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Study skills support

Welcome to our study skills hub. We hope the information on these pages will support you with your current learning and your transition to university study. It's important to remember that learning how to study effectively is an individual, and gradual process. The advice and guidance outlined here is designed to help you understand the study skills techniques available so you can get to know which work best for you!

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Academic Writing Month

November is AcWriMo – Academic Writing Month! An annual event aimed at helping you set and achieve your writing goals, with Leeds Beckett Library on hand to help.

No matter what level of study you’re at you may find yourself writing in styles that you may be unfamiliar with. For first years first assignments can seem daunting – it can feel a long time since you last wrote an essay or you may be asked to write a report or critical evaluation and not sure where to start.

If you’re a second year you may be required to keep a reflective journal to document professional development whilst out on work placement and if you’re in your final year or studying at postgraduate level you will be embarking on your dissertations and final projects.

So November is a busy writing month for everybody, but the Library is on hand to help! Our academic skills team offers help with writing your first essay, using the library to find resources and referencing correctly according to the university style guide. We provide online materials on the Skills for Learning website and Little Books on Essay Writing and Effective Writing which are available to download and in the libraries or campus shops. The workshop programme also features sessions on Essay Writing, Report Writing, and Writing Dissertations.

We also offer support for second and third year students on writing dissertation proposals, and even offer individual meetings with academic librarians and tutors to help find appropriate materials for your final year project.

If you're a PhD student why not come along to our next Research Cafe on 13 November 13:00-14:30 in LSB104 to discuss different approaches to writing, blogging and writing for networking as well the usual opportunity to share and discuss your work. Book via MyHub and bring your own lunch - tea/coffee will be provided.

There are also lots of resources on our Library Catalogue so AcWriMo is definitely the time to either start, develop or refine your writing skills depending upon your level of study and make the most of the help on offer to ensure your academic success.

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Academic English courses and workshops

We provide free English language workshops and one-to-one consultations that you can take alongside your degree.

If you want to develop your confidence in using academic language, we run workshops and advice appointments that can help you to do this.

Independent English language learning support is also available at the  Language Zone , which has free resources and activities to help you develop your language skills.

Undergraduate and Masters students

Skills@Library offer free workshops to all taught students, which you can attend alongside your degree. 

If you use English as a foreign or second language, the following workshops will help you to revise key language points and develop your confidence in writing clearly and successfully: 

Structuring Sentences for Academic Writing

Structuring Paragraphs for Academic Writing

Key grammar for writing clearly in English

Developing your vocabulary in English

Other workshops in the Skills@Library programme we would recommend are:

Writing skills for taught Masters

Planning your essay

Writing academically

Report writing

Critical thinking

Reading and note making

Structuring your essay

Developing an argument

Writing a literature review for your research project 

Revising and editing your work

Reflective writing

See the full list of Skills@Library workshops and webinars and book your place

Academic English support available from your School

Your School may offer workshops and academic English support specific to your area of study.

Find out about workshops and learning opportunities you can access from your School

Help in person

You can request an appointment with a Learning Advisor who will work with you to develop your academic skills and strategies on a range of topics including academic writing, critical thinking and finding information.  

Book an appointment

You can also improve your writing in our Writing Space , which is an informal space to work on assessments and develop strategies for improving your academic writing. Our friendly student academic writing mentors can help you to get started on your written assignments. No need to book – just turn up.

Language Zone

The Language Zone is our dedicated study space and resource centre for language learning. You’ll find learning materials in English and other languages, as well as workshops and activities to help you practise and improve your skills. 

Find out about the Language Zone

Online resources

In addition to workshops, we have online materials that can help you with skills like writing essays and reports.

Access resources on the Skills@Library website

Discovery theme modules (undergraduate students only)

If you're an undergraduate student whose first language is not English (and you have not previously studied in an English-speaking country), you can choose to study one of the following modules to develop your skills:

English for Academic Study

English for Communication

English through Interpersonal Communication

Language through Literature and Place: Reading Yorkshire

Using Writing

You'll find these modules under the subject 'English Language Unit'. Find out more about Discovery theme modules

Postgraduate researchers

During your first year of study (pre-transfer and ideally in the first six months), you are able to study optional courses to help with your academic English language development. We offer Core Language Skills courses and workshops, and one-to-one writing consultations.

Core Language Skills workshops

These are one-off, two-hour sessions.

Grammar review A

Grammar review B (to be completed after Grammar review A)

Writing purposefully

Working with words

Becoming a doctoral researcher 

Reading critically to write critically

Reading to improve writing

What is proofreading?

Speaking about your research

Book your place on a course or workshop

Core Language Skills courses

These are six-week courses consisting of a weekly one-hour class and fortnightly individual writing consultations.

Academic Writing Skills course Level 1 

Academic Writing Skills course 2 (Science)

Academic Writing Skills course 2 (Arts)

All courses and workshops are repeated throughout the year. 

One-to-one appointments

You can request an appointment with an academic writing tutor to discuss a writing issue. 

Book an individual advice appointment

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“Academic language … is no one’s mother tongue” (Bourdieu and Passeron, 1994, p.8).

In this section, you will find tips and guidance on how to process complex ideas and develop your academic voice at Masters level. It also includes information on how to express your voice in an effective manner - one that is structured, concise and precise.

Dealing with complexity

As a Masters student, you will have to deal with a large amount of academic literature and many sources of information. It can be challenging to process a large volume of complex information and, at the same time, develop a coherent and cohesive argument of your own. You may feel like you need to read more before you can start writing. This is perfectly normal at Masters level, where the complexity of the issues you are exploring means that it is necessary to accept that there is often no one, clear, solution.

A useful way to combine thinking and writing about a topic, is by setting boundaries for your assignments. It is also important to determine what is achievable within your word limit. Your ability to measure this should improve as you become more familiar with your subject.

Students will often change their thoughts about a topic during the process of writing. This is perfectly common at Masters level. Factoring in enough time for such changes when planning for your assignment is key to avoid last-minute panic. Don’t forget, as well as your knowledge and understanding of the topic, you are being assessed on your ability to deal with complexity, and to accept ambiguity, when developing your arguments.

• Accept ambiguity - a topic may be approached from a number of different, but equally valid, perspectives by different authors
• Develop your own line of argument through research and reading on a topic
• Set boundaries for your assignments, taking into account timescales and word limits

Developing your voice

'Your voice' at Masters level is demonstrated by your ability to present a clear line of argument based on appropriate evidence. Your tutor will not instruct you to argue specific points, and there is no “correct” answer. In certain science and data-related disciplines, while there will be correct answers to certain equations, your tutor will often be interested in seeing how you arrived at your answers. You will be expected to read a wide range of material, both texts recommended by your tutors and texts which you have identified yourself, to develop an evidence-based perspective.

Your academic voice is established through your interpretation and creative application of sources in the construction of your arguments. These arguments may be based upon a combination of academic literature, data and laboratory or fieldwork findings. You will develop confidence in your academic voice as you research and read about a topic. At Masters level, it is common to devise your own assignment questions. This will generally involve identifying an area of investigation, agreeing it with your tutor, and then pursuing it independently.

Your academic voice will develop and become more refined as you progress through your Masters degree, culminating in your final project, when you will have the opportunity to undertake comprehensive academic research independently.

Video - Leeds academics discuss what they think 'your voice' means for a Masters student. View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only). Click to download a full transcript of this video.

• Accept ambiguity - a topic may be approached from a number of different, but equally valid, perspectives by different authors, and remember, there is no single 'correct' answer to a question
• Compare and contrast a wide range of sources when approaching a topic
• Note down questions that arise during your reading, and explore which of them could be developed into assignment questions, or even the topic of your research project

Structuring your argument

Given the intensity of the workload and the complexity of academic information, it is crucial that you plan and approach assignments in a structured way. Your line of argument needs to be based on targeted research and reading, and should have a clear and logical structure, so that the readers can follow its development easily. Remember, clarity in your planning and thinking process will likely translate into well-structured writing.

The key stages of planning and structuring an argument are:

• Break down your question into keywords/phrases and ensure that you research every key element
• Based on your initial research, plan an outline of how you will answer the question and develop your argument
• Read actively, make notes and cross-check between different sources to make connections
• After more in-depth research and reading, think of the different points that would support your argument and organise them into paragraphs
• Consider points that counter your argument and note how you would respond to them

Through the development of your argument, you will be expected to synthesise sources. Synthesis involves bringing together various viewpoints into a coherent and cohesive argument. In this way, you can demonstrate a high level of criticality and show that you have evaluated the information, rather than accepting it at face value. You may want to go back to the Thinking Critically section of this resource for more tips on how to evaluate and to show your critical engagement with the sources.

Video - Leeds academics discuss the importance of constructing a well-structured argument in academic writing at Masters level. View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only). Click to download a full transcript of this video.

• Ensure that you construct an argument based on relevant evidence, rather than merely demonstrating everything you know about a topic
• Signpost the development of your argument. Check the links between paragraphs are clear and logical
• Do not separate reading from writing. Make notes and build your paragraphs as you read
• Leave plenty time to draft and re-draft your work

It is common to become very interested in particular ideas during your Masters study and research. Sometimes, this can take up too much of your time, which may negatively impact on your workload balance. Be aware of this potential risk and find a balance between pursuing specific ideas and being realistic with what you can achieve at Masters level. Remember, there is always time after your Masters to pursue your areas of interest (perhaps through doctoral study here at Leeds)!

Academic writing tips

When writing at Masters level, students often feel the need to use complicated language in order to come across as “more academic”. Doing so often dilutes the central argument. Effective academic writing should be clear and concise. Note, for example, the difference between the two extracts below:

“Due to the fact that access to internet resources is actually at the present time very easy to get hold of in many places, the vast majority of users seek to have those kinds of devices that are most easy to carry around with them wherever they go” (48 words).

“Now that internet access is available in most places, users often prefer to use portable devices” (16 words)

The second extract concisely presents the findings of the first, in a third of the word count. While conciseness increases the effectiveness of academic writing, it is also important to be precise. For example, although the sentence below is grammatically sound, it is academically poor:

“The policy has been discussed by many theorists over the years.”

There are three items in the above sentence that are not clear: which policy, who are the theorists under discussion, and since when.

Here is a better example:

“The Advance HE wellbeing agenda (2017) has been scrutinized by Allen (2017) and Furedi (2017).”

This sentence is concise, precise and well referenced. Demonstrating an effective academic voice at Masters level does not require the use of over-complicated sentences. Instead, shorter and simpler sentences can often convey better understanding.

• Use clear, precise and simple language whenever possible
• Avoid using vague expressions, for example, “Many thinkers discuss this”. Instead, be specific
• Choose appropriate reporting verbs, adjectives and hedging language to articulate your evaluation of sources
• Familiarise yourself with our advice on academic writing and attend relevant Skills@Library workshops to develop areas that you are unsure about, for example, essay structuring or academic language

Video - Leeds students share their experience of academic writing at Masters level and how they have developed their academic voice and confidence. View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only). Click to download a full transcript of this video.

Personal statement tips

The personal statement is an important part of your UCAS application.

It helps admissions staff at the University decide whether to make you an offer. Some courses have many more applicants than places and there may be many students with good grades applying for the same course as you. 

What is it?

Your personal statement is a short written piece about you. It gives evidence of your skills, knowledge and experience. It’s your chance to tell us why you want to study a particular course and why you would make a great student. Read about:

How to write a UCAS undergraduate personal statement (UCAS website)

Top tips for writing the perfect personal statement (The Complete University Guide)

Maximum length

47 lines or 4,000 characters maximum – whichever comes first.

What to include

Your personal statement is your chance to stand out from the crowd. It is unique and individual to you, but some things to include are:

• Enthusiasm and motivation – your passion for the course should be clear and relate to you and your experiences (eg projects, field trips or experiences at school that sparked your interest in your subject). 
• Understanding of the subject – you need to show you have some knowledge and understanding, even if you have not studied the subject at high school or college. If you have done some reading about the subject, outside of school, mention this.
• Academic prizes or scholarships – this will help you stand out and show evidence of your potential.
• Career aspirations – even if you do not have clear career plans yet, you can show you have thought about your future career and how your chosen degree could help you achieve this.
• Relevant work experience/voluntary activities – explain what skills you have gained from the experience, including skills that would be useful in your university studies. 
• Non-academic interests – your hobbies (such as sports, baking or reading) show your personality and can be a chance to demonstrate different skills.
• What you will contribute to the university community – we want to know what you can bring to Leeds, as well as what you want to get out of university life.

International and EU students

If you are a non-UK student, you should also mention:

• Why you want to study in the UK.
• Why you want to be an international student, rather than study in your own country.

What to avoid

• Plagiarism (copying) – all statements will be checked for plagiarism. Your statement must be your own work so do not use templates. If you have applied before, check your personal statement is completely up to date and relevant to your current application.
• Skills without examples – show how you have developed the skills you think you will need, don't just list them.
• Listing subject knowledge – explain how your knowledge has helped you build career aspirations, choose your degree, or prepare for coming to university.
• Repeating qualifications – don't repeat information covered elsewhere on the application. This uses up valuable space in your personal statement.
• Short personal statement – make the most of the space you have. A short statement suggests you lack of passion or commitment to the course you are applying for.

Our top tips

• Write your personal statement in MS Word (or similar) first, so you can check your spelling and grammar before you add it into your application.
• Get someone else, like your tutor, family or friends, to read your statement to check for any errors and make suggestions before you submit it. You may need a few drafts before you are happy with the final version.
• If English is not your first language, you could mention any opportunities you have had to use English (eg an English-speaking school or work with a company that uses English).
• Use plain, clear English. Be careful with humour, quotes or anything unusual. The admissions tutor might not have the same sense of humour as you!
• Don’t exaggerate. If you get an interview, you might be asked for more detail about what you have written.
• Check the faculty or school website of your chosen course for guidance on your personal statement - especially important if you are applying for a course in medicine or dentistry. For example, see Leeds University Business School's 8 ways to perfect your UK university application .
• Check UCAS application deadlines  to make sure you apply before the closing date. For courses in medicine and dentistry, this is earlier than many other courses.

Related links

• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
• School of English
• Undergraduate

Your personal statement

As part of your application to Leeds, you'll be asked to submit a personal statement of around 4,000 characters. This is a great opportunity to show that you have the passion, drive, and imagination to study with us.

Follow these tips to find out what makes a great personal statement - you can find more information about how to apply on the course page for your chosen degree.

Be thorough

Read up on the content of your chosen course and use it to inform your application. Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation very carefully.

If you're applying for a course which covers more than one subject area think about how those subjects interact with and complement each other; your course will constantly draw connections between them, so your application should demonstrate your ability to do the same.

Be specific

Passion for your subject is vital for studying at university level, and your application should reflect this. But don't forget to include specific detail about why that subject excites and challenges you.

You could tell us about a book or stage production you've encountered recently. What did you find interesting about them, and what themes or devices have you identified?

Evidence your abilities

Try to demonstrate your skills and abilities in English. Showcase your analytical skills in relation to texts and art forms you’ve explored beyond your A-Level studies.

We'd like to hear how you've engaged with your chosen subject so far through essays, productions, or other projects. But remember, you should keep information about extra-curricular activities to a minimum unless they relate directly to your subject.

Keep it simple 

A full, detailed and well-written statement will stand out in all the right ways. While we value creativity, you should prioritise showing us evidence of your critical thinking about the subject(s) you want to study, whether that's literature, language, creative writing, or theatre.

Aimen Mahmood BA English Literature

I have not disliked one moment of my degree, and most of the credit goes to the incredible teaching staff; the quality of teaching here is unparalleled. I have never met people who are more passionate about their careers and about imparting knowledge. Their passion becomes my passion every time.

International Baccalaureate extended essay students can benefit from a new online course

Students on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme can now benefit from a free online course aiming to support learners writing their IB extended essay.

The new course – The IB Extended Essay: Managing your Research Project – is an innovative collaboration between the University of Leeds, IBO and Europe’s leading online social learning platform, FutureLearn. The two week course supports students through all stages of writing their extended essay; from choosing a topic and framing a research question to structuring and writing the essay itself.

Working for two hours each week, learners will improve their critical thinking and time management skills for the successful delivery of their extended essay.

The course runs continually on FutureLearn and with the next run starting on 1 April. To find out more and register, visit the course here .

Nigel Smith, MD of courses and learning at FutureLearn, said: “The extended essay is mandatory for all students of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and plays an important role in developing skills invaluable for further study and beyond.

“Finding sources, time and project management, critical thinking and writing effectively are all covered in the University of Leeds and International Baccalaureate course on FutureLearn, which provides an excellent grounding for IB students undertaking their research project.   We’re proud to be involved in such an innovative collaboration and something that offers real value to students at an important juncture in their academic lives.”

Carol Elston, Head of Digital Education Service at the University of Leeds, said: “We are delighted to have worked with the International Baccalaureate Organization to create a high quality online course that will guide International Baccalaureate students through all the necessary steps for the successful completion of their Extended Essay”.

Further information

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/ib-extended-essay

About the IB

  The International Baccalaureate (IB) celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. Pioneering a movement of international education in 1968, the non-profit foundation now offers four high quality and challenging educational programmes to students aged 3-19 years old. Through a unique curriculum with high academic standards, we champion critical thinking and a flexibility for learning by crossing disciplinary, cultural and national boundaries. The IB currently engages with more than 1.4 million students in over 4,786 schools across 153 countries.

About University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK, with more than 38,000 students from more than 150 different countries, and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The University plays a significant role in the Turing, Rosalind Franklin and Royce Institutes.

We are a top ten university for research and impact power in the UK, according to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, and are in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2019.

The University was awarded a Gold rating by the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework in 2017, recognising its ‘consistently outstanding’ teaching and learning provision. Twenty-six of our academics have been awarded National Teaching Fellowships – more than any other institution in England, Northern Ireland and Wales – reflecting the excellence of our teaching.   www.leeds.ac.uk

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Intellectual Property Law LLM

Year of entry 2024, sign up for masters updates.

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Course overview

This course offers a detailed insight into law, management and policy relating to patents, copyright, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights.

Providing both international and comparative perspectives, you’ll cover traditional intellectual property issues such as industrial property, artistic works and brands, and also emerging areas of policy including the digital economy and biotechnology.

The course reflects the growing importance of international developments in intellectual property and confronts growing controversies. These include the relationships between intellectual property and human rights norms, access to knowledge, new technologies and economic development.

Throughout the course we’ll encourage you to:

explore the international norms and institutions relating to intellectual property such as the World Trade Organisation’s TRIPS Agreement

consider the wider social and economic implications of intellectual property for health, culture, education, technology, innovation, and economic development

Research insight

You’ll benefit from the expertise of leading academics in a stimulating research environment. Our research groups include:

Centre for Innovation and Research in Legal Education (CIRLE)

Centre for Business Law and Practice (CBLP)

Centre for Criminal Justice Studies (CCJS)

Centre for Law & Social Justice (LSJ)

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Course details

Compulsory modules will give you the opportunity to:

study the key principles and features, rules and court decisions concerning patents, copyright and trademarks

examine the key cases that have shaped intellectual property rights law in the major legal jurisdictions

discover other rights such as designs and geographical indications

learn how businesses acquire and deploy intellectual property rights

They will also enable you to hone your legal research and writing skills, which you’ll be able to demonstrate in your dissertation – an independent piece of research on your chosen topic.

The wide-ranging list of optional modules means that you can explore a mixture of related subjects of interest to you.

Our School-based Skills Team will help you to develop the key academic skills necessary to thrive on your course. Through one-to-one appointments, we offer individual skills development advice for your module assessments, dissertation and wider studies. Moreover, our workshop series offers training in key skills areas including critical thinking, researching, planning, time management and editing. These skills will help you both during your studies and in the workplace.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Intellectual Property Law LLM in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

You will also choose 60 credits from the below:

Learning and teaching

At Leeds we use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies and develop the specialist skills that will become indispensable in your career.

These include a range of weekly seminars, lectures, online learning and workshops.

You’ll need to prepare for your seminars and lectures, undertaking any exercises that might be prescribed in advance. Independent study is integral to this course – not just to prepare for classes but to develop research and other critical skills.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment is undertaken by a variety of methods but typically involves the writing of an essay at the end of each module. We assess the dissertation through your submission of a written piece of work of up to 10,000 words.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in law. Applicants with good degrees in other subjects will be considered.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.

Please note that meeting the entry requirements of this course doesn't guarantee an offer of a place.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications .

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read  Language for Law (6 weeks) and Language for Social Sciences and Arts: Law (10 weeks) .

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals.  Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional .

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses .

How to apply

Application deadlines

International – Friday 28 June 2024

UK – Friday 16 August 2024

If you intend to apply for funding, you should submit an application for a place on your chosen course at least one month before any specific scholarship deadline.

The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Documents and information you will need include:

• original or certified copies of your transcripts
• original or certified copies of your degree certificate
• original or certified copy of your IELTS/TOEFL results (if English is not your first language).

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students . We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025

This course is taught by

School of Law

School of Law Postgraduate Admissions Office

Email: [email protected] Telephone:

UK: £13,000 (Total)

International: £26,500 (Total)

Read more about paying fees and charges .

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees .

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page .

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview .

The School of Law usually offers a number of scholarships each year.

Find out more on the School’s scholarships page .

Career opportunities

From day one, we encourage you to think beyond your time at Leeds and reflect on a meaningful career.

This course, which is also accessible to non-lawyers, provides essential knowledge and skills should you wish to embark upon a career in the legal professions, and in knowledge-intensive commercial sectors. These include the technology and creative industries as well as their representative organisations.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in a range of sectors and professions ranging from academia, law firms, charities and intellectual property specialists.

The degree will also attract employers in other occupations where an in-depth understanding of intellectual property is considered economically or strategically important. These include government services as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations.

Careers support

The School of Law offers career and personal development support through the School’s dedicated Employability Officers. You can book one-to-one appointments with our Employability Officers throughout the year to discuss your career aspirations and get advice on how to make the most of your time at Leeds.

The School also arranges a number of  community engagement  (pro bono) and work experience opportunities, career development workshops, guest speaker events and careers fairs throughout the year. These opportunities will allow you to develop new skills, enhance your career prospects and network with prospective employers.

Find out more about how we support your career development.

In addition to the School-specific careers support, you will also have access to the University’s award-winning Careers Centre. It offers one-to-one appointments, advice on starting your own business, careers events, mentoring schemes and support with your CV, applications and interviews.

Find out more about the Careers Service

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