GDIPL Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Graduate Diploma
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- September 2025
Why you should choose us
Course Overview
Our Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies is an intensive one-year course for non-law graduates.
Housed in our historic Earlham Hall, UEA Law School provides you with an engaging, and student-focused learning environment, where our dedicated lecturers bring expertise in various legal fields, ensuring a rich and diverse educational experience. You will be welcomed into a collegiate community and will be part of a vibrant student body with an active law society.
During the year, you will study the foundation subjects and complete a research project. You will receive guidance and constructive feedback to help you to improve your work and develop important skills, such as research, writing, and constructing reasoned arguments.
You will also have many opportunities to build your practical skills, confidence, and enhance your professional CV through the School’s unique employability programme and extra-curricular activities such as mooting (“mock trials”), negotiation, client interviewing, and mediation.
Through this degree, you will acquire the skills and confidence you need to excel within or beyond the legal profession. Our careers events with law firms, barrister chambers, and alumni create great opportunities to network and discover your many options after graduation. You can also make a difference in the local community by volunteering with our award-winning UEA Law Clinic.
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Study and Modules
Structure
The course commences with an induction programme, which will introduce you to legal skills and to the English Legal System.
Across the year, you will study the foundation subjects. Each of these will be covered in semester-long modules, taught in either autumn or spring.
You will also write a research project on a topic of your choosing, completed under the supervision of a member of faculty. Your topic, subject to the availability of supervision, can cover any area of law beyond those taught in the foundation subjects.
Past projects have been drawn from a range of subject areas, including medical law, human rights law, commercial law, international law, family law, media law, and sports law.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. Lectures provide overviews of key legal issues while seminars allow further focused study in small groups. The rest of your working hours will be spent developing your understanding and skills through independent study.
You will have an Academic Adviser to make sure you get the most from your studies and to help you reach your full potential.
In addition, our Learning Enhancement team, based in the Student Services department, are on hand to help in various areas of study, including writing and research skills.
If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, please talk to our Student Services department about how they can help.
Assessment
You will be assessed predominately by examination. You will also have the opportunity to submit non-assessed assignments during the year to practice your writing skills and to receive feedback.
Employability
After the Course
A Law degree will enable you to develop a strong set of in demand transferable skills that can be applied to a wide variety of law and non-law related professions
Careers
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
- Legal Practice (solicitor, barrister, paralegal)
- Other law related careers (NGOs, international organisations, in-house compliance, legal researchers, police)
- Public Sector (Civil Service Fast Stream, local government, politics, education)
- Financial Services (tax, banking, insurance, investment, accountancy)
- Management and human resources (typically through graduate recruitment schemes)
- Media / journalism
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Any subject except Law (if a UK degree). Law studied overseas is OK.
- Additional Entry Requirements
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) specifies eligibility requirements for the GDL. All applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet these eligibility requirements and are advised to consult the website prior to applying:
Bar Standards Board- https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk
Applicants who have studied in the UK/Republic of Ireland should normally hold a good first degree in any subject, excluding Law. Applicants who have studied outside of the UK should have the equivalent of a good first degree in any subject.
Please note that all students must attend the induction programme.
Special entry requirements
We welcome applications from students with non-standard degrees (i.e. a degree that is awarded without classification) or overseas degree holders of a standard equivalent to a 2:2. Such applicants must, however, note the following -
Applicants in this category wishing to qualify as a barrister
Any applicant who has a degree other than a UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate degree at 2:2 level or above and who wishes to qualify as a barrister will need to apply to the BSB for a Certificate of Academic Standing. This includes applicants with overseas undergraduate degrees and applicants with non-standard UK / Republic of Ireland Degrees. Details of the process are available on the BSB website. Although we do not make admission to the GDL conditional upon having a Certificate of Academic Standing, it is important to note that such candidates will not be able to use the GDL as a step towards qualifying for the Bar unless prior to admission to the GDL they have obtained the Certificate of Academic Standing from the BSB. It is their own responsibility to do this. Admission to the GDL does not imply either that the BSB's requirements as regards a Certificate of Academic Standing are met or that successful completion of the course will count towards qualification as a barrister if the student in question has not obtained a Certificate of Academic Standing as outlined above.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Any subject except Law (if a UK degree).
- Additional Entry Requirements
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) specifies eligibility requirements for the GDL. All applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet these eligibility requirements and are advised to consult the website prior to applying:
Bar Standards Board- https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk
Applicants who have studied in the UK/Republic of Ireland should normally hold a good first degree in any subject, excluding Law. Applicants who have studied outside of the UK should have the equivalent of a good first degree in any subject.
Please note that all students must attend the induction programme.
Special entry requirements
We welcome applications from students with non-standard degrees (i.e. a degree that is awarded without classification) or overseas degree holders of a standard equivalent to a 2:2. Such applicants must, however, note the following -
Applicants in this category wishing to qualify as a barrister
Any applicant who has a degree other than a UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate degree at 2:2 level or above and who wishes to qualify as a barrister will need to apply to the BSB for a Certificate of Academic Standing. This includes applicants with overseas undergraduate degrees and applicants with non-standard UK / Republic of Ireland Degrees. Details of the process are available on the BSB website. Although we do not make admission to the GDL conditional upon having a Certificate of Academic Standing, it is important to note that such candidates will not be able to use the GDL as a step towards qualifying for the Bar unless prior to admission to the GDL they have obtained the Certificate of Academic Standing from the BSB. It is their own responsibility to do this. Admission to the GDL does not imply either that the BSB's requirements as regards a Certificate of Academic Standing are met or that successful completion of the course will count towards qualification as a barrister if the student in question has not obtained a Certificate of Academic Standing as outlined above.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in Reading/Writing and 5.5 in Listening/Speaking).
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2025/26 are:
-
UK Students: £10,425
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International Students: £22,700
We estimate living expenses at £1,136 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
Applications for the Diploma are made through the centralised Central Applications Board.
Tel: +44(0)1483 451080.
Applicants who need to apply for a visa to study in the UK are advised that the process can take up to two months in some countries. Please make sure that applications are submitted to study in good time to obtain a visa.
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances with the Admissions Office prior to applying please do contact us: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.