Certificate of Higher Education in Law Open University

Studying law is stimulating in its own right, and it’s also helpful in a wide range of careers. By the end of your studies, you’ll have gained some knowledge and understanding of criminal and tort law, together with general and legal study skills. Understanding how these laws are made, the importance of legal rights and duties and how the law impacts society helps you understand society and your own role within it. You’ll also be prepared for further law study or for career development in the law, business, government, education, charitable and non-governmental organisations and a wide range of other public-facing and regulatory roles.

Key features of the course

• Gives you the opportunity to improve your understanding of the legal system in England and Wales
• Helps develop key legal skills with identifying legal issues and applying legal principles
• Can assist your career development by demonstrating your academic ability to potential employers.

A nationally recognised qualification in its own right, this certificate of higher education is also equivalent to the first third of the Bachelor of Laws with Honours (LLB) (R81).

Accessibility

We make all our qualifications as accessible as possible and have a comprehensive range of services to support all our students. The Certificate of Higher Education in Law uses a variety of study materials and has the following elements:

• studying online – some modules have a mixture of printed and online material, and others are entirely online. Online learning resources may include websites, audio/video media clips, and interactive activities such as online quizzes and tutorials
• finding external/third party material online
• using technology for research purposes involving access to catalogues and databases online
• continuous and end-of-module assessment in the form of essays, short answer questions
• using feedback: continuous assessment involves receiving detailed feedback on your work from your tutor and using this feedback to improve your performance

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills
• Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increase as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; e-learning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Course details

This certificate of higher education has one stage comprising 120 credits.

Prepare for OU study with an Access module

We offer two starting points depending on how confident you are or how long it’s been since you last studied. Choose to dive straight in at Stage 1, or if you’d prefer some extra preparation, you can get started with an optional Access module.