External summary

The degree of LLM in Innovation, Technology and Law offers advanced study of a range of law or law-related subjects, with an opportunity to develop more detailed knowledge, understanding and research skills in a chosen dissertation topic. This unique degree programme explores the role of the law in responding to, regulating, and promoting new and emerging technologies. It is offered in partnership with one of the leading law and technology centres in the UK – SCRIPT based in the School of Law, University of Edinburgh. Students on the programme will benefit from the Centre’s annual programme of seminars, events and talks related to the core topics of their degree. During their study, the students will also have access to the results of innovative cross-cutting research of the highest quality.

The courses on offer allow students to examine legal, ethical and regulatory issues as these relate to a number of technology-related fields, including information technology, intellectual property, biotechnology, medical sciences, audio-visual media and artificial intelligence. The core subjects of the degree are intended to provide an advanced knowledge of domains where law engages with technology, laying a foundation for a specialised dissertation. By the end of their studies for this degree, students will have acquired a high level of knowledge in the field of law and technology and a sophisticated awareness of the problems in the area and the differing approaches to their solution.

Educational aims of programme

The degree of LLM in Innovation, Technology and the Law offers advanced study of a range of law or law-related subjects, with an opportunity to develop more detailed knowledge, understanding and research skills in a chosen dissertation topic. This unique degree programme explores the role of the law in responding to, regulating, and promoting new and emerging technologies. The courses on offer allow students to examine legal, ethical and regulatory issues as these relate to a number of technology-related fields, including information technology, intellectual property, biotechnology, medical sciences, audio-visual media and artificial intelligence.

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

The core subjects of the degree are intended to provide an advanced knowledge of domains where law engages with technology, laying a foundation for a specialised dissertation. By the end of their studies for this degree, students will have acquired a high level of knowledge in the field of law and technology and a sophisticated awareness of the problems in the area and the differing approaches to their solution. They would also have isolated an appropriate topic for dissertation research, developed a plan and realised that plan in an extended piece of work.

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

Intellectual skills

• Collecting, organising and evaluating different types of resources 
• Developing working knowledge and critical understanding of key literature in the field.
• Analysing and critically evaluating material and arguments
• Analysing problems and preparing solutions along with offering in depth analysis: ability to put forward legal arguments, discussion and evidence in a balanced way and in analysing the weak and strong points of arguments and to synthesise these in the process of solving problems.
• Undertaking advanced research in writing on chosen topics: ability to appropriately reference a piece of work, present it concisely, clearly and coherently.
• Explaining and justifying research methods used, where appropriate.
• Thinking creatively and critically

Professional/subject-specific/practical skills

• Advanced ability to use legal materials
• Advanced use of on-line resources, where appropriate
• Ability to conduct advanced legal research

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

• Facilitation of independent study and research both through taught courses and dissertation: planning and undertaking of research in both familiar and unfamiliar areas in the chosen field of law
• Reflection on own learning: seeking and making use of feedback
• Engagement in peer to peer learning
• Facilitation of independent and critical thinking

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

Effective communication in writing and orally: the taught courses require students to submit written work for assessments, to a deadline and within a page limit, and thereby encourages them to develop the technique of writing in a clear and concise fashion; and, communicating information (including discussing technical and complex legal materials), ideas, advice and choices in an effective manner (appropriate to the context and the type of audience e.g. to communicate to a non-legal audience in plain English legal terminology only where needed ). The courses on the programme also provide opportunities for students to extend their oral skills by requiring them to take a full part in the discussion of the seminar which may involve students in making presentations to the class.

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

• Organising and managing work and time
• Working independently and taking responsibility for own work
• Engaging with an international postgraduate community
• Working in groups
• Ability to work effectively to fixed deadlines

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

Use of the internet as a communication and research tool: producing assessments using word processors or tools; ability to use the internet and e-mail, including specifically the ability to exchange documents electronically; ability to use electronic collaborative platforms such as wikis and discussion boards.

Programme structure and features

The programme is available as a full-time or part-time programme.  The part-time route is 24 months of study, commencing in September.

The student will be required to complete a total of 180 credits in order to achieve the LLM. The students are required to take 6 courses (120 credit points) over four semesters and the dissertation (60 points) is completed in the second year of study, subject to attaining the required course passes during semester time.

At least 80 credits must be taken from the courses listed below. Candidates must then take a further 40 credits which may be chosen from the list below under further courses or from any other course or any other module offered from the wider portfolio of LLM courses.

The students may take no more than 40 of the total 120 credits from the list of on-line courses but they may take no more than one 20 credit on-line module per semester and cannot take courses in one medium which are wholly or substantially the same as those they have already taken in the other.

Dissertation

Including these course titles within the Programme Specification is no guarantee that they will run each year.

The learning process will be didactic, seminar-based and research-focused. The on-line modules are taught wholly on-line. The number of students studying any on-line module is likely to range from between 8 and 20. Students will be required to prepare weekly in advance by reading materials prescribed in handouts on the learning platform and by reflecting on the issues to be discussed in the discussion groups. As with the on-campus courses, very little benefit will be gained from the discussions without adequate preparation.  Discussion groups will be moderated by academic tutors, the majority of whom are the same academics who teach on the on-campus courses. Guest tutors are also likely to join the discussions. Contributions to discussions should be made in accordance with clearly defined criteria set out in the e-learning platform.  

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. The dissertation requires a more independent and less structured form of study than the taught courses. For the dissertation the student will have a supervisor from whom they can expect guidance and support, but the purpose of the dissertation is to allow them to independently design and conduct a piece of research and analysis.

Progression to the dissertation and award of the LLM degree will be decided, in line with the University’s Taught Assessment Regulations, 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 and
• be awarded an aggregate pass at masters level for the 120 credits of study examined at the point of decision for progression and
• have no course mark below 40% in any 40-credit course, and no more than one course mark below 40% in any 20-credit course

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

Students can also exit with a postgraduate certificate on achieving 60 credits from taught elements.

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

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.

• Innovative learning week

The School runs an Innovative Learning Week in February of the second teaching semester every academic year. Innovative Learning Week suspends regular academic activity and instead organises creative and stimulating events, which are designed to provide alternative experiences and opportunities for both academic and practical skills development.

Innovative Learning Week runs across four days with a varied selection of activities offered by academics in the School of Law, local practitioners and organisations, and expert student support services within the University.  The programme normally includes a very wide range of activities designed to explore different ways of engaging with legal and skills-based topics.  These have included: theatre group work; photography competitions; quantitative statistics workshops; film series with academic commentary; mock interviews with legal professionals; mooting; guided court observation exercises; and historical walking tours of the city.  The programme also includes social events and activities through which students can relax and network with fellow students and members of staff.

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.