LLM IN INTERNATIONALCORPORATE AND FINANCIAL LAW

School of Legal Studies

Welcome to the School of Legal Studies

Thank you for your interest in joining the School of Legal Studies at the University of

Wolverhampton.

The School of Legal Studies is one of the largest law schools in the country, and has over

thirty years’ experience of providing relevant, dynamic and forward-thinking legal

education.

Although we are a large law school we pride ourselves on the level of support we offer to

each of our 1,500 students. With access to a personal tutor to offer academic support and

advice, students also benefit from our two dedicated student support staff and the

University’s Student Services Gateway.

As well as being friendly and approachable our staff are committed to delivering the

highest quality of education possible in the most interesting and engaging way.

The University of Wolverhampton is dedicated to making higher education available and

accessible to all and has the highest participation rate among underrepresented groups in

the country.

We hope this brochure will give you a feel for the University, the city and the LLM, but if

you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the School. Further information

about the School can also be found on our website at www.wlv.ac.uk/sls or come to visit

us on an Open Day. Attending an open day will give you the opportunity to really get a feel

for the School and what we have to offer.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Brian Mitchell, Dean

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TechnicalSupport forLegal LearningThe School makes full use of the

University’s web-based Virtual Learning

Environment, WOLF (Wolverhampton

Online Learning Framework) to support its

teaching.

As well as providing an electronic space for

tutors to make available any reference

material, notes, media and documents

related to a subject or module of study,

WOLF offers collaborative tools which

allow group discussions, project work and

multiple-choice tests.

A range of integrated tools is provided to

assist students in managing their study-

related activities, and monitor progress

within the context of the materials being

used. WOLF’s communication tools

increase opportunities for tutor interaction

with individuals, workgroups and the class.

WOLF is available for use both on and off

campus by staff and students.

CoursesOur courses are delivered to the highest

standards. Many of the academic staff are

qualified lawyers and we continue to

update our course profile in consultation

with agencies such as the Law Society,

ensuring you have the relevant skills and

knowledge to succeed in the legal

profession. Our comprehensive portfolio of

courses includes:

Undergraduate:

• LLB (Hons) Law

• BA (Hons) Business Law

• BA (Hons) Criminal Justice

• BA (Hons) Law

• BA (Hons) Social Welfare Law

• FD (Arts) Practice Administration

Postgraduate:

• CPE (LLDip)

• Legal Practice Course

• LLM International Corporate and

Financial Law

• MA Practice Management

Links with theProfessionWe have strong links with the legal

profession and local law firms, including

the Wolverhampton Law Society, Citizens

Advice Bureau and financial regulatory

bodies and our committed and

experienced team of over 50 academic

staff has a wealth of practical legal

knowledge.

ResearchAs well as providing important insights to

inform current legal practice, research

undertaken in the School has a direct and

immediate benefit for our students.

Members of staff incorporate the latest

research findings into their teaching –

ensuring students have access to the latest

thinking in a variety of specialist areas.

The School is active in a number of legal

research areas, mainly Insolvency and

Company Law, Finance Law, Information

Law (including intellectual property and

information technology laws), Maritime and

Trade Law and Domestic Violence.

We have a specialist unit – The Institute of

Finance Law – which covers the legal

aspects of economic crime and

international banking law. Current research

in this area includes the regulation of

international banking conglomerates and

market manipulation.

Our research in Maritime Law is currently

focused upon rights of salvage and cultural

heritage in international waters. Research

into domestic violence led to changes in

the policy, practice and law relating to this

area and research is also active through

the Information Law Research Group.

Researchers in the School have set up

links with international academics, based in

New Zealand, Australia, South Africa,

Canada, the United States, Honk Kong,

Singapore and France.

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The Location• Wolverhampton is in the heart of the UK

– it’s easy to get to and is an ideal base

for exploring the rest of the country

• It’s approximately two hours by train

from London, the capital city, and only

16 miles from Birmingham

• The city is linked to all the major rail and

road networks – it’s just a few miles from

Birmingham International Airport, with

Heathrow and Manchester airports also

easily accessible

• You can travel between our four

campuses on the University’s free shuttle

bus – we are one of only a few

universities in the UK to offer this service

ShoppingA five minute walk from City Campus will

take you into the centre of Wolverhampton

and to the wide range of shopping

opportunities. As well as two large

shopping centres, a department store and

a bustling high street that houses all of the

major retail names, there are also some

great specialist outlets and boutiques to be

found.

Food and drinkThe diversity of the local population is well

represented in the eclectic range of

restaurants that Wolverhampton has to

offer including Chinese, Indian, Greek,

Thai, Spanish, Mexican and Italian, as well

as the usual fast-food outlets.

Wolverhampton has no shortage of evening

entertainment with an exciting range of

bars, pubs and clubs alongside music and

comedy venues that play host to

established as well as up-and-coming acts.

On City Campus in Wolverhampton, the

Students’ Union runs two bars and a

nightclub offering something for everyone.

Popular favourites include pub quizzes,

international evenings, live bands and

comedians. There are also bars and events

at the Walsall and Telford Campuses.

If you live any distance from the campus,

the ‘Safe Shuttle’ minibus service can see

you home safely.

CinemasThe Cineworld complex offers 14 screens

showing the latest releases and Bollywood

screenings with discounts for students

when you show your NUS (National Union

of Students) card.

In Walsall, you’ll find a 10-screen

Showcase cinema and at Telford, a multi-

screen UCI complex both offering special

rates for students. The Lighthouse Cinema

in Wolverhampton shows mainstream

movies, but also offers screenings of rare

and foreign films.

As one of Britain’s newest cities,

Wolverhampton has gone from strength to

strength with massive investment from the

public and private sectors creating an

attractive environment and a wealth of

opportunities for residents.

Combine this with a vibrant mix of

shopping, art, theatre, sport and nightlife

and you can see why Wolverhampton is

emerging as a great affordable place to live

in the 21st century.

Located in the heart of the West Midlands,

Wolverhampton is the gateway between

the historic Black Country and the beautiful

countryside of Shropshire and

Staffordshire.

AroundWolverhamptonAs well as offering all of the usual

amenities you would expect from a vibrant

dynamic modern city, Wolverhampton is

ideally located for exploring the West

Midlands region.

Whether you prefer vibrant cities,

character-packed market towns or sleepy

villages, the West Midlands has it all. The

area is rich with captivating natural beauty

from the idyllic Shropshire countryside,

Cannock Chase or the Malvern Hills to the

rugged appeal of the Peak District.

There is also a wealth of historic buildings,

stately homes and magnificent cathedrals

not to mention the historic Warwick Castle

and the fun-packed Alton Towers.

5 Reasons to

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TheatresWolverhampton is home to the University’s

own Arena Theatre. This intimate and

atmospheric venue hosts plays and dance

exhibitions from local and national

companies, as well as work by our own

Dance and Drama students.

Also in the centre of the City is the Grand

Theatre. This majestic venue is regularly

pencilled into the touring schedule of some

of the UK’s most lavish stage shows. It’s

the place to go for opera, ballet and

national touring productions, concerts as

well as the annual pantomime.

ArtThe recently renovated Wolverhampton Art

Gallery features a series of displays and

exhibitions including Georgian and

Victorian paintings and local archive

material as well as an extensive Pop Art

collection.

The New Art Gallery is one of Walsall’s

many startling surprises. It regularly hosts

international exhibitions and has the

Garman Ryan collection on permanent

display with works by Picasso and Van

Gogh.

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls/

SportThere are sports facilities on all our

campuses, including fitness classes, and

the new £7m Walsall Sports Centre is a

world class National Judo Centre of

Excellence. Public facilities in the region

include swimming and brine baths as well

as golf clubs.

As for spectator sports, you can watch

football at the Molineux, Bescot Stadium or

The Hawthorns, horseracing at Dunstall

Park, speedway and dog racing at

Monmore Green, the list is as long as the

Wolverhampton Marathon.

A short train journey to Birmingham gives

you the National Indoor Arena - a regular

World Championship venue, Edgbaston

Cricket Ground, Alexander Stadium, and

the impressive homes of Aston Villa and

Birmingham City FC.

MusicWolverhampton has a fantastic music

scene, with the main venues just 200 yards

from the University. Almost every big name

on the gig circuit regularly checks in at The

Civic and Wulfrun Halls and new music is

catered for at the Varsity and Little Civic.

Nearby Weston Park is home to the annual

V Festival, one of the biggest and most

popular music festivals on the calendar,

and Shugborough Hall is an atmospheric

outdoor venue for classical music.

At City Campus, the Students’ Union

regularly stages a wide variety of music

events from live bands to jam sessions to

the more traditional choirs, orchestras and

brass bands.

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LLM inInternationalCorporate andFinancial LawThe LLM is a highly-regarded postgraduate

specialist qualification that combines a

practical view of legal issues raised with an

academic consideration of the matters

stemming from a range of internationally-

related subjects.

This unique course will provide you with an

international view of corporate and

financial activity that will facilitate your

development of the skills necessary to

succeed in the global commercial world

and is designed for those engaged in, or

planning to work in:

• investment banking or international

banking

• international accountancy practices

• larger law firms

• corporate audit departments in larger

firms

• international business

• academia.

The course attracts students from a wide

variety of backgrounds with different

experiences. The full-time and flexible part-

time options mean that it is relevant for

those already in work, those starting out in

their careers or as a means of gaining

further academic knowledge before

entering into a training contract.

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls/

1 Student support

The School of Legal Studies offers a

friendly and supportive environment to

all its students. Each student is assigned

a Personal Tutor to offer academic

support and advice. Within the School of

Legal Studies we also have two

dedicated Student Support staff that are

available to help students with problems

ranging from choosing the correct

programme of study to understanding

how the grades work. The School’s

Placement Officer offers careers advice

and placement support and the

University’s Student Services Gateway is

also available to all students for advice

on a wide range of issues.

2 Quality teaching

As well as strong links with the legal

profession and local law firms, our

committed and experienced lecturers

have a wealth of legal knowledge with

particular expertise in corporate law,

finance law, insolvency law, criminal

justice and maritime law.

3 Employability

At the School of Legal Studies we are

committed to helping students to

enhance their employability. We offer a

range of work-based placement modules

that are coordinated by our dedicated

Placement Officer. These placements are

invaluable when it comes to securing a

training contract and enhancing your

future employability.

4 Good facilities

With continuous campus investment our

facilities are constantly improving and

expanding. In 2007 the University of

Wolverhampton will open a new purpose

built building which will include lecture

theatres, social learning spaces and

seminar rooms. The LPC course is

housed in purpose built accommodation

at the Centre for Professional Legal

Studies at Wolverhampton Science Park.

5 Warm and friendly

At the University of Wolverhampton you

benefit from all the facilities and activities

you would expect from a large university,

but also the warm and friendly feel by

being one of around 1500 students who

are studying at the School of Legal

Studies.

choose the School of Legal Studies

7www.wlv.ac.uk/sls/

Jean Alain Matipe Penda,

LLM International Corporate and

Financial Law student

“The choice to come to United Kingdom and

to the University of Wolverhampton in

particular was a tough one for me. I had

been accepted to three other UK university

LLM programs and all of them were good

universities but the University of

Wolverhampton’s reputation for excellence

convinced me to come.

The quality of education is high; lecturers

ensure and give reasonable care to all

students in order to improve their ability,

skill and professionalism in their particular

field of law. Also the dynamic, flexible

curriculum appeals to a range of interests.

The School of Legal Studies has a high

standard of technology-supported learning

in the law library – which leads to a high

quality of education.

The University of Wolverhampton is a very

cosmopolitan university from staff to

student. I did not need to make any effort to

make friends the students and

administrators are all welcoming people.

When I graduate I hope to get a job in an

international financial institution or

organisation within the UK.”

What our students say

Typical modules may include:

Two-dayinduction course

Full-time route

Part-time route

1. Commercial Awareness2. Financial Services Law

and Financial Crime3. International Banking

Law4. Research Methods

5. International CorporateFinance

6. International CorporateGovernance

Plus two modules selected from:a. International Corporate

Liquidationb. Risk Managementc. Dispute Resolution and

Conflict Managementd. Directors’ Liabilities

Dissertation (tailored toyour personal developmentneeds and future careerfocus)

Typicalstudyperiod1 year

Typicalstudyperiod

2-3 years

Postgraduate Certificate Stage

Postgraduate Diploma Stage

LLM Stage

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Professional DevelopmentThe School of Legal Studies actively encourages professional development for those

already in the legal professions and provides the option to take any of the modules out of

the LLM International Corporate and Financial Law course on a stand-alone basis.

Neera Bhatia, School of Legal Studies Graduate

“I studied for both my undergraduate and postgraduate degree at

Wolverhampton as it was close to home.

I was fortunate enough to get a job at the University shortly after

completing my studies. I am now working as a caseworker at the

West Midlands Discrimination Advisory Service, a partnership

between the University and Race Equality West Midlands. The

service seeks to advise and represent individuals within the West

Midlands who believe they have been racially discriminated

against.

Both studying and now working at the University is great. It has

been an invaluable introduction to the working world and no

doubt will help me significantly with future career prospects.”

CareersThis course is well suited to those who are

seeking career progression, as well as

those planning a career in investment

banking, international accountancy,

commerce, the financial services industry

and for those who wish to continue in

academic study.

Whilst you are studying on the course there

is plenty of specialist careers advice

available to you including careers talks, CV

clinics, assertiveness courses and study

skills courses.

Many of our LPC students go on to study

for the LLM before applying for training

contracts.

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls/ 9

What is ELSA?ELSA is an international, independent, non-political, non-profit-making organisation run

by and for students. ELSA is a growing network of close to 300,000 students and

recent graduates from more than 200 universities in 35 countries across Europe. ELSA

operates primarily through its local groups.

ELSA Wolverhampton was founded in 2005 at the School of Legal Studies, University

of Wolverhampton. The association organises study visits to other ELSA groups in the

UK and in Europe, as well as a range of social events. ELSA has also organised

conferences and talks on issues of interest to their members.

“ELSA is an excellent organisation to be a part of,” explains Kirandeep Johal, President

of ELSA Wolverhampton. “The benefits are immeasurable, by participating in ELSA

students are able to acquire a broader knowledge of the European Legal System as well as

an increased insight into other cultures.”

ELSA offers three key areas of activities for its members: academic activities, seminar

and conferences, and the student trainee exchange programme (STEP).

International At the School of Legal Studies our vast

experience of welcoming students from all

over the world places us in the ideal

position to help you with your transition to

university life in the UK. Our culturally

diverse academic community provides a

supportive and inclusive learning

environment that is sensitive to the

requirements of international students.

As well as the wide range of support,

societies and activities that are available to

all University of Wolverhampton students,

the School of Legal Studies also has its

own European Law Students’ Association

(ELSA) group.

In and Around Campus

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The School is based at City Campus

right in the centre of Wolverhampton.

The railway station is less than a ten-

minute walk away and the campus is

serviced by a regular and convenient

bus service. We also operate a free

University shuttle bus service for

students between each of our

campuses and campus towns.

One of the main benefits of the central location of City

Campus is that everything you would expect or need is

a ten-minute walk away.

As part of our investment in your future, a multi million

pound investment programme has created a learning

environment that gives students access to the latest

technology, in state-of-the-art surroundings.

The Harrison Learning Centre is a rich

source of electronic, online, hard copy,

and audio-visual material. As well as

providing a well-equipped studying

environment the Centre also houses the

law library. The Learning Centre also

allows students access to a number of

legal databases enabling you to search for

UK legislation, case law, law reports and

journals as well as EU and international

law material.

Our impressive Millennium City

Building has a 300-seat lecture theatre,

exhibition gallery, food court, and

social learning space.

The spectacular new Technology

Centre is a highly advanced centre for

teaching, studying, research and

business consultancy.

Teaching andAssessmentWe use a variety of teaching methods

including traditional lectures, interactive

sessions, workshops and presentations.

Most modules will be fully supported by a

range of electronic resources available on

WOLF, the University’s own Online

Learning Framework.

Assessment is varied, including case study

analysis, research-focused assignments,

preparation of reports, simulated

presentation to a corporate board and

formal examinations.

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FeesPlease contact the Admissions team for

details of the current fees. See over the

page for contact details.

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls/

Useful Linkswww.llm.hobsons.com

www.prospects.ac.uk (see Law

under Communities)

www.llm-guide.com

EntryRequirementsNormally, you should have an Honours

degree or equivalent in Law or a related

subject with a high law content.

We will also accept a professional

qualification deemed to be equivalent to an

appropriate Honours degree.

Other qualifications or experience which

demonstrate appropriate legal or related

knowledge will also be considered.

You should also have a good standard of

written and spoken English (IELTS 6.0 or

equivalent).

Finding OutMoreIf you would like more information about

the School of Legal Studies please contact

us:

School of Legal Studies

University of Wolverhampton

City Campus - North

Molineux Street

Wolverhampton WV1 1SB

Tel: 01902 321515

Fax: 01902 322696

E-mail: sls-enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

If you would like more information about

the course, fees, or to enroll, please

contact admissions:

Tel: 01902 321633

Fax: 01902 323569

E-mail: sls-enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Further information is also available on the

University of Wolverhampton website,

www.wlv.ac.uk/sls

Open DaysOpen Days are held throughout the year for anyone who might be interested in applying to

the School of Legal Studies. We encourage you to bring your parents, partners or friends

to share the day with you. Attending an open day will give you the opportunity to really get

a feel for the School and what we have to offer.

Here are a few more reasons:

• You get to tour the School and view our facilities

• Get an overview of what our courses are about

• Experience first hand where you could be studying

• Get advice on financial matters and learning support

• Meet staff to discuss all aspects of the course and study

• View accommodation

If you would like to attend an Open Day please complete the online Open Day form or

contact the SLS Admissions team on:

Tel: 01902 321633

E-mail: sls-enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Location Map

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