To apply for a common professionals examination course students must fill out an application at the individual university or through the Central Application Board (CAB) website. The CAB places students in programs at any university in the United Kingdom that offers CPE or CDL programs. Students must have graduated from an institution in the UK or Ireland to complete a CPE or CDL with the aim of becoming a solicitor. To complete a GEP or CDL with the aim of becoming a barrister, students must have a first honors degree from a UK or Irish institution.
These courses last from one year full-time to two years part-time with day and evening classes. The first two weeks of the course serve as an introduction. Content consists of seven main lesson modules covering criminal law, contract obligations, tort obligations, land law, equity and trusts, UK public law and European private and public law. Graduation is contingent upon examination in each of these fields and a dissertation on a subject of the student's choice.
The University of Birmingham, the University of Westminster, London Metropolitan University and Kingston University London are some of the 50 schools in the United Kingdom that offer common professionals examination programs. Program structure, start dates and examinations vary by institution. Students should examine the particulars of individual programs to determine which ones fit their scheduling and instructional needs.
Graduating from a law conversion degree program is not equivalent to a law degree, but does allow students to enter law degree programs. Students with CPE and GDL backgrounds go on to take Legal Practice Courses or the Bar Vocational Courses and train in solicitor firms or intern in barrister chambers. Employers in the legal field favor students with a diverse background outside of law, giving students with law conversion degrees a benefit in the professional realm.