The Legal Cheek View
Arden University started life in the 1990s as one of only a handful of providers offering courses online. Obtaining the ability to award degrees in 2014, Arden now offers more than 80 undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeship courses. Taking on more than 23,000 students each year, Arden delivers both blended and online courses, operating from a number of locations across the UK and Germany.
The opportunity to study remotely is a big draw according to one student we spoke to, “I chose Arden University Law School because, having enjoyed doing my undergraduate degree entirely online, I wanted to continue to have the flexibility of distance learning,” she says. This gives Arden students the opportunity to design their own schedule, our interviewee told us, “I can decide exactly when and how I want to study every day, without having to worry about going to campus for specific times or days.” This can free up students’ time for hobbies and socialising, “I also have time to do the other things I enjoy, such as seeing friends or going to the gym.”
So, what does distance learning look like day-to-day? Our contact inside Arden gave us some insight. “My daily routine when studying with Arden is going to a local coffee shop and spending three hours roughly completing my work, and I do this Monday to Friday. This work schedule gives me plenty of flexibility to live my life around my studies while ensuring I’m always ahead of deadlines.” For those concerned about staying focused while learning online, this student recommends getting out of the house, “I would suggest going to a different environment to do work, such as a cafe or a library, because it can be quite tedious to study at home. I get much more done when I change the scenery.”
Arden’s offering covers a number of undergraduate law courses, including the classic LLB, as well as several specialised BAs. Its BAs, whilst not themselves qualifying law degrees, allow students the opportunity to explore other academic interests. Offering a BA in criminology in law and a BA in business management and law, students can gain an alternative insight into the functioning of the legal system in the UK. Offered online, each of its BAs come with the option to take a foundation course first, for those seeking to top up their school grades. With added flexibility when it comes to studying, students have between three and nine years to complete their chosen BA.
The LLB at Arden comes in two options, the first being the classic three-year programme, and the second with an added option for a foundation year of study. We’re told that Arden seeks to focus on practical employability, so it comes as no surprise that the university’s LLB has a special focus on preparing its students for the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE). According to Arden, its LLB “has been revised to mirror the requirements” of this new route to qualification for aspiring solicitors. Students on the LLB can enjoy the option of a fully online programme, or a blended programme of study which sees students spend 8 hours a week at one of Arden’s campuses in London, Birmingham or Manchester.
Headed up by ex-BPP chief, Carl Lygo, Arden also increased its course offering in 2019 to include a prep course for the SQE. Its SQE prep offering takes the form of an LLM, allowing prospective students to take advantage of government funding. One student revealed that they chose Arden’s course over LLMs offered by other institutions because of how specifically tailored it is to the SQE, “The course specifications for the LLM in Professional Legal Practice at Arden were more appropriate for me as I intend to complete the SQE, which this course prepares me for. Alternate universities did not offer the same level of preparation for the entirety of the SQE.”