College of Law's degree awarding powers renewed

The law school giant’s degree awarding powers were due to terminate next year, in spite of its announcement to launch its first undergraduate law degree in September 2012 (read more).

The renewal, following an audit by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, will give CoL the power to continue to award degrees until around 2018.

CoL chief executive Nigel Savage said: “This endorsement by the QAA comes as we prepare for the latest chapter in the college’s development, the introduction of an undergraduate law degree, which we are confident will go from strength to strength when it is launched next year.”

The CoL also awards the LLB qualification to postgraduate students who complete both the Graduate Diploma in Law and either the Legal Practice Course of Bar Professional Training Course.

The news arrives following further private institutions assaulting the undergraduate legal market, with BPP Law School rolling out its sixth LLB centre in Leeds (read more).

Elsewhere, UK’s newest private university has announced plans to offer a law degree costing £18,000 per year (read more). The New College of the Humanities, which is being backed by 14 celebrated academics, is set to be launched in September 2012, which will coincide with the launch of CoL’s £18,000 two-year degree