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Professional Diploma in Employment Law

The relationship between employer and employee has been transformed over the last forty years. Stay up to date with the key concepts.

Almost every facet of the employment relationship from its formation to its termination, is now regulated to some extent by statute, much of the content of which derives from European law. There is also a wide range of State-provided dispute resolution machinery which includes the Labour Court, the Labour Relations Commission, the Equality Tribunal and the Employment Appeals Tribunal as well as the ordinary civil courts.

This diploma is not just for lawyers but also for human resource and industrial relations practitioners and trade union officials. You will be a practising barrister or solicitor, a barrister or solicitor working in personnel management or employed by trade unions or employer associations or a graduate holding an approved university law degree or law-based inter disciplinary university degree or equivalent. We will also consider applications from the holders of academic and/or professional qualifications and/or such experience as would satisfy the School that they are able to participate fully in the course.

Duration 1 academic year part-time
Starting September
Fees 2016/17 EU - €3640 Non-EU €7000

This is a level 9 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Applications for admission to the Programme are invited from practising barristers or solicitors, barristers or solicitors working in personnel management or employed by trade unions or employer associations and graduates holding an approved university law degree or law-based inter disciplinary university degree or equivalent. Applications will also be considered from the holders of academic and/or professional qualifications and/or proof of such experience as satisfy the School of Law that they are able to participate fully in the course.

What is the Application Procedure?

Applicants should take careful note of the following:

  • The on-line Applications for the Diploma are now open. Go to www.ucd.ie/apply to make an application. Remember to keep a note of your login and password as you will need to return to the application.
  • Official references must be submitted as proof of work experience by all applicants.
  • Official Transcripts must be submitted as proof of examination results, where relevant, except in the case of UCD students. Students of UCD applying for the Diploma do not need to supply Transcripts but should submit relevant professional references.
  • The personal statement is an important component of the application. It should contain information demonstrating your capability to undertake the course successfully. Thus, you should detail your relevant professional and practical experience.
  • Applicants must nominate two academic referees unless the applicant has been in employment for more than two years, in which case one of the named referees must be an employer. Applicants are required to submit the name, position held, postal address, email address and contact number for the two academic referees.
Further Information

Letter Of Recommendation

To obtain further information and application details please contact:

Justine McCann

Graduate Programme Administrator
T: +353 1 716 4109 
E: (opens in a new window)lawdiplomas@ucd.ie

The programme will provide you with a detailed knowledge of all aspects of the law relating to employment both individual and collective.

The syllabus is designed to provide participants with a detailed knowledge of all aspects of the law relating to employment both individual and collective. It includes the formation of a contract of employment, employment rights and duties, dismissal, employment equality, industrial action, workplace privacy, bullying, stress at work and freedom of association.

The Diploma in Employment Law is taught by means of lectures over the course of 21 weeks(Sept-April). Lectures are held once a week on Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

This 30 credit Course consists of a series of 10 lectures in Semester One together with a Distinguished Guest Lecture (Employment Law I) and a series of a further 10 lectures in Semester Two together with a workshop on Dispute Resolution Machinery (Employment Law II). Students will be required to complete a dissertation by the end of each semester for which 10 credits will be applied to each. There will also be a two-hour end of year examination to which a further 10 credits will be applied. The examination, which is of two hours duration, will be held in May.

The venue of the lecture is the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4. Please note that traffic restrictions will require participants travelling by car to access the UCD campus by the Owenstown Road Gate (off Foster’s Avenue) only.

The syllabus is designed to provide participants with a detailed knowledge of all aspects of the law relating to employment both individual and collective. It includes the formation of a contract of employment, employment rights and duties, dismissal, employment equality, industrial action, workplace privacy, bullying, stress at work and freedom of association.

Full Year

  • Diploma in Employment Law

We have an excellent Careers Development Centre here at UCD, designed to help you with information regarding future employment or studies. UCD hold a number of graduate events throughout the year including a dedicated law fair at which at which many of the big Law firms will be in attendance. The School of Law has a dedicated careers advisor on it’s Academic staff, Dr. Oonagh Breen, and a staff member from the careers office will be in attendance at the School of law on a number of occasions throughout the academic year. To see the full range of services offered by the careers office go to http://www.ucd.ie/careers/

UCD Sutherland School of Law

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.