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LLM in Legal History

Designed for those with a strong interest in legal history looking to deepen their knowledge on a programme designed by research.

Overview 

The LLM in Legal History takes a historical approach understanding and analysing law. Engagement with the primary sources of law’s history is a core aspect of the specialism, allowing students to develop important research and historical skills, as well as their own understanding of the legal past. There is usually a range of jurisdictions in the modules, both common law and civilian. The modules tend to be small and close-knit, allowing very focused study and some of them offer flexibility to tailor the programme somewhat to the interests of the students taking the module in a particular year.

Please note that this programme is confirmed for 2025/26 entry.

Highlights

  • Complete your LLM degree in just 10 months when studying full-time, giving you a head start in industry
  • Our location in the heart of legal London provides you with a unique opportunity to draw on the resources of the centre of the UK’s government, legal and financial communities.
  • Gain practical skills with pro-bono opportunities offered at the Centre for Access to Justice, allowing you to provide legal advice and give back to the local community.  
  • Develop your skills and legal knowledge by taking part in mooting and debating competitions. 
  • Access specialist careers support from our in-house Careers Consultant.
  • Be a part of our global student community and take advantage of our unrivalled Graduate Law Society which delivers an outstanding programme of activities and events each term.

Why choose this programme?

If you have a deep interest in and commitment to legal history, the specialism offers excellent research-led teaching across a range of periods, both as possible preparation for doctoral work or to satisfy intellectual curiosity. The specialism offers students alternative perspectives on law, which can be applied to other modules.

Who should apply?

The specialism is suited for students who have an interest in history, including legal history. This may be earlier legal studies or a prior non-law degree, but very often it is a more general interest. You may be considering pursuing a career in academia: this LLM can help you progress to doctoral study. Please visit our LLM applying and entry requirements page to find out the exact requirements for this programme. 

Programme structure

The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars, lectures and tutorials. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions, particularly for seminars and tutorials.

Assessment in taught modules is often by examination, an assessed coursework essay, or through a combination of both. There may be other forms of assessments such as oral presentations, output for audience or group projects.

During the programme, you will research and write a 9000 word Research Essay which counts towards your final grade.

Full-time students

Terms one and two

During the first week of term one, you will attend the LLM Induction Programme, which includes a series of events to welcome you to UCL Laws and to UCL as a whole, and to complete your formal registration onto the LLM programme.

In the second week of term, you will begin your first classes.

There are ten weeks of classes per term, with a break for reading week after week five. Throughout the term, you will be able to take advantage of the wide range of events held within the faculty and across UCL, including special lectures, mooting, debating and activities organised by the UCL Laws Graduate Law Society.

Term three

Your assessments, including any coursework essays are normally submitted in the first week of term three. All examinations take place during term three and can be scheduled at any time during this term. The examination schedule is published at the end of term two.

During the entire year from September to June you will work on your Research Essay (RE) which will be submitted at the end of term three.

Part-time students

You will follow the same programme as full-time students above, except for the following:

  • Your degree will be completed over two academic years
  • In your first year, you will take 90 credits of taught modules
  • In your second year, you will take the remaining 45 credits of taught modules and the 45 credit Research Essay
  • You will therefore complete module selection twice: once at the start of your programme and again in the summer before you return to your second and final year.
  • You will be invited to attend induction at the start of your first year with the full-time students.

Please note that you will be attending classes with full-time and flexi LLM students. Module teaching can be scheduled between 9am-8pm on weekdays.  You will be able to reference the timetable when making your module selections each year.

Modular/flexible students

You will follow the same programme as full-time students above, except for the following:

  • You will have up to 5 academic years to complete your degree.
  • You can plan how you would like to complete your 135 taught module credits over that 5 year period based on your personal circumstances (or earlier if you plan to complete the degree in fewer than 5 years).
  • We will prompt you to select modules each year.  You may wish to have a year or more where you do not take any modules; this is possible.
  • It is recommended that you only complete your Research Essay at the end of your degree, in the same year that you are due to complete all of your taught module credits.
  • You will be invited to attend induction at the start of your first year with the full-time students.

Please note that you will be attending classes with full-time and part-time LLM students. Module teaching can be scheduled between 9am-8pm on weekdays. You will be able to reference the timetable when making your module selections each year.

Modules

Students will need to obtain a total of 180 credits consisting of taught modules and a Research Essay to successfully complete the programme. Students choosing a LLM specialist degree are required to select a minimum of 60 credits from the qualifying modules listed below. Students are required to write their Research Essay in the area of the specialism.

Students are advised to plan their modules choices and research essay carefully and in advance. You will select your modules at pre-enrolment, before arrival.

Below is an example of the suite of modules you can expect to chose from. The taught modules offered on the LLM programme vary from year to year. Please note that modules are subject to cancellation and change, including changes in module convenors and type of assessment and the modules listed below are to be confirmed for the 2025/26 session. Applicants and offer-holders are therefore advised to check this site regularly for further updates and changes prior to the start of the programme in September. Module places may be limited and will be subject to availability where there is a high demand and exceeds resources.

Modules for LLM in Legal History

Decolonizing Law
Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian Tradition
Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian Tradition A

Modules across LLM Law

Access to Justice: Theory & Practice
Advanced Foundations of Environmental Law
Advanced Foundations of International Law of Foreign Investment
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Aspects of National Security
Carriage of Goods by Sea
Commercial Remedies
Comparative Constitutional Law
Comparative Corporate Governance
Comparative Human Rights Law
Competition Law (EU & UK)
Competition Law, Regulation and the Intangible Economy
Constitutional Theory
Copyright and Related Rights, Law of
Corporate Finance
Corporations, Finance and the Environment
Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions
Environmental Lawyering
Foreign Relations Law
Foundations and Principles of International Law
Human Rights at Work
International and Commercial Trusts Law
International and Comparative Secured Transactions
International and European Refugee Law
International and Global Environmental Law
International Arbitration
International Commercial Litigation
International Criminal Law
International Human Rights Law
International Trade Law
Jurisprudence & Legal Theory
Jurisprudence & Legal Theory A
Law and Policy of Climate Change
Law and Policy of International Trade and the Environment
Law of Patents
Law, Economics and Society: The Foundations of Capitalism
Legal Aspects of International Finance
Liquidation and its Consequences
Marine Insurance Law
Principles of Civil Justice
Privacy, Data and Surveillance Law
Regulation of Financial Markets
The Law and Regulation of Banks and FinTech Services
The Rule of Law in the European Union
Trade Marks and Unfair Competition in the UK, Europe and the United States

Current schedule of modules for 2024/25

The current schedule of modules for 2024/25 can be seen here.

Career Prospects

Upon completion of this programme, many students go on to pursue a PhD. This could be in the field of legal history, but also in other fields where developing alternative perspectives is useful.