Law Course Brochure

UNdeRGRAdUATe COURSe GUIde 2012ABERDEEN BUSINESS SCHOOL•ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITY•ABERDEEN

LAW– Law– Law and Management

Law 2What and when: course overview 6…and course detail 8

Law and Management 10What and when: course overview 14…and course detail 16

How will I be taught? 18Key facts 19What next? 20

Choosing a course isn’t straightforward. There’s loads of detail you need to know. Where will I study? What topics are covered? How will I be assessed? Plus you also want to gain a ‘feel’ for things – ideally, direct and honest from some current or recent students. In this brochure we’ve combined both of these: hard facts with real views. And we’ve tried to keep things short and clear, so you don’t get put off by more information than you need.

Our aim is to give you a quick, genuine and useful insight into our courses. If there’s anything more you’d like to know, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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LAWLLB (Hons) UCAS M114

OPPORTUniTiES:

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kirsten ThomsonLLB LAW

… graduated in summer 2010 and successfully completed her Diploma in Legal Practice in 2011. She enthuses about the teaching staff : “They’re excellent, all with a great wealth of knowledge and academic or practicing experience. They’re supportive, for example helping with moot (mooting involves conducting a mock legal debate) competitions… a few have been known to turn up at the annual RGU Law Society’s Spring Ball!”

“There’s a huge range of interesting modules, especially at honours level where you have choice. For example, I’m taking UK Oil and Gas Law this semester – particularly topical as RGU is in Aberdeen.”

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PROSPECTS:

LAW

LLB (Hons) UCAS M114

Laura PetrieLLB (HONS) LAW

… loves the location. “RGU’s environment is innovative and stimulating, it’s not the usual centuries-old building other universities have. Early morning starts aren’t nearly as depressing when the building around you is vibrant!”

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Career options

A Law degree from RGU opens the door to the legal profession – plus opportunities within the financial sector, civil service, banking, corporate consultancy, global business management, local government, charitable organisations and trade unions, to name just a few.

If you intend to become a solicitor, you can also complete the one year Diploma in Legal Practice at RGU.

Our previous LLB graduates, many of whom have also taken the Diploma in Legal Practice with us, have an excellent record for quality employment in the legal profession, locally and nationally. We expect this trend to continue.

“The student-to-lecturer ratio is great. You don’t feel crammed into a tiny dingy lecture hall with no communication with the lecturer. At RGU it’s more interactive, with more possibilities to speak and seek clarification.”

Overview

This course mixes thorough academic study with the practical experience of moot courts, plus giving you a grounding in the general transferable skills needed for all professional roles.

Ours is a focused, friendly department, with smaller class sizes than some other institutions, regular class contact and an appealing balance between academic and practical input.

CORE AREAS & SkiLLS

WhAT & WhEn:COURSE OvERviEW…

During this course you gain a thorough understanding of the Scottish, UK and EU legal systems; explore the concept and reality of human rights and justice; and examine and critically assess diverse and key legal subjects including:

> Criminal Law > Constitutional Law > Contract Law > Commercial Law > Family Law

In addition to this legal training, you develop key transferable skills such as communication, planning and organising, team working and problem-solving.

You also acquire specialist skills in legal research, analysis and legal reasoning.

The first three years of the course are designed to provide you with the law subjects required by the Law Society of Scotland for entry into the legal profession.

In year 4 of the course (Honours year – optional) you choose subjects that appeal most to you. This means you can tailor your subject profile to suit your intended career path, whether in the public or private sector.

The subjects available are diverse and, in some cases, highly vocational, such as Criminal Justice, Oil and Gas Law, Media Law, Information Technology Law, International Human Rights Law and Intellectual Property Law.

ChOOSE yOUR SPECiALiSmS

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LAW LLB (Hons) UCAS M114

Our teaching methods enable you to develop professional skills such as communication and problem-solving.

This ensures your degree is valuable whatever career you’re considering.

Throughout the course, you’re taught by staff experienced in a wide range of legal subjects.

In addition, we ensure you graduate ready for today’s professional world. We value the advice and input of our close contacts in the legal profession, who constantly keep us appraised of the latest professional trends. This in turn informs our curriculum and teaching style.

There are several key advantages to the way we teach this course:

> You’ll have regular class contact both in tutorials (seminars) and lectures

> Our Student Law Society offers events and more liaison with staff

> The strong research culture among departmental staff feeds into their teaching expertise

> You can choose to take part in regular mooting exercises (legal debating), giving you additional practical experience

> We give regular feedback on your academic performance

In year 3 of the course you have the opportunity to spend a 12 week semester abroad at one of our partner institutions in Europe.

During the course you also have the opportunity to take part in an internal mooting competition (mooting involves conducting a mock legal debate) or in an international mooting competition, the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

TEAChing STyLES OThER OPPORTUniTiES

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> Criminal Law > Law of Contract > Legal Methods > Legal Systems

> Commercial Law > Constitutional Law > Human Rights > Property Law

Certificate of Higher Education Law

> Delict > Family Law > Law of Evidence > Law of Succession

Direct Entry students

> Criminal Law > Law of Contract

> Company Law > European Union Law > Legal Theory > Property Rights in Land

Diploma of Higher Education Law

yEAR 1 yEAR 2

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LAW LLB (Hons) UCAS M114 …& COURSE detail

Semester One Semester One

Semester Two

Semester Two

If you left now, you’d have…


> Tax Law

Choose ONe from the following:

> Fundamentals of Employment Law

> Forensic Practice > IT for Managers

Plus TWO honours level modules (see list in Year 4)

Or study abroad at a partner European or US University

> Practical Legal skills

Choose ONe from the following:

> Forensic Psychology > Management Studies for Law > Managing the Public Sector

Plus TWO honours level modules (see list in Year 4)


LLB Law

> Dissertation

Plus THrEE elective modules from a list currently containing:

> Child Care Law > Comparative Company Law > Criminal Justice > Criminal Responsibility > Employment Law > Environmental Law > European Union Law > International and

Comparative Tax Law > International Trade Law > Judicial Review and

Public Administration > Legal Issues in Construction > Media Law > Property Law (Honours) > Public International Law > Regional Human Rights Systems > Roman Law > Sports Law > Tax Law

> Dissertation


> Comparative Law > Consumer Law and Policy > Criminal Law: Specific Crimes > Criminology > Dispute Resolution > Equality Law > Evidence: Law and Psychology > Information Technology Law > Intellectual Property Law > International and

Comparative Family Law > International Private Law > Legal History > Medical Ethics > Medical Law > UK Oil and Gas Law

Note: Honours Level modules will run subject to student demand and staff availability so may be subject to change.

LLB (Hons) Law

yEAR 3 yEAR 4

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Semester One Semester One

Semester Two

Semester Two



FOCUS On yOUR FUTURE

Alaina morrison

… graduated with a BA (Hons) in Law and Management, before returning to ABS to take the accelerated LLB and the Diploma in Legal Practice. She found that all three courses were “well-structured, interesting and can be made relevant to whatever it is you want to achieve.”

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LAW And mAnAgEmEnT BA (Hons) UCAS M990

“I was really impressed at the diversity of the course, and the fact it opened the door to a lot of career opportunities in a variety of industries.”

PROSPECTS:

Alaina morrison

… graduated with a BA (Hons) in Law and Management, before returning to ABS to take the accelerated LLB and the Diploma in Legal Practice. She found that all three courses were “well-

“I was really impressed at the diversity of the course, and the fact it opened the door to a lot of career opportunities in a variety of industries.”

three courses were “well-structured, interesting and can be made relevant to whatever it is you want to achieve.”

three courses were “well-structured, interesting and can be made relevant to whatever it is you want to achieve.”

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Placements

You have the chance of an optional placement in your third year.

What you do is up to you – and we’ll help you arrange it.

You could concentrate on the legal side of your studies. In the past, students have worked in Sheriff Clerks’ Offices, legal firms, local government and councils plus public and private sector organisations.

Or you can explore the management component in a corporate placement. Many students choose Contracts and Procurement departments, while others work in Finance, HR and Marketing.

Recent placements have included Grampian Police, Scottish Court Service, Aker Kvaerner and Halliburton.

This course will equip you with a sound grounding in law, as well as key business skills and knowledge.

Career options

The course opens a range of opportunities. For example, it can be a pathway to becoming a Qualified Conveyancer or Executry Practitioner. (You can gain Diplomas in Conveyancing and Executry Services, or Executry Services, as additional qualifications in year 4.)

Other options are with oil companies (locally and overseas), banks and businesses, civil service, corporate consultancy firms and the police.

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LAW And mAnAgEmEnT BA (Hons) UCAS M990

RESOURCES:

CALUm hOWE

… for Calum, the fact we’ve been voted the best modern university in UK by The Times Good University Guide several years running, “made the choice easy. With the modern resources and new campus at Garthdee, RGU is a state of the art university – and I knew right away I’d made the right choice.”

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“ABS allowed me to reach my full potential. The opportunities are endless: I set up and headed a new student Law Society during my time here, and participated in an international Law Moot Court Competition.”

kEy AREAS

The high level of flexibility in this course allows you to shape your degree to specialise in the areas you develop an interest in.

As well as studying core law subjects, you’ll:

> Develop knowledge of the management perspectives and principles that underpin the effective operation of a business

> Gain an understanding of economic principles and concepts

> Learn effective people management practices

This course will equip you with a comprehensive set of skills in:

> Communication, including report and essay writing

> Making presentations and information handling

> Research, including critical appraisal and referencing

> Project management

> Time management techniques

> Team working

> Information technology including managing files and using computers for word processing, spreadsheets and databases

In each year of the course you study a range of law and management subjects including Contract Law, Commercial Law and Consumer Law, as well as Economics, Accounting and Management.

In your final year you can specialise further in either law, or management, or a combination – whatever most interests you.

Optional subjects include Family Law, Criminal Law, Employment Law, European Law, Human Resource Management and Management of Change.

CORE SkiLLS/SPECiALiSmS

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WhAT & WhEn:COURSE OvERviEW…

LAW ANd mANAGemeNT BA (Hons) UCAS M990

In year 3 you could have the opportunity to gain practical experience, equipping you for the working world.

Placements are highly regarded by employers as preparation for employment and are an invaluable opportunity to gain practical experience and establish links with potential employers.

You have the option to undertake a placement with a small, medium-sized or multinational organisation situated locally, nationally or internationally.

The placement helps you to acquire skills and knowledge that are difficult to gain in an academic setting.

This is one of the reasons why we assess your progress and contribution during your placement as part of your degree award.

There are several key advantages to the way we teach this course:

> Our small class sizes allow for more intensive, individual support and enable you to explore ideas and solutions

> You’ll have regular class contact both in tutorials (seminars) and lectures

> Our Student Law Society offers events and further liaison with staff

> The strong research culture among departmental staff feeds into their teaching expertise

> You can choose to take part in regular mooting exercises (legal debating), giving you additional practical experience

> We give regular feedback on your academic performance

It is possible to add LLB (Hons) Law to this degree. If you enter the degree in year 1, and successfully complete the first three years to graduate with a BA in Law and Management, you can then apply to enter year 3 of the LLB (Hons) course.

Degree Link students who enter the degree in year 2 or 3, and successfully graduate with a BA in Law and Management on completing year 3 can then apply to enter year 1 or 2 of the LLB (Hons) course.

PRACTiCAL ExPERiEnCE TEAChing STyLE Adding LLB (hOnS) LAW

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> Business Ethics > Legal Methods > Legal Systems > Management Concepts

> Constitutional Law > Introductory Economics > People Management > Property Law

> Criminal Law > Globalisation > Law of Contract

Plus ONE option from:

> European Union > Organisational Behaviour > The Financial Environment

> Commercial Law > Company Law > Human Rights


> Business Economics > Governing the UK > Marketing

> Delict > Fundamentals of

Employment Law

Plus TWO options from:

> Ethics and the Consumer > Family Law > Organisational Marketing


> Management Studies for Law > Managing the Public Sector > Property Rights in Land


> Legal Theory* > Practical Legal Skills

BA Law and Management

yEAR 1 yEAR 2 yEAR 3

Certificate of Higher Education Law and Management

Diploma of Higher Education Law and Management

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LAW ANd mANAGemeNT BA (Hons) UCAS M990 …& COURSE detail

Semester One Semester One Taught route Only

Semester One

Semester Two

Semester Two

Semester TwoIf you left now, you’d have…



* In Year 3, students must choose Legal Theory if they wish to transfer into the LLB.


Employment Law > Legal Methods

Direct Entry route

Semester One


Employment Law




> Management Studies for Law > Managing the Public Sector

(to be dropped if placement found) > Placement > Property Rights in Land




BA (Hons) Law and Management

yEAR 4

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Placement route

Semester One

Semester Two






> Management Studies for Law > Managing the Public Sector

(to be dropped if placement found) > Placement > Property Rights in Land



Semester Two



> Dissertation


> Child Care Law > Comparative Company Law > Criminal Justice > Criminal Responsibility > Employment Law > Environmental Law > European Union Law > International and

Comparative Tax Law > International Human

Resource Management > International Organisations > International Trade Law > Judicial Review and

Public Administration > Legal Issues in Construction > Media Law > Property Law (Honours) > Public International Law > Regional Human Rights Systems > Roman Law > Sports Law > Tax Law > The Business of Economics

> Dissertation


> Comparative Law > Consumer Law and Policy > Corporate Ethics > Criminal Law: Specific Crimes > Criminology > Dispute Resolution > Employee Relations and Reward > Entrepreneurial Studies > Equality Law > Information Technology Law > Intellectual Property Law > International and

Comparative Family Law > International Private Law > Labour Market Economics > Legal History > Medical Ethics > Medical Law > Strategic Marketing Management > UK Oil and Gas Law

Note: Honours Level modules will run subject to student demand.

Semester One Semester Two

Through varied class sizes, diverse lecturing styles and a range of assessment techniques.These degrees are all taught in two semesters. Each semester has a block of 12 weeks of teaching.

In the classroom

You’ll take four modules per semester. Each module involves around 2–3 hours of class teaching per week. While this differs from module to module, most have:

> Two hours of lectures delivered to the whole class

> A further one hour tutorial taught to a small group of about 20 students

Outside the classroom

In addition to lectures and tutorials, you‘ll have to spend approximately 20 hours a week outside class time working on your own.

For example doing the prescribed reading, preparing answers to the tutorial assignments, or researching and writing up coursework.

Assessment

We use a mixture of assessments.

Most modules are assessed by a two hour exam at the end of the semester, and by coursework submitted during the semester.

Staff experience

Some of our teaching staff have professional legal experience. Similarly those on the Law and Management course have professional legal and management experience. This means appropriate subjects are taught with a highly practical edge.

In addition, almost all law staff teach subjects in which they’re engaged in research activity (such as writing books, academic journal papers, delivering conference papers) – meaning you learn from experts.

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how will i be taught?

Enterprise Skills: The Charles P Skene Enterprise Programme

Enterprise skills are critical in every 21st century career; they not only boost your employability, but can also be the key to survival when self-employed. Which is why, at RGU, we now offer all our students real-life experience and tuition in entrepreneurial skills.

The Enterprise Programme introduces all students to enterprise skills through a series of lectures, workshops and master-classes. In addition, it provides access to many other exciting activities including a unique business incubator designed to help students transform embryonic ideas into fully fledged business opportunities.

To find out more visit www.rgu.ac.uk/business-incubator

Alternative qualifications

Equivalent overseas qualifications and some access programmes will be considered.

Study options

Full-time: 4 years

Full-time: 2 years for holders of a BA Law and Management from ABS

Professional accreditation

The courses are accredited by the Law Society of Scotland, a key factor for those seeking to enter the legal profession in Scotland. They are also recognised by the Faculty of Advocates.

Alternative qualifications

Equivalent overseas qualifications and some access programmes will be considered.

Degree Link Programme

Entry to year 3 of the course may be possible if you have completed an HND in Legal Services or an equivalent HND programme from another FE College.

Study options

Full-time: 4 years

Placement

An optional placement in year 3.

LAW LAW And mAnAgEmEnT

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how will i be taught? kEy FACTS

The next thing to do is talk to us.

We can answer any questions you may have. Simply call us on 01224 262728 or email [email protected]

We also provide a range of opportunities for you to visit us – so you can see what we can offer you first hand.

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This course guide is intended as a guide for applicants for courses delivered by Robert Gordon University. In compiling it the University has taken every care to be as accurate as possible, and the information in this course guide is correct at the time of going to print, but the course guide must be read as subject to change at any time and without notice. The University undertakes to make every reasonable effort to provide the teaching and academic facilities necessary for applicants’ programmes of study. However the University reserves the right, if such action is considered to be necessary, to make variations to fees and/or to vary the content or delivery method of any course at any time. In addition, the University may, at its sole discretion, discontinue or amalgamate any course(s). In these rare cases the University will notify applicants as soon as possible and reasonable steps will be taken to provide a suitable alternative to a discontinued course.

WhAT nExT?

Open Day

We organise two annual open days in October and November each year. It’s a perfect opportunity to visit us, meet the academic staff, experience the first-class facilities and talk to current students.

For full details of dates and times, and to see a full programme please see www.rgu.ac.uk/openday.

Applicants’ Day

When you apply for any course at ABS, you’ll be invited to one of our course-specific Applicants’ Days.

We realise there’s a lot involved in making your final choice, so we hope to give you all the insight and information you need.

Visit Afternoons

We hold monthly Visit Afternoons. The visit includes a talk by an Education Liaison Officer, a tour of the facilities and a chance to speak to a lecturer about the course you’re interested in.

Aberdeen Business SchoolRobert Gordon UniversityGarthdee RoadAberdeenAB10 7QE

Talk to us. We can answer any questions or queries you may have.Simply call us on 01224 262728,email UGOffi [email protected] visit us at rgu.ac.uk

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Law Course Brochure