Course overview

'These are very exciting times to be considering a career in corporate governance. The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings prepared by the Office for National Statistics suggests that salaries in corporate governance compare very favourably with other professions in law and business. Market reports suggest that recruitment in the sector has remained strong as excellence in corporate governance is seen as central to success in the current economic climate. In the last few years I have seen many of our LLM graduates take up traineeships in a range of leading companies. I would be delighted to talk to anyone who wants to know more about where the LLM Corporate Governance and Law/GRAD ICSA can take them.'
Charles Barker BA MA Barrister, Director of Postgraduate Law Programmes

This course is designed to give graduates a thorough grounding in corporate governance, vital legal regulation governing commerce and finance. It is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) and will be of particular interest to those wanting a professional qualification and career as a Chartered Secretary.

Chartered Secretaries are a primary source of advice on the conduct of business, from advice on conflicts of interest through to the development of strategy and corporate planning. They are, in effect, an organisation's 'corporate conscience' and as such are highly valued by employers in all sectors. The profession is highly versatile with a variety of well-remunerated roles.

In recent years corporate governance has experienced a considerable growth in popularity and recognition. Good corporate governance is a crucial part of corporate performance and accountability particularly during periods of economic downturn.

The LLM is designed for law and non-law graduates, practising lawyers and business professionals who wish to develop their knowledge and understanding of corporate governance and gain the Grad.ICSA qualification. Graduates will be entitled to use 'LLM' and upon joining ICSA 'Grad.ICSA' after their name. Upon qualification you will be equipped to apply for a variety of roles in both the private and the public sectors.

Find out more

For further information, please contact our Admissions Team (details above). We also hold regular  postgraduate and part-time open evenings at which you can see our facilities, enjoy a guest lecture and meet the academics and current students over drinks and canapés. Applicants will be interested to know that each year Portsmouth Business School offers a number of scholarships for self-funding students.

Course content

You will study 180 credits worth of units, consisting of 120 credits of taught units and a 60-credit dissertation. All of our units (except the dissertation) are taught across the year and are worth 30 credits each.

Full-time study

The full-time course lasts for one year. You will study four taught units between September and May with examinations taking place in May/June. These taught courses will require a maximum of eight hours of class time per week. The remainder of the course will be spent researching and writing the dissertation. The units taught differ slightly depending on whether you are enrolled on the law route or non-law route.

Law route

Those who hold a UK law degree or equivalent will undertake the following compulsory units:

• Corporate Governance: Theory, Law and Practice
• Corporate Secretarial Practice and Strategy
• Financial Reporting, Analysis and Decision-making
• Dissertation

In addition, you can undertake one of the following optional units:

• Community Legal Research Project
• Employment Law (this unit is compulsory if you have not studied Employment Law at undergraduate level)
• Global Corporate Responsibility
• Intellectual Property Law
• ILEX Level 6 (this unit is only available to those who hold a qualifying law degree)
• International Banking Law*
• International Commercial Arbitration*
• International and European Business Law
• International Private law
• Work-based Learning

Non-law route

Those who do not hold a UK law degree or equivalent will be enrolled on the non-law route and will undertake the following units:

• Corporate Governance: Theory, Law and Practice
• Corporate Secretarial Practice and Strategy
• Financial Reporting, Analysis and Decision-making
• Legal Approach to Business
• Dissertation

Please note that  those who undertake the non-law route will not be able to choose an optional unit.

Part-time study

The part-time course lasts for three years. You will study two taught units in each of the first two years, in addition to undertaking a dissertation which is submitted at the end of the third year. These taught courses will require a maximum of four hours of class time per week for the first two years. The units taught differ slightly depending on whether you are enrolled on the law route or non-law route.

Law route

Those who hold a UK law degree or equivalent will undertake the following units:

Year one

• Corporate Governance: Theory, Law and Practice unit
• One optional unit from:
  • Community Legal Research Project
  • Employment Law (this unit is compulsory if the student has not studied Employment Law at undergraduate level)
  • Global Corporate Responsibility
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • ILEX Level 6 (this unit is only available to students who hold a qualifying law degree)
  • International Banking Law*
  • International Commercial Arbitration*
  • International and European Business Law
  • International Private Law
  • Work-based Learning Unit

Year two

• Corporate Secretarial Practice and Strategy
• Financial Reporting, Analysis and Decision-making

Year three

In the final year, you will complete and submit your dissertation.

Non-law route

Those who do not hold a UK law degree or equivalent will be enrolled on the non-law route and will undertake the following units:

Year one

• Corporate Governance: Theory, Law and Practice
• Legal Approach to Business

Year two

• Corporate Secretarial Practice and Strategy
• Financial Reporting, Analysis and Decision-making

Year three

• In the final year, students will complete and submit their dissertation.

*  Please note that the School of Law hopes to offer both International Banking Law and International Commercial Arbitration. However, this will depend upon the number of students that choose each option. For the avoidance of doubt, the School will offer at least one of these two options.

Teaching and assessment

Learning is student-centred and you will be regularly directed to undertake independent study. Participation is an essential element of the Master's programme and much time will be devoted to individual and group problem solving. The taught courses build on the research strengths of the course team, and discussion and debate will be encouraged.

All students are able to select a subject of their own choice to research on which they will then write a dissertation. A supervisor will be appointed to support your dissertation work.

Career prospects

 'The company secretarial sector offers the opportunity for a varied, rewarding and exciting career. The market for trainees has remained strong as companies seek to recruit bright, well-qualified graduates into this vital area of their business.  ICSA accredited courses such as the LLM Corporate Governance and Law/GRAD.ICSA help graduates capitalise on the opportunities currently available.'

Fiona Boxall of Boxall Wallace Wells – specialists in the recruitment of Company Secretarial professionals.

The LLM Corporate Governance and Law/Grad.ICSA is validated by both the University of Portsmouth and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). It combines academic study of law and business with a sought after professional qualification. Graduates of this programme will be entitled to use ‘LLM’ and upon joining ICSA ‘Grad.ICSA’ after their name.

Qualification provides an accelerated route to a senior position in business. Members of ICSA can be found working in a range of senior roles including:

• Company Secretaries
• Chief executives in both the public and private sectors
• Senior positions in the administration of schools and hospitals, including the new commissioning role in the NHS
• Offshore investment trust administrators
• Share registrars

In all of these roles the Chartered Secretary is the primary source of advice on the conduct of business. This may include advice on everything from legal issues facing an organisation, through advising on financial reports, to the development of strategy and corporate planning. Becoming a Chartered Secretary is a passport to arguably the most diverse, challenging and rewarding career among leading business professions.

As well as providing a diverse and interesting career, the financial rewards for Chartered Secretaries is high. You can expect to be in demand across all sectors. Moreover your qualification will have international recognition and provide opportunities for working overseas.

Facilities and features

You will attend lectures in the purpose-built Richmond Building, where an attractive Postgraduate Centre and the rest of the Business School are located. It offers a computer drop-in and resource centre containing a wireless network access area, as well as printing and photocopying facilities.

The University Library is only a short walk away. Open from 8am until midnight every day in term-time, it provides a variety of information to help with study and research. Besides the law collection with key primary sources, journals and texts, there is also a European Documentation Centre and collection of Parliamentary Papers. The library has also heavily invested in the purchase of electronic sources. There are thousands of electronic journals available, which can be accessed across campus, from home or wherever there is an internet connection.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for LLM Corporate Governance and Law / Grad ICSA are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: School of Law
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 8200
Email: pbs.postgradadmissions@port.ac.uk