General LLM
About This Programme
The General LLM at the University of Birmingham Dubai lets students build their own pathway through a range of legal disciplines, tailoring the degree to their future career and becoming expert in the areas that matter to them. It suits recent law graduates and professionals who want to deepen their knowledge, giving a grounding in common law and international approaches to specialist issues, informed by research, legal theory and practice. It is taught by Birmingham Law School, ranked in the world's top 100 for law in the Times Higher Education subject rankings for 2026, with modules designed by staff on the Dubai and Edgbaston campuses so that teaching materials and assessment match the UK campus. The degree runs full-time from September to September, or part-time over two years starting in September or January, with evening and weekend classes.
Course Highlights
- A world top 100 law school in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026, as stated on the course page.
- Birmingham Law School students and alumni receive a 20% discount on BARBRI's SQE1 Prep and Extended US Bar Prep (EBAR) courses.
- Extra workshops from the Birmingham Law School Skills Academy on English law, legal writing and interpreting case law.
- Research internships, pro bono work, mooting and work experience, with alumni who regularly join leading international law firms.
- Modules designed by staff in Dubai and at the Edgbaston campus, with the same teaching materials and assessment as the UK campus, and contact with staff and students on both campuses.
- Evening and weekend classes, with part-time starts in September or January.
- 2nd among the UK universities most targeted by leading graduate employers in High Fliers' Graduate Market 2026 report, as stated on the course page.
What You'll Study
Teaching is research-led, by lecturers and professors active in their fields. Each 20-credit module runs for 10 teaching weeks in a term and represents 200 hours of study: 20 hours of seminars (two hours a week) and 180 hours of guided independent study. Students take an active part in seminars, contribute original ideas, and build skills in legal research and analysis and in advising on and presenting solutions to practical legal problems. Classes combine evenings and weekends for working professionals: the draft full-time timetable has teaching on one or two evenings a week from 18:30 to 20:30 and on Saturday or Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00 (the day varies by module), and one or two modules may be block-taught over three weekends. The timetable is a guide and may change. The LLM Director is Dr Mohd Hwaidi, Associate Professor in Law at the University of Birmingham Dubai.
Term 1: September to December
Ten teaching weeks. Full-time students normally take three modules, begin planning the dissertation, which makes up one third of the degree, and submit a dissertation proposal.
Term 2: January to May
Ten teaching weeks. Full-time students take three more modules, one or two possibly in block mode over three weekends, and are assigned a dissertation supervisor to begin research on their topic.
Term 3: June to August
No taught modules for full-time students, who research and write the dissertation for submission at the end of August.
Part-time study
Part-time students take three modules a year over two years, either two in the first term and one in the second or the other way round. Those starting in September finish their modules in the fourth term (May of the second year) and write the dissertation over the summer; those starting in January finish in the fourth term (January of the second year) and write the dissertation from January to May.
Modules
2026/27 session. 180 credits: six 20-credit taught modules and a 60-credit dissertation of up to 15,000 words on an approved legal topic. Students take the two compulsory modules below and choose five 20-credit options.
- Introduction to Legal Research20 credits
- Dissertation on a Legal Topic60 credits
Choose five 20-credit modules from the following. The options that run each semester depend on student demand and operational capacity.
- LM Banking Law20 credits
- LM Carriage of Goods20 credits
- LM Cybercrime20 credits
- LM English and International Sales Law20 credits
- LM Intellectual Property Law20 credits
- LM International Commercial Dispute Resolution20 credits
- LM International Construction Law20 credits
- LM International Mergers & Acquisitions20 credits
- LM International Oil and Gas Law20 credits
- LM Sustainable Energy and the Environment20 credits
- LM Transnational Financial Crime Law20 credits
Entry Requirements
Applicants must meet both the University's general entry requirements and the course's own criteria. Each application is reviewed by the course's Admissions Tutor, who decides whether to make an offer.
Careers
Employers target Birmingham graduates for their drive, diversity, communication, problem-solving, teamwork and cultural awareness, and many law graduates go on to top law schools and law firms; recent graduates have joined the UK Home Office, Pinsent Masons, HSBC and Kinstellar. Many postgraduates go straight on to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, the Bar Professional Training Course or other international professional qualifications. Birmingham Law School's Centre for Employability, Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER) runs online and in-person activities in Dubai, including an annual Dubai and SQE Summer School with training and insight into legal practice; guest lectures from UAE law firms and alumni on topics such as UAE legal systems, corporate law in Dubai and property law; employer events such as career expos, CV clinics by Robert Walters and panels with Standard Chartered and Al Tamimi; advocacy and mediation workshops from firms including Ashurst, Al Tamimi and Baker McKenzie; and moot training and competitions. In 2024 the Dubai team was first runner-up in the Middle East Pre-Moot, against more than 20 universities, and went on to the Vienna Vis Moot, which drew over 350 teams worldwide.
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as the course page states. The Commission for Academic Accreditation register lists the University's Master of Laws as Active; it does not list named LLM pathways separately.
Programme Details
Award
Master of Laws (LLM)
Start Date
September (full- and part-time) or January (part-time); September 2026 applications closed
Typical Offer
2:1 Honours degree in Law
Duration
1 year full-time (September to September); 2 years part-time
Qualification
Masters
Subject Area
Law
Campus
Dubai
Study Pattern
Full time, Part time
Delivery Format
In person
Tuition Fee
AED 133,738/yr
AED 133,738 full-time or AED 66,869 a year part-time, for September 2026 entry. The fee covers tuition, examinations and graduation and is charged for each year of study, so part-time students pay it in both years; it can be paid in full or in three instalments a year, and it does not include visa or living costs. Applications for September 2026 entry to this programme are closed, and details for September 2027 entry will be published later; the course page also lists a January 2027 part-time start. Applications are made online through the University of Birmingham Dubai Admissions portal, with no application fee; postgraduate applicants upload transcripts for study completed so far, their degree certificate if available, and a CV. Decisions are usually made within 10 working days of all documents arriving. A non-returnable AED 5,000 deposit, deducted from tuition, is paid on accepting an offer. Scholarships of up to 30% are assessed from the application itself, with no separate form, and full-time students can apply for a student visa sponsored by the University.