SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Structure

All students take a total of 4 units per year.

First year courses are all compulsory. You must pass all 4 units to proceed to the second year and to gain exemption from the professional bodies. In the second year students take two compulsory courses and and any two subjects from the second year optional list. In their third Year students select any four subjects, chosen from the subjects listed as second–year options plus year three options.
In addition a third year student may be permitted to take either or both an LLB course not offered at SOAS which is offered at one of the other University of London Law Schools (King's College, London School of Economics, Queen Mary, University College and Birkbeck College) and/or a course offered in another SOAS department.

Note: not all of the optional subjects will be available in any one year. In some years, the number of optional subjects may, for various reasons, be substantially reduced. Additional subjects may be available from time to time: if this is the case, students will be notified as early as possible.

These options are subject to various conditions, including the availability of places on the course in question and the approval of the Head of the School of Law (for more detail see Regulation 7.2 of the LLB Regulations in the School Undergraduate Hand-book). Please note in particular that third-year students wishing to take any course designated as ‘introductory’ must obtain the consent of the Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching).

Year One

• Legal systems of Asia and Africa - 155200029 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Introduction to law and legal processes - 155200049 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law of obligations - I - 155200004 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Criminal law - 155200034 (1 Unit) - Full Year

All courses are Core. Students who pass only three courses will transfer to BA Law Year 2.

Year Two

• Public law - 155200005 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law of obligations II - 155200014 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Year Two Options

• Chinese law - 155200055 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• European human rights law/EU law - 155200051 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Islamic law - 155200037 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law and society in Africa - 155200033 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law and society in South Asia - 155200032 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law of property - 155200019 (1 Unit) - Full Year

OR an Open Option Course

Students must pass all their four courses to progress to LLB Year 3. Students who pass only three courses transfer to BA Law Year 3.

Year Three Options

• Advanced Administrative Law - (1 Unit)
• Commercial Law - (1 Unit)
• Company law - 155200053 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Environmental Law - (1 Unit)
• Equity and Offshore - 155200057 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Family law - 155200006 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Intellectual Property Law - (1 Unit)
• Labour Law - 155200056 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law and development - 155200030 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law of Islamic Finance - (1 Unit)
• Public international law - 155200025 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Independent study project on a selected legal topic - 155200041 (1 Unit) - Full Year

The following courses may be taken in year 3 unless previously taken in year 2:

• Chinese law - 155200055 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• European human rights law/EU law - 155200051 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Islamic law - 155200037 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law and society in Africa - 155200033 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law and society in South Asia - 155200032 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Law of property - 155200019 (1 Unit) - Full Year

OR up to one Open Option course at intermediate or advanced level

To be awarded BA Law with Honours, students must pass eleven courses including nine in Law. To be awarded LLB with Honours, students must pass twelve courses including ten in Law.

Programme Specification

• Programme Specification 2011/2012 (pdf; 57kb)

Teaching & Learning

Teaching & Learning

Course Information

Most law units are taught through a mixture of lectures and seminars or tutorials; on average one 2-hour lecture a week and 1 tutorial every two weeks. Where a course has relatively low numbers, it is likely that it will run entirely on a seminar basis. However, given the relatively small size of the total student intake, all courses will involve a degree of student participation. Students are expected to prepare for classes and to contribute to classes.

All law courses are examined by a 3-hour written examination at the end of the academic year. In addition, students are expected to submit coursework during the year, and 20% of student assessment is based on coursework.

Third year students can choose to write an Independent Study project on a selected legal topic instead of sitting an exam in a taught course.

Special Features

The Departmental emphasis on Asian and African legal systems means that the SOAS LLB is unique in the comparative and international nature of much of its teaching, even in core English law subjects. All students undertake some study of African and Asian laws and are strongly encouraged to take specialised courses in the laws of selected geographical areas or countries in Africa and Asia as well as to study legal issues in a trans-national context. The growth of environmental law expertise in the Department means that the Department is now one of the major international centres for the study of environmental and sustainable developmental law .

Although the Department has expanded considerably in the last decade, numbers remain relatively small.

Destinations

The wide-ranging courses at SOAS provide an excellent preparation for a variety of careers. Many of our graduates go on to become solicitors and we have a co-operation agreement with the College of Law which guarantees places in the Legal practice course for SOAS graduates of a satisfactory standard. Our graduates have been consistently successful in the competition for articles. Some choose large commercial firms in the City where they have often found that the level of legal/linguistic expertise acquired at SOAS has led them to postings overseas. Others have preferred smaller firms with a substantial legal aid practice where they can become involved with social issues covered in their studies such as access to justice and ethnic minorities and the law. SOAS law graduates can also be found at the Bar; working overseas or in central or local government; teaching or in the Crown Prosecution service. Since many employers place a high value on the unique combination of rigor and feasibility that legal training engenders, graduates are well placed to embark on careers in academia, journalism, management, consultancy, banking, development programmes and so on. Exemption from the academic stage of legal training The SOAS LLB is normally recognised by the Law Society and the Bar for the purpose of completion of legal training. Those bodies may have requirements for recognition over and above the School's criteria for the award of the degree. It is the responsibility of students intending to seek exemption from the academic stage of legal training to satisfy themselves that their qualifications will meet the requirements of the professional bodies.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

How to apply

How to apply

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts

Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section