LAW5194) 
• International Competition Law – (LAW5037) 
• International Courts and Tribunals – (LAW5066) 
• International Financial Regulation – (LAW5042) 
• International Human Rights Law – (LAW5035) 
• International Insolvency Law – (LAW5212) 
• International Investment Law – (LAW5044) 
• International Labour Law – (LAW5211) 
• International Law and International Economic Governance – (LAW5159) 
• International Law and International Security – (LAW5130) 
• International Litigation in Practice – (LAW5202) 
• International Merger Control – (LAW5046) 
• International Sale and Finance – (LAW5047) 
• International Trade Law – (LAW5040) 
• Law and International Development – (LAW5193) 
• Law and Sustainable Finance – (LAW5024) 
• National Human Rights Law – (LAW5209) 
• Patents and Innovation – (LAW5170) 
• The Laws of Armed Conflict – (LAW5154) 
• Trade Marks and Brands – (LAW5160) 
• Transnational Crime, Justice and Security – (LAW5201) 

LLM IN CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL LAW (M30A-5303)

The LLM in Corporate and Financial Law brings together in-depth study of two key areas which are strongly connected in both practice and theory. Corporate Law and Financial Law are tied together across the entire life-cycle of a corporation, from initial venture capital funding and debt financing, to share offers, governance, takeovers, and insolvency. The programme offers a range of options that deal with both private and public law aspects of Corporate and Financial Law, and there is a strong international dimension throughout.

In this programme, you must take at least five of the following Core Course Options: 

Course Options

• Climate Change Law and Governance (LAW5196) 
• Comparative Corporate Law (LAW5203) 
• Corporate Governance (LAW5015)  
• Finance and Social Justice Project (LAW5198) 
• International Capital Markets Law (LAW5014) 
• International Financial Regulation (LAW5042) 
• International Insolvency Law (LAW5212) 
• International Investment Law (LAW5044) 
• International Merger Control (LAW5046) 
• International Sale and Finance (LAW5047) 
• Law and International Development (LAW5193) 
• Law and Sustainable Finance (LAW5024) 
• The Law of Secured Finance (LAW5019) 

LLM IN HUMAN RIGHTS (M334-5303)

This programme offers the opportunity to study the theory and practice of human rights by way of an in-depth analysis incorporating the law, history and philosophy of international and domestic legal frameworks. 

Compulsory Course(s) 

In this programme you must  take : 

• Advanced Introduction to ECHR (compulsory) (LAW5208) 
• International Human Rights Law (compulsory) (LAW5035)
• National Human Rights Law (compulsory) (LAW5209)

And at least two of the following Core Course Options: 

• Advanced Introduction to International Criminal Law (LAW5039) 
• Climate Change Law and Governance (LAW5196) 
• Foundations of International Law (LAW5026) 
• International Labour Law (LAW5211) 
• Law and International Development (LAW5193) 
• The Laws of Armed Conflict (LAW5154) 

LLM IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY (M30D-5303)

The LLM in Intellectual Property and the Digital Economy will equip students with a detailed and critical understanding of the legal issues at the intersection of intellectual property and the digital economy, including the regulation of creativity, innovation, and markets; the challenges posed by emerging technologies and increasingly complex market practices; and how they can be situated within broader socio-economic and cultural contexts. It will also enable students to locate, understand and evaluate relevant legal and policy issues within a national (UK), regional (European), and an international framework.  

*If you are taking this programme you cannot take the course  Intellectual Property and the Market (LAW5034).*  

In this programme, you must take at least five of the following Core Course Options: 

Course Options  

• Contemporary Issues in Intellectual Property Law (LAW5011) 
• Copyright in the Digital Environment (LAW5013) 
• Information Law and Policy (LAW5206) 
• Intellectual Property, Technology and Communities (LAW5207) 
• International Competition Law (LAW5037) 
• International and Comparative Intellectual Property Law (LAW5132) 
• Patents and Innovation (LAW5170) 
• Trade Marks and Brands (LAW5160)  

LLM IN INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL LAW (M380-5303)

The LLM in International Commercial Law provides a range of courses that deal with UK and international aspects of Commercial Law (in its broad sense). It is likely to be attractive for students considering career options in commercial legal practice, banking, international trade and regulatory bodies.

In this programme, you must take at least five of the following Core Course Options:  

• Advanced International Competition Law (LAW5038) 
• Climate Change Law and Governance (LAW5196) 
• Comparative Corporate Law (LAW5203) 
• Corporate Governance (LAW5015)  
• Finance and Social Justice Project (LAW5198) 
• Intellectual Property and the Market (LAW5034) 
• International and Comparative Intellectual Property Law (LAW5132) 
• International Capital Markets Law (LAW5014) 
• International Commercial Arbitration (LAW5194) 
• International Competition Law (LAW5037) 
• International Financial Regulation (LAW5042) 
• International Insolvency Law (LAW5212) 
• International Investment Law (LAW5044) 
• International Merger Control (LAW5046) 
• International Sale and Finance (LAW5047) 
• International Trade Law (LAW5040) 
• Law and Sustainable Finance (LAW5024) 
• The Law of Secured Finance (LAW5019)           

LLM IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION LAW (M366-5303) 

Compulsory Course(s):  

In this programme, you must take: 

• Competition Law Enforcement (LAW5195) 
• International Competition Law (LAW5037)  

And the three following Core Course Options:  

• Advanced International Competition Law (LAW5038) 
• Intellectual Property Law and the Market (LAW5034) 
• International Merger Control (LAW5046) 

LLM IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC LAW (M204-5303)

This LLM offers an in-depth study of all the different aspects of the contemporary regime of international economic law. Unlike most other programmes, it overcomes the division between the main branches of international economic governance - world trade, investment, and finance - and raises awareness for common themes and challenges facing international economic law in these different areas.

Compulsory Course(s) : 

In this programme you must take:

• International Law and International Economic Governance (LAW5159) 

And either of:

• International Trade Law (LAW5040) 

AND/OR 

•  International Investment Law (LAW5044)  

You may take both of these options if you wish. 
 
Depending on whether you choose to take both International Trade Law (LAW5040) and International Investment Law (LAW5044), you must take either two or three of the following Core Course Options: 

• Climate Change Law and Governance (LAW5196) 
• Finance and Social Justice Project (LAW5198) 
• Foundations of International Law (LAW5026) 
• International and Comparative Intellectual Property Law (LAW5132) 
• International Commercial Arbitration (LAW5194) 
• International Competition Law (LAW5037) 
• International Courts and Tribunals (LAW5066) 
• International Financial Regulation (LAW5042) 
• International Labour Law (LAW5211) 
• International Law and International Politics (LAW5200) 
• International Litigation in Practice (LAW5202) 
• Intellectual Property Law and the Market (LAW5034) 
• Law and International Development (LAW5193) 
• Law and Sustainable Finance (LAW5024)  

LLM IN INTERNATIONAL LAW (M375-5303)

International Law is attaining an increasingly direct impact in domestic legal systems. It is also one of the most fast-moving legal disciplines where the influence of politics on the substantive content of the law is particularly apparent. This Masters course offers a self-contained programme where the substance of International Law is placed squarely within the framework of underlying policy considerations.

Compulsory Course(s):  

In this programme you must take 

• Foundations of International Law (LAW5026)  

And at least four of the following Core Course Options:  

• Advanced Introduction to ECHR (LAW5208) 
• Advanced Introduction to International Criminal Law (LAW5039) 
• Advanced Introduction to Law of the United Nations (LAW5068) 
• Climate Change Law and Governance (LAW5196) 
• International Commercial Arbitration (LAW5194) 
• International Courts and Tribunals (LAW5066) 
• International Human Rights (LAW5035) 
• International Investment Law (LAW5044) 
• International Labour Law (LAW5211) 
• International Law and International Economic Governance (LAW5159) 
• International Law and International Security (LAW5130) 
• International Law and International Politics (LAW5200) 
• International Litigation in Practice (LAW5202) 
• International Trade Law (LAW5040) 
• Law and International Development (LAW5193) 
• The Law of Armed Conflict (LAW5154)   
• Transnational Crime, Justice and Security (LAW5201)  

LLM IN INTERNATIONAL LAW & SECURITY (M30C-5303)

This LLM is designed for students interested in international law and a rapidly changing global security environment. It is an innovative, interdisciplinary and practice-oriented programme that combines legal courses with courses from politics and international relations. The programme aims to foster a critical understanding of contemporary global and regional security issues and the role of international law in addressing these issues. The Masters reflects the breadth of contemporary international security issues, addressing topics as divers as terrorism, armed conflicts, transnational organized crime, drones and autonomous weapons systems, espionage and surveillance in cyberspace, weapons of mass destruction, failed states, resource and energy security, poverty, climate change, pandemics and natural catastrophes. 

Compulsory Course(s): 

In this programme you must take  

• International Law and International Security (LAW5130)  

And at least four of the following Core Course Options: 

• Advanced Introduction to International Criminal Law (LAW5039) 
• Advanced Introduction to the Law of the United Nations (LAW5068) 
• Climate Change Law and Governance (LAW5196) 
• International Courts and Tribunals (LAW5066) 
• International Human Rights (LAW5035) 
• International Law and International Economic Governance (LAW5159) 
• International Law and International Politics (LAW5200) 
• International Litigation in Practice (LAW5202) 
• The Law of Armed Conflict (LAW5154)  

Forms of assessment

In the School of Law, assessment normally takes the form of essays (discursive essays or legal problems) or written examinations. This may take the form of any of the following: moot, oral presentation, a group essay, a project or tutorial performance may be assessed. Information on assessment in individual courses will be found in the course document (accessed via Moodle).

Examination diets

There are two examination diets, in December and April/May, and a resit diet in August. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are available for these examination diets, particularly the diet in August which you should never assume may not apply to you. The examination timetable is published prior to each diet by the University Registry.

Formative and summative assessment

A formative (or diagnostic) assessment is an assessment designed to measure your understanding of a subject and to allow an opportunity for you to receive feedback. The grade achieved in such an assessment does not contribute to the final grade in the course. A summative assessment does contribute to the overall grade awarded for a course.

Not all of our LLM courses will offer formative assessment opportunities, however you are strongly recommended to take formative assessment seriously and to undertake it whenever you can.

Feedback policy

Feedback should be returned to students within three weeks of the submission of a formative assessment. There are different forms of feedback. It can be generic, individual or both. Sometimes a lecture might be given going over the main points of an assessment and pointing out common errors. Any essay that you submit should be returned to you with appropriate written feedback that should help you to understand how you might improve your performance in future.

The Marking Process

Assessments are marked and a sample of them is double-marked to ensure consistency. A further sample (including all papers assessed below the grade C3) is then sent to another subject expert known as the external examiner. This is normally a legal practitioner or an academic in another UK institution. The role of the external examiner is to ensure that the marking scale has been applied fairly and consistently. Once the external examiner has examined papers, either essays or exam papers, they are returned to the School of Law and the grades are then published. This process should normally take three weeks, however in larger classes we cannot always guarantee that grades will be returned within that time scale. If the course team cannot return grades within three weeks, they will let you know and tell you why there has been a delay.

Boards of Examiners

Boards of Examiners are held at the end of each exam diet. These Boards have the final say in regard to the grades to be awarded in courses. Their members include both academic staff in the School of Law and external examiners.

Circumstances affecting examination or coursework performance

If you have been affected by personal circumstances, including illness, and think that this has affected your performance in an assessment, then you are entitled to submit a note of these circumstances as ‘good cause’ for setting aside the result. The university has a Code of Assessment (which you can access via the Senate Office website) which governs how such circumstances are treated and what the procedure is. You must raise the circumstances within five working days of the submission date for coursework or the examination date. It is necessary thereafter to provide supporting evidence prior to the meeting of the Board of Examiners; that evidence will be considered by the Board.

In assessing course performance, students are awarded grades, which carry a specified number of grade points as follows:

Rules for awarding the LLM

The university calendar for the academic year 2023–2024 sets out the generic regulations applicable to the LLM degree for entrants from September 2023. The full regulations issued by the Senate Office are available at https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/senateoffice/policies/uniregs/

The following is the most important paragraph, but the regulations must be carefully read and understood in their entirety:

1. 1 A candidate will be eligible for the award of the degree on obtaining a grade point average of 12 (equivalent to C3) or above in the taught courses described in Regulation 4, with at least 75% of these credits at grade D3 or better, and all credits at grade F3 or above, and obtaining a grade D3 or better in the dissertation or other substantial independent work.

The grade point average is determined with reference to the schedule of grades and grade points contained in Schedule A 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 progress and award, no further rounding is permitted. Thus, a grade point average of 11.9 would not satisfy a requirement for a grade point average of 12.

We hope that your experience of university life will be positive and rewarding. However, there may be occasions, initially, when the reality is not as you had anticipated. If you find yourself in this position, please do not make hasty decisions without consulting us first. You will be assigned an Advisor of Studies upon your arrival, specialised to assist with your programme of study, who will be able to provide guidance of your course choices or will be able to provide support if you experience difficulties which affect your studies. The Postgraduate Taught Administrator and your relevant Programme Convenor will also be there to assist you throughout your time at the School of Law.

Getting to grips with study

It is important to manage your time effectively and to establish a study routine that will enable you to prepare for classes, to complete coursework on time and to ensure that you understand things as you go along. During the course of your LLM, we offer a range of ‘academic skills’ sessions which are specifically designed to address problems that may arise in this respect. If you are experiencing difficulty with study habits, you may find it helpful to consult one of our advisers in the Learning Enhancement & Academic Development Service: www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/leads/students. Information about the other student support services may be seen on the Current Student web page: www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/students.

International students

The International Student Support team provides a dedicated advisory service for international students on non-academic matters such as immigration, employment, finance and any other concerns you may have. For more information please see: www.gla.ac.uk/international/support. The induction programme will also feature a number of sessions specifically designed for international students who experience the British academic culture for the first time.

Part-time employment

Quite reasonably, students often choose to work part-time to supplement their income. There is a recommended maximum of 12 hours work per week for students during the academic year and recent surveys have shown that working excessive hours adversely affects student health and academic performance.

As a student in the University of Glasgow, you come under the authority of the university and must respect its rules. As you progress through your studies, you will gradually become aware of the more important university policies that apply to academic and disciplinary matters. What follows is a brief overview of some key things you should be aware of at the outset of your studies.

Email Communication

The standard format for email communication with staff is forename.surname@glasgow.ac.uk (e.g. Joe.Bloggs@glasgow.ac.uk). Please be aware that staff will respond to your email as soon as possible. When you email staff please ensure you always use your university allocated address rather than your personal account.

Moodle

This is the university’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Moodle is a key means of communicating with students for members of staff who wish to pass on notices and other information about courses and events going on within the School of Law. Moodle is a public forum, which is monitored by staff and when you add a posting you should bear this in mind.

Course Documents

Every course has a course document. This identifies the Course Convenor (the member of academic staff who is responsible for the organisation of the course) and sets out details of the course, including information about assessment. Suggested reading may also be set out in the course document. You are strongly advised to read course documents (they can be accessed via Moodle) and, if you have questions about the course, look first at the course document before contacting the course convenor.

Disability

If you have or develop a disability, you are strongly advised to make contact with the Student Disability Service. Please also contact  Amy McKnight who is the School of Law Disability Officer so that we can support you in the best way possible. Please email Amy at: law-disability-coordinator@glasgow.ac.uk

Absence Policy

If you are absent for good cause from a scheduled class you must complete an online absence form as soon as you are able to do so.

If you miss an examination through illness or other good cause, or are unable to submit coursework on time, then you need to submit supporting evidence. If you are ill this will normally take the form of medical evidence from your doctor. The rules are set out in the University Code of Assessment.

Appeals

Students who have grounds to do so may appeal against an academic decision. The university has a published procedure for dealing with appeals. Without prejudice to the Code of Procedure on Appeals, generally the grounds of appeal must relate to unfair procedure or the failure to take into account circumstances which, for good reason, were not raised timeously. It is not possible to appeal against a grade awarded simply because you disagree with it; this is a matter of academic judgement. The Students Representative Council has produced guidance on appeals for students.

Unacceptable Behaviour

We expect students to treat each other, and staff, with courtesy, consideration and fairness at all times and to avoid all forms of abusive behaviour. There is a university Code of Practice on unacceptable behaviour which is binding on staff and students alike and action is taken to enforce it. Students may be disciplined for misconduct or inappropriate behaviour whether or not that conduct or behaviour takes place on campus.

Plagiarism

We would emphasise the importance of avoiding plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration at all stages of university study. You are deemed to have read and understood the University's statement on plagiarism.