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Law and Politics

Entry Year: 2024

Key information

Degree
LLB (Hons)
Duration
3 years
Start
September 2024
UCAS code
ML13
Institution code
Q50
Typical A-Level offer
Grades A*AA at A-Level. Excludes General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)
Home fees
£9,250
Overseas fees
£27,450
Funding information
Paying your fees

Overview

Immerse yourself in London’s ever-changing legal and government scene.

Queen Mary’s Law and Politics joint honours degree offers an exciting opportunity to study the closely related disciplines of law and politics side by side.

Law and politics are deeply intertwined. Both subjects have a huge impact on all our lives regardless of age, ethnicity and social background. And the world needs new ways of analysing the most important global questions from both arenas.

Cover the compulsory modules needed to meet Bar Council and Law Society requirements to enter the profession. You'll learn to think like a lawyer, undertake legal research and apply your knowledge of legal and political science to solving broad social problems. You can even immerse yourself in the world of politics by studying abroad, completing work placements and taking part in simulation activities.

Set yourself up for success

Taught by expert academics, you’ll cover everything from Acts of Parliament and EU legislation, to mastering the skills you need to understand legal documents. Study topics like postcolonial and sociological theoretical approaches to war, development and foreign policy. Then you'll pick from a range of specialist fields such as criminology, intellectual property or medical negligence.

Home to the Legal Advice Centre. Host of the “ReImagineLAW” podcast. Hub for experienced practitioners, researchers and honorary King's Counsel members. And connected with legal experts from major city firms such as Reed Smith and CHANEL’s legal team. You’ll be surrounded by excellent resources and networks to boost your learning.

Ready to take your first step to becoming a barrister, solicitor or government official?

Structure

Students who gain a place on the Law in Practice LLB will study their first two years at Queen Mary, and complete their final year back on campus after the work placement in their third year.

Year 1

Compulsory

  • Public Law
  • Contract Law I: Formation and Vitiation
  • Contract Law II: Terms, Breach and Remedies
  • Law in Context – Semester A
  • Thinking Politically: Introduction to Concepts, Theories and Ideologies
  • Semester B: Background to British Politics OR Global Histories

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 2

Compulsory

  • Land Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Law of the European Union

(See our LLB module page for more information about our modules and how they are assessed)

Plus 45 credits of level 5 politics optional modules. An example of these modules can be found on the School of Politics and International Relations website.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 3

Compulsory

  • Tort Law
  • Equity and Trusts

Plus 30 credits of modules from the list below. You can also choose to write a dissertation on a legal topic of your choice as an alternative to a taught module.

Full modules

  • Family Law
  • Public International Law
  • International Human Rights Law
  • Law of Evidence
  • Criminology
  • Competition Law
  • The Practice of Law in a Clinical Environment
  • Health Law
  • Principles of Revenue Law
  • Medical Negligence Law
  • Media Law
  • Dissertation
  • Company Law
  • Law and Pharmacology
  • Jurisprudence and Legal Theory

Half modules

  • United Kingdom Human Rights Law
  • Employment Law: Tribunal Practice and Procedure
  • Commercial and Consumer Law
  • Equality and the Law
  • Democracy and Justice
  • Law, Justice and Ethics
  • Labour Law: Contract Law, Dismissal Rights and Workplace Justice
  • Comparative Constitutional Law
  • Comparative Law
  • Advanced Tort Law
  • Global Criminology: Global Crime, Punishment and Justice
  • Global Law and Governance
  • Cultural Diversity and the Law
  • International Environmental Law
  • Law and Religion
  • The Art of Law
  • Law Stories
  • Climate Justice
  • International Human Rights and Public Health
  • Corporate Insolvency Law
  • Intellectual Property - Copyright and Related Rights
  • Intellectual Property - Industrial Property
  • Children, Law, and Society

Politics modules

Year 3 students on this degree programme must choose 30 credits of modules from the School of International Relations & Politics. An example of these modules can be found on the School of Politics and International Relations website.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Testimonial

This joint degree has given me a better understanding of the political ideologies that influence our legislation and, in turn, greater depth in my understanding of law. I have also developed a breadth of knowledge in areas such as international relations, modern history and critical theory.

Yasmin Ali, LLB Law and Politics (2020)

Teaching

Teaching and learning

First year students studying the LLB in Law and Politics receive approximately 12 hours of contact time per week. For each module there is usually a two-hour lecture supplemented by a one-hour weekly or fortnightly small group tutorial.

For every hour spent in class, you’ll complete a further two to three hours of independent study. This time is spent reading, preparing for formal study sessions, working on projects and revising for exams.

A new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) was introduced in September 2021. Anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor is likely to have to take this centrally assessed SQE. Queen Mary is dedicated to ensuring that students are equipped with the experience and skills required to undertake the SQE and any other post LLB bar qualification internationally.

Assessment

Assessment typically includes written exams, oral presentations, midterm essays and coursework.

In the final year of all our law programmes, students have the option to research and write a dissertation on a legal topic in place of a taught module.

Resources and facilities

The Schools offer excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

  • the Law Library service, home to state-of-the-art library resources and e-learning facilities
  • the award-winning Legal Advice Centre (LAC), giving you the opportunity to work alongside trained solicitors and advise members of the public on real issues
  • the Mile End Institute, a major policy centre at Queen Mary which brings together research, policy-making and public debate to deepen and challenge the understanding of British politics, governance and public policy
  • Student Support Officers who are dedicated to providing students support and advice both in their academic and mental well being.

Entry requirements

A-LevelGrades A*AA at A-Level. Excludes General Studies and Critical Thinking.
IBInternational Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 36 points overall, including 6,6,6 from three Higher Level subjects.
BTECSee our detailed subject and grade requirements
Access HEWe consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. We will hold all UCAS applications until January before drawing up a shortlist based on the information in the UCAS form about your pre-Access experience, academic record, personal statement and academic reference. In February and March, applicants are shortlisted and an updated academic reference may be requested. A shortlisted applicant may be invited for interview or further assessment. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, all of which must be at Distinction. (The School of Law may specify particular Level 3 subjects in which we require a Distinction.) Typically, successful candidates are aged 21 and above at the start of the Access programme.
GCSEPlease note this programme has enhanced GCSE requirements. At least six GCSE passes at grades AAAABB or 777766 are required, including English and Mathematics.
Contextualised admissions

Our standard contextual offer: Grades AAA at A-Level. Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.

Our enhanced contextual offer (for care experienced students, refugee/asylum seekers or students who have completed Realising Opportunities or Access to Queen Mary): Grades AAA, Care Leaver AAB at A-Level. Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.

More information on how this information is used for a contextual offer can be found on our contextualised admissions page.

Non-UK students

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.

If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.

English language

Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Further information

See our general undergraduate entry requirements.

Funding

Loans and grants

UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.

Scholarships and bursaries

Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.

Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.

Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

  • additional sources of funding
  • planning your budget and cutting costs
  • part-time and vacation work
  • money for lone parents.

Careers

Our Law and Politics graduates are highly employable. Many apply their legal knowledge directly, gaining roles such as barrister, solicitor, paralegal and legal adviser. Others apply their political knowledge in domestic and international careers in government, policy research, education, media, business and more.

Recent graduates from the School of Law have been hired by:

  • Arcadis LLP
  • Chambers and Partners
  • Deloitte
  • Dentons
  • House of Commons
  • Macfarlanes LLP.

Career support

During your time at Queen Mary you will have access to a bespoke careers programme, including:

  • one-on-one appointments throughout the year with your assigned academic adviser
  • workshops and events to help you identify your career options, train you in recruitment and selection methods and provide you with networking opportunities
  • external speakers on topics such as careers in public affairs and working in parliament
  • an opportunity to apply for a six-week mentoring scheme with a leading law firm
  • over 120 employer-led events per year, from seminars to large fairs, which host major legal employers on campus including Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Macfarlanes, Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills, Eversheds and Blackstone Chambers.

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

Course data

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

About the Schools

School of Law - Department of Law

The School of Law was ranked 7th in the UK and 32nd in the world by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, and 10th in the UK and 50th in world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 by subject.

Our academics are some of the UK’s top legal minds and have expertise advising high profile international organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and foreign governments.

The School is home to the Legal Advice Centre (LAC), through which our students work alongside solicitors to offer free legal advice to the local community.

School of Politics and International Relations

We’re a growing School invested in high-quality teaching, and we pride ourselves on our friendly and informal approach. Our London location is home to the nation’s Parliament, political think tanks and economic powerhouses, we host high-profile speakers, and we offer students regular contact with Westminster, Whitehall and the third sector.

Our staff are active researchers with diverse interests, from British politics to the Middle East, which is reflected in our teaching and the breadth of our programmes.

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