Unlock Your Future in Law and Technology
LM/MSc Corporate Law, Computing & Innovation
The Programme provides you with knowledge in areas of law needed in a corporate, banking and finance, and law firm environment, as well as computing fundamentals in software development, data science and business intelligence.
Created in response to demands from industry, and with significant input from major global banking, legal, and consulting firms, the Corporate Law, Computing and Innovation programme at Ulster University provides you with a unique opportunity to learn from seasoned industry experts across disciplines. It presents an exciting, first-of-a-kind partnership between the School of Law and the School of Computing, Engineering, and Intelligent Systems.
The fields of law and technology need transdisciplinary experts who can work within different teams at law firms, tech companies, government, and civil society. As technology becomes a bigger part of our lives, firms look to adopt it, tech companies grapple with existing laws, and lawmakers scramble to regulate it. People who can comfortably sit at the intersection of business, law, and technology are needed and sought after. Those who complete the Course will have opportunities for careers in law and legal practice across industries, consulting, banking, and technology firms.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
The LLM/MSc in Corporate Law, Computing and Innovation is an innovative programme designed to empower students with advanced knowledge and skills at the intersection of commercial law, legal processes, and cutting-edge computing technologies. By blending these disciplines, the programme prepares students for the future of legal practice and business service delivery in an increasingly tech-driven world.
Tailored for both aspiring and experienced professionals in law, business, and computing, this unique LLM/MSc degree offers a pathway to specialisation and enhanced career prospects in the dynamic fields of law and technology. Developed in close consultation with industry experts, the course reflects the real-world demands of employers and the evolving needs of the profession.
What sets this programme apart is its focus on both theoretical and practical learning. Students will delve into the impact of disruptive technologies on the legal landscape while gaining hands-on experience in legal technology through insights and training provided by our industry partners. Graduates of this programme will be equipped with the skills and expertise to excel in this rapidly growing area of professional practice, unlocking exciting opportunities for career advancement.
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Semester 1
Choice of one or two of the following:
COM779 Introduction to Data Science
This module serves as an entry point into the exciting field of data science, specifically tailored for individuals with no prior programming or data science experience. Throughout the course, students will acquire a strong foundation in fundamental concepts and techniques essential to data science. Key areas covered include data collection, processing, analysis, and visualisation. Additionally, students will receive an introduction to the fundamental principles of computer programming within data science. This encompasses understanding syntax, data structures, programming terminology, techniques, libraries, and core concepts. By the end of this module, students will have developed proficiency in core data science techniques, blending theoretical learning with practical exercises using a common data science programming language.
LAW767 Intellectual Property and Data Protection Law
This module considers two interrelated areas of law governing the regulation and control of information: the law of intellectual property and the law of data protection. Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of various aspects of intellectual property law, including copyright, patents, and trademarks. In addition, students will explore the legal framework for the protection of personal data, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); this exploration will encompass both the GDPR's application within the European Union and its integration into UK law post-Brexit. Students will also examine contemporary issues raised by intellectual property and data protection law, including the challenges brought about by globalisation and the digital era, the need to ensure fair access to medicine and healthcare, and the impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
LAW712 Corporate law [cannot be combined with LAW754]
The effective and efficient running of small businesses (and their establishment) requires students to understand a number of concepts, principles and rules of law in such areas as contract, tort, employment, intellectual property and franchising, as well as close familiarity with the nature, structure and key characteristics of the legal system in which such businesses operate. In addition, students will also need to acquire certain skills, such as those of instant recall, critical analysis, argumentation and articulation, and the ability to apply legal concepts and principles to practical problems or to refer such problems to appropriate dispute resolution methods. This module provides the necessary information, knowledge and intellectual equipment to acquire such knowledge and skills.
LAW754 International Commercial Law [cannot be combined with LAW712]
This module will provide a solid basis for acquiring knowledge and understanding and developing analyses of the key concepts, problems and issues in the area of commercial law. The theories, principles and rules of commercial law will be examined with reference to European and international developments. It will examine and evaluate the key features of commercial law from both a theoretical and practical perspective.
Semester 2
Choice of one or two of the following:
LAW770 Innovation in Legal Work
This module will introduce students to the phenomenon of 'LegalTech', or the deployment of technology into legal work and the administration of justice. Students will develop practical understanding of LegalTech and legal, ethical and contextual expertise on LegalTech and broader impacts on the future of legal work.
LAW776 Law and Technology
This module examines the relationship between the law and technology, with a particular focus on a number of important areas including artificial intelligence (AI), green technologies, the regulation of digital platforms, biotechnology and personalised medicine. By studying this module, students will gain an understanding of how the law interacts with emerging technologies and the challenges it faces in regulating them effectively. Students will develop the ability to critique existing and proposed regulatory responses to technological developments, as well as considering potential ways by which the regulation of technology could be improved. Overall, the module aims to equip students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to navigate the intersection of law and technology in contemporary society.
COM735 Business Intelligence and Analysis
This module aims to contextualise the role of Business Intelligence and Business Analytics and why we need them. A particular focus will be on how to turn already stored data into valuable information and why this is important. For instance, vast amounts of data regarding company's customers and operations is routinely collected and stored in large corporate data warehouses. This data can be of immense value if properly analysed. Students will explore techniques and tools for data analysis, and presentation of the results to non-technical and managerial staff, in alignment with business strategies. Business intelligence and analytics however, are open to certain ethical and consent issues along with risks. These will be analysed, reviewed and evaluated.
Semester 3
LAW761 Dissertation Part 1 [only if students are completing the dissertation rather than the computing project)
The dissertation module is designed to enable students to develop and apply the demonstrable research skills in the form of independent research leading to 12,000 words dissertation on a topic of choice in a law-related field. Students would be advised to choose their research topics in areas for which there are supervision expertise within the School of law.
Year 2
Semester 1
Choice of one or two of the following:
COM779 Introduction to Data Science
This module serves as an entry point into the exciting field of data science, specifically tailored for individuals with no prior programming or data science experience. Throughout the course, students will acquire a strong foundation in fundamental concepts and techniques essential to data science. Key areas covered include data collection, processing, analysis, and visualisation. Additionally, students will receive an introduction to the fundamental principles of computer programming within data science. This encompasses understanding syntax, data structures, programming terminology, techniques, libraries, and core concepts. By the end of this module, students will have developed proficiency in core data science techniques, blending theoretical learning with practical exercises using a common data science programming language.
LAW767 Intellectual Property and Data Protection Law
This module considers two interrelated areas of law governing the regulation and control of information: the law of intellectual property and the law of data protection. Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of various aspects of intellectual property law, including copyright, patents, and trademarks. In addition, students will explore the legal framework for the protection of personal data, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); this exploration will encompass both the GDPR's application within the European Union and its integration into UK law post-Brexit. Students will also examine contemporary issues raised by intellectual property and data protection law, including the challenges brought about by globalisation and the digital era, the need to ensure fair access to medicine and healthcare, and the impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
LAW712 Corporate law [cannot be combined with LAW754]
The effective and efficient running of small businesses (and their establishment) requires students to understand a number of concepts, principles and rules of law in such areas as contract, tort, employment, intellectual property and franchising, as well as close familiarity with the nature, structure and key characteristics of the legal system in which such businesses operate. In addition, students will also need to acquire certain skills, such as those of instant recall, critical analysis, argumentation and articulation, and the ability to apply legal concepts and principles to practical problems or to refer such problems to appropriate dispute resolution methods. This module provides the necessary information, knowledge and intellectual equipment to acquire such knowledge and skills.
LAW754 International Commercial Law [cannot be combined with LAW712]
This module will provide a solid basis for acquiring knowledge and understanding and developing analyses of the key concepts, problems and issues in the area of commercial law. The theories, principles and rules of commercial law will be examined with reference to European and international developments. It will examine and evaluate the key features of commercial law from both a theoretical and practical perspective.
Semester 2
Choice of one or two of the following:
LAW770 Innovation in Legal Work
This module will introduce students to the phenomenon of 'LegalTech', or the deployment of technology into legal work and the administration of justice. Students will develop practical understanding of LegalTech and legal, ethical and contextual expertise on LegalTech and broader impacts on the future of legal work.
LAW776 Law and Technology
This module examines the relationship between the law and technology, with a particular focus on a number of important areas including artificial intelligence (AI), green technologies, the regulation of digital platforms, biotechnology and personalised medicine. By studying this module, students will gain an understanding of how the law interacts with emerging technologies and the challenges it faces in regulating them effectively. Students will develop the ability to critique existing and proposed regulatory responses to technological developments, as well as considering potential ways by which the regulation of technology could be improved. Overall, the module aims to equip students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to navigate the intersection of law and technology in contemporary society.
COM735 Business Intelligence and Analysis
This module aims to contextualise the role of Business Intelligence and Business Analytics and why we need them. A particular focus will be on how to turn already stored data into valuable information and why this is important. For instance, vast amounts of data regarding company's customers and operations is routinely collected and stored in large corporate data warehouses. This data can be of immense value if properly analysed. Students will explore techniques and tools for data analysis, and presentation of the results to non-technical and managerial staff, in alignment with business strategies. Business intelligence and analytics however, are open to certain ethical and consent issues along with risks. These will be analysed, reviewed and evaluated.
Semester 3
LAW762 Dissertation Part 2 [requires LAW761]
The dissertation module is designed to enable students to develop and apply the demonstrable research skills in the form of independent research leading to 12,000 words dissertation on a topic of choice in a law-related field. Students would be advised to choose their research topics in areas for which there are supervision expertise within the School of Law.
COM814 Project [cannot be combined with LAW761 or LAW762]
The project allows the student to demonstrate their ability in undertaking an independent project, developing theoretical perspectives, addressing research questions and analysing and implementing real world solutions. The student will be expected to utilise appropriate methodologies and demonstrate the skills gained earlier in the course when implementing the project. This will typically involve a systems analysis of the needs for a realistic application or actual organisation and identification and application of tools/techniques required to deliver a well-formed solution. In summary the masters project represents a piece of work performed by the student under suitable staff supervision, which draws both from the practical and creative nature of a problem-solving project and the traditional, scholarly exposition of an area of study. The content of the work should have a degree of originality and contain a critical appraisal of the subject area.
Attendance at lectures and seminar sessions is compulsory.
Course content is delivered by academic staff from the School of Law and the School of Computing, Engineering, and Intelligent Systems, as well as by industry experts.
A range of teaching and assessment methods will be employed to facilitate learning throughout the course, with Blackboard Learn used for the dissemination of teaching and learning materials.
Assessment is conducted through a mixture of coursework, student presentations, and class tests.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
Academic staff at Ulster University School of Law and the School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems are research active and their teachings are research-led and informed.
The Course is practical, cutting edge and developed with industry input as to areas of focus. We have developed professional links, and the course will be delivered in association with professionals from leading commercial legal and technology firms.
With regard to employability - our aim is to ensure all students have appropriate exposure to the commercial legal world preparing them for the workplace in their chosen field. Work experience will be an integral part of the degree with opportunities for placements with industry experts.
Law staff provide continuing professional development for the legal profession and beyond on a regular basis. This may be in conjunction with the Law Society for NI and all courses provided attract CPD points.
The majority of teaching staff of the School of Law and the School of Computing and Intelligent Systems are members of the Higher Education Academy and many hold relevant professional teaching qualifications. New staff who do not have a formal teaching qualification will undertake the University PgCHEP (Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice).
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
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We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
In this section
Applicants must:
1. have gained:
a. a second class honours degree or better in law, accounting, finance, computer science, software engineering, computing, or a related discipline from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, from the Council for National Academic Awards, the National Council for Educational Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or
b. an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma in law or an approved alternative qualification; or
c. a degree in any discipline with appropriate work/professional experience in the field of law or computing; or
d. a comparable professional qualification; or
e. In exceptional circumstances, where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme;
And
2. Provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
English language requirements for international applicants:
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster University recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
In this section
The course equips graduates with an in-demand interdisciplinary skill set that sets them apart from other graduates, offering expertise in computing and key areas of law relevant to a wide variety of sectors.
Graduates from the course have pursued careers with a diverse range of employers, including -
The LLM/MSc also serves as an excellent foundation for advanced research, including doctoral studies in law or computing.
Students will be informed about a variety of opportunities to apply for competitive internships with industry partners throughout their studies.
Please note that the Advanced Placement module is available only to students enrolled in the full-time version of this course.
The price of your overall programme will be determined by the number of credit points that you initiate in the relevant academic year.
For modules commenced in the academic year 2024/25, the following fees apply:
| Credit Points | NI/ROI/GB Cost | International Cost* |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | £194.45 | £474.70 |
| 10 | £388.90 | £949.40 |
| 15 | £583.35 | £1,424.10 |
| 20 | £777.80 | £1,898.80 |
| 30 | £1,166.70 | £2,848.20 |
| 60 | £2,333.40 | £5,696.40 |
| 120 | £4,666.80 | £11,392.80 |
| 180 | £7000.20 | £17,089.20 |
NB: A standard full-time PGCert is equivalent to 60 credit points per year. A standard full-time PGDip is equivalent to 120 credit points per year.
*International student access to courses is subject to meeting visa requirements. More information can be found in the Visas and Immigration section.
Where the postgraduate course selected offers multiple awards (e.g. PG Cert, PG Dip, Masters), please note that the price displayed is for the complete Masters programme.
Postgraduate certificates and diplomas are charged at a pro-rata basis.
Find out more about postgraduate fees
A number of industry partners sponsor prizes on the programme, including:
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
"The delivery of legal services is evolving quickly, and depends increasingly on the overlapping disciplines of data science. Ulster University’s new 'Corporate Law and Computing' course is an exciting opportunity to acquire the practical knowledge and skills that are much in demand, as legal practices of all types equip themselves with the resources they need to support markets, commerce and society in the new data-centric era."
Stephen Bartlett, EMEA Regional General Counsel & Global Co-Head Markets and Securities Services Legal, Citi
"Allen & Overy is a significant employer of law graduates in Northern Ireland and is supportive of the proposed new LLM/MSc law & technology masters programme. We are increasingly interested in employing graduates with multi-disciplinary skill-sets, particularly those with legal technology and computing backgrounds."
Angela Clist, Partner, Head of Legal Services Centre, Belfast, Allen & Overy LLP
"We would very much be interested in employing candidates that graduated from your programs that had legal / law training paired with computer science. It’s very much a skillset that will be increasingly in demand as we look for individuals who can bridge the data science through to practical legal application."
Nick Thomson, GM, iManage RAVN
"The lawyers of tomorrow will need to be tech-savvy. Pinsent Masons are increasingly committed to employing graduates with multi-disciplinary skillsets. We hope to be in a position to offer competitive prize and ad hoc specialist teaching input to attendees on the new LLM/MSs Corporate Law & Computing from Ulster University. We are excited by this ground-breaking initiative from our partners in the Legal Innovation Centre."
Joanna Robinson, Partner, Pinsent Masons
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
