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The European Legal Studies degree gives you the opportunity to obtain an LLB and spend a year at one of our partner universities in Europe where you are taught entirely in English.
Overview
This course gives you valuable added depth and a European dimension to your degree, as well as offering an unforgettable experience in another country, without any requirement to learn another language.
Students on the European Legal Studies degree spend their first two years at Kent, their third year at one of our European partner universities, and the fourth year back at Kent.
Kent Law School is recognised as one of the leading law schools in the UK. It has an international reputation both for its research and for the high quality, innovative, critical and socio-legal education that it provides. It boasts a carefully designed and wide-ranging curriculum, an institutional commitment to teaching excellence, as well as extensive international links. In addition to offering a highly successful mooting programme and a variety of activities to prepare students for successful future careers, the Law School also houses a multi-award winning Law Clinic that offers students the opportunity to gain unparalleled experience of legal practice, enabling them to advise and represent clients under the supervision of qualified solicitors.
In short, at Kent Law School you develop not only your legal knowledge but your intellectual, analytical and practical skills, ensuring that you have the academic and professional tools required for a successful career in law or in other professional contexts. On this programme you spend your third year (of four) studying law at one of our partner universities in Europe where teaching is conducted in English. You therefore benefit from the experience and knowledge gained from studying in another European country, without the requirement to learn or speak another language.
The Kent electronic law library, Lawlinks, is one of the best in the UK. All modules have their own websites and many of the lectures are recorded when given live and made available as MP3 files.
Exchanges are offered subject to availability and in some cases will be dependent on which degree you are studying at Kent. In most cases, Kent students must also meet the academic and attendance requirements set by their School or Faculty in order to study/work abroad. Please contact us for further information.
Please be aware that the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board are conducting independent reviews of the legal training and education required to qualify as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales. These reviews cover the ‘Academic Stage’ of training and may impact upon the role of the law degree as part of the training process. Please see the website of each regulator for more information (the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board).
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, 90% of Kent Law students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course. Kent Law School is ranked 13th nationally in The Times Good University Guide 2016, 17th in The Guardian University Guide 2016 and is the 8th ranked UK university for research intensity in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. Please note that the first year modules listed for this degree are compulsory.
Please contact us for more detail about the exact composition of this programme of study
Year abroad
Your year abroad takes place between your third and final year. Please refer to the A-Z course list on the Kent Go Abroad site for information about the countries and partner institutions for this programme.
Students normally take the equivalent of 120 Kent credits worth of modules during their year abroad (which is 60 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits under the EU's ERASMUS arrangements). Accordingly, students are required to undertake the equivalent amount of studies during their year abroad as at Kent. The majority of modules taken during the year abroad should be law modules. The year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and marks obtained during the year abroad aren't used in the calculation of the final degree classification.
Teaching and assessment
Kent Law School emphasises research-led teaching which means that the modules taught are at the leading edge of new legal and policy developments. You are taught by as many of our leading researchers as possible. We also have one of the best student:staff ratios in the country, which allows small, weekly seminar-group teaching in all of our core modules, where you are actively encouraged to take part.
Most modules are assessed by end-of-year examinations and continuous assessment, the ratio varying from module to module, with Kent encouraging and supporting the development of research and written skills. Some modules include an optional research-based dissertation that counts for 45% or, in some cases, 100% of the final mark. Assessment can also incorporate assessment through oral presentation and argument, often in the style of legal practice (such as mooting), and client based work and reflection through our Law Clinic.
Law School staff include the winner of the 2012 OUP Law Teacher of the Year Award, with Kent the only law school in the UK to have had staff shortlisted for the award for three consecutive years.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- attract and meet the needs of those contemplating a career in the legal professions or those motivated primarily by an intellectual interest in English law, and the desire to understand the workings of another jurisdiction while pursuing courses with a European, International or comparative dimension
- widen participation in higher education by offering a variety of entry routes
- provide students with a grounding in English law and the opportunity to acquire an understanding of other legal systems
- encourage an interest in European culture and knowledge of a relevant European language
- provide knowledge and understanding of the principal institutions and procedures of the English legal system
- provide knowledge of the major concepts and principles of English law, the law of the European Union, and the European Convention on Human Rights
- develop a critical awareness of law in its comparative, historical, socio-economic and political contexts, and introduce a range of different theoretical approaches to the study of law
- offer a range of modules covering the foundations of legal knowledge, as defined by the Law Society and the Bar Council, which will enable students who successfully complete them, to obtain exemption from the initial or academic stage of training for entry into the legal professions
- offer students an opportunity to study Law in a Dutch, Danish or Norwegian law faculty (Amsterdam, Maastricht, Copenhagen or Bergen) where they will obtain a diploma depending upon their individual ability
- provide teaching informed by current research and scholarship, which requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge
- offer the opportunity to acquire direct experience of legal practice and critically reflect on it through participation in the University Law Clinic
- enable students to manage their own learning and carry out independent research
- develop critical, analytical, functional, comparative and problem-solving skills
- develop personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate for employment in the legal professions and other fields.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- the English legal system, including its institutions, procedures and sources of law
- the law of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
- the concepts, principles and rules of a range of English legal subjects, including an in-depth knowledge of some areas of law and, depending on options, the law of the EU, the ECHR, international law and comparative law
- the concepts, principles and rules of Public Law, the Law of Obligations and specialised areas of law as studied in a Dutch, Danish or Norwegian Law faculty
- the relationship between law and the historical, linguistic, socio-economic and political contexts in which it operates
- theoretical, comparative and critical perspectives which can be applied to the study of law.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- effectively apply knowledge to analyse complex issues
- recognise and rank items and issues in terms of their relevance and importance
- collect and synthesise information from a variety of English, European and International sources
- formulate and sustain a complex argumentand support it with appropriate evidence
- recognise potential alternative solutions to problems and make a reasoned choice between them
- independently acquire knowledge and understanding
- demonstrate independent thought and critically challenge received understandings and conclusions
- reflect constructively on your own learning processes.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- application and problem solving: recognise the legal issues arising in a factual situation of limited complexity in English, European, Comparative and International law; identify and apply the case and statute law relevant to it; provide an informed, reasoned opinion on the possible legal actions arising from it, and their likelihood of success
- Sources, research and evaluation: identify the legal and related issues to be researched; locate and use primary and secondary legal and other relevant sources; conduct independent legal research using a range of resources, paper and electronic; critically evaluate an area of law both doctrinally and in terms of its socio-economic and other consequences; function in both the English and the broader milieu of European, Comparative and International law.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- communication and literacy: use, both orally and in writing, the English Language in relation to legal matters and, generally, with care, accuracy and effectiveness; engage constructively and effectively in arguments and discussions of complex matters in English law and European, International and Comparative law; give a clear and coherent presentation on a topic using appropriate supporting materials; read complex legal and non-legal materials; employ the correct legal terminology and methods of citation and referencing for legal and other academic materials and produce work in appropriate formats
- teamwork, numeracy and IT: work collaboratively in groups to achieve defined tasks, respond to different points of view and negotiate outcomes; present and evaluate information in a numerical or statistical form; word-processing and use a range of electronic databases and other information sources.
Careers
Kent has an excellent employment record, with Law School graduates demanding some of the highest starting salaries in the UK. Law graduates can go into a variety of careers, including working as: solicitors or barristers in private practice; lawyers in companies, local authorities, central government and its agencies, or in the institutions of the European Union; non-legal careers, such as banking, finance and management.
Kent Law School has an active careers programme that sees a number of leading law firms and prominent members of the legal profession (including Kent alumni) visit the University to meet and speak with students. The Law School also gives students the opportunity to develop legal skills while at Kent, through modules in mooting and negotiation, and through involvement in the Law Clinic. We also actively work with employers to create work placement opportunities for our students.
Professional recognition
All programmes can lead to a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD). A QLD is recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board as satisfying the first (or ‘Academic’) stage of training required to qualify as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales.
Please be aware that the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board are conducting independent reviews of the legal training and education required to qualify as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales. These reviews cover the ‘Academic Stage’ of training and may impact upon the role of the law degree as part of the training process. Please see the website of each regulator for more information (the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board).
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | AAA-AAB |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 17 points at HL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.