Law

Law is the system of rules through which societies organise themselves, resolve disputes, allocate rights and responsibilities, and exercise power. Studying law at degree level means developing the ability to read and interpret complex texts with precision, to construct and evaluate arguments, and to understand the frameworks within which legal decisions are made, from contract and tort to criminal law, constitutional principles, and the international legal order. It is a discipline that rewards careful thinking and clear writing, and the intellectual habits it develops are valued far beyond the legal profession itself.

The Open University's law degree is delivered part-time by distance learning, which makes it one of the most flexible ways to study law in the UK. Students can engage with course materials online and set their own schedule, fitting their studies around employment, family, or other commitments. This flexibility has made the OU's law programme a route into legal education for a wide and diverse range of students, including people who are already working in legal or paralegal roles and wish to formalise their qualifications, those returning to education after a gap, and those who live in parts of the country where attending a campus is not practical.

You will study the core areas of English law, including contract, tort, criminal law, public law, equity and trusts, and land law, developing the analytical skills and legal literacy that underpin both professional legal work and a wide range of other careers. The OU's approach to distance education is well established, with high-quality materials and strong academic support.

A qualifying law degree from the OU opens the same routes to the legal professions as those from campus universities, including the Solicitors Qualifying Examination and Bar Training pathways. Graduates also move into careers in the civil service, compliance, human resources, business management, and public policy, where legal knowledge provides a significant advantage.