Legal Studies

Legal Studies is a Joint degree which allows students to combine Legal Studies with a wide range of other subjects and is an attractive degree for students who wish to combine a study of the Law with another subject.

Why Aberdeen?

Law is concerned with the legal rules by which society is regulated, and the legal system(s) in which these rules operate. It is often seen as a purely vocational subject for those who wish to become lawyers, but law is interesting in its own right: a society’s laws and legal system are a product of historical, social, political and economic forces and, accordingly, the study of law gives an insight into the nature of society itself. The study of law also fosters important academic qualities including clear, careful and independent thought. Taking Legal Studies at Aberdeen allows you to study a range of law subjects alongside students taking the LLB (Honours) degree. Note that the MA in Legal Studies does not qualify students to enter the legal profession in Scotland (or England).

• Excellent academic reputation
• Law School ranked 11th in the UK out of 95 Law Schools The Times Good University Guide 2012
• High student satisfaction - 95% in National Student Survey 2011
• Choice of 14 degree programmes
• Nearly 40 Honours options
• Student-led Law Clinic
• Student Law Review
• Opportunities to study in continental Europe
• Ranked highest UK Law School for graduate prospects (93%), The Times Good University Guide 2012

Programmes

Study Abroad

Study abroad information

The opportunity to take Enhanced Study options as part of your degree and participate in co-curricular activities. See www.abdn.ac.uk/thedifference for more information.

Legal Studies is half of a Joint Honours degree. Courses are available from first to fourth year. Students can tailor their selection of courses to match the other half of their degree, taking courses mainly in the areas of e.g. Commercial Law, Government and Law, European and International Law, Criminology and Criminal Justice. Subjects range from Criminal Law or Civil Liberties and Human Rights in first year, through European Union Law or Business Law in second year, to Criminology or European Institutions Law or Environmental Law or Tax Law or Scottish Legal History in third and fourth year.

Teaching and Assessment

Most non-Honours law subjects are taught by a combination of hour-long lectures and tutorials. Each subject generally has two to four lectures per week and three to five tutorial cycles. Lectures are designed to give students a basic grounding in the subject matter of the particular course. Lecture classes are generally large. In contrast, tutorial groups are small (in most first-year courses, generally no more than 10 per group) and student-centred. Tutorials allow selected aspects of a course to be examined in more depth; they also encourage the development of transferable skills. Honours law subjects are generally taught in weekly or fortnightly seminars (normally with no more than 16 students). Seminars, like tutorials, are student-centred, and allow selected aspects of a subject to be studied in greater depth than is possible at non-Honours level.

Careers

An increasing number of Law students (currently over 40%) do not intend to qualify as legal practitioners after graduation. Instead, both they and Legal Studies students find that the intellectual qualities and broad education fostered by a legal education equip them well for employment in such areas as chartered accountancy, journalism, management, the civil service, the police force, marketing, administration and postgraduate research.

Finding your direction

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success.  The Careers Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us – from first to final year – and beyond.

• More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen.
• More information on the Careers Service.
• More information on careers prospects and employability with a degree in Legal Studies.

Entrance Requirements

SQA Highers - BBBB
A Levels - BBB
IB - 30 points, 15 points at HL
ILC - BBBB

For further details of entrance requirements click here

Please click on the links below to find out more information on funding in your area.

• Scotland and EU (Excluding England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• Rest of UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• International
• Scholarships

Related Links

• Scholarships
• Entrance Scholarships
• Funding Database
• England Wales and Northern Ireland Finance Guide