Legal Practice (SQE)

Our LLM in Legal Practice (SQE) is designed to support students through preparing to sit their external SQE qualifications. Alongside this, we aim to develop your commercial awareness through multi-faceted client scenarios so you can gain valuable skills ready to excel in contemporary professional practice.

You will learn in a supportive, flexible blended environment using an innovative mix of online lectures and activities, face-to-face workshops and independent study. Your face-to-face learning will be led by skilled practitioners and legal experts in the relevant areas of legal practice who bring their industry experience into the classroom to provide real-world insight into the topics you study. Your in-person learning will reinforce, contextualise and develop the knowledge and skills gained from your online activities to prepare you for the commercial realities of professional practice. 

Prepare for your future career

A consideration of the ethical realities of commercial practice is also built into the learning to provide context of its place in society. These will be analysed in the context of both professional legal practice and in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through the integration of responsible practice, ensuring the integration of ethics, responsibility and sustainability in our teaching we aim to create responsible and aware practitioners. We aim to help you develop a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose from the outset, enabling you to take ownership of your own learning in a supportive environment. 

An inclusive approach to learning

You will develop the skills and ability to evaluate the legal knowledge you gain through engagement with on-demand lectures and activities provided online by BARBRI, a leading provider of online professional legal education with extensive expertise in SQE 1 style exams. 

Preparing you for your SQE exams

The SQE assessments themselves are separate to the LLM in Legal Practice (SQE) studied at the University of Derby and are run by an independent external provider. The cost of these assessments is not included in your tuition fees. To find out more SQE exam costs, please visit the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Your learning will be split into three stages throughout the course. In stage one your studies will encompass all elements of the Functioning Legal Knowledge (‘FLK’) 1 and 2 to achieve readiness to sit the external exams for SQE 1.  

In the second stage of the course, you will cover the legal and professional skills necessary to succeed in the external SQE 2 assessments and practice at the level required of a competent newly qualified solicitor. These stages have been designed to try and align where possible to the SQE 1 and SQE 2 assessment dates.

The third stage of the course is the Independent Study element for the LLM in Legal Practice (SQE). This is the research part of the Master's degree, where you will have the opportunity to research in a specialist area of law and advanced areas of legal practice.

Throughout the three stages, you will learn through a combination of methods such as:

• online lectures and activities provided by BARBRI 
• face to face teaching to contextualise your online learning 
• one on one formative opportunities 
• workshops.

You will be assessed through methods such as:

• oral and written activities 
• simulated client case studies 
• an ongoing Learning Development Record 
• oral and written reflection on your learning 
• written assessment such as legal drafting 
• independent research.

Academic support

You’ll benefit from our academic staff in their role as learning coaches throughout your studies. Our teaching team offer programme specific support, recognising that students learn and develop their skills in different ways and some may benefit from further one to one or small group support. 
Learning coaches will offer appointments for students to book onto in which you can:

• discuss and reflect on their progress towards their readiness to sit SQE 1 and 2 in one-to-one environment 
• discuss how to improve and develop that progress in one-to-one environment 
• discuss issues of knowledge and understanding and ways of moving their understanding forward in
• one-to-one environment 
• join small group sessions with further opportunity for subject guidance.

This will be in addition to the University of Derby’s Personal Academic Tutor system which provides the opportunity for you to meet with your designated academic member of staff to discuss your academic progress, your University experience and your professional aspirations. 
 

This programme provides a supportive and engaging practice orientated learning environment, going beyond the SQE and enabling you to develop the competencies and commercial awareness along with professional, evaluative and legal skills required in the practice of law. The Programme is structured to enable you to develop those skills in a pervasive and scaffolded way, enabling you to develop the self-efficacy and resilience required to succeed in your studies and in your legal careers.

Our programme benefits from strong links with the local Law Society and local legal profession, many of whom have been consulted in the development of our LLM SQE. We aim to ensure that the skills you develop on the course are transferrable, improve your career prospects and competitive edge alongside nurturing your personal responsibility and professional development. 

Admission to the LLM in Legal Practice (SQE) is open to those who are holders of an undergraduate degree in any subject area at 2:2 or above.

Students wishing to obtain a Master’s qualification without completing all three stages of the LLM in Legal Practice (SQE) will need to evidence suitable recognised prior learning (‘RPL’) as assessed by the Programme Leader. This will be reviewed on an individual basis, where RPL requests will be mapped to learning outcomes, and considered on the basis of demonstration and evidence.

Applicants whose first language is not English will need to evidence proficiency in English (IELTS 7.0 with 6.5 in each skills area).

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Other courses you might like

• LLM (including specialist pathways)

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.