Program Overview

Law - PgDip

2026/27 Full-time Postgraduate course

Award:

Postgraduate Diploma

Faculty:

Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

School:

School of Law

Campus:

Belfast campus

Start date:

September 2026

Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in Law is currently under review with the professional bodies (Council of Legal Education) for accreditation as a Qualifying Law Degree in Northern Ireland.

Conversion Course

Are you looking to pivot your career or expand your expertise? This programme provides the perfect opportunity to transfer your skills to a different sector with no need to have a background in the subject area.

Summary

Ranked 13th among law schools in the UK (Times UK University Rankings 2025), our Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) is your fast-track gateway into the legal profession. Designed for ambitious non-law graduates, this intensive one-year (two-semester) course transforms your career prospects by equipping you with a recognised academic legal qualification.

From day one, you’ll build a strong foundation in core legal principles while developing the practical skills top employers demand. Our dynamic, career-focused approach not only introduces you to essential legal knowledge but also challenges you to engage with more complex legal concepts — preparing you to stand out and succeed in a competitive legal market.

Take the first step towards an exciting legal career in a vibrant and highly ranked law school!

About this course

About

This programme provides non-law graduates with the opportunity to make the conversion to law in one-year (two-years part-time). The course covers the core aspects of law which have such influential effect in wider society. Students will have the opportunity to not only develop that core legal knowledge required for a further career in law but it will also allow students to hone their practical legal skills relating to drafting, advocacy, and advising clients.

The core legal knowledge comes from the eight core modules for Qualifying Law Degree status. They are Criminal Law, Tort, Contract Law, Land Law, Equity and Trusts, Evidence, Constitutional Law and European Union Law. These are covered in an accelerated way to grant holders the status of a Qualifying Law Degree.

The course is designed with non-lawyers in mind so the knowledge will be scaffolded through the first semester by exploring core legal concepts and building into much more complex legal knowledge that can be applied and critiqued.

Attendance

The PGDL Course runs from the Belfast Campus. Attendance is required at lectures and seminars for all eight modules across the two semesters of study (four modules per semester for full-time students and two modules per semester for part-time students). Students will have the opportunity to be taught in and enhance their legal skills in our bespoke and eye-catching Moot Court Room.

Start dates

• September 2026

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching will typically take place via a plenary lecture to introduce new concepts and these will be explored further in a seminar/workshop which seeks to explore those concepts in greater detail and have application of the knowledge to practical scenarios. The Assessment is done 100% through coursework related assessments such as problem style advice questions, writing reports, providing presentations or drafting particular legal documents such as a skeleton argument summarising and applying the law.

Attendance and Independent Study

• The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
• Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
  • the relevant generic national Qualification Descriptor
  • the applicable Subject Benchmark Statement
  • the requirements of any professional, regulatory, statutory and accrediting bodies.

Standard entry conditions

Entry Requirements

Applicants must hold at least a second class Honours degree or above or equivalent (in any discipline) or demonstrate their ability to undertake the programme through the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL).

English Language Requirements

• The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5.
• Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Careers & opportunities

Career options

The programme forms an integral part of the Law School at Ulster University. The Ulster Law School is widely recognised as is evidenced by being in the Top 15 Law Schools in the United Kingdom (Times UK University Rankings 2025). Graduates from the School with Qualifying Law Degrees go into practice in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, England and Wales and further afield. A law qualification also offers options in cognate areas such as business and finance, human resources, politics, civil service, management consultancy and the community sector.

Fees and funding

2026/27 Fees

Postgraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2026/27 fees will be announced in due course.

Additional mandatory costs

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.