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PGDL Birkbeck part-time?

Changes

Legendary Member
Jan 7, 2020
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Hi all,

Has anyone studied the PGDL part-time at Birkbeck?

I’ll be working full time alongside it but am wondering what the teaching and experience is like? Will it be any better/worse than BPP or the University of Law?

Likewise, I’d be interested to hear of any experiences working alongside studying the gdl part-time.

I work for government as an economist and plan to stay in this job throughout.

Thanks!
 

Kay Aston

Star Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Premium Member
Sep 8, 2024
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Hi @Changes ! Thanks for starting this thread, I think Birkbeck is a great option for flexible studying that people often don't know much about, so i'm sure this information will help many! I studied my LLB at Birkbeck while working full-time so I have a little experience in this space. Although I cannot comment on the PGDL itself, I can help you out with Birkbeck-specific queries and give my thoughts on the law faculty 😁

For me, the teaching quality and my experience on campus was great. Of course, like any university, this will vary between staff members and modules, but overall my experience was amazing and I ended up graduating with a First which I do attribute, in part, to the great teaching. One of the things I like about Birkbeck, which I haven't seen much of in other universities, is the 'study support' outside of the technical teaching. For a course like the PGDL which will be quite intense, especially alongside work, it is super important to be able to plan your time effectively and study in ways which work most efficiently for you. I found Birkbeck to be great at helping with these soft skills, as they have dedicated study support staff and sessions which are run just to help you out with these things, which really makes life easier. Additionally, I found the vibe on campus and the events really great, if this is something you're interested in.

In terms of working alongside the part-time PGDL, I would say it is definitely doable. The unique thing about Birkbeck is that the University is designed for students who also work in the daytime, hence all of the lectures/seminars falling between 6pm-9pm! Because of this, I found the staff there very understanding towards circumstances arising due to work, e.g. missing seminars and being provided the materials so you can catch up in your own time. It also means that the methods of assessment are more targeted to those who work, such as take-home open book exams, often falling over the weekend, so you don't need to use your annual leave to take assessments! I worked full-time (also for the government) and studied the full-time course, which was definitely intense, but I found it manageable because of these things (and of course hard work).

I hope this helps and i'm happy to answer any other questions you may have on this topic!
 
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