Course summary

The Common Law degree is designed for those who plan to practise law in common law jurisdictions such as England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Canada. It is not suitable if you wish to enter the legal profession in Scotland. The Common Law curriculum offers intellectual depth and has a range of flexible options. The study of history is the study of change and continuity in human society through time. Glasgow offers a wide-ranging programme from medieval to modern times. Our teaching draws on research expertise in Scottish, British, European, US and global history; slavery studies; gender history; and war, intelligence and genocide studies. Why study this course at the University of Glasgow? The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Common Law programme is an exacting intellectual discipline and offers a thorough grounding in key areas of the law. The degree can be studied to Ordinary level, requiring three years of full-time study, or to Honours level in four years of full-time study. We have an extremely successful and popular study abroad programme. Traditionally, more than 60% of our Honours students in a normal year take the opportunity to spend all or part of the third year studying law in another country. Many others participate in a summer school or other academic activity abroad. In all cases study abroad is integrated into the degree and does not involve an additional year of study. We offer a broad range of courses ranging from medieval to modern times and across the globe. We provide small-group teaching, a variety of assessments (including real-world tasks like policy papers and blogs) and one-to-one feedback tutorials. We host leading research centres in gender history, war studies, slavery studies, American studies and Scottish & Celtic studies. Career Prospects? The flexibility of the LLB (Common Law) at Glasgow, together with the emphasis on developing the key skills required by employers and the opportunities available to study abroad and to take part in placement opportunities, means that the degree provides a sound general foundation for a range of careers. All Glasgow law students benefit from a dedicated employability programme, featuring tailored events focusing on various aspects of legal practice. These events feature a range of legal professionals from solicitors and barristers through to judges (many of whom are Glasgow graduates themselves). Law students at Glasgow may also gain real-world legal experience and an opportunity to develop their skillset through legal clinical projects run via the GO Justice Initiative. If you intend to become a barrister in England & Wales, the LLB (Common Law) satisfies the Bar Standards Board requirements regarding the academic component of training based on a law degree. After completing our degree, you would then undertake the ‘vocational stage’ of training, which requires completion of a postgraduate Bar course. The final step in qualifying as a barrister involves a period of full-time training for one year (‘pupillage’). If you intend to become a solicitor, the LLB (Common Law) is currently recognised for the purposes of qualifying as a solicitor in Northern Ireland (the Solicitor course at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Belfast). To qualify for legal practice, you must pass additional examinations in the appropriate legal system before proceeding to professional training and qualification. These requirements will vary according to the intended jurisdiction for professional practice. As a History graduate you will be able to enter many different careers, from the heritage sector and teaching to consultancy, management and financial services.