BPP or ULaw for GDL/Masters funding/remote study

[G P]

Hi there folks – I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice on the following.

I have just graduated with a 1st (in a non-law subject) from a great uni.

I have been interested in law for a couple of years but only started making serious applications in September 2020. However, I failed to secure any VAC or TC offers, and only had one interview. As a result, I have no funding for my next step – the GDL.

I was initially interested in BPP because they provide the option of upgrading their PGDL to an LLM, making the course eligible for Masters funding.

From my research, ULaw do not seem to provide this option.

However, I’ve come across a lot of negative press surrounding BPP recently, and am scared that it is a bad choice of institution, especially given their lack of physical course materials (the last 18 months of remote learning alone have seen my glasses/contacts prescription worsen considerably!).

Also – I am uncertain whether to opt to study online. Although BPP have said they are ‘optimistic’ about a return to in-person teaching come September, there is no guarantee of this and I doubt they’ll confirm their plans until they’ve seen students’ money (but perhaps this is cynical and unfair of me…). However, I don’t want to uproot my life to live in (pricey) London if COVID still necessitates online teaching in the future.

Will the quality of teaching be poorer online? Will I miss out on any careers advice or pro bono opportunities by not studying in London? Does anyone have any advice on this?

Thanks in advance 😊

*[EDIT – I’ve just stumbled across ULaw’s MA Law course which appears to provide a non-law route to the LPC?? Does anyone have any experience or advice about this course?]

 

[Daniel Boden]

Hi there folks – I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice on the following.

I have just graduated with a 1st (in a non-law subject) from a great uni.

I have been interested in law for a couple of years but only started making serious applications in September 2020. However, I failed to secure any VAC or TC offers, and only had one interview. As a result, I have no funding for my next step – the GDL.

I was initially interested in BPP because they provide the option of upgrading their PGDL to an LLM, making the course eligible for Masters funding.

From my research, ULaw do not seem to provide this option.

However, I’ve come across a lot of negative press surrounding BPP recently, and am scared that it is a bad choice of institution, especially given their lack of physical course materials (the last 18 months of remote learning alone have seen my glasses/contacts prescription worsen considerably!).

Also – I am uncertain whether to opt to study online. Although BPP have said they are ‘optimistic’ about a return to in-person teaching come September, there is no guarantee of this and I doubt they’ll confirm their plans until they’ve seen students’ money (but perhaps this is cynical and unfair of me…). However, I don’t want to uproot my life to live in (pricey) London if COVID still necessitates online teaching in the future.

Will the quality of teaching be poorer online? Will I miss out on any careers advice or pro bono opportunities by not studying in London? Does anyone have any advice on this?

Thanks in advance 😊

*[EDIT – I’ve just stumbled across ULaw’s MA Law course which appears to provide a non-law route to the LPC?? Does anyone have any experience or advice about this course?]

The MA Law is effectively the masters option of the GDL at ULaw yeah so I'd definitely do that over the LLM at BPP which as you say has had an awful lot of negative press this year.

A friend of mine did it this year and found it pretty intense as you have to do a full 10,000-word dissertation alongside the regular 7 core modules but said it was worth it for the loan option. Just be prepared to have a pretty full-on end to the year as your diss and exams are due at around the same time!

I did the GDL at ULaw this year and found ULaw to be really quite good tbh - the teaching quality was good and they were always very quick at responding to emails and making sure you had everything you needed such as sending out physical copies of the text books/manuals etc.

 

[G P]

The MA Law is effectively the masters option of the GDL at ULaw yeah so I'd definitely do that over the LLM at BPP which as you say has had an awful lot of negative press this year.

A friend of mine did it this year and found it pretty intense as you have to do a full 10,000-word dissertation alongside the regular 7 core modules but said it was worth it for the loan option. Just be prepared to have a pretty full-on end to the year as your diss and exams are due at around the same time!

I did the GDL at ULaw this year and found ULaw to be really quite good tbh - the teaching quality was good and they were always very quick at responding to emails and making sure you had everything you needed such as sending out physical copies of the text books/manuals etc.

Thanks for your reply - it has given me a lot to think about!

 

[Antony123]

The MA Law is effectively the masters option of the GDL at ULaw yeah so I'd definitely do that over the LLM at BPP which as you say has had an awful lot of negative press this year.

A friend of mine did it this year and found it pretty intense as you have to do a full 10,000-word dissertation alongside the regular 7 core modules but said it was worth it for the loan option. Just be prepared to have a pretty full-on end to the year as your diss and exams are due at around the same time!

I did the GDL at ULaw this year and found ULaw to be really quite good tbh - the teaching quality was good and they were always very quick at responding to emails and making sure you had everything you needed such as sending out physical copies of the text books/manuals etc.

Hi Daniel,
I was just wondering did you do the GDL (now PGDL) in a London campus? Currently trying to decide between Bloomsbury or Moorgate, and between PGDL or Ma Law (SQE1). Wondered if you had any thoughts?
Thanks

 

[usamb]

Hi Daniel,
I was just wondering did you do the GDL (now PGDL) in a London campus? Currently trying to decide between Bloomsbury or Moorgate, and between PGDL or Ma Law (SQE1). Wondered if you had any thoughts?
Thanks

hey in the same boat, what did you decide?