About the course

A conversion course to Law for graduates from other disciplines.

　　If you are thinking of qualifying as a lawyer in England and Wales, our Graduate Diploma in Law enables you to study the structure and doctrines of the legal system in England and Wales and the seven core (foundation) subjects of a law degree: contract law, criminal law, equity & trusts law, EU law, land law, public law and tort law.

　　You’ll study these intensively over one year, instead of the three years usually required for a Law degree.

　　If you are thinking of qualifying as a barrister, the GDL gives you the academic modules you’ll need to pass before progressing to a Bar Training Course (BTC) which can also be studied at the School of Law and Politics.

　　If you are thinking of qualifying as a solicitor, the GDL may allow you to progress to the current professional stage of legal training, the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Alternatively, the GDL gives you the academic knowledge of black-letter law you’ll need as part of your preparation for the new centrally assessed Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which is due to be introduced from September 2021. Before undertaking the SQE, you’ll also need to have studied the professional aspects of practice currently taught through Legal Practice Courses (LPCs) but once the new centralised assessment regime is in place, LPC courses will be replaced by a range of courses aimed at preparing students for the SQE. Cardiff is currently developing SQE preparation courses to succeed its current LPC course following the introduction of the new regime.

　　Career prospects - Completion of the GDL allows you to progress to the current professional stage of legal training, either the Bar Professional Training Course or the Legal Practice Course, either of which may be studied at the School of Law and Politics. To become fully qualified under the current system, completion of the BPTC or LPC then needs to be followed by a period of work-based learning, either pupillage in a barristers’ chambers or a training contract with a solicitors’ firm. Alternatively, the GDL or one of the professional courses may be directly followed by legal work in some other capacity, with the option of seeking full qualification at a later date. Please note that the route to qualification both as a solicitor and as a barrister will be changing in the near future. For further information please refer to the websites of the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board. Scholarships - View all scholarships Internships

　　

Start dates and prices

Course fees are indicative and should be used as a guide. Speak to a counsellor to get an accurate price.

　　Duration: 1 Year(s)Fees: GB£20,450

Intake	Location
Autumn (September), 2024	Cardiff
Autumn (September), 2025	Cardiff

　　

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How to apply

Entry requirements for Cardiff University

The usual academic requirement is an Honours Degree from a UK University in a non-law subject, Class 2.2 or above. Applicants from overseas or with non-standard qualifications must apply for a Certificate of Academic Standing from the Bar Standards Board (if you are planning on qualifying as a barrister).

　　Applicants whose first language is not English or Welsh must achieve an academic IELTS with an overall score of 6.5, which has been taken within two years of the start date of the programme, with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and subscores of no less than 6.0 in reading, speaking and listening. All scores must have been achieved in one sitting of the test.

　　TOEFL (iBT) - At least 90 with minimum scores of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading and 20 for speaking

　　International Baccalaureate (Language A) - HL 5 or SL 5

　　

English language requirements

　　6.5

　　Overall IELTS band score

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　　TOEFL Internet based overall score: 90.0

　　

Application deadline:

This date isn’t available – speak to an IDP counsellor to get detailed information.

　　

Further information

Career outcomesIf you aren’t eligible for the above entry requirements, you might want to explore pathway options at Cardiff University. If you want to find out more, please speak to our counsellors.

　　Pathway options to study at this institution

　　

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　　190th / 1250

　　THE World ranking21st / 130

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