Law

Law is a discipline that develops some of the most widely valued intellectual skills in higher education, including the ability to read and interpret complex texts, to reason from principles to conclusions, to construct well-structured arguments and to communicate precisely. Beyond these transferable skills, a law degree gives you a thorough understanding of the legal frameworks that govern society, commercial life and individual rights. Whether your aim is to practise law professionally or to bring legal literacy to another career, the degree provides both the knowledge and the intellectual formation that these paths require.

At Derby, this part-time programme with a foundation year route is designed to be accessible to students from a wide range of backgrounds, including those who need additional academic preparation before engaging with degree-level legal study. The foundation year builds your study skills, legal literacy and subject knowledge before you progress into the main programme. Part-time study allows you to develop your legal expertise while managing work or other commitments, which is particularly well suited to those who are already working in or around the legal system and want to formalise their knowledge, or to mature students returning to education.

Across the programme you will study the core areas of English law, including contract, tort, public law, criminal law and equity, alongside specialist pathway options that allow you to develop particular areas of interest or professional focus.

Graduates move into legal practice, solicitor training and other routes to qualification, as well as roles in compliance, financial services, the civil service, the police, probation, human resources, local government and business. The analytical skills a law degree develops are valued across virtually every professional context. Postgraduate study in law or a specialist legal field is a natural option.