OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law

A postgraduate-level qualification covering international trade law, commercial trust law, intellectual property, financial crimes, company law, and legal research methods, equipping learners for global business law careers.

Course Features

The OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law is a regulated, postgraduate-level qualification comprising six mandatory units totalling 120 credits and 600 Guided Learning Hours, designed for full-time, part-time, and distance learners.

6 mandatory units totalling 120 credits
1200 hours Total Qualification Time (TQT) and 600 Guided Learning Hours (GLH)
Approved and regulated by Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation)
Qualification Number: 603/7722/7
Internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM
Designed for full-time, part-time, and distance learning delivery

About This Course

The OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law is designed to enable learners to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of various branches of law relevant to international business. It develops an analytical and critical approach to the application of UK and international legal principles and equips learners to understand the appropriateness of dealing with certain aspects of commercial behaviour within the law. The qualification is pitched at the same level as a master's degree on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), making it a powerful credential for legal and business professionals worldwide.

Ofqual-regulated qualification on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)
Equivalent level to a master's degree (120 credits at Level 7)
Covers six core disciplines of international business law in depth
Flexible delivery: full-time, part-time, and distance/online learning
Recognised by multiple UK universities for Master's top-up progression
Develops both professional legal competence and advanced research skills

What You'll Learn

By the end of the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law, learners will have achieved the following official learning outcomes as specified by OTHM.

Understand a range of subjects in international business law
Develop an understanding of legal frameworks that govern international business transactions within industry
Demonstrate an understanding of commercial trust law, company law, international trade law, intellectual property law, and law of financial crimes
Develop research skills and have the ability to write on key areas in law
Apply an analytical and critical approach to UK and international legal principles
Understand the appropriateness of dealing with certain aspects of behaviour within the law

Who Should Attend

The OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law is designed for professionals and graduates seeking to advance their knowledge and careers in the legal and international business sectors. It is particularly suitable for those who wish to specialise in the legal dimensions of global business operations.

Graduates holding an honours degree in law or a related subject seeking postgraduate-level specialisation
Legal professionals aiming to deepen their expertise in international business law
Business managers and executives who require advanced understanding of international legal frameworks
Professionals working in compliance, finance, intellectual property, or trade who need legal knowledge
Mature learners with relevant management or legal experience wishing to formalise their expertise
Individuals seeking entry into or progression within a relevant Master's or LLM programme

Entry Requirements

Admission to the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law is governed by official entry requirements set by OTHM. All applicants must be at least 21 years of age at the start of the programme.

An honours degree in a related subject or a relevant UK Level 6 diploma or an equivalent overseas qualification
Mature learners with appropriate relevant experience (applicants must confirm eligibility with the delivery centre prior to registration)
Learners whose first language is not English and who are not from a majority English-speaking country must provide evidence of English language competency in line with OTHM's English Language Expectations

Curriculum

International competition policy: prohibiting agreements restricting free trade, anti-competitive practices, cartel regulation, and merger supervision
Environmental regulations and strategic environmental protection for organisations trading globally
Market imperfections and distortions: monopoly, oligopoly, increasing returns to scale, externalities, and public goods
Rules and principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): non-discrimination, tariff protection, fair competition, anti-dumping, quantitative restrictions, regional trading arrangements, and dispute settlement
World Trade Organisation (WTO): functions, trade policy review mechanisms, multilateral and bilateral agreements, dispute settlement, and universal economic policy
Contract for sales of goods and products: constituting elements, international sales contracts, buyer and seller duties, remedies, and risks
International Sales of Goods Contracts and the Vienna Convention (CISG): principles compared with the domestic Sale of Goods Act
UK, EU and international directives on consumer goods and associated guarantees
Implications of making international contracts online
Exchange rates, regulatory and legal issues for organisations trading internationally
Finance mechanisms of international trade: letters of credit, bills of exchange, and related instruments
The political economy of trade and instruments of trade policy

Modern trust drafting and principles and nature of equity
Trust, tax, and estate planning
Types of trust: bare trusts, interest in possession trusts, discretionary trusts, accumulation trusts, mixed trusts, settlor-interested trusts, and non-resident trusts
Beneficiaries' rights: right to trust documents, trustee identity, trust deed, deeds of appointment, and trust accounts
Trustee duties: avoiding conflicts of interest, impartiality between beneficiaries, compliance with trust terms, asset control, accounting, tax returns, and professional advice
Commercial uses of trusts and the interaction between contract law and trusts law
Trusts implied by law: resulting and constructive trusts
Contract law terms, their interpretations, and equitable remedies
Trustee contract of appointment, liabilities, breach, and exclusion of liability provisions
Pension trusts and trusts and bonds
Powers, duties, and rights of trustees in commercial versus family trust settings
Comparative trusts: nature of a trust in commercial and family settings
Commercial expectations of a trust creditor and the law relating to trust creditors in other jurisdictions, including US law
Trust assets, creditors' rights, and corporate trustees

Definition of intellectual property and subject matters of intellectual property rights
Types of intellectual property and their associated laws
Impacts of intellectual property on public interest
Issues relating to breach of confidential information in intellectual property
Underlying principles of copyright and trademark law
Trademark definition and frameworks in the UK and internationally; Trademark Law Treaty and Community Trademark System
Limits, enforcement, and infringement of copyright and trademark
Application for intellectual property protection
EU approach to intellectual property law and its impact on the UK; future relationship between EU and UK intellectual copyright law
Patents and utility models for inventions, industrial designs, trademarks, and geographical indications
Patent scope, rights, types, registration, and applicable laws
Registered versus unregistered design right systems: UK national registered design right and unregistered design right
Justifications for intellectual property and law of industrial designs
Sanctions and civil and criminal remedies for breach or misuse of intellectual property
Legal and administrative modes for dealing with infringement of industrial property rights
Timeline and stages of patent prosecution and remedies in an international context

Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, Fraud Act 2006, and Theft Act 1968: nature and general offences of financial crimes
Civil offences, insider dealing, and market abuse under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
Role of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Corporate scandals, LIBOR manipulation, mis-selling, and misuse of the corporate form
Case studies: Northern Rock, Tesco, HBOS
Whistleblowing and reporting mechanisms
Money laundering regulations: purpose, methods, placement, layering, and integration
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002: offences and provisions; Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA)
International dimensions of money laundering regulations and societal consequences
White-collar crime: historic development, statutory law, and the role of criminal law in prosecution
Civil remedies in white-collar crime; cybercrime; specialist juries; whistleblowing; risks; organisational responsibilities
Defences available in white-collar crime and areas requiring further development
EC Market Abuse Directive: controlling market manipulation and abusive practices
Financial Action Task Force and international conventions on money laundering, terrorist financing, and corruption
Reporting requirements and their impact on global financial crime
Civil recovery, foreign exchange scandal, cybercrime, and international initiatives for the future

Characteristics of sole traders, partnerships, and public and private limited companies
Functions and regulatory frameworks of UK and EU company law
Theories and policy issues of the company and corporate objective
The corporate veil: judicial and statutory lifting of the corporate veil
Articles of association: amendment, entrenchment, and enforcement
Directors' duties: legal nature, roles, powers, and liabilities of directors towards the company
Consequences of breach of directors' duties; directors' responsibilities to creditors in financial distress
Mechanisms for disqualification of directors
Derivative actions and minority shareholder remedies
Rights of shareholders in public and private limited companies: voting rights, classification of shares, and variation of rights
Minority shareholder protection
Role of the auditor and corporate governance
Winding up and dissolution: process, powers and duties of the liquidator, priority of creditors
Differences between administration and liquidation; role of licensed insolvency practitioners

Doctrinal research: researching law, case law, statutes, and other legal sources using the blackletter approach
Issues and criteria for conducting legal research; ethical dimensions of socio-legal approaches
Socio-legal studies: exploring decision-making of magistrates and juries
Choosing a relevant legal research project topic; creating SMART research aims and objectives with justification
Developing a detailed research plan: terms of reference, rationale, key milestones, project goals, and schedule
Conducting a critical literature review: identifying, comparing, contrasting, and evaluating existing scholarly knowledge
Independently locating and evaluating legal and non-legal sources within legal databases and resources
Research methodologies applicable to legal research: survey, questionnaire, observations, qualitative and quantitative methods
Data collection and analysis: primary and secondary sources, reliability and validity, sufficiency of data
Research project report format: title, acknowledgements, contents, introduction, literature review summary, research methods, findings, recommendations, references, bibliography, and appendices
Referencing using the Harvard system and use of bibliography systems to assure quality of data handling
Reflection on own research skills and knowledge: SWOT analysis; legal and ethical considerations of data management, copyright, reciprocity, trust, and conflict of interest

Assessments

All units within the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law are internally assessed by the approved centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualification is criterion-referenced, based on the achievement of all specified learning outcomes. Assessment judgements are made by the centre assessor, who must provide an audit trail evidencing how each learner's overall achievement has been determined.

Portfolio of Evidence submitted for each of the six mandatory units
Each unit assessment requires approximately 4000 words of written evidence (except Legal Research Methods, which is submitted as a Research Project)
Learners must fulfil all learning outcomes and meet all assessment criteria to achieve a Pass for each unit
External verification of all assessed work carried out by OTHM

Progression

Successful completion of the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law enables learners to progress both professionally and academically. As an Ofqual-regulated qualification at Level 7 on the RQF, it is recognised by numerous UK and overseas universities for advanced entry, allowing learners to top up to a full Master's or LLM degree by completing only the dissertation stage.

Progress to a Master of Laws (LLM) top-up at UK and overseas universities, typically requiring only the dissertation (60 credits) for the full award
Advance into or within employment in international business law, compliance, corporate law, or related fields
Pursue roles such as Legal Counsel, Compliance Officer, Corporate Solicitor, or International Trade Lawyer
Use the qualification as a foundation for doctoral-level legal research and study

Application Form

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An adviser will review your eligibility for OTHM Level 7 Diploma in International Business Law and reply within 1–2 working days.

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