Lincoln Law School | llb course | llb degree

The University of Lincoln is without doubt, a dynamic and fast-growing institution. Following a series of multi-million pound investments, Lincoln looks set to become a big success in the future. Despite being so young, Lincoln is climbing the University rankings at a very fast rate (particularly in fields such as business and law) and given time, may be able to rival many of the more traditional places of study.

Since its founding, over £100 million has been spent developing the main Brayford Pool campus. This includes £6 million on the ‘Engine Shed’ (the home of the Student Union) and £5 million on the Great Central Library. The huge amount of money and resources put into the University over the last few years means that the campus plays host to an array of wonderful architecture in both old and new styles.

With the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (LPAC) building just being completed this year, there is also scope for new buildings to be developed on the site in the near future.

The Law School is situated in the main building at the Brayford campus, as are many of the lecture theatres. The theatres themselves are very modern with usually a large projector screen at the front of the room. There are also many seminar rooms across the campus, again with very modern facilities. Many of these rooms across the University are also available for students to book time in to work on group projects and presentations whenever they wish.

The University library is one of the main attractions to the campus and this multi-million pound development contains many excellent resources. Much of the entre third floor is dedicated to law books and journals with a huge selection to choose from. The University library also has many other features, such as group rooms, quiet areas, large amounts of high quality computers and wi-fi available across the entire building.

The library’s internet page also allows students to monitor the books they have checked out as well as reserve ones they may need.

The University of Lincoln has a good student:staff ratio and this is reflected in the quality of teaching. The support network offered at Lincoln is extremely good and members of staff are always willing to assist with anything you require. Students, particularly for law, will usually have ten hours a week of guided learning (normally five lectures and five seminars).

However, they will be expected to put in roughly thirty hours a week of their own time to research around the subject areas they have been given and complete any additional work. It is often found that this is only a guideline and may vary a great deal, dependent upon the time of year and the amount of work at any particular time.

Lectures and seminars normally last for 50 minutes and for the law course, normally start at 9am with the last ones being at 4pm. Lectures may contain any number of students, from 10 up to 250 or so, depending on the particular unit. Seminars are much more intimate and normally vary between 6 to 20 students.

The Law School has an expert team of staff with all manner of specialisms, ranging from Corporate and Commercial law through to Criminal law, Family law and Consumer law. This high degree of variety ensures that there is always a member of staff to answer any question students may have and also allows the University to offer a large range of optional units to both undergraduate and postgraduate law students.

The University of Lincoln's excellent location is a key selling point. The main campus is set right in the city centre and immediately next to Brayford Pool, a beautiful stretch of water that is always a hub of activity. This provides a great place to relax during the summer months and the student pub, The Shed, is located right next to the water. The University campus is also a stone’s throw away from the shops in the city centre, as well as all the student accommodation and the bars, clubs and restaurants.

The 2000 year old Roman city provides a beautiful place to study, with the canal running through the city and the Cathedral and Castle seated majestically on top of the hill. Also, because on Lincoln’s student-focused atmosphere, the city is a very safe place to be and crime rates are very low.

The location of this University really is second to none and often plays a key part in a student’s decision to study at Lincoln.

The University of Lincoln currently charges £3,145 per year for full-time undergraduate courses; roughly the same as most other UK universities. However, one of the best things about Lincoln is the bursary and scholarship schemes they offer. If you qualify, and most UK residents do, the university will pay you up to £1,000 for every year of your course successfully completed.

There are also similar schemes in place for international students. There aren’t too many additional costs that a student has to pay when undertaking their course, other than the cost of books and study materials. A law student however, may often find themselves paying out hundreds of pounds at the start of each year for the correct books.

In terms of living costs, Lincoln is a relatively cheap place to live and there is a huge amount of student accommodation to choose from, ranging from about £55 up to £100 per week. Costs such as food, drinks and transport are reasonably priced and Lincoln does have a fairly good public transport network.

The University of Lincoln provides all that is needed for an excellent social life with a huge variety of things to do. Since the development of the Engine Shed for example, the nights out have been vastly improved and many students take advantage of the special offers on drinks, often making for a very cheap night out. The Engine Shed also hosts may other events, such as live performances from bands, DJs and comedians.

The University also has a great deal of societies and clubs, from the usual things such as football, cricket and hockey to canoeing, motorsport and history. It is also very easy to set up your own club or society as well, providing the interest is there.

The law society is probably one of the largest societies in the University and offers law students the chance to voice their opinions as well as providing opportunities to attend various legal events and mooting competitions across the country.

The support network within the law department of the University is also very helpful and the careers services offered to students is excellent. However, although staff are very willing to assist with work experience and applications for professional training, there are no official schemes in place to do so and students are expected to undertake this using their own initiative.