The part-time LLB (Hons) is an attractive option for everyone interested in the legal field. It can be the first step in qualifying to be a solicitor or barrister or it can be a route into learning about broader areas of legal study.

The degree has a deservedly high reputation in the Greater Manchester area for creating the opportunity for mature entrants to study law. Each year this degree gives many people the chance to attend university two evenings a week, whilst also continuing in their chosen careers. In addition the part-time degree now incorporates the exciting possibility of studying for a socio-legal orientated degree, for those with an interest in legal studies who know that they do not wish to qualify as practising lawyers. Naturally enough however the degree can be taken as a "qualifying law degree" enabling our students to go on to study to become solicitors or barristers. The part-time degree programme therefore combines the study of key areas of law with training in legal theory and in legal method and skills.

Study for the part-time degree is over a four-year period and in the first and second years the students take mandatory core units of the course which build up to give a sound foundation in key areas of law and in legal theory and research skills. In the final two years of the programme, students have a greater range of choice as to which units they undertake, enabling them to develop their own interests appropriate to their career or research plans by choosing electives from an extensive menu. In the final year of the course all students complete a dissertation in their chosen field, which may be drawn from the foundation legal subjects but which may equally have a socio-legal or criminological slant.

Students who complete the part-time degree programme come to us from a wide range of backgrounds. Some are homemakers, others are already employed in a legal field including the police service, others may work in industry or may run their own businesses. Those wishing to become barristers or solicitors can continue their studies at MMU on the Bar Vocational Course or Legal Practice Course. Other students who are interested in different career paths may choose to stay on at MMU and study for a postgraduate research degree.

In the rest of this section, find out more about what studying the part-time LLB (Hons) at MMU is like, and how to apply for the programme.