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Master of Laws Business Law with Placement Year

Why choose Herts?

Teaching Excellence: You will be taught by experts, including practising solicitors and barristers who will train you to work on real-life scenarios at our £10m Law Building inclusive of a full-scale replica Crown Court Room.

Strong Industry Connections: Benefit from our strong relations with law firms such as Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Clifford Chance. Students attend Law Fairs, employer workshops, and networking events.

Work-Related Learning: You will gain client-facing casework experience working in legal services within our award-winning pro-bono Law Clinic providing community-based legal services.

About the course

Our LLM Business Law with Placement Year provides specialist knowledge, understanding and critical thinking skills, together with professional work experience in the area of business law. 

This programme offers two compulsory modules: Corporate Governance, which is your Pathway Specific Module plus a compulsory elective where you may choose between Company Law, Employment Law or Legal Risk and Compliance). Together, these modules will give you the foundation you need to specialise in Business Law. You can then build on this foundation with two additional modules from the range of optional modules on offer, to fit your own goals and preferences. 

We also offer the following pathways:

LLM Business Law 

LLM Business Law with Work Experience

Why choose this course?

This course is perfect for you if you are planning to specialise in Business Law and would like to gain professional experience from a placement year.

  • Taking full advantage of the University’s strong links with industry, the course is taught by specialists in the field who are at the forefront of their discipline. You can be sure that the teaching you will receive is focused on the particular requirements of the business sector, always up to date with current business developments and supported by cutting-edge research and practice. 
  • You will enjoy an immersive learning experience in our impressive Law Court building, situated within an attractive multi-million-pound site. The law courts are often used for televised productions while also supporting our world-class teaching and learning. 
  • You’ll get the opportunity to develop professional industry connections through our extensive employability programme. The Hertfordshire Law Clinic provides pro-bono legal services to the community, enabling you to gain real work experience during your studies.
  • Our strong links with industry, including leading law firms, barristers’ chambers, international mediators, PCCs, Magistrates and Crown Courts, prisons and voluntary sectors further ensure an authentic learning experience. 
  • Ranked 3rd for law in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, 2024).

What will I study?

The School follows a blended learning approach to the delivery of its programmes, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity.   The School’s strategic focus centres around community, inclusivity, diversity of opportunity and employability in line with the University strategic objective (2020-25) of ‘Transforming Lives’ through the three pillars of Offering Opportunity, Building Community and Embracing Flexibility.   

​You will study two modules during Semester A and two modules in Semester B. Each module will be taught through a two-hour Seminar each week together with a rich blend of online activities.

You will also join a Research Methods and Skills seminar every fortnight in your first semester of study to help you develop the academic writing and research skills that you will need for your module coursework and dissertation. In Semesters B and C, you will study for your dissertation with the help of an expert supervisor.

​The Company Law module focuses on the fundamental and contemporary aspects of company law, offering a detailed analysis of the internal operations of a company. Topics range from the incorporation of a company, the rights and duties of shareholders and directors, governance, and remedies available to a company. The Employment Law module covers such topics as the concept of employment status, the explicit and implicit terms of a contract of employment, and an analysis of current Equality Law. Legal Risk Module introduces you to the basic concepts of project management in the context of risk management. It provides an in-depth understanding of some of the core challenges faced by businesses in this area, as well as knowledge of the relevant regulatory frameworks. In the Corporate Governance module, topics such as corporate governance theories, law and practice are covered.  

The LLM Business Law with Placement Year employs a variety of teaching and assessment methods, providing you with valuable hands-on experience and opportunities to implement your learning. Teaching sessions by experts in their field are followed up with group work and activities designed to expand and deepen your learning and enable practical application. This includes role-play, discussions and debates which help you to hone your presentation skills and your proficiency in the areas of negotiation and persuasion.  

Independent study is essential to consolidate your class teaching and to deepen your learning. The assignments will offer further opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge, formulate arguments and offer solutions to complex business challenges. 

Each module is assessed by coursework (there are no examinations). 

  • Level 7
    ModuleCreditsCompulsory/optional
    Banking Law30 CreditsOptional
    International Financial Law30 CreditsOptional
    Data Protection Law30 CreditsOptional
    Medical Law and Ethics30 CreditsOptional
    Employment Law30 CreditsOptional
    Legal Risk and Compliance30 CreditsOptional
    Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Law30 CreditsOptional
    Public International Law30 CreditsOptional
    Private International Law30 CreditsOptional
    International Human Rights Law30 CreditsOptional
    Intellectual Property Law30 CreditsOptional
    International Commercial Law30 CreditsOptional
    Introduction to Work Placement0 CreditsCompulsory
    Work Placement60 CreditsCompulsory
    Corporate Governance30 CreditsCompulsory
    Crimes of the Powerful30 CreditsOptional
    GLOBAL POLICING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT30 CreditsOptional
    Company Law30 CreditsOptional
    Research Methods and Skills0 CreditsCompulsory
    LLM Dissertation60 CreditsCompulsory
  • Key staff

    Deputy Programme Leader Abdulsalam Ajetunmobi

    Find out more about Deputy Programme Leader Abdulsalam Ajetunmobi

    Programme Leader Julia Hovanessian

    Find out more about Programme Leader Julia Hovanessian

    Further course information

    Course fact sheets
    Master of Laws Business Law (Sandwich) with Sandwich Placement Download
    Programme specifications
    LLM in Business Law - Extended Download
    Additional information

    Sandwich placement or study abroad year

    Mandatory

    Applications open to international and EU students

    Yes

    Student experience

    At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

    Find out about how we support our students

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