The University
All departments assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency over the last four years have been rated as ‘excellent’. Few universities can match our unbroken record of success in high-quality teaching. This complements our strong research ratings achieved in the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)’s Research Assessment Exercise. We are the UK’s leading provider of taught postgraduate education, and topped The Financial Times league table for taught postgraduate education in 2002, 2002 and 2003. Over half of our 19,000 registered students are postgraduates.

Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law is currently offering an updated programme, building on over 20 years’ experience in delivering high-quality postgraduate education. The campus-based programme offers five Master’s-level streams, with over 30 modules to choose from. The Faculty also offers two distance-learning programmes, and welcomes research students for the degrees of MPhil and PhD. The PhD programme is also available via the distance-learning route. The period of registration is a minimum of four years and a maximum of six years. The University was among the pioneers of distance learning, offering programmes designed for the busy professional which could be taken over two years alongside fulltime work. The law school was one of the pioneers, and designed programmes that were not just for those with an undergraduate law degree. Its first distance-learning programme, in the law of employment relations, started in 1988. This was followed by the programme in European Union law in 1991. The programmes adopt a common framework of two years’ study of taught modules assessed by coursework essays, followed by a research dissertation. All the distance-learning programmes are supported by residential weekends.

Academic strengths
Over the past ten years, the Faculty has consistently been rated among the top ten law schools in the country on the strength of its teaching and research record – it holds a 5A rating from the 2001 HEFC Research Assessment Exercise, with much of its research attaining international excellence and all the rest attaining national excellence.
The Faculty offers a high-quality learning experience through group seminars that are designed to offer you a real opportunity for participation. All postgraduate teachers are active in research and publish widely in their areas of expertise; they regularly contribute to national and international conferences, and act as academic experts to government and other bodies.

Libraries
The University is a well-established centre for research. It subscribes to a wide range of online services and also has a large collection of official publications. The Faculty of Law houses a small, intimate library, the Harry Peach Library, which contains a collection of essential law reports, periodicals and reference works.

Online research facilities and computing services
Postgraduate students have access to a variety of online services, including WestLaw and other databases of legal materials. Training in their use is provided by suitably qualified staff.