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.

A first degree in Law (or a subject in a related discipline, such as Business, Political Science or International Relations) at a minimum of 2:2. Or, an overseas qualification which is equivalent to a UK Honours degree, minimum 2:2 classification.
You must also satisfy the University’s English language requirement for the course, which is a GCSE grade 4 or above (Grade C or above under the old grading structure), or IELTS at 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band. For country specific qualifications, please visit our Your Country page.
Please contact Admissions Tutor at lawadmissions@herts.ac.uk to discuss entry requirements further.


Institution code	H36
School of study	Hertfordshire Law School
Course length	Sandwich Placement, 2 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Employability
Careers

Hertfordshire Law School has helped graduates forge successful careers for 40 years. As part of our Hertfordshire University Alumni family, you’ll benefit from our global reputation for being forward thinking, innovative, and responsive to the world around us.

The compulsory modules for this course will provide you with the grounding you need for your successful career in Business Law.

Your selected optional modules, in combination with the compulsory modules, will be the perfect launch pad for pursuing your chosen specialism, whether that be as an in-house advisor within the private sector, a compliance or risk specialist, a human resources or employment law advisor or an academic pursuing a career in research.

These are just some examples of the many routes that may be of interest to you on successful completion of the LLM Business Law with Placement Year.

Work placement

As a student on the two year programme, you will have the opportunity to work on a placement as part of your degree.
- The programme is offered with a 30-week placement in the second year, providing students with practical legally-focused experience and setting their academic studies in a broader context. During Semester A and Semester B of their first year on the programme, students will follow the same structure of study as students on the 1 year LLM Programme. To be eligible for the placement opportunity, students must successfully complete their semester A modules at the first attempt with an average of 60%.
- Students will study a 0 credit introduction to work placement module in semester c of the first year. This module will support students in their search for a work placement and in making applications.
- Students must complete at least 30 weeks of full-time work experience. It is the responsibility of the student to identify, apply and secure a placement. For students with visa restrictions, the placement would need to take place within the UK. Students will be supported by an introduction to work placement module, the School’s Placement Officer and Director of Employability and UH careers and Employability Service. The placement module is assessed through reports while on placement and by portfolio due at the start of the final semester in Year 2.
- Students on the ‘with Placement’ award who do not go on to a placement will transfer onto the Work Experience award route.

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 4th for law in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, Advance HE, 2023).

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

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Introduction to Work Placement	0 Credits	Compulsory
This module will explain the benefits of a work placement and will support students in their applications for work placement. It will help student identify their strengths and weakness and help them select the most appropriate role for them. The Module will assist students to make an application through a combination of lectures and skills support.
Work Placement	60 Credits	Compulsory
Undertaking a placement year provides students with an opportunity to set their academic studies in a broader context, to gain practical experience of the legal professional services and to strengthen employability skills. During the placement, students will critically reflect on their experiences, culminating in the submission of a portfolio.
Corporate Governance	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module will allow students to develop an understanding of corporate governance issues. It will explore the need for the efficient governance of corporations in a way that which balances the interests of shareholder and stakeholder groups and looks to mitigate against corporate failure. Amongst other things, students will explore the development of corporate governance codes, board structure, directors duties and remuneration. Equipped with this knowledge, students will examine case studies of corporate failures to forensically determine what went wrong.
Research Methods and Skills	0 Credits	Compulsory
This module prepares you for undertaking independent research in your chosen modules, as well as an individual research dissertation in your chosen field. The aim is to provide the opportunity for students to develop and apply postgraduate level skills of independent research, analysis, evaluation, writing and presentation. You will examine different legal and other research methods and assess their relevance to your own independent research and practice.
LLM Dissertation	60 Credits	Compulsory
The dissertation requires you to select a topic relevant to one of your LLM module choices. Guidance is given on topic selection. Students are allocated a supervisor for their dissertation to provide them with support and some formative feedback. Supervision meetings are documented through diary sheets completed by both parties.
Banking Law	30 Credits	Optional
This module will allow students to develop an understanding of the role of Banks in our economy and certain regulatory and supervisory regimes that apply to them. You will analyse the nature of the Banker-Customer relationship and examine the impact of new electronic payments systems on the Banking industry. You will also consider developments within Money Laundering Regulations and the issue of Bank resolution with reference to the global financial crisis.
International Financial Law	30 Credits	Optional
This module will allow students to compare the approach of different jurisdictions to key aspects of financial law. You will examine aspects of the regulation and supervision of financial institutions (particularly in response to the global financial crisis), explore aspects of the International Financial Architecture and evaluate the role of Credit Rating Agencies. You will also examine the nature of certain key debt and financial instruments including International Bonds and Syndicated Loan Agreements. You will be encouraged to research and discuss emerging legal issues relating to International Financial Law.
Data Protection Law	30 Credits	Optional
This module will enable you to examine the development of data protection law as a distinct area of legal practice. You will explore the current data protection legislation in the UK and the EU and its implementation through case law, real-life examples and scenarios. In this context, you will examine the key concepts of the data protection law, such as the notion of informed consent and transparency requirements in the face of continuous technological developments, e.g. Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and the Internet of Things. You will also consider in detail the obligations placed on data controllers, as well as the rights enjoyed by individual data subjects. Furthermore, the module involves the analysis of various policy challenges posed by Brexit such as in relation to international data transfers.
Medical Law and Ethics	30 Credits	Optional
On this course, you will examine a wide range of both medical law and bioethics, with an international perspective. Included in the module will be medical negligence and legal and ethical dilemmas regarding patients consent to medical treatment including Advance Decisions and treatment of the incompetent patient. You will then consider medical law and ethics from birth to death . Beginning with new and emerging assisted reproductive technologies that have global application to the start of life then turns to subjects such as abortion. Highly topical issues and relevant issues to the global society such as organ donation will be explored before moving onto the end of life which will include, examination of the law and ethics of assisted suicide in the UK and other countries and other end of life issues. You will also examine any new emerging technologies/areas of law in this fast-developing area of law and ethics globally.
Employment Law	30 Credits	Optional
In this course, you will look at the concept of employment status, particularly in the light of new ways of working and possible reform. You will be considering both express and implied terms of a contract of employment, along with possible ways to vary them and the implications thereof. You will analyse current Equality Law. The law relating to dismissal in its various forms will also be considered. You will also study remedies available for various claims.
Legal Risk and Compliance	30 Credits	Optional
Legal Risk is an atypical practically-oriented module that attempts to place the student into the role and mindset of an in-house adviser undertaking the evolving dual legal / commercial role within the risk / compliance paradigm. Seminars are structured with a view to student-focussed participation and discussion and bookended with a structured set of pre-seminar and post seminar tasks to enable students to consider and evaluate issues and topics of the week both in advance and consolidate and reflect after seminar sessions.
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Law	30 Credits	Optional
You will study Copyright Law which is an Intellectual Property right providing its owner with the exclusive right to use a creative work such as, written, audio-visual, musical, or dramatic works, with some exceptions. Over the years, copyright law has gone through great changes to keep up with advances in technology and media. Current developments in AI technology raise new issues concerning the scope and purpose of copyright protection. Copyright is relevant to AI in multiple ways. Machine learning technology learns from data that might be protected by copyright. Moreover, some AI systems can also autonomously generate new works, which might be copyright protected. Additionally, AI technology is also used to identify and prevent online copyright infringement. By striking the right balance between, on the one hand, the interests of innovators and, on the other hand, the wider public interest, copyright and Artificial Intelligence aims to foster an environment where innovation and creativity can flourish.
Public International Law	30 Credits	Optional
This module considers the nature, sources, and mechanisms of public international law. It examines the role of the state and international institutions and engages students with contemporary international law challenges and encourages them to reflect on their geopolitical implications.
Private International Law	30 Credits	Optional
The subject comprises of the general principles of private international law and the role of connecting factors (domicile/residence etc.) while moving on to the three substantive areas (a) jurisdiction (b) choice of law (c) recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. Students are encouraged to read and consider the content of primary materials and to reflect on the difficult litigation that may sometimes arise in this area of law, acknowledging how the nature of the subject has changed from being concerned with the propertied expatriate to the multinational operations of a globalised world.
International Human Rights Law	30 Credits	Optional
The module provides a rigorous and stimulating, theoretical and practical understanding of human rights law from a comparative and cross-cultural perspective. Students will examine theoretical and philosophical discussions on human rights, international law on human rights, as well as regional systems of protection and the effectiveness of the United Nations system. In this module, students will focus on civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights and will use certain case studies from around the world to demonstrate the relevance and applicability of international human rights law.
Intellectual Property Law	30 Credits	Optional
Intellectual Property (IP) can be defined as creations of the mind - everything from works of art to inventions, computer programs to trademarks and other commercial signs. The purpose of the various fields of Intellectual Property Law is to deter others from copying or taking advantage of the works or reputations of another and provide remedies should this occur. Intellectual Property is protected in law by, for instance, trademarks, copyright and patents that allow individuals to gain financial benefit or recognition from what they create or invent. By striking a fair balance between, on the one hand, the interests of innovators and, on the other hand, the wider public interest, Intellectual Property aims to foster an environment where innovation and creativity can flourish.
International Commercial Law	30 Credits	Optional
The module will examine the choice of law/jurisdiction clauses, the different types of international commercial contracts and the respective implications for the parties involved. In the module, you will also examine the various international conventions applicable to international commerce as well as the role of documentation through a consideration of bill of lading. Finally, marine insurance and the typical method of financing used in international commerce will be discussed in detail.
Crimes of the Powerful	30 Credits	Optional
To limit criminological blindness on how crime is defined and/or considered, studies have sought to broaden the criminological discourse on criminality and examined crimes or harm committed by the powerful in society. Crimes of the elite cover a range of harmful activities, crimes committed by the powerful and states have harmed, killed, injured, robbed, and sexually violated more people than non-state violent crime/terrorism, and this pattern continues. This module will enable students to examine crimes/harm perpetrated by the state and individuals who hold a significant social/political authority. Students will be challenged to examine the full dimensions of crimes of the elite as one of the social problems within society. The module will generally include state crime, human rights with human security, war crime, and human rights, historical and contemporary forms of mass violence, corruption, hate crime, cooperate crimes, and the international mechanisms designed to prevent large-scale social harms.
GLOBAL POLICING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT	30 Credits	Optional
Global law enforcement operates within a complex and interconnected world to respond to crime by sourcing their efforts within an international legal framework to enforce national criminal law. This module aims to enable students to examine law enforcement in different cultural contexts (i.e., Europe, Africa, Asia, North America), a comparative analysis between the policing systems. The respective social, cultural, and political systems that influence social order and control will be considered. The module traces the development of international, transnational and EU legal frameworks on law enforcement cooperation. Develop conceptual and critical insights into contemporary issues in the theory, policy, and practice of law enforcement, and apply the knowledge to own jurisdictions. Key concepts include the development of global policing, global policing power, theorising global policing, law enforcement models and procedural requirements in different jurisdictions. The module considers the nature of global policing, police cooperation strategies and underlying legal frameworks.
Company Law	30 Credits	Optional
In this module, you will focus on the fundamental and contemporary aspects of company law. You will learn and develop your knowledge of the internal operations of a company, ranging its incorporation, the rights and duties of shareholders and directors, the governance of the firm and remedies available to the company. You will also critically evaluate the nature of its separate legal personality and consider the agency problem.

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

You can also read our student blogs to find out about life at Herts.

Funding and fees
Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Fees 2024
UK Students

Full time
- £14805. for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
EU Students

Full time
- £17950. for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
International Students

Full time
- £17950. for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 inclusive
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

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Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2024

Start Date	End Date	Link
26/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Sandwich)

2025

Start Date	End Date	Link
26/09/2025	31/05/2026	Apply online (Sandwich)

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Master of Laws Business Law with Placement Year

Why choose Herts?

Careers

Work placement

About the course

Why choose this course?

What will I study?

Key staff

Further course information

Student experience

Other financial support

Fees 2024

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Living costs / accommodation

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2024

2025