Aston University • Birmingham
The LLM that prepares you for the solicitor exams — SQE1 and SQE2 preparation built into the degree, unique among our twelve law options.
Our take
Aston’s LLM answers the question overseas lawyers now ask first: how do I qualify as a solicitor of England and Wales? Since the SQE replaced the old routes, qualification runs through two national exams — SQE1 and SQE2 — open to international law graduates, and Aston is the only LLM on our list that names both exams in the degree and builds their preparation into the curriculum. The commercial terms carry Aston’s usual advantages: the £4,000 automatic scholarship applies, and Birmingham hosts the UK’s largest legal market outside London at second-city living costs. Be precise about what no LLM can do: the degree itself confers no practice rights — the SQE exams and two years of qualifying work experience do — and we plan that full sequence with every law client.
| Duration | 1 year full-time |
| Intake | September & January |
| Accreditation | Aston Law School — SQE-aligned curriculum |
| Tuition | Within Aston’s 2026/27 international postgraduate band of £16,350–£25,500; exact LLM fee confirmed in your offer. The automatic £4,000 scholarship applies with an on-time deposit. |
Where this leads: An academic law degree with SQE1 and SQE2 preparation built in. Solicitor qualification itself requires passing both SQE exams plus two years of qualifying work experience — the LLM prepares you for that path; it does not replace it.
September is the anchor intake; confirm January availability for the LLM in your cycle.
Why Aston
Preparation for both solicitor exams is the curriculum, not an add-on course you buy separately for thousands more.
Aston’s automatic £4,000 award applies to the LLM — effective fees drop well below the SQE-prep-plus-LLM alternatives.
The UK’s largest legal centre outside London — national firms’ offices, chambers and in-house teams — at half the living cost.
The SQE is open to international law graduates; this LLM is the structured on-ramp we recommend most.
What you study
Entry requirements
English language
Aston can consider Medium of Instruction (MOI) evidence for some courses — though clinical and regulated programmes usually still require a formal test. Aston formally accepts Medium of Instruction evidence — a rarity it actually publishes country by country. Graduates of designated ‘Tier 1’ universities in Pakistan (ten institutions including LUMS, NUST, IBA Karachi and UET Lahore) and India can usually have IELTS waived on an MOI letter alone; Tier 2/3 graduates typically need around 65–70% in a wholly English-taught degree, normally completed within the last five years. Nigerian applicants can usually use WAEC English at C6 or above instead of IELTS.
Also accepted: PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT (Home Edition not accepted), Oxford ELLT, Duolingo English Test, Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency, WAEC English C6+ (Nigeria). Pre-sessional English is available if you fall short.
Careers
Your country
HSSC/FSc holders join a foundation programme or International Year One before the bachelor’s degree. For master’s entry Aston publishes a tiered system: graduates of Tier 1 universities typically need 55–65% (or CGPA 2.6–2.9), Tier 2 around 60–75%, and Tier 3 around 70–85% depending on the classification required. Graduates of ten designated universities — including LUMS, NUST, IBA Karachi and UET Lahore — can usually have IELTS waived on Medium of Instruction evidence, and Aston has a dedicated regional manager for Pakistan.
Full guide for PakistanDirect undergraduate entry is possible with strong CBSE/ISC results — typically 70–85% depending on the course (state boards slightly higher). For master’s courses, 70%+ or CGPA 7.0/10 is treated as a First, 60% or 6.0 as a 2:1 and 50% or 5.0 as a 2:2. Tier 1 university graduates can usually have IELTS waived on a Medium of Instruction letter alone; Tier 2/3 graduates typically need 65–70%.
Full guide for IndiaWASSCE holders usually enter via the International Foundation Programme (around eight subjects at C6 or above). Master’s applicants typically need an upper second-class honours degree from an NUC-recognised university, and the MBA additionally asks for at least three years’ managerial experience. Helpfully, WAEC English at C6 or above is generally accepted in place of IELTS, and Aston has a regional manager for Africa.
Full guide for NigeriaThanawiya (UAE secondary certificate) holders take the one-year International Foundation Programme before starting a bachelor’s degree. Master’s applicants from recognised Emirati universities typically need a four-year degree with a GPA of around 3.0/4.0. CBSE students in the UAE with 75% in English can usually waive IELTS (treated as a 6.5 equivalent).
Full guide for the UAECompare
FAQ
No LLM does. Qualification in England and Wales requires passing SQE1 and SQE2 and completing two years of qualifying work experience. What this LLM uniquely offers is structured preparation for both exams inside the degree — the exams themselves are booked separately with the SRA, and we plan the fees and timeline with you.
Yes — the SQE is open to overseas law graduates, and qualifying work experience can include legal work completed flexibly across up to four organisations. It is the most accessible route to England-and-Wales qualification there has ever been, which is precisely why this LLM exists.
The LLM fee sits in Aston’s £16,350–£25,500 band, confirmed in your offer, and the automatic £4,000 scholarship applies with an on-time deposit. Budget separately for SQE exam fees — we include them in your full qualification plan.
The UK’s second legal market: national and international firms run major offices there, generating the paralegal and legal-operations roles that double as qualifying work experience — at living costs far below London’s.
Fees, entry requirements, English-language policies and intake dates are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown, but universities review them every cycle and immigration rules change. Always treat figures as a guide — we confirm the exact, current requirements with the university before you apply. Facts on this page last checked July 2026.
Intakes shown are for this course specifically; Aston runs other intakes for other programmes — see the full Aston profile.
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