Law

Law is one of the most demanding and intellectually stimulating disciplines available at university. It trains you to read with precision, to argue from evidence and principle, to identify the relevant rule or precedent and apply it to specific facts, and to understand how legal systems reflect and shape the societies in which they operate. A qualifying law degree in England and Wales provides the academic foundation for a career in legal practice, but the skills it develops are valuable far beyond the profession itself.

At Bedfordshire you will study the core foundations of English law, including contract, tort, criminal law, public law, land law, equity and trusts, and the law of the European Convention on Human Rights. You will develop an understanding of how the legal system works, how courts reason, how statute and case law interact, and how law relates to wider questions of justice, politics, and society. The programme is offered part-time, making it accessible to students who need to combine their studies with work or other commitments, and Bedfordshire's approach to legal education emphasises developing the knowledge and skills that employers and professional bodies value for the future.

Graduates hold a qualifying law degree that satisfies the academic stage of training for entry to the legal profession in England and Wales, and can proceed to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination or Bar training. Many graduates go directly into legal practice, in solicitors' firms, barristers' chambers, the Crown Prosecution Service, or in-house legal teams. Others use their legal education as a foundation for careers in business, the civil service, compliance, policy, journalism, or human resources.

Postgraduate study in law or a specialist legal field is also a common route.