To become a solicitor you have to pass the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examinations (SQE). These are Examinations administered by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority which cover material you would have covered in your core modules (foundational legal subjects such as tort, contract, public etc…) as well as material you have not covered (functional legal knowledge subjects such as criminal litigation, wills and business law) which you will need to somehow learn before taking the exams.
There are many ways of doing this. You could, as many do, take an additional LLM in Solicitors’ Practice. Kent Law School also now offers an LLM in Solicitors’ Practice (Insert link to course). However, like all postgraduate courses of study, this can present challenges in terms of funding and cost.
As a current KLS student, you can convert your LLB into an integrated Masters of Law (MLaw) qualification, where instead of graduating with an LLB you will graduate with an MLaw. This qualification will enhance your understanding of the foundations of legal knowledge; and in Stage 4, by blending traditional vocational legal training with an intellectually rigorous and engaging interrogation of legal practice, it will equip you for the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE) route and a wide range of careers including in central and local government, with regulatory authorities, in legal innovation, the non-profit sector or academia.
By transferring to our MLaw Integrated Solicitors’ Practice Course, many of you will have the advantage of using your undergraduate funding to prepare to become a solicitor or other professional. A legal practice course at other institutions can cost as much as £20,000 and cannot be funded with undergraduate funding. As such, you may have to repay any loan at a higher interest rate.
Joshua Hayes, MLaw student
For your upcoming Stage 4, you will choose modules in the normal way. The only difference is that you must choose LAWS5180 (Law of Evidence) as one of your optional modules as this is a pre-requisite for transferring onto the MLaw.
If you are on a single or qualifying joint honours LLB programme, you can transfer to the integrated Masters, making your final award an MLaw rather than an LLB. You must attain an overall Stage average of 57%* in Stage 2 and you must pass Stage 3.
You must also pass all foundations of legal knowledge modules (by at least 40% in each). The Law School will accept instances where one of the foundation subjects has been condoned (when credits are given though the module failed) because of exceptional circumstances. (If you are ‘trailing’ a foundational module from stage 2 into stage 3, then you should still apply if you fulfil the other conditions as we will be able to agree to your transfer ‘conditionally’).
Students who wish to qualify outside of England and Wales should contact the law society or bar council in the jurisdiction in which they intend to practice, to determine the professional compatibility/recognition of the MLaw, beyond its value as a Master’s degree.
Most students who transfer onto the MLaw do so in the year before they would then do the MLaw. If you are in your (current) final year, but would like to transfer to the MLaw, then you need to complete a course transfer form by the last working day in the February of your current final year ( EG, if you are a stage 3 student in academic year 24/25 and wish to stay on to do the MLaw in academic year 25/26, then your deadline is Friday 28th February 2025.
Stage 4 tuition fees for home students are £9,250. As this is an integrated Master's, it means your undergraduate loan can be extended from three years to four and used to pay for your Master' s qualification and SQE Part 1 preparation, though the above fee does not include the cost of sitting the SQE itself - see the Solicitors Regulation Authority website for the latest SQE fees. You should check with the student loan company to make sure that your funding will be extended (especially if you have previously repeated years of study).
If you are a Stage 1 or Stage 2 student, you may transfer to the MLaw at any time. Be aware though, that you will still need to meet the criteria above to progress into the MLaw year (if you do not then you will exit with your original award).
Compulsory modules in your MLaw year currently include the following:
You will be exposed to a combination of lectures and workshops delivered by a teaching team with experience of legal practice. There will be pre-recorded material including a 'talking head' series where practitioners provide exclusive insights into how the law that you learn is applied in practice.
Through diverse and timely assessments tailored to each course level, we aim to support the development and demonstration of legal knowledge, critical approaches, and both general and legal skills. Our progressive assessment approach builds and connects knowledge, providing constructive and timely feedback to enhance student learning throughout the course.
Law LLB
Law and Politics
Law and Criminology
Law and Management
For more information about Kent Law School and the Advanced Legal Practice programme please use the contacts below.
* If your average is between 55-57% and you have mitigations, you can still apply and may be granted a conditional transfer offer. Indicate the reasons for your performance in section 3 of the Form. This will be considered by the Director of the Solicitors’ Practice Courses.
