Bar Professional Training Course (part-time) - Postgraduate Diploma

The BPTC takes you from the initial stages in civil and criminal proceedings through to trial. You will firstly master the subjects within the criminal and civil areas, before moving on to two specialist options of your choice in the second year of the course.

The BPTC comprises the following compulsory elements:

Compulsory modules

• Civil Advocacy - covers how to undertake case analysis in order to prepare a case effectively, using basic advocacy skills. This includes understanding the relevant law, facts and principles, observing the rules of professional ethics and planning submissions.
• Civil Litigation, Remedies and Evidence - takes you through how to advise on the most appropriate remedies available to clients in civil proceedings, with a sound working knowledge of the powers of the civil courts, and of the evidential rules governing the resolution of factual issues.
• Conferencing Skills - covers the factual, legal, procedural and evidential issues that might be raised in a conference as well as the objectives of holding one. You will learn how to conduct a conference, deal with all the relevant issues and advise a client appropriately.
• Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing - equips you with a sound working knowledge of the procedure and sentencing powers of the criminal courts, and of the evidential rules governing their resolution of factual issues.
• Opinion Writing - one of the two written skills taught on the BPTC, this module covers the factual, legal, procedural and evidential issues that may be relevant when writing an Opinion, as well as the appropriate structure and language to use.
• Drafting - covers the factual, legal, procedural and evidential issues that are relevant when drafting statements of case, in particular the Particulars of Claim, the Defence and Third Party Proceedings. You will learn how to draft documents that are well structured, with correct headings, language and all necessary formalities.
• Professional Conduct - introduces you to the core professional values underpinning practice at the Bar of England and Wales, and in particular the areas of Core Duties and Code of Conduct. You will learn how to properly identify ethical issues and respond appropriately in any given situation.
• Resolution of Disputes Out of Court - introduces you to the range of ADR methods and teaches you how to advise on and conduct negotiations, mediations and arbitrations or adjudications. The module covers case analysis as well as the tactical and procedural requirements for conducting successful negotiations and mediations.
• Criminal Advocacy - covers how to make submissions on behalf of a defendant in a plea of mitigation and for bail. You will develop the skills of examination-in chief and cross-examination in a variety of criminal case scenarios. The main focus will be on examination of witness techniques.

Option modules

The teaching of optional modules takes place after the compulsory subjects during the second year of the course. They are not intended to teach you substantive law, but rather to provide you with an opportunity to develop the skills you have acquired.

We offer a wide choice of optional modules to allow you to specialise in the area of law you are most interested in or would like to practise.

You will study a combination of two of the following options:

• Clinical Negligence
• Criminal Law
• Commercial Law
• Competition Law
• Employment Law
• Family
• International Trade
• Landlord and Tenant
• Refugee and Asylum Law

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.

Highly experienced and supportive tutors, drawn from the academic side of law, as well as legal practice, will enable you to develop your knowledge quickly. Most of the course is taught in small groups in dedicated study rooms, meaning you will benefit from substantial face-to-face contact.

Certain subjects are also supported with online resources (for example, recorded lectures, MCQ tests and recorded demonstrations) to enable you to supplement your work and knowledge remotely at a time to suit you.

Monthly skills sessions with written and verbal feedback allow you to continually develop your skills. All advocacy tutors are ATC (Accredited Training Council) accredited and all REDOC (Resolutions of Disputes Out of Court) tutors are accredited mediators to ensure our teaching is of the highest standard.

We aim to make the content as realistic as possible, and you will have the chance to participate in mock trials with professional actors.

For more details see our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

The part-time course is two years long, with face-to-face teaching starting in September in the first year with a three-day induction, followed by 11 study weekends in each academic year. The study weekends take place every three to four weekends (excluding the summer break) and comprise intensive skill-based sessions from 9:30-5:30pm (Saturday and Sunday).

Dedicated support

You will receive a high level of support both during your studies and after you graduate. You will be able to meet with your personal tutor, or contact them by phone or email, to discuss any aspects of the course. We also offer extensive careers support.

Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation and Professional Conduct assessments are all set centrally by the Bar Standards Board and examined using multiple choice and short answer questions. Opinion Writing and Drafting are set locally as unseen assessments in controlled conditions. All other assessments are also set locally and are either completely seen or partially seen, in that you will receive information in advance to research the relevant areas of law.

Mock assessments with feedback will also be given to help you monitor and improve your performance, and deal effectively with all forms of assessment.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.