Introduction
Key information
Start date: October 2021
LLB (Hons) UCAS: M200 3 years
LLB (Hons) UCAS: M201 4 years with professional training
Why choose this course
Top lawyers not only know what the law is, but they understand why it is this way, what philosophical ideals and values it is based on, and how it can be made better.
If you are keen to get a solid legal education and dig deeper to better understand fundamental questions about why the law functions the way it does, then this is the course for you.
The heightened analytical skills that can be obtained on our LLB in Law (Philosophy, Politics and Law Pathway) are increasingly in demand by employers. As technology eliminates simplistic tasks, employers are progressively seeking law graduates who have complex problem-solving skills, can think abstractly, argue critically and find creative solutions to novel legal problems. This is what our course delivers.
We are ranked in the top 20 for law in the UK by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 and 15th for employability in law in the Guardian University Guide 2021.
What you will study
You’ll gain a strong understanding of the main areas of legal knowledge, including law as it regulates the functions of the state (public law and criminal law), regulates relations between private individuals (contract law and tort law), and regulates the ownership and control of land and other property (land law, and equity and trusts).
After your first year, you will immerse yourself in deeper questions about the operation and design of our legal system and the principles of legal change and reform. You will take optional modules on the philosophical, social and political dimensions of law, focusing on cutting-edge legal problems and developing your knowledge of the relation between law and society, and the values and political structures our legal system is based on.
You will learn how to evaluate the law, analyse its application to given situations and apply your legal understanding in a national or international context. We also provide a series of employability training seminars, pro bono opportunities, mentoring and extracurricular activities focusing on client interviewing, negotiation and mooting.
The School of Law has a dynamic team of expert researchers working on the cutting-edge legal questions that you will encounter in your studies. This ranges from how to regulate technology, to using the law to combat environmental problems, and how to reform the criminal law, improving business practice and working within international legal frameworks.
Drawing on the expertise of the Surrey Centre for Law and Philosophy, law students on the Philosophy, Politics and Law Pathway will be taught by world-leading experts in this field.
The Centre employs over a dozen lecturers in legal and political philosophy and is an internationally-recognised hub for dynamic and innovative research and teaching. A philosophical, political and social perspective on the law is embedded within a wide range of modules taught in the School, which will engage and challenge you from day one.
