Postgraduate Diploma in Law
A sound understanding of law is critical in a number of areas, including business, finance, human resources, insurance and in public service. The Postgraduate Diploma in Law is ideal for graduates in any discipline who are considering a career in or involving law.
This one-year full-time programme (or two year part-time) will be of particular interest to those preparing for the Law Society of Ireland entrance examinations as well as students seeking a career in areas other than law that require a sound understanding of legal principles.
Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma are eligible to apply for the Master of Arts in Law, subject to satisfactory results. Students on the MA in Law receive individual supervision on a sustained research project as they further develop specialised, marketable skills.
Programme Description
The Postgraduate Diploma in Law provides an alternative path into a career in law. It also should interest those considering careers outside law, in which law plays an important part. This programme aims to provide an integrated education in the practice and theory of law, supported by lectures, course work and research projects.
The academic foundation in law gained by a successful student should be sufficient to permit him or her to proceed onto the further professional training necessary to become a solicitor. A graduate will acquire a critical understanding of and approach to the diversity of legal issues in contemporary Irish society - skills useful to a career in law, and transferable to employment in business and in the public and civil service.
Programme Outline
The Postgraduate Diploma in Law is a one-year whole time or two year part-time academic programme. This programme comprises a compulsory Core Legal Skills module and a choice of core and advanced subjects of law. In order to obtain the Postgraduate Diploma a student must successfully complete the Core Legal Skills course (2 hours per week in semester 1 only) and successfully complete the required examination and assessments in any five of the following subject choices:
- Company Law*
- Constitutional Law*
- Contract Law *
- Criminal Law *
- Equity *
- European Union Law*
- Property (Land) Law*
- Torts*
Students are also welcome select from the following evening modules:
- Administrative Law
- Competition Law
- Criminology
- Employment Law
- Evidence
- Environmental & Planning Law
- Family Law
- Human Rights Law
- Jurisprudence
- Immigration and Refugee Law
- Intellectual Property and Media Law
* = examinable as part of the entrance exams to the Law Society, Blackhall Place
Students may audit (attend) as many modules as they wish. DIT reserves the right not to offer all modules in all years.
All students must complete the Core Legal Skills module even if a student has previously completed a similar course or module. This module aims to provide students with a sufficient foundation for the subsequent study of substantive legal topics. In this introductory module, an emphasis is placed on practical skills such as accessing and analysing legal material.
Class Contact
Instruction is provided through a combination of lectures and coursework; students are expected to complement timetabled hours with private study and self-learning. Assessment will consist of a combination of unseen and seen written examination questions, as well as project work in the nature of research problems, coursework and essays.
Classes run from September 2013 until the end of April 2014, with breaks at Christmas and Easter. Exams are normally held in May. Ordinarily, classes are held Monday through Thursday. There are two hours of lectures every week in each individual subject. While students are welcome to attend all lectures, we ask that students examine in Core Legal Skills and any five of the available subjects, giving a total minimum class contact of 12 hours of lectures per week.
FE-1 (Law Society) Examinations
Some students take the Postgraduate Diploma course in preparation for the Law Society of Ireland (Blackhall Place) FE-1 Entrance exams. Questions about admission to the Law Society of Ireland should be directed to:
The Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7
Phone: (01)-6724802. www.lawsociety.ie
The modules offered at DIT are broadly similar in content to the Blackhall Place syllabi. The syllabi for DIT courses cover most, if not all, topics on the Blackhall Place syllabi. The syllabi for Blackhall Place FE-1 exams and other information on how to become a solicitor is available on the Law Society website noted above.
Students regularly seek advice on these exams. While some students take half of the FE-1 exams during their studies at DIT (usually in April) we recommend that students complete their studies at DIT before attempting any of the Law Society exams.
Career Opportunities
Many graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Law have proceeded to take the entrance examinations for the Law Society of Ireland. Recent graduates have found employment principally in private law firms throughout Ireland. Some have entered employment in government, and in financial services.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Law is ideal for graduates in any discipline considering a career in or involving law. It will be of particular interest to those preparing for the Law Society of Ireland entrance examinations as well as students seeking a career in areas other than law that require a sound understanding of legal principles.
Eligibility
Applicants ordinarily must have a minimum of a 2.2 honours Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
Candidates who do not possess the minimum entry requirement may be admitted in exceptional circumstances, on the making of a case for exceptional entry. Candidates seeking to make a case for exceptional entry should include two references with their application, at least one of which should be from an academic who is familiar with their work.
Canvassing by or on behalf of students is discouraged. All applicants are considered purely on merit, by reference to academic results and other information supplied on the application form.
Location
The course is currently located at DIT, Aungier Street.
How to apply
Applications should be made on-line [click here].
Deadline is 1st August 2013
Fee
The fee for 2013-14 has not yet been set. As guidance, the fee for 2012-13 is €5,600 for full-time EU students (including Student Service Charge) and €1,935 for part-time students (also inclusive of Student Service Charge). These fees are subject to change in 2013-14 and in subsequent years. The fee for non-EU students is considerably higher (please check with the International Students’ Office). All fees are subject to change in respect of 2010-11 and future years.
Closing Date
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 29th April 2013. While we encourage students to apply as early as possible, late applications will be considered if vacancies remain after timely applications have been processed.
Offers will be made on a rolling basis.
Award
Graduates of the course are eligible for the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Law of the Dublin Institute of Technology (NQAI Level 9).
Further details
Department of Law Administrator:
tel.: 01-402 7181
e: emma.linnane@dit.ie
Last date modified: 09 May 2013 - DISCLAIMER / PRIVACY STATEMENT / Dublin web design
