Contract Law (722M3B)

15 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Spring teaching

This module explores the legal rules and principles related to the creation, enforcement and voiding of contracts.

You'll consider:

• how offers and acceptances create agreements
• the idea of "consideration"—what each side gives or promises in a deal
• the fairness rule of "promissory estoppel," which stops people from breaking certain promises
• different parts of a contract, like hidden terms or clauses that limit responsibility
• what happens when contracts are broken, including damages and other solutions
• issues that can make a contract invalid, like lying (misrepresentation), pressure (duress), or unfair influence
• when agreements become legally binding in England and Wales and how "consideration" fits into this process
• how common law (rules from court decisions) works with fairness principles to shape contract law.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.