BA (Hons) Law

Our BA Law paves the way for countless career opportunities. Find out about our BA Law degree entry requirements and explore our range of courses.

Key facts

  • Award BA (Hons)
  • Start date September 2024
  • Duration 48 months or 36 months
  • Mode of study full time, part time
  • Delivery on campus
  • UCAS Code M110
  • Study abroad opportunities

Overview

At the University of Stirling, our innovative Law courses give you an opportunity to study a range of subjects that reflect the importance of law in every area of society. We offer two BA (Hons) courses – in Law and Business Law – which can help you develop your career in the modern legal market, such as legal analyst roles or jobs in a host of business settings.

Throughout your course, you'll be taught by leading academics who helped write the textbooks you're studying. At Stirling, their expertise comes to you first-hand, and you'll be part of a close-knit legal department dedicated to providing a rich, enjoyable student experience. From the Scots Law of Contract and Criminal Law to International Human Rights and Private International Law, you'll gain a firm grounding in essential subjects and enjoy the freedom to specialise in areas that interest you most. You can also broaden your career possibilities by combining Law with other complementary courses that include Politics, Spanish, French, Business Studies, Criminology, History and Human Resource Management.

In addition, we make sure you graduate with the communication, organisational and personal skills prospective employers are looking for – qualities that you can refine further by spending a semester studying abroad or undertaking a work placement. Our graduates are working in many exciting roles from using legal skills and knowledge in management roles in companies to developing the rule of law in an international context, highlighting the diverse opportunities a BA in Law from the University of Stirling open up.

Top reasons to study with us

Entry requirements

Year 1 entry – Four-year honours

SQA Highers
AABB – by the end of S5
AAAB – by the end of S6

GCE A-levels
BBB

IB Diploma
30

BTEC (Level 3)
DDM

Widening access students
Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.

Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other Scottish qualifications

Scottish HNC/HND
Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.

Access courses
University of Stirling access course - for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.

SWAP Access course - for mature students only.

Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.

Foundation Apprenticeships
Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B

Other qualifications

English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND
Merits and Distinctions

English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses
Access to Higher Education - 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.

International entry requirements

Advanced entry

Year 2 entry
Entry into Year 2 may be possible depending on your HNC/HND course. To find out more go to our articulation pages.

Other qualifications
Advanced entry may be possible depending on your qualifications. For more information, contact our Admissions Team at admissions@stir.ac.uk.

Other routes of entry

If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore INTO University of Stirling to see the Foundation and International Year 2 routes available.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

  • IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
  • Pearson Test of English (Academic) 56 overall with a minimum of 51 in each sub-skill.
  • IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.

See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.

Pre-sessional English language courses

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.

Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses

Course details

BA (Hons) Law

This degree provides a broad university education in law in a wide range of areas, such as crime, the family, business, and government.

You may pursue a Bachelor's degree, General degree or Honours degree in Law.

Semesters 1–4

You are introduced to the fundamentals of law in Scotland.

Semesters 5–8

You will select advanced modules from a range of specialist legal topics. These are shared with the LLB.

 

Modules

The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the current academic year (). Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.

Course details

Teaching

Teaching is delivered via in-person lectures and seminars. You’ll also undertake independent research supervised by a member of staff, presenting a dissertation on a legal topic of your own choice in your final year.

Assessment

Assessment is by examination and coursework.

Classroom hours

In first and second year, the Law courses are typically taught with two hours of lectures per week and one hour of tutorial per fortnight. In third and fourth year, the typical teaching pattern in Law Honours courses is one two hour seminar per week.

Work placement opportunities

Our BA Law degree programmes give you the opportunity to participate in an elective work placement module in Year 3 or 4 depending on how well you have done in your studies as places are limited. You’ll gain frontline experience within a busy law practice or law-related organisation – putting your studies into practice, and picking up valuable insights into the working world. It’s an opportunity that can boost your employability after graduation, with prospective recruiters looking for evidence you have the real-world skills they need.

Study abroad

As a University of Stirling student, you’ll have the opportunity to broaden your horizons and study abroad through our well-established connections with several international universities..

Find out more about studying abroad.

Contact

Dr Pontian Okoli, Course Director

+44 (0)1786 467960
pontian.okoli@stir.ac.uk

Fees and funding

Fees and costs

Academic year: 2023/24 2024/25
Scottish students £1,820 £1,820
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland £9,250 £9,250
International students (including EU) £16,400 £17,200

Scottish students

This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.

Although you’re liable for annual tuition fees, if you are domiciled in Scotland you can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government on your behalf.

You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.

If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.

You can apply for financial assistance, including a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, from your relevant funding body. Students from the Republic of Ireland are eligible for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

We also offer additional funding – such as our Honours Year Scholarship – for students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. See our funding opportunities section below for more information.

You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.

If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

International students (including EU)

Eligible students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. See our range of generous scholarships for international undergraduate students.

You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.

If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Additional costs

There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.

Funding

See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.

Students from Scotland

Find funding opportunities for Scottish students.

Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

Eligible students will automatically receive our Undergraduate Welcome Scholarship, Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, and our Honours Year Scholarship, which are worth between £1,000 and £9,250.

International students

Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. Find funding opportunities for international students.

Cost of living

If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling.

Payment options

We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.

After you graduate

What jobs can you get with a BA Law degree?

A BA in Law from the University of Stirling paves the way for opportunities in the modern legal market. By focusing on law within a wider social and business context, we’ve helped to prepare recent graduates for jobs with major organisations like Aviva Insurance, Royal Bank of Scotland, FIFA, the NHS and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Students who have graduated from this course in the last five years are working in roles such as:

  • business relations manager
  • factoring consultant
  • PR account executive
  • sales and marketing executive
  • rule of law officer

Our BA Law and BA Business Law provide you with a wide range of analytical and transferable skills, and are suitable for any profession in which a non-specialised degree is required. As a non-qualifying law degree, the BA Law is aimed primarily at those not wishing to become practicing lawyers; however, some students who undertake this degree do choose to go on and train to become lawyers. 

To become a lawyer in Scotland you would need to take a 2-year accelerated LLB after you have finished your BA Law. In England, you would need to sit exams in English law that our degree does not prepare you for.

One of the key features of our BA Law degrees is the variety they offer. Even if you choose to do a single Honours degree in Law, you’ll still study other subjects in Year 1 and 2 as well as studying aspects of UK public law and legal systems, the Scots law of obligations, Scots criminal and family law, and the law of business in Scotland and the UK. The range on non-law courses available in first and second year includes; languages, management, economics, criminology, psychology, politics, the environment and much more. This gives you the great advantage of a diverse and varied education alongside the ability to place legal studies in a wider social or business context.

In third and fourth year you can choose from a wide variety of Law Honours courses including private international law, intellectual property, media law, energy law, environmental law, international human rights, alternative commercial dispute resolution, and family law. 

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What our students said

Doina Emilian
Doina Emilian
Moldova
BA (Hons) Law and Marketing
Moving to Stirling was a significant emotional and financial effort, which is why I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities presented during my time there. All of my experiences prepared me for my professional life, by learning to seize opportunities, communicate with senior stakeholders, navigate and prioritize responsibilities, and focus on structured problem solving.
Read Doina's story
Amy McCormick
Amy McCormick
Scotland
BA (Hons) Law
I wouldn’t change a thing about my Stirling experience.
Read Amy's story

Flexible study

Are you interested in more than one of our courses? You might not have to choose between them. Here at Stirling, we believe in choice and offer more than 170 course combinations.

Law can be combined with any of the following courses:
Course nameUCAS code
Business Studies UCAS code for this combination: MN11
Criminology UCAS code for this combination: MM91
French UCAS code for this combination: RM11
History UCAS code for this combination: MV11
Human Resource Management UCAS code for this combination: MN16
Politics UCAS code for this combination: ML12
Spanish and Latin American Studies UCAS code for this combination: MR14

For a combined honours degree where the two subjects have different entry requirements, you will usually be asked to meet the higher entry requirement.

Find out more about degree flexibility and how you can take combined courses.