Every year large numbers of our graduates save up to $70,000 by being admitted to the PCLL route to legal practice without needing to take the many extra conversion exams required of graduates of other English law courses.^

Some save even more money, with a number of CPE graduates successfully securing highly prized government-funded places on the PCLL—so saving another $140,000 in course fees. On average, 75%+ of applicants completing the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong  Law and LLB (Hons) Hong Kong are successfully admitted to full-time and part-time PCLL programmes (e.g., in 2020, the figure was 78%), far more than on any other English law programme.

You'll also benefit from our Quick Transfer study option, which students have used to move to Manchester, as well as multiple routes to legal practice in England and other common-law jurisdictions.

With thousands of alumni in Hong Kong, no other law programme of this kind offers the same kind of advantages in following such a wide range of career paths in both Hong Kong and around the world. That’s why, for nearly three decades, the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law has been Hong Kong's most popular part-time route towards legal practice.

HKU SPACE looks forward to welcoming you into the ranks of our successful alumni at our next Graduation Ceremony (Please visit our YouTube page for some exclusive videos and interviews with our graduates at the recent November 2023 Ceremony).

^ Based on cost of entry fees and preparation courses for 6 PCLL Conversion exams. PCLL admission requirements and conversion exam exemptions are subject to change.
*  Face-to-face and live online offered for lectures by HK-based teachers. Different arrangements may apply for tutorials and UK-based lectures. Examinations are face-to-face. 

Enrolling on the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law (CPE) will give you access to an unbeatable tuition package of more than 200 hours of lectures, tutorials, study skills sessions and revision classes, all designed to maximise your chances of getting the best possible grades.

All this is supplemented by 24/7 access to two online study portals  - at no extra charge.

• Admiralty Learning Centre
• United Learning Centre
  To allow more space for students, larger classes may be relayed between adjacent classrooms.
• HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College (HPSHCC) Campus
• Online Virtual Classroom
  Many classes by Hong Kong lecturers are offered both face to face and online at no extra charge. Students free to choose which mode suits them best, giving them more flexibility in how they study than on most other similar courses.

This is an exempted course under the Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance. It is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recognise any qualification to which this course may lead.

Teaching  is closely tailored to meet the requirements for entry to both the PCLL and English legal training courses:

Modules are assessed by exams or coursework, with shorter assessments for most half modules. Exams are held at various points in the academic year, with most exams in May/June followed by resit examinations in August.

Although academic standards are high, previous students have achieved outstanding results thanks to our excellent teaching record:

Year 1:   86% pass rate
Year 2:  97% pass rate
(2020 exam results for students who enrolled and were assessed in the same academic year.)

Unlike most other English law courses, this three-year programme covers all the law subjects currently required for entry to the PCLL.

Year 1 classes begin in September with an introduction to English Legal System and a short test (which students must pass to continue to the other subjects). This is followed by a comprehensive package of lectures, tutorials and study skills sessions in the modules listed above, all taught at HKU SPACE in partnership with  Manchester Metropolitan University.

For most of the academic year, students will generally be required to attend 2-3 classes per week.

Students will be given extensive assistance in preparing for the exams through a comprehensive programme of revision classes, which are usually taught by lecturers affiliated with Manchester Metropolitan University.

Students are normally expected to attend at least 70% of all classes each year. However this requirement only applies to average attendance across the whole academic year and can be met by attending either online classes, face-to-face classes or a mixture of both online and face-to-face classes. Exceptions to the attendance requirement can be considered with supporting evidence.

^ Face-to-face and live online offered for HK-based lectures. UK-based lectures normally live online. Different arrangements apply for tutorials

With a 30-year history in Hong Kong, this programme has a long and proven track record of successfully preparing our graduates to continue on through the LLB (Hons) Hong Kong to enter the P.C.LL. and legal practice in Hong Kong. In recent years large numbers of graduates of both the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law and LLB (Hons)(Hong Kong) of Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) have successfully secured places on P.C.LL. courses at The University of Hong Kong (both full-time and part-time) and other universities, including some highly-prized government-funded places. Since our graduates have, for many years, been exempted from taking many extra conversion exams required of graduates of most other English law courses, they have enjoyed a much smoother pathway towards the PCLL. For more information on the PCLL Conversion Exams which graduates of most non-Hong Kong law courses are required to take, please click here. Entry to the PCLL is competitive and admission criteria are subject to change. For more information, please click here.

As an English law qualification, the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law that is jointly run with MMU also gives you a recognised pathway towards legal practice in England & Wales. The programme provides an excellent starting point for continuing on towards the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) for qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales. You can also progress directly to the Bar Training Course (BTC) for intending barristers at Manchester Metropolitan University and many other English universities. (You need at least a 2nd class degree, IELTS test result of 7.5 or above and meet the requirements of the Bar Standards Board). After completing the BTC, students can be called to the Bar in England & Wales and use the title of Barrister when not providing legal services. However you will also need to complete pupillage before you can qualify to practice and provide legal services.

While the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law is widely prized as a unique fast track to legal practice, every year we also receive hundreds of applications from students seeking to advance their career prospects in business, compliance and many other industries where legal knowledge is an integral part of job duties. The Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law provides a fast track to advanced legal studies as it allows you to proceed directly to a wide range of LLM programmes (if you have a second class degree or above), including those offered by The University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong and the part-time University of London external programme.

HK$200 Free

• HK$54,900 course fee, £999 MMU reg. fee and $300 admin. processing fee (2024/25, Year 1)

Due to the extremely large number of applications for this very popular course, priority is given to early applicants. This means that applicants, especially those with lower CGPA scores, stand a better chance of admission if they apply early.*

Successful applicants are chosen largely on the basis of their academic results and you should normally hold, or expect to be awarded in the same academic year, a undergraduate degree or an acceptable degree equivalent. If you do not have a university undergraduate degree or equivalent, you are normally also eligible to apply for the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law as a mature student as soon as you complete (or are in the final year of completing) HKU SPACE's Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies. Pease fill in Application Form AF01 if you hold a degree or have studied on HKU SPACE's Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies.

Applicants with lower CGPA scores are recommended to provide further evidence of other academic achievements in order to reduce their chances of being rejected. This may include evidence of successful studies on the Certificate in Legal Studies, which is a common route for students with lower CGPA scores to gain admission.

Students without a degree should normally complete HKU SPACE's Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies before applying for admission. However, in a small number of cases, mature applicants aged 25 or above may be considered for admission, even if they do not hold a degree and have not completed HKU SPACE's  Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies. If you want to be considered  under this exceptional category, you will need to show considerable experience in your business or professional career, a good standard of general education, good knowledge of written and spoken English and fill in the separate Application Form AF02 for other Mature Applicants.

Students who have previously completed this programme are not eligible for admission for a second time.

* While priority is given to early applicants, they are not guaranteed admission.

Application Form CPE Application Form AF01

Successful candidates are chosen largely on the basis of their academic results and you should normally hold, or expect to be awarded in the same academic year, a degree, acceptable degree equivalent or HKU SPACE's  Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies. Studies on the Certificate in Legal Studies are taken into account, and may provide evidence of academic achievement for students with lower CGPA scores in their undergraduate degree. 

Applications can be conveniently made by email. Simply download and complete Application Form AF01 and email it to mmulaw@hkuspace.hku.hk together with clearly readable copies all the required documents (which must include your undergraduate degree certificate  and all pages of your degree transcript, including the grading scheme). If possible, please combine the application form together with all required documents into one PDF file to facilitate faster consideration of your application.

Or you can submit Application Form AF01 by post (together with clearly readable copies of all the required documents) to: HKU SPACE, 3/F Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong [Ref: LW013 GDEHKL Application].

If your application  is successful, you may be required to show HKU SPACE original copies of the documents you submitted before your place is confirmed.

You can also apply in person at any enrolment counter in HKU SPACE Learning Centres (please check the latest opening hours at http://www.hkuspace.hku.hk). For applications in person, please bring Application  Form AF01 together with both the originals and copies of all required documents with you (this will avoid you being asked for the originals later).

Students on HKU SPACE's Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies do not need to submit documentary evidence of their studies on this course but should still submit their full degree transcript and certificate if they have one.

Students without a university degree should normally complete HKU SPACE's Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies before applying for the Graduate Diploma in English and Hong Kong Law. However, in a small number of exceptional cases, mature applicants aged 25 or above may be considered for admission, even if they do not hold a university degree and have not completed HKU SPACE's  Advanced Diploma in Legal Studies. If you want to be considered for admission under this exceptional category, you will need to show considerable experience in your business or professional career, a good standard of general education, good knowledge of written and spoken English. and fill in the separate Application Form AF02 for other Mature Applicants.

Students who have previously completed this programme are not eligible for admission for a second time.

Financial Assistance

Students may apply for the Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (ENLS) administered by the Student Finance Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency. The maximum financial assistance provided under ENLS is equivalent to the total tuition fee(s) payable to HKU SPACE in the current academic year.  For details, visit the ENLS websiteor contact SFO at 2150 6223

If your application is successful, you may have various choices as to how to pay the  Year 1 course fee of HK$54,900 and HK$300 Administrative Processing  Fee (Applicants will pay this fee together with the course fee.). You have the options of:

​1. Cash or EPS or WECHAT PAY or Alipay

Course fees can be paid by cash or EPS or WeChat Pay or Alipay at any HKU SPACE Enrolment Centres.

2. Crossed Cheque or Bank Draft

Course fees can also be paid by crossed cheque or bank draft made payable to "HKU SPACE". Please specify the programme title(s) for application, student's name, and student card number (if applicable).

3. VISA/MasterCard

Applicants may also pay the course fees by VISA or MasterCard, including "HKU SPACE MasterCard", at any HKU SPACE enrolment centres. Holders of HKU SPACE MasterCard can enjoy a 10-month interest-free instalment period for courses with a tuition fee worth a minimum of HK$2,000;  however, the course applicant must also be the cardholder himself/herself. For enquiries, please contact our staff at any of the enrolment centres.

It is a friendly and supportive law school, dedicated to providing you with outstanding opportunities to develop practical legal skills and to reach your individual aspirations and potential. Highly experienced professionals teach the postgraduate and professional programmes, from practising solicitors and barristers to judges, renowned research academics and legal scholars. This ensures that your teaching is professionally relevant and informed by the latest practical developments in legal education and training.