The Common Professional Examination/Postgraduate Diploma in Law (CPE/PGDL) is a

postgraduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

law course in

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...

taken by non-law graduates (graduates who do not have a qualifying law degree for legal practice) wishing to become either a solicitor or

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

. It is being replaced by the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) which was introduced on 1 September 2021. The course allows non-law graduates to convert to law after university (exceptions exist for non-graduates depending on circumstances). It is commonly known as a "law conversion course". The course is designed as an intense programme covering roughly the same content as a law degree. Most CPE courses award a diploma and are often titled Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL). The CPE is one (full-time) or two (part-time) years long, and successful candidates may proceed to either the

Legal Practice Course The Legal Practice Course (LPC)also known as the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practiceis a postgraduate course and the final educational stage for becoming a solicitor in England, Wales and Australia (where it is commonly known as "practical ...

(LPC) for solicitors or the Barrister Training Course (BTC) for barristers.

UK course providers

In 1977, the former Inns of Court School of Law (now merged into

City, University of London City, University of London was a public university from 1966 to 2024 in London, England. It merged with St George's, University of London to form City St George's, University of London in August 2024. The names "City, University of London" an ...

) launched their CPE/PGDL programme, which was the first of its kind in England and Wales. The PGDL tends to be offered through private institutions or universities. The largest course providers are

BPP Law School BPP University Law School is a private, for-profit provider of professional and academic legal education in the United Kingdom and one of the founding schools of BPP University. History BPP Law School has degree awarding powers through its pare ...

City Law School The City Law School is a law school in London, England, and it is one of the six schools of City, University of London. The law school traces its origins to the Inns of Court School of Law (ICSL), which was founded in 1852. The ICSL became par ...

and

The University of Law The University of Law (founded in 1962 as The College of Law of England and Wales) is a private for-profit university in the United Kingdom, providing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in law, business, psychology, criminology, policing ...

. The PGDL is also offered by several British universities including

London South Bank University London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough Po ...

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

, the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a Public university, public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus university, campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and twenty-six schools of ...

Keele University Keele University is a Public university#United Kingdom, public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, it was granted uni ...

, the

University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield (informally Sheffield University or TUOS) is a public university, public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Fir ...

, the

University of Brighton The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992. T ...

, the

University of Sussex The University of Sussex is a public university, public research university, research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the ...

Swansea University Swansea University () is a public university, public research university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it chang ...

Birmingham City University Birmingham City University (abbrev. BCU) is a university in Birmingham, England. Initially established as the Birmingham College of Art with roots dating back to 1843, it was designated as a polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic in 1971 an ...

Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education ...

London Metropolitan University London Metropolitan University, commonly known as London Met, is a public university, public research university in London, England. The University of North London and London Guildhall University merged in 2002 to create the university. The Un ...

, the

University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Po ...

University of the West of England The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a Public university, public research university, located in and around Bristol, England, UK. With more than 39,912 students and 4,300 staff, it is the largest provider of hi ...

Middlesex University Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated to MDX) is a public research university based in Hendon, northwest London, England. The university also has campuses in Dubai and Mauritius. The name of the university is ...

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...

and the

University of East London University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford, London, Stratford and London Docklands, Docklands, following the opening of University Squar ...

as well as

Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (OBU; formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Th ...

Hong Kong

Graduates of GDL are eligible to apply for PCLL (see below) in Hong Kong if they passed the required PCLL Conversion Examinations, for example, Hong Kong Constitutional Law, Hong Kong Land Law. In Hong Kong a localised mutation of the CPE known as the

Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law The Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law (GDEHKL) is a Hong Kong graduate diploma programme that allows students that did not take law as an undergraduate degree (i.e. "non-law students") to "convert" to law, before going onto a profession ...

is also recognised for the purpose of admission to the

Postgraduate Certificate in Laws In Hong Kong, the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL; zh, t=法學專業證書) is an intensive one-year, full-time (or two-year, part-time) professional legal qualification programme. It allows graduates to proceed to legal training in or ...

(PCLL) course, which can be seen as the local equivalent to the LPC/

BPTC The Bar Professional Training Course or BPTC is a Postgraduate education, postgraduate course which allows law graduates to be named and practise as barristers in England and Wales. The eight institutes that run the BPTC along with the four pre ...

and is a prerequisite to become a solicitor or barrister in Hong Kong. Since 2008, all graduates of overseas universities are required to demonstrate competence in three Top-up Subjects on Hong Kong law before they can enter the PCLL, usually by sitting conversion examinations in these three subjects. However graduates of the GDEHKL do not need to sit these three conversion examinations because the course is recognised by the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training as demonstrating competence in the three Top-up Subjects on Hong Kong law.

Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law The Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law (GDEHKL) is a Hong Kong graduate diploma programme that allows students that did not take law as an undergraduate degree (i.e. "non-law students") to "convert" to law, before going onto a profession ...

The CPE/GDEHKL is offered by the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...

's School of Professional and Continuing Education ( HKU SPACE) in Hong Kong jointly with

(MMU). Graduates of the GDEHKL who continue on to take the additional MMU LLB year after the CPE/GDEHKL will have passed all necessary law subjects required for PCLL eligibility. The GDEHKL is an exempted course under a Hong Kong law known as the Non-Local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance, which states that it is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recognize any qualification to which this course may lead.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Central Application Board
(for full-time CPE courses)
Chambers Student Guide: What is the GDL?

Table of GDL providers and their fees

Information and guidance on qualifying as a solicitor
Law of the United Kingdom Law of Hong Kong Legal profession exams

UK course providers

Hong Kong

Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law The Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law (GDEHKL) is a Hong Kong graduate diploma programme that allows students that did not take law as an undergraduate degree (i.e. "non-law students") to "convert" to law, before going onto a profession ...

See also

References

External links