Master of Laws
LLM Corporate Governance
Due to high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process with multiple selection deadlines throughout the year, to maintain a fair and transparent approach.
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Overview
Course overview
Gain advanced insight into corporate governance, accountability and regulation in a global business environment.
- Develop legal, analytical and research skills for careers in corporate law, compliance, in-house legal teams and international organisations.
- Study at one of Europe's leading law schools, with research and alumni including Justice of the UK Supreme Court, Lord Stephens.
- Enhance your employability with opportunities like the Manchester Innocence Project, exclusive access to our purpose-built moot court, and the research events of the Manchester Centre for Law and Business, where you can gain top experts’ perspectives.
- Study at the university most targeted by top UK employers, gaining the legal insight and global perspective to lead in law firms, corporations, NGOs and policy spaces (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2026).
Our students. Real experiences. Visit the Students Stories page to hear from our students as they share what it's really like to study here.
Open days
The University holds regular events throughout the year, including webinars and the annual on-campus Master’s Expo, all of which offer the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and courses from our academic and admissions staff.
We also attend a number of education fairs both in the UK and overseas throughout the year.
For more details on how you can meet us, visit out events page: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/masters/meet-us/
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 306 1270
- pg-law@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/law/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: School Subjects
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent in Law. Candidates should demonstrate a strong background in Law modules relevant to the course, including Public Law and Contract Law and achieve scores of 2.1 or above in relevant modules.
When assessing your academic record, we consider the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
English language
Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:
- IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
- TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757. From 2026: 5 overall, with 5 in writing and no other subskill below 4.5
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70
Further information on accepted language requirements can be found here .
Pre-Sessional English Courses
We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you will be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.
To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:
6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.
10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill
If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.
English language test validity
Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.
Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries
If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our country-specific information page for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.
Fees and funding
Fees
Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:
-
LLM (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £16,800
International, including EU, students (per annum): £31,000
The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.
Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .
Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.
- Learn more about - student finance options for UK students .
- Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
- Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.
Application and selection
How to apply
Staged admissions
As there is a high demand for our courses we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high-ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.
Please ensure you submit all supporting documentation with your application to avoid a delay in processing.
Applications for 2027 entry:
Stage 1:Application received by6th December 2026; Application update by19th February 2027
Stage 2:Application received by1st March 2027; Application update by2nd May 2027
Stage 3:Application received by4th May 2027; Application update by18th June 2027
Stage 4:Application received by4th July 2027; Application update by30th July 2027
Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date.
Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.
Please note:All places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.
Tuition fee deposits
If you are successful in receiving an offer, you will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit of £2,500 by the deadline stated in your offer letter to confirm your place. We ask for the deposit as competition for places is high and there is limited availability. The deposit amount is then deducted from your tuition fees when you register on the course.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
As businesses face growing scrutiny over their social, environmental and ethical impact, effective governance has never been more important. Study LLM Corporate Governance and gain the legal, practical and theoretical perspectives of corporate power and responsibility, and help shape appropriate business practices.
Taught by specialists in corporate law and governance, you will study key theories about the nature of corporations, the drivers of governance reform, and the evolving role of business in society.
You’ll examine corporate accountability, boardroom dynamics and stakeholder engagement across national, European and global legal frameworks. You’ll also assess how corporate governance standards are converging around the world, and where reform is most needed.
Your learning will be shaped by academics with active research links to global institutions including the United Nations and World Trade Organization, bringing international perspectives and real-world relevance into every seminar.
You can specialise through a wide range of optional units, including international trade, corporate law, securities regulation, financial law, and international economic law.
You'll develop advanced skills in legal reasoning, critical analysis, research design and persuasive argumentation, preparing you for careers in corporate law, regulatory compliance, in-house legal teams and international organisations. You’ll graduate with the knowledge and credibility to operate across borders, advise on high-stakes legal matters, and shape governance from within.
Aims
This course will:
- Provide you with specialist knowledge about the law of conducting business in today's global society.
- Deliver insights into major theories concerning the nature of corporations, and the concerns driving corporate governance law and practices.
- Examine how corporate governance helps organisations set and achieve their goals, both in the UK and internationally.
- Help you explore whether corporate governance is becoming more similar across Europe and the world, and how this could change in the future.
Special features
Leading expertise
Learn from leading legal researchers whose work influences global institutions such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization, bringing international depth and practical insight to your studies.
Real-world impact
Contribute to real-world change through social justice projects focused on issues like wrongful incarceration, access to legal support, and corporate responsibility.
Outstanding support
Build your academic confidence through weekly legal research and methodology workshops held across both semesters, designed to develop your writing, critical thinking, and advanced research skills.
Teaching and learning
The LLM in Corporate Governance is taught by an interdisciplinary team using a variety of delivery methods:
- lectures;
- workshops;
- student-led presentations and debate;
- group work;
- individual research.
Coursework and assessment
Most course units are assessed by standard methods, either:
- one unseen written examination;
- one coursework essay;
- or a combination of these two methods of assessment.
Course unit details
A master’s degree is formed of 180 credits.
On the LLM Corporate Governance, there are two mandatory course units, including a dissertation worth 60 credits. The dissertation is a compulsory research component of around 12,000-words. Your dissertation must be within the area of one of the course units you have chosen. Weekly research-methodology lectures in both semesters support your legal writing and research skills.
You will also choose two optional course units worth 30 credits each, giving you the freedom to tailor your studies to your own interests.
The availability of individual optional course units may be subject to change. Information that is sent to you in August about registration onto the course will clearly state the course units that are available in the academic year ahead.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS70081 | 30 | Mandatory | |
| LAWS70362 | 30 | Mandatory | |
| LAWS70990 | 60 | Mandatory | |
| LAWS50000 | 0 | Optional | |
| LAWS60171 | 30 | Optional | |
| LAWS63071 | 30 | Optional | |
| LAWS70352 | 30 | Optional | |
| LAWS72021 | 30 | Optional | |
| LAWS72042 | 30 | Optional | |
| LAWS77082 | 30 | Optional |
What our students say
Facilities
You will be supported by the first-class resources you would expect of a top law school.
In addition to the networked study spaces at the Williamson Building, you can access a specialist moot courtroom, enabling you to hone your debating skills in a realistic court setting.
There is also The University of Manchester Library , which houses a substantial collection of law books and periodicals, as well as texts to support all the degrees we offer.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
Career opportunities
The University of Manchester is the most targeted university by the UK’s top graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2026, High Fliers Research).
Today's legal landscape calls for graduates with broad legal knowledge, strong analytical skills and the ability to tackle complex challenges.
Our LLM Corporate Governance gives you the specialist knowledge and skills required for a range of careers across the public, private, and third sectors, such as in:
- corporate legal practice in national and international law firms;
- in-house legal teams for multinational corporations;
- financial services and regulatory compliance;
- company secretarial roles and corporate advisory services;
- government departments, regulators, NGOs and policy think tanks.
You will also develop highly transferable skills in legal research, critical analysis, written argumentation and cross-border legal reasoning, opening opportunities across sectors including:
- risk management and consultancy;
- corporate and financial law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate social responsibility and environmental, social, and governance compliance;
- international business and trade;
- academia and further legal research.
Throughout your time at Manchester, you will develop transferable skills including legal analysis, research, critical thinking, case analysis, presentation, teamwork, and communication. You could also progress to a PhD in Law at Manchester or another university.
Careers support
At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability , such as careers fairs, employer presentations, and workshops through the University's dedicated Careers Service . As a student at Manchester, you would have full access to this service during your studies and for two years after you graduate.
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.
