The United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations in the world for Master of Law students. Many of them are looking to study in some of the most prestigious and the best universities for Master of Law in the UK.
The range of LL.M. programmes on offer by law schools in the UK can be hard, the most popular specialisations in the country include Banking & Finance Law, Medical Law, Energy Law, and Competition Law.
What is LL.M.?
LL.M. (Latin: Legum magister – master of law) is usually one-year general or specialised postgraduate law studies, commonly called Master of Laws.
The United Kingdom, the model representative of common law in Europe, boasts one of the most significant achievements in the world, and its universities offer a wide range of specialisation LL.M programs, which can be implemented in a variety of forms, ranging from online courses (online LL .M) and ending with full-time one-year studies (full-time LL.M).
The most popular in the UK are Master of Law programmes focused on:
- European law (LL.M Eur),
- Banking & Finance (Banking & Finance Law LL.M),
- Competition law (Competition Law LL.M)
- Energy Law LL.M.
What is the difference between an LLB and an LLM?
An undergraduate law degree is called LLB (Latin Legum Baccalaureus), regarded as being the very first step toward becoming a qualified lawyer or barrister. After achieving an undergraduate in LLB, the students are eligible to start a postgraduate course of LLM – Master of Law.
Top 10 Master of Law Universities in the UK
Below is the list of the best universities in the UK for Master of Laws.
1. University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is, next to Oxford, one of the two most prestigious UK universities and one of the oldest universities in the world (it was founded in 1209).
Cambridge School of Law is ranked number one on The Guardian’s League Table for Law. The University of Cambridge offers several areas of specialisation as part of its LL.M programs. LL.M courses at Cambridge last 9 months, from the beginning of October to the end of June.
Here you can read a guide on how to apply to Cambridge University.
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2. University of Oxford
The University of Oxford also ranks among the top places in The Guardian’s League Table for Law every year. Like Cambridge, it has a long history, prestige and a high level of education.
The University of Oxford runs programs operating on the Master of law basis under the name MJur. The last 9 months are held in groups of up to 50 people.
The tuition fee in the 2019/2020 academic year is £ 22,600, and the prerequisite for application is passing the 110-point TOEFL exam.
Here you can read a guide on how to apply to Oxford University.
3. LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science)
LSE is a highly regarded and modern university located in the heart of London. LSE has a very wide range of Master of law programs that specialise in human rights, European law, banking law, competition law, international tax law and intellectual property law.
The prerequisites for applying to the Master of Law programmes at the LSE are passing the IELTS exam with a minimum of 7.5 points (including at least 7 in listening and writing, 6.5 in reading and 6 in speaking) and payment of the application fee.
4. UCL (University College London)
Another prestigious university to boast an LL.M degree is University College London, which ranks high in the world’s rankings of the best universities for Master of Lawn in the UK.
UCL welcomes 400 students annually as part of the LL.M. Students can choose, among others, the following specialisations: corporate law, competition law, energy law, environmental law, EU law, international law (private and public), human rights, sea law, intellectual property law.
According to academic opinion in the UK, UCL’s list is among the top 10 universities in terms of environmental and competition law.
5. KCL (King’s College London)
King’s College London is one of the best universities in the UK for Master in Law programmes. The KCL has almost 200 years of history, and the law school itself was established there relatively late, only in 1909. Students can choose to specialise in such branches of law as international financial law, international tax law, international economic law, competition law, company law, European law and alternative dispute resolution methods.
If they do not choose one of the branches listed, applicants may choose General Master of Law.
6. Queen Mary University of London
Over fifty years of law school at QMUL enjoyed great recognition among London universities. QMUL is part of the University of London Intercollegiate LL.M.
The programme is based on cooperation with law schools from other London universities. In addition to the aforementioned programmes, the university offers over 20 of its courses in the LL.M.
The number of specialisations is huge, so everyone can choose a course that suits their interests and career plans. As part of the application, QMUL requires British language certificates, i.e. CAE or CPE.
7. University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh boasts the first Scottish law school to be established, dating back to 1707. It’s the best UK university for a Master in Law for medical law.
Edinburgh ranks first for Scotland’s LL.M programs, and in the 2019 QS World University Rankings, the Edinburgh LL.M programme is honourably ranked 18th.
One of the most popular specialisations at the University of Edinburgh includes European law, competition law and environmental and climate change law.
Edinburgh is famous primarily for medical law, which is best conducted at the University of Edinburgh.
8. University of Durham
Durham is a beautiful town in the North East of England. Durham Law School is renowned for research and a very varied curriculum, including a Master of Law.
The University of Durham offers specialisations in international commercial law, public international law and competition law. The LL.M programmes at this university are year-round and cost £ 10,000 for Europeans.
9. University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is located in the central part of England and is known as one of the best legal research centres in the UK. It typically ranks among the top 20 universities in The Guardian’s League Table for Law rankings.
Nottingham Law School offers specialisations such as human rights, public international law and maritime law. The duration of the LL.M. programmes in Nottingham depends on the course type. The full-time course lasts one year and the part-time course is 2 years.
10. University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is just two hours from London and is famous for its excellent law school. Bristol Law School offers students a wide range of Master of Law courses, which include specialisations in international law, human rights, European law and international economic law.
The acceptance rate for the Master of Law at the University of Bristol is around 13.5%. Learn more here: Bristol University Acceptance Rate For UK & International Students
As in Nottingham, the length of the course varies from one to two years depending on the mode of the programmes.
A full-time Master of Law programme in the UK takes 9 months to 12 months. However, there are also part-time study options which take 2 years.
To apply for a Master of Law degree in the UK, you should have completed a bachelor’s degree in a field related to law or politics, with a minimum of 60% and demonstrate proficiency in English, a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 if you are an international student.