Thursday, 24 September 2026
Online
Ulster University, in partnership with Legal Island, offers a fully online Postgraduate Certificate in Employment Law & Practice - a practical, accredited course designed for busy legal and HR professionals. Combining academic depth with real-world relevance, this programme equips you to manage workplace challenges with clarity, confidence, and up-to-date legal insight.
Advance your expertise with our fully online Postgraduate Certificate in Northern Ireland Employment Law - designed for legal and HR professionals seeking practical, accredited training. Benefit from:
Candidates should hold a degree, preferably in law or social sciences. This course will be of particular value to those who currently practice in employment law, trade union or HR professions, or intend to do so.
Whether you're looking to advance your career, deepen your expertise, or update your knowledge in line with current legislation, this course offers real value for legal and HR professionals who employ staff or do business in Northern Ireland.
This course provides a structured opportunity to refresh or enhance your understanding of employment law with solid theoretical grounding, complemented by practical, real-world application. You’ll gain clarity on complex issues such as tribunal processes, compliance, dispute resolution, and evolving case law - all delivered by leading experts in the field.
With flexible scheduling and support throughout, it’s ideal for professionals balancing CPD with demanding roles. And with assignments designed to reflect live workplace issues, you’ll build confidence and credibility in managing employment law challenges - making you a more valuable asset to your team, clients, or organisation.
This qualification helps position you as a trusted advisor, whether you’re stepping up in your role or seeking to futureproof your skillset.
This course will be delivered online via Zoom.
Semester 1
Our first term will commence in September 2026. There will be two live presentations weekly throughout the semester, and students will be supplied with pre-recorded presentations that will complement the live sessions.
Semester 2
Our second term commences in January 2027. There will be one live session each week, also supplemented by pre-recorded presentations
Our expert lineup includes top legal minds from NI’s leading firms - including A&L Goodbody, Arthur Cox, Carson McDowell, Lewis Silkin, and Worthingtons - plus insights from senior employment law officials in Northern Ireland, including Employment Judges and Representatives from the Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunals. Add in thought leaders from the Labour Relations Agency, Equality Commission NI, and more, and you’ve got the ultimate insider’s guide to employment law in Northern Ireland.
Whether you are a lawyer, human resources professional, personnel or industrial relations officer, this module will develop a range of skills, which will enable all students to remain fully abreast of the latest legislative and case law developments in employment compliance. It will ensure that all students acquire in-depth knowledge and understanding of how employment compliance issues operate in practice. Students will be provided with assistance enabling them to respond to complex practical, legal and ethical problems. Students will be encouraged to critically analyse the law and important legal issues they face in practice.
The importance of the employment relationship between employers, employees, unions and other statutory bodies and agencies is such that a thorough knowledge of both the context and the substantive law is necessary for those involved in this area in any capacity. The module attempts to provide the basis for this knowledge and to put students in the position where they may not only have an understanding of the law both conceptually and substantively, but also be in a position to use that knowledge in the solution of problems.
This module will provide students with an overview of the basic legal principles relating to the practice and procedure of industrial and fair employment tribunals. This will include an overview of jurisdiction, the initiation of proceedings, defending such proceedings, interlocutory processes and tribunal procedure, avoiding tribunal litigation and other matters relating to the tribunal process that commonly arise in practice.