Law and politics
Law
LLB
Overview
An LLB is an undergraduate law degree. You study core areas such as contract, crime, public law and tort, and you learn to read cases and write precise arguments. It is a common first step towards becoming a solicitor or barrister, but it is not the professional qualification. Solicitors and barristers take further courses and work-based training. Graduates of other subjects can often take a conversion course instead of an LLB. LNAT is used by some law schools only. Students who enjoy law like close reading, argument and the fact that a small change in facts can change the outcome.
You want undergraduate law, knowing professional training still comes afterwards.
Criminology studies crime and society. It does not give the same legal foundations. An LLB does not make you a police officer.
People who like reading, argument and precise writing.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Legal system
- Contract
- Public law
- Criminal law
Later years
- Tort and other core areas
- Optional subjects
- Research or a clinic
Skills
Useful before you start
- Reading
- Writing
- Argument
Developed during the degree
- Case analysis
- Legal writing
- Structured argument
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Seminars.
Assessment often includes Exams, Essays, Problem questions.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate for a reading-heavy seminar degree.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBB–ABB. No specific A-level subject is universal. Essay subjects are useful preparation, not a hidden requirement. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 34 points for ABB. The other end of this band is not in that table. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 4, 4 for ABB. The other end of this band is not in the guide. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. Manchester Law publishes a diploma GPA of at least 3.0 and three AP scores of 5, 5 and 5 for the LLB. It says a BA route may be lower. This is one faculty guide. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
No specific A-level subject is universal. Essay subjects are useful preparation, not a hidden requirement.
Often recommended: English Literature, History, Politics.
Useful preparation: Mathematics.
GCSE and IGCSE
English at GCSE or IGCSE is commonly expected. Other subject grades vary. No single national threshold is stored.
Indicative only. LNAT is not a requirement for every law degree. A high grade band at one university is not the national pattern.
Other ways in
- Solicitor and barrister qualification continues after the degree.
- A conversion course is a graduate route, not a route from A levels.
- Scots and Northern Irish qualification routes differ.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
LNAT
Used by some courses only. A reasoning test used by some undergraduate law courses.
Selected UK law programmes. Most law degrees do not use LNAT.
Checked 2026-10-14.
Official test siteLSAT
Not a standard UK undergraduate requirement. An admissions test used by many law schools in the United States and Canada.
Not the test used by UK undergraduate law courses that require LNAT.
Checked 2026-10-14.
Official test site
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Solicitor
Common route
A common first degree. Professional exams and work-based training still follow. Other degrees plus a conversion can also lead in.
Barrister
Common route
A common academic start. Pupillage is a later, competitive stage. The degree is not the professional qualification.
Police officer
Related, but not enough on its own
Policing does not require a law degree. Recruitment is a separate process.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.