How long is the LLM in Banking and Finance Law?

The LLM in Banking and Finance Law runs one year full-time or two years part-time, with online and distance routes available. All variants deliver the same LLM in Banking and Finance Law dissertation and seminar programme.

Can I take the LLM in Banking and Finance Law online?

Yes. The LLM in Banking and Finance Law is available on-campus in central London, by live online seminar, and by distance. All three modes share the LSLPE tutor and dissertation supervision model.

Is the LLM recognised in the UK?

The LLM in Banking and Finance Law is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree aligned with the applied senior competencies referenced by the SRA and the practitioner tradition of the City. It is valued by City firms and in-house counsel teams.

What are the entry requirements?

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or international equivalent, IELTS 6.5, one academic and one professional reference, and a 500-word proposal. Portfolio applicants with senior finance experience are also considered.

What are fees and funding options for the LLM in Banking and Finance Law?

Fees are published on the LSLPE admissions page. Instalment plans, employer sponsorship, City firm bursary schemes and international scholarships are available on request.

LLM in Banking and Finance Law | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The LLM in Banking and Finance Law is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree running one year full-time or two years part-time, with online and distance routes available. The syllabus is aligned with the applied competencies referenced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment and the practitioner tradition of City firms working on the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority regulatory perimeter.

By graduation you will have drafted core provisions of a loan agreement to Loan Market Association standards, analysed a live regulatory perimeter question, negotiated a security package, argued a mooted enforcement action, and produced a dissertation supervised by a practising banking solicitor or an academic active in financial regulation research.

Key Features

Syllabus aligned with SRA senior competencies and the CISI practitioner tradition.
Live drafting of LMA-style loan documentation and security packages.
Practitioner briefings from senior City finance partners and Bank of England alumni.
Comparative study of English, EU and US finance law and regulatory regimes.
Weekly case-room seminars run on live regulatory and enforcement matters.
Three parallel study modes: on-campus, live online or distance.
Dissertation of 12,000 to 15,000 words on a chosen banking or finance question.

What You Will Learn

Draft and negotiate core provisions of an LMA-style facility agreement.
Structure a security package across English and cross-border collateral.
Analyse the regulatory perimeter operated by the FCA, PRA and Bank of England.
Advise on the capital and conduct requirements applicable to a UK bank.
Evaluate the impact of the resolution and recovery regime on a stressed financial institution.
Run a due diligence exercise for an acquisition-finance transaction.
Assess derivatives documentation, ISDA architecture and close-out netting.
Produce a dissertation of research-informed senior practice standard.

Who This Course Is For

Junior banking solicitors moving into senior associate roles.
In-house counsel at UK banks, asset managers and fintech firms.
Compliance and regulatory analysts wanting a formal Level 7 anchor.
International lawyers seeking a UK finance law specialism.
Corporate finance professionals stepping into legal advisory work.

Career Pathways

Senior Associate at a City finance practice.
In-house Counsel at a UK bank or asset manager.
Compliance Officer at a regulated financial institution.
Regulatory Adviser working on FCA and PRA files.
Corporate Counsel in a fintech scaleup.
Legal Researcher at a policy or think tank focusing on financial regulation.
Legal Adviser in a treasury or central bank policy team.
Contract Lawyer for cross-border finance documentation.

The LSLPE careers service maintains introductions to City firms, in-house teams and regulator legal panels for LLM students.

Entry Requirements

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in law or a cognate discipline.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with five or more years of senior professional experience in banking, finance or compliance are considered on portfolio.
One academic and one professional reference.
A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement on a banking law question.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE sits within a short tube ride of the Square Mile, the Bank of England, the FCA at Stratford and the leading City law firms. That geography anchors the LLM in Banking and Finance Law in the working documentation and regulatory practice of live UK finance rather than in theory alone.

Every intake joins the same weekly case-room seminar with a named programme tutor, and the careers service refreshes curriculum alignment annually against the SRA senior competencies and the CISI practitioner tradition so LLM graduates step into City work with a current, employable specialism.

Apply for LLM in Banking and Finance Law

The LLM in Banking and Finance Law is the senior specialism for lawyers working on the regulatory perimeter of UK banking. Enrol on an LSLPE Master's programme, dissertation, capstone or sponsor project supervised by practising barristers, policy advisers and City economists. Enrol Now.