LLM
Corporate Governance and Law/Grad ICSA
Chartered Secretaries act as an organisation's 'corporate conscience'
Course Overview
Why take this course?
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.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Choose to take this course in full-time or part-time mode – whichever suits you best
- Tap in to our Library’s vast selection of electronic resources, which can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection
- Benefit from an accelerated route to a senior position in business once this course is completed
What opportunities might it lead to?
This course is designed to give you 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 if you want a professional qualification and career as a Chartered Secretary.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- 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
I chose the LLM Corporate Governance and Law/GRAD ICSA course because it seemed like the perfect way to enter into a professional career.
Teresa Holmes, LLM Corporate Governance and Law/Grad ICSA student
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1 year full time, 3 years part time
- Entry
A second class honours degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications.
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in all individual components, or equivalent.- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £5,000, part-time students: £1,670 p/a* (3 years)
International full-time students: £11,000, part-time students: £3,670 p/a* (3 years)
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- pbs.postgradadmissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 8200 - Department
- School of Law
Structure & Teaching
The full-time mode of this course lasts for one year and you will follow one of the following routes:
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
Optional units include:
- Employment Law (this unit is compulsory if you have not studied Employment Law at undergraduate level)
- 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*
- 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.
The part-time mode of this course lasts three years and you will follow one of the following routes:
Law Route
Those who hold a UK law degree or equivalent will undertake the following units:
Year One
You will undertake the following compulsory unit:
- Corporate Governance: Theory, Law and Practice
Optional units include:
- Community Legal Research Project
- Employment Law (this unit is compulsory if the student has not studied Employment Law at undergraduate level)
- ILEX Level 6 (this unit is only available to students who hold a qualifying law degree)
- International Banking Law*
- International Commercial Arbitration*
- Work-based Learning Unit
Year Two
You will undertake the following compulsory units:
- 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
You will undertake the following compulsory units:
- Corporate Governance: Theory, Law and Practice
- Legal Approach to Business
Year Two
You will undertake the following compulsory units:
- Corporate Secretarial Practice and Strategy
- Financial Reporting, Analysis and Decision-making
Year Three
In the final year, students will complete and submit their dissertation.
Teaching and Assessment
You will be expected to attend eight hours of class time per week if you are on the full-time course whereas for the part-time course you attend approximately four hours per week. You will be encouraged to undertake independent study with time also devoted to group problem solving, discussion and debate.
How are you assessed?
The majority of the units will be assessed via exams, however much of your time will also be spend researching and writing your dissertation which concentrates on a topic of your choice.
Facilities & Features
Flexible Learning
Benefit from web, email or phone access to many of our facilities and services
Mentoring
Our mentoring programme links you with legal professionals
Computing
Great working spaces with high-spec PCs, Macs and printing facilities
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books
Flexible Learning
Depending on your mode of study, you may not always be campus based. However, you will still benefit from web, email or phone access to many of our facilities and services. Our student website, LookUP, will be your one-stop shop for all news, information and links to other services, and 24/7 online access to the University Library’s vast electronic book, journal and database collections will help you find the right resources for your research.
Mentoring
We pride ourselves on the good reputation we have in the area. Maintaining good links with the Court Service in Portsmouth allows us to facilitate court visits, marshalling and even work experience. Our mentoring programme also brings in members of the legal profession who work in local solicitors’ firms, for the government and in a variety of other contexts and links them with you.
Computing
We have invested heavily in open access computer suites across campus. Great working spaces with high-spec PCs (multimedia and CAD), Macs and printing facilities. There is also more specialised software and equipment available such as large format printing, audio-visual equipment and language laboratories. Should you need any assistance, there are specialist technicians on hand to support you in using the facilities.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
Chartered Secretaries are a primary source of advice on the conduct of business, from advice on legal issues through to the development of strategy and corporate planning. They are, in effect, an organisation's 'corporate conscience' and are highly valued by employers in all sectors. The profession is highly versatile with a variety of well-remunerated roles.
Once you graduate from this course and upon joining ICSA, which will require you to pay a fee, you will be entitled to use 'LLM' and 'GradICSA' after your name. You’ll be qualified as a Chartered Secretary and fully equipped to apply for a variety of roles in both the private and the public sectors. 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.
Career planning
One of the benefits of studying at Portsmouth is the support that we provide to our Master's and Research Degrees students in career planning. Our careers and recruitment service – Purple Door – can assist you in career research and finding employment opportunities. Help is also available if you wish to find a part-time job while studying your degree. We offer our postgraduate students and alumni one-to-one appointments with a careers adviser, or an online service for those not able to travel back to the University. Our alumni can call on our career services for five years after graduation.
In addition, regular employability events offer you the chance to meet employers, find out about different career sectors and improve your applications or CV. The Graduate Summer Programme provides a range of guidance and employability seminars and workshops.