Key information

Duration
3 Years
Start of programme
September
Attendance mode
Full-time
Location
Russell Square: College Buildings
Course code
UGSF0049
Entry requirements

BA Law is not open for direct applications

Course overview

The SOAS Law degree equips its students for international and transnational work, whether in legal practice or in other areas of law, and aims to encourage a generation of highly skilled, civic minded and critically engaged law graduates.

Why study BA Law at SOAS?

  • We are ranked in the UK top 20 (QS World University Rankings 2023)
  • Our research publications have been rated first in the UK - and our School of Law rated sixth in the UK - in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
  • SOAS is unique as the only higher education institution in the UK specialising in the study of Asian, Middle East and North African (MENA) and Sub-Saharan African regions

Structure

Students take 120 credits per year composed of core and optional modules, which allows for students to design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.

Students may take a maximum of 60 Law related credits and a minimum of 30 Law related credits a year on this programme.

In Year 1 students are introduced to the core elements and principles of the English legal system, and provided with the key analytical skills necessary for undertaking a demanding law degree program.

In second, third and fourth years’ our students will be even more fully immersed in the distinctively SOAS program. Our students can choose from a wide array of optional courses that draw on the unique research expertise of our staff. The emphasis we place on choice, and research-led teaching, will allow our students to pursue a number of distinct specialisms as their degree progresses, but whichever path they choose to focus on the courses they study will all be imbued with that distinctive SOAS dimension, that stresses critical engagement and understanding of the role of law in the world at large.

Important notice

The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. 

Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules .

Year 1

NB: LLB Law students will transfer to the BA Law programme if they fail to meet the progression criteria of the LLB. They may rejoin (and be awarded) the LLB if they subsequently meet those requirements.

Year 2

NB: LLB Law students will transfer to the BA Law programme if they fail to meet the progression criteria of the LLB. They may rejoin (and be awarded) the LLB if they subsequently meet those requirements.

AND

Guided Option

Choose a module(s) from List of Modules below to the value of 30 credits

OR

Open Options

Choose related Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

Year 3

Choose a module(s) from List of Modules below to the value of 30 credits

OR

Open Options

Choose related Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

OR

Choose a module(s) at another University of London (UoL) if not taught at SOAS to the value of 30 credits

AND

Choose a module(s) from List of Modules below to the value of 90 credits

UoL Options

Up to one 30-credit level 5 or level 6 LLB module in Law taught at another University of London Law School - King’s College, LSE, QMUL, UCL and Birkbeck - subject to approval and provided that a similar module is not taught at SOAS.

Teaching and learning

Modules are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, usually two hours lecture and one hour tutorial a week. Sometimes, one follows the other in a three-hour bloc. Sometimes, the tutorial is at a different time or on a different day than the lecture.

Tutorials are sessions in which students are expected to present reports and take a lead in discussions.

Depending on the size of the class, some intermediate and final year level modules are less strictly divided between a formal lecture and a tutorial discussion, and instead, the topic is briefly introduced by the lecturer, followed by a seminar discussion.

Contact hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the Department of Law, many undergraduate modules have a weekly two hour lecture or seminar. Some modules may also had an additional hour of smaller group classes weekly or fortnightly.

More information is on the page for each module.

Learning resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

Our Law graduates leave SOAS as civic minded and critically engaged individuals who can effectively contribute to their communities and societies. With a thorough understanding of the legal dimensions underlying many of our global challenges today, our Law students are valued by employers due to their analytical skills, specialist knowledge, and global perspective.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • Allen & Overy
  • PwC LLP
  • Baker McKenzie
  • BLM Law
  • BloombergNEF
  • British Medical Association
  • Clifford Chance
  • DAC Beachcroft LLP
  • Department for Work and Pensions
  • EY
  • HM Treasury
  • Latham & Watkins
  • Linklaters
  • Legal Cheek
  • Simpson Millar Solicitors
  • The Economist
  • Travers Smith
  • United Nations
  • Vodafone
  • World Cancer Research Fund

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