Law

Law is one of the most intellectually demanding and professionally versatile degrees available. It trains you to reason with precision, to read complex texts with care, to construct and evaluate arguments, and to apply general rules to specific situations in ways that are both logically sound and practically relevant. A qualifying law degree is the first step towards legal practice, but the analytical skills it develops are valuable across an extraordinarily wide range of careers beyond the law.

At the University of Bedfordshire, the four-year programme includes a foundation year, which provides a thorough preparation for degree-level legal study and makes the programme accessible to students entering from non-traditional backgrounds or without conventional entry qualifications. You will study the foundations of English law, including contract, tort, criminal law, constitutional and administrative law, equity and land law, developing legal reasoning and research skills throughout. Bedfordshire's law courses have performed strongly in national student surveys for learning opportunities, indicating that the curriculum develops knowledge and skills that are genuinely useful for the future.

The foundation year is a structured preparation that takes you from your current level of knowledge to the point where you are ready to engage with degree-level legal content. It is not a lesser route into law: it is a more supported one, and graduates of four-year programmes including a foundation year hold the same qualifying LLB as those entering directly.

Graduates of law degrees pursue careers in legal practice as solicitors or barristers, subject to completing the required professional training, as well as in the civil service, financial services, compliance, business, insurance, law enforcement, the third sector and many other areas. Postgraduate study in law or a related professional discipline is the usual next step for those entering the profession.