The College of Law is to offer a new combined Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Master of Laws (LLM) course from 2013, replacing its existing LPC qualification with an LLM LPC.

In the first qualification of its kind, students will be able to specialise in either international or national legal practice, choosing between the award of LLM in International Legal Practice LPC or an LLM in Legal Practice LPC. The cost and duration of the new qualification will remain the same, the College said.

Students will choose from 18 professional electives, including eight international electives which will examine the legal principles, structure and mechanics underpinning cross-border transactions.

Those completing three international electives will be awarded the LLM in International Legal Practice LPC, with LLM in Legal Practice LPC students needing to demonstrate specialism in general commercial or legal aid practice.

In addition to the core skills and electives, students must complete an extended assignment to qualify for an LLM.

The College of Law's LPC currently has 4,750 full time places and 2,000 part-time places across its eight centres places validated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Sarah Hutchinson (pictured), board member for business development at The College of Law, said the qualification would "boost [students'] employability both in the UK and internationally, as an LLM is recognised globally as the leading qualification in legal services".

"Increasingly, many employers are expecting their graduate intake to be educated to masters level and our graduates will have a recognised and transferable qualification beyond the LPC."

UCL law professor Richard Moorhead: "From the point of view of the students it is a positive development but a minor one. The likelihood is that the College of Law is offering this to make it more competitive against schools which offer both the LLM and the LPC."

"Whether it makes them more employable or not remains to be seen," he added.

The College of Law is the largest provider of professional legal education and training in Europe with centres in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Manchester and York. It first launched its LLM programme in professional legal practice in 2008. It is the preferred training provider for 30 law firms, including Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance and Linklaters.