Law - Employment Law & Practice - Online

The School of Law in conjunction with Legal Island and the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) have created this postgraduate programme in Employment Law and Practice to:

- Develop an understanding of the core concepts of employment law and how they relate to practice

- Gain the skills and processes required to qualify them to practice in the employment law field as HR professionals/ lawyers/advisors

- Develop the ability to reflect critically and learn from their practice

- Gain an understanding of regional, national and international models of practice

The course includes lectures from employment law expert practitioners, on-site visits and role play exercises with LRA staff and a mock Case Management Discussion adjudicated by the President of Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal (TBC on an annual basis).

Year one
Employment Compliance and Development
Whether you are a lawyer, human resources professional, personnel or industrial relations officer, this module will develop a range of skills, which will enable all students to remain fully abreast of the latest legislative and case law developments in employment compliance. It will ensure that all students acquire in-depth knowledge and understanding of how employment compliance issues operates in practice. Students will be provided with assistance enabling them to respond to complex practical, legal and ethical problems. Students will be encouraged to critically analyse the law and important legal issues they face in practice.

Employment Law
The importance of the employment relationship between employers, employees, unions and
other statutory bodies and agencies is such that a thorough knowledge of both the context and
the substantive law is necessary for those involved in this area in any capacity. The module
attempts to provide the basis for this knowledge and to put students in the position where they
may not only have an understanding of the law both conceptually and substantively, but also be
in a position to use that knowledge in the solution of problems.

Year two
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Methods of ADR are increasingly being used within the legal system and advocated as a means of removing cases from overburdened courts. In appropriate cases they can provide an alternative to legal adjudication and can be used as a means of achieving satisfactory solutions to disputes. The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the processes of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and its relationship to law. The course will cover processes such as arbitration, mediation and conciliation and will provide students with a foundational knowledge of ADR which can then be developed in their professional practice. The module will comprise both theoretical and skills based elements. Students will consider the rationale and ethics of ADR before being introduced to some of the practical skills used in these processes. The study and practice of ADR will be undertaken in the context of a range of legal subject areas, including commercial law, family law and employment law.

Tribunal Representation
This module aims through a combination of lectures and practical exercises to enable trainees to further develop their own professional practice in relation to employment and social security matters. The module aims to develop a student's ability to apply and further develop the knowledge and practical skills gained in prior and concurrent modules. The module will encourage discussion of rationales and consequences of each available course of action in any given scenario, and students will be encouraged to critique solutions to any issues identified as arising from their choice(s). It is anticipated that students will examine the impact of the rules and procedures involved and their tactical application in practice with a view to developing their own individual work practice.

To apply to our postgraduate taught programmes, you must meet the University's General Entrance Requirements and any course-specific requirements.

These vary depending on the course and are detailed online.

Applicants must hold a degree in law or human resource management, or a degree with significant law content or a non law degree or non human resource degree but with appropriate work experience or equivalent or demonstrate their ability to undertake the course through the accreditation or prior experiential learning.

If English is not your first language this course requires a minimum English level of IELTS (academic) 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5, or equivalent.

Visit ulster.ac.uk/englishrequirements for more details.

This course is open to international (non-EU) students (full-time only).

For full entry requirements please see "Course Web Page" below.

Your Application
Application is through the University's online application system (see "Application Weblink" below).

Attendance

Year One

In the first semester, from Sept – Dec, Employment Law classes will run on a Tuesday evening from 5.30 - 8pm. There will be a break for Halloween in the first semester.

In the second semester, from Jan - May, Employment Compliance classes will run on the Belfast Campus from 5.30pm - 8pm. There will be a two week break for Easter.

Year Two

In semester one (Sept - Dec), students will undertake Alternative Dispute Resolution for 6 weeks, followed by Tribunal Representation for a further 6 weeks. Course work will be submitted the following Jan and students will graduate the following summer.

In total there are 4 modules: 2 x 20 point credit modules (employment law and employment compliance) and 2 x 10 point credit modules (ADR & Tribunal Representation).

Year of entry: 2020/21

Postgraduate Information Session 5 March 2020
Register at: ulster.ac.uk/pg-information-events

Career options
Graduates often use this qualification to secure promotion with existing employers, to secure higher-level promotion elsewhere or to establish themselves as independent practitioners.