External summary

The LLM in Corporate Law at Edinburgh School of Law is an innovative programme that transcends a narrow focus on legal rules, and situates the study of corporate law in a wider interdisciplinary and comparative framework. The programme is designed to provide students with the opportunity to gain the expertise and key practical skills required to understand the multiple dimensions of the activity of modern corporations and the global environment in which business transactions take place. To achieve these goals, the programme is structured on three modules: (i) UK company law; (ii) comparative and international aspects of corporate law; and (iii) economic and financial aspects of corporate law.

The unique portfolio of courses offered by the programme allows students to acquire in-depth knowledge of legal, economic, financial and comparative matters covering the entire life-cycle of a corporation. Furthermore, the programme helps students acquire discipline-specific and transferable skills that are particularly valuable to businesses, professional practices and regulatory bodies.

Educational aims of programme

The program has the following educational aims:

• to provide students with a critical understanding of the main legal, economic and financial matters pertaining to the entire life-cycle of a corporation at UK level and in comparative perspective

• to equip students with a sound understanding of fundamental concepts of finance and economics which are necessary for a holistic understanding of the context in which corporate law and regulation operate

• to help students develop an ability to work with international legal materials and to grasp the legal implications of transactions involving international institutions and corporations

• to foster independent thinking and to provide students with the tools to conduct postgraduate-level research in law

• to provide students with a recognised advanced-level qualification that will equip them for work in a variety of legal institutions and policy-relevant positions or further advanced level study, whether in the UK or in other jurisdictions

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the programme the students will:

• acquire in-depth knowledge of the key concepts, theories and debates of corporate law, from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective

• develop a solid understanding of the value and techniques of interdisciplinary and comparative study of corporate law

• develop a critical awareness of the theoretical and practical challenges created by the globalisation of business and the increasing cross-border mobility of corporations

• acquire strong abilities of critical analysis of complex legal and economic issues relating to business activities and of articulating relatively original, personal arguments and solutions

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

By the end of the programme the students will:

• be able to analyse critically source materials and use them to present a structured argument
• be able to plan and draft an extended piece of independent research
• develop their ability to adapt and apply analytical tools derived from law, economics and finance to new problems and to suggest practical solutions

• develop their ability to critique systematically existing legal standards and policy choices in corporate law, with a view to appraising their effectiveness and suitability to tackle current problems

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

By the end of the programme the students will:

• think originally and independently about the core legal issues of corporate law and the various policy objectives underlying the solutions adopted by different legislations 
• be able to make a reasoned choice between rival answers to legal questions
• develop the ability to engage systematically and creatively with complex theoretical work
• develop the ability to assemble information derived from a number of different sources, distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant, and create a coherent synthesis
• acquire the essential legal research skills and drafting techniques necessary to produce highly structured legal documents, such as legal memorandums or legal opinions  

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

By the end of the programme the students will:

• develop their ability of communicating effectively their own analysis, arguments and conclusions to given case scenarios or policy choices, with a view to articulating a cogent alternative

• enhance their capacity to communicate their ideas and conclusions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences in writing and orally

• develop their capacity to organise and present sophisticated, complex arguments in an effective way and to engage with diverse audiences

• be able to utilise a variety of IT and e-communication resources

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

By the end of the programme the students will:

• develop their ability to work independently under fixed deadlines, seeking relevant advice and support when necessary
• develop their ability to work constructively as a member of a group or team, assert leadership or follow instructions
• participate effectively in seminars, workshops and discussions;
• develop their capacity of reflecting on the outcomes of individual research efforts with a view to identifying strengths and weaknesses and furthering their own learning

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

By the end of the programme the students will:

• develop strong legal research and legal reasoning skills;

• be able to locate relevant information and material through Library and IT resources and to use relevant databases

• be able to read and digest legal materials swiftly and efficiently

• develop their ability to evaluate and critique legal and scholarly material;

• be able to articulate, evidence and sustain a line of argument and to engage in a convincing critique of another’s arguments

Programme structure and features

Courses and credits

Students are required to complete 180 credits of study: this includes a dissertation to be submitted at the end of their studies (60 credits). The remaining 120 credits are divided as follows:

• 40 credits of mandatory courses (please see Appendix A)

• 40-80 credits from the list of optional courses (please see Appendix A)

• 40-0 credits from other available SCQF level 11 courses in law.

• 0-40 credits from Level 11 courses in Schedules G to J and W, with the approval of the programme director, if all other requirements are met

The inclusion of course titles in the Programme Specifications is no guarantee that they will be offered each year.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the point at which students will progress from the structured study and narrowly-focused essays specific to LLM courses, to an independent, self-structured broader piece of research. The dissertation will reflect the students’ substantial knowledge of a topic relating to corporate law, as well as the level of their analysis, synthesis, judgment and argumentation skills.

Modes of study / Dates

The programme will be available as via a full-time route over 12 months, commencing in September.

Full-time students are required to complete the courses (120 credit points) over two semesters and the dissertation (60 points) over the summer months, subject to attaining the required course passes during semester time.

Exit awards / progression

Progression to the dissertation and award of the LLM degree will be decided, in line with University Taught Postgraduate Assessment Regulations and other guidance, by a Board of Examiners administered in the School of Law and composed of staff teaching on the degree.

Specifically, the normal conditions for progression and exit awards are as follows:

In order to progress to the masters dissertation candidates must:

• attain at least 80 credits with a pass at masters level or more in each of the separate elements

• have no course mark below 40% in any 40-credit course, and no more than one course mark below 40% in a 20-credit course

• be awarded an aggregate pass at masters level for the 120 credits of study examined at the point of decision for progression.

Students who do not meet the criteria for progression but who receive a pass at diploma level or more in 80 credits and an aggregate pass at diploma level for the 120 credits of study are eligible to receive the Diploma.

In order to be awarded a masters degree candidates must:

• have satisfied the requirements for progression, as laid out above, and

• attain 60 credits, by achieving a pass at masters level for the dissertation.

Any student who meets criteria for progression but who then does not pass the dissertation is eligible to receive the Diploma.

Approach to teaching and learning

The learning process will be didactic, seminar-based and research-focused. Candidates will also be required to design and write an approved 10,000-word dissertation in an area covered by the courses in the dedicated programme. Students are expected to demonstrate ability to engage critically and analytically with literatures in their field, building upon relevant concepts and theory covered in the taught element of the degree, possibly using an inter-disciplinary approach. Each student will be assigned a supervisor from whom they can expect guidance and support, but the purpose of the dissertation is to allow them to design and conduct a piece of research and analysis independently.

The dissertation is marked anonymously by two internal examiners and reviewed by an external examiner. The degree will be awarded on the basis of a student’s performance in both taught courses and the dissertation. Any student who meets the criteria for progression but who then does not pass the dissertation is eligible to receive the Diploma.

Promoting social responsibility, sustainability and equality and diversity

Social responsibility

This LLM programme seeks to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in a complex, multilayered and in parts, fast-changing area of the law which is continuously interacting with issues of policy and public interest. By enabling and encouraging students to become critically aware and to develop autonomous views and arguments on these issues, through innovative techniques and a strong emphasis on reflection and critical analysis, this programme is capable of embedding the University’ core objective of increasing awareness of social responsibility questions in its specific area.

Sustainability and equality and diversity

This LLM programme seeks to deploy a variety of teaching techniques ranging from face-to-face seminar contact to one-to-one dissertation supervision to the utilisation of electronic and online library, communication and research resources.  The overarching goal is to ensure flexibility, autonomy and self-reliance in students’ learning while at the same time preserving and enhancing high teaching and learning standards: it is envisaged that this blended approach to teaching and learning will secure strong results in terms of the sustainability and good use of resources in the delivery of the programme; it will also ensure that a diverse student audience will be able to attain its learning outcomes by taking the utmost advantage of the teaching and learning opportunities offered.

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

• The range of teaching and learning methods used on the programme, including opportunities for feedback

All courses on the programme are taught in seminar discussion groups.  Class sizes range from 5-25 students and seminars generally last for two hours.  Students are expected to prepare for these seminars in advance by reading the materials prescribed in class hand-outs and by reflecting upon the issues which will be critically discussed in the seminar.  Seminars may include large group discussions, small group work exercises and group and/or individual presentations.  Interaction with course staff, course organisers and fellow students throughout seminars, in which active participation is a prerequisite, ensures that students get ongoing feedback on their contributions to the class and opportunities to reflect on their learning.  The programme also includes a supervised dissertation to which students progress after satisfactorily completing the taught courses.  All students are allocated an individual supervisor with relevant academic experience in their chosen area of study.  Supervision is designed to assist students in identifying and refining an appropriate academic research project, to support their programme of research activity, and to empower them to take lead responsibility for their research.  Students receive ongoing feedback and must reflect on their progress through their one to one supervision meetings. 

• Facilities (e.g. library; IT or any other distinctive facilities provided within the School)

The University of Edinburgh library has one of the largest and most important collections in Britain. It has some two million items including the latest publications, key texts, and rare books. The Law School has its own library within Old College, well stocked in most important fields of law. The library of the Europa Institute, housed alongside the Law Library, is an outstanding European Documentation Centre. Within walking distance from the Law School is the National Library of Scotland which also possesses an important legal collection accessible to postgraduate students.

Postgraduate students have access to the extensive computing facilities provided by the Law School. The School maintains a number of computer labs, all of which are available for the exclusive use of postgraduate students. Wireless network access is available in many parts of the Law School including within the Law Library and Lecture Theatres. Postgraduate students have extensive access to online legal research facilities including electronic journals, LexisNexis and Westlaw. Additional computing facilities (including a laptop loan service for flexibility of learning) are available in the University's Main Library and via the University's Computing Services.

The School is proud to boast a brand new Moot Court Room, which is installed with all the latest IT and audio facilities, giving all students who participate in mooting competitions and exercises a flavour of practice in a real court situation.

Assessment methods and strategies

There will be some variation amongst the courses as to the modes of assessment as differing courses in the LLM programme will test different competencies and aptitudes.  In full year courses (40 credits), assessment will normally be by two written essays with the first having a lesser weight. One semester courses (20 credits) are assessed either by one essay that counts for 100% of the grade or by a combination of essay and another form of assessment (such as a take-home exercise, a presentation (both solo and group), an annotated bibliography, a poster, a response to a policy consultation, a moot, or an assessment completed in class).

The School provides targeted, timely and useful feedback to students on their performance in a number of ways:

• through direct comment by staff members in seminars;

• through supervision meetings on the dissertation;

• through written comments provided to students during the course of the academic session on formative assessment, such assessment designed to assist students in improving their essay and examination technique;

• through individual written feedback provided to students on summative coursework such as essays and the dissertation;

• through informal meetings that students can arrange with course organisers, or other members of the teaching team, where additional support or advice on how to improve their learning strategies and practice is required.

The School is always looking to improve the quality and helpfulness of its feedback to students, and takes seriously the comments on feedback provided anonymously in class questionnaires and via the annual Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey.

Student feedback and evaluation is a valued input to curriculum and programme review and development within the school and students are asked to complete evaluation forms on each course they take.  Student representatives are elected at the start of every year and represent the study body throughout the period of the programme of study.  As postgraduate students have access to the resources and facilities of the Institute of Academic Development at the University.  The Institute offers a range of workshops and training sessions including essential communication skills, information technology skills, time management, project management, decision-making and much more.

Career opportunities

The School is dedicated to ensuring all students are academically and socially prepared and are responsible and ethical citizens.  We offer training events and support for all our postgraduate students in both academic and key life skills.  The current employment market is a difficult and competitive one but we aim to ensure our students are independent thinkers with practical skills, giving them an advantage over their peers.

 The Careers Service offers expert advice on careers options, searching for careers, CV writing and preparing for interviews.  This support can be tailored for students from the School of Law. 

This LLM programme has been conceived as a gateway into a range of employment opportunities and specialised academic work, which may include:

• Legal practice
• Government legal service (at both national and EU levels)
• International civil servants

• Government advisors

• Legal advisors to non-governmental organisations and private companies
• Specialised researchers in academic and think-tank institutions
• Independent consultants

Other items

The School and its research centres actively organise frequent events including seminar and lecture series, conferences, research training, workshops and fairs.  We strongly encourage all our postgraduate students to attend these events as well as getting involved with their organisation.

The Edinburgh Student Law Review is the first of its kind in Scotland.  Managed and written entirely by the School’s student body, it aims to provide a forum for law students to engage in a more analytical approach to the study of law.  Students from all levels and legal disciplines are encouraged to submit articles, case notes and updates which are published in the Review each year.

The School of Law and Edinburgh University are committed to providing pastoral support for postgraduate students.  The Director of Postgraduate Studies, the Programme Director and postgraduate office staff act as points of first contact and can advise students on the extensive network of services that exist throughout the University.  Additional language training and support is available for international students through the English Language Training Centre at the University.  The International Office provides broader support and advice on living and studying in Edinburgh to this constituency of students. The Student Disability Service offers guidance and support for students experiencing difficulties or suffering from impairments covered by the Equality Act, and the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, run by and for students, offer a broad range of services to support students’ well-being at the University.  The University’s Accommodation Services can also help students finding appropriate accommodation in the city.