Description
This qualification is only available until 31 December 2017.
To claim this qualification, you must complete the required 360 credits by this date.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification, please contact the Centre for Qualifications and Ceremonies on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
Studying law is stimulating in its own right, and it’s also a smart career move. If you want to practise law professionally, a law degree is a first and necessary step – but it’s also a great asset for many other careers that are not directly related to law.
The Open University’s LLB is the most popular undergraduate taught law degree programme in the UK. We offer it in collaboration with the University of Law – the UK’s largest provider of professional legal education.
The compulsory modules of this degree course cover the seven ‘Foundations of Legal Knowledge’ – the academic subjects required for a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD). These are set by The Solicitors Regulation Authority and The Bar Standards Board (the professional legal bodies). By the end of your studies, you’ll have the legal awareness needed to understand and apply the law, together with skills of legal analysis and methods.
Planning your studies
Whether or not you’re new to study or to the OU, we recommend that you start at Level 1.
For this degree we particularly recommend starting with a Level 1 Law module which introduces you to the concepts and study of law and legal reasoning. They have extra support to help you to get used to OU study methods as well as to prepare you for higher-level study.
The structure of this qualification is changing from 1 January 2017.
- If you are a non-graduate and planning to complete your degree studies from 1 January 2017, you must follow Route A, which includes An introduction to law (W101) or Rules, rights and justice: an introduction to law (W100) (now discontinued) as a compulsory module (five compulsory modules in total).
- If you are a non-graduate currently studying towards this degree and planning to complete your studies on or before 31 December 2016, you can choose from either Route A or B below.
- If you are a graduate you will not be affected by this change – you do not need to study An introduction to law (W101) or have studied Rules, rights and justice: an introduction to law (W100).
There are strict time limits set by the professional bodies if you want to gain a law degree and pursue a career in the legal profession.
To qualify for a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) you must:
- complete the degree in six years or
- if you already hold a bachelors degree completed at The Open University, at another institution in the UK or the Republic of Ireland, or at recognised overseas institutions, you must complete the two compulsory Level 2 modules and the two compulsory Level 3 modules in five years (240 credits in total).
If you don’t intend to count your studies towards a QLD you need to complete the modules before they are withdrawn, or by 2017 when B05 is withdrawn.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 120 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you (with the exception of an undergraduate-level qualification of less than 120 credits). Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications on the way to your OU honours degree, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your degree.
Career relevance and employability
Jobs directly related to law include solicitor, barrister, legal executive and paralegal. Solicitors and barristers usually work in private practice, in central or local government, commerce, industry, the armed forces or in professional bodies.
Solicitors and barristers in England and Wales need to complete three stages of training:
- Academic – a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD)
- Vocational – a Legal Practice Course (LPC). If you successfully complete our QLD, the University of Law will guarantee you a place on its LPC, You need to take up this place within seven years of graduation
- Professional – a training contract for solicitors or ‘pupillage’ for barristers.
The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB) can also open up many career options that are not just in the legal profession. Roles in finance, human resources, local government or general management all benefit from a legal background and from the discipline of studying a degree course. Employers recognise that studying law gives you the chance to develop yourself beyond the boundaries of your normal work environment, giving you skills and knowledge that you can readily put into practice on a daily basis in your job.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
Route A – If you are planning to complete this degree from 1 January 2017 for this 360-credit honours degree you require:
300 credits from the following five compulsory law modules:
Level 1 compulsory module |
Credits |
Next start |
- An introduction to law (W101)
|
60 |
|
Or the discontinued module W100
Level 2 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- The discontinued module W200
-
|
60 |
|
- The discontinued module W201
-
|
60 |
|
Level 3 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Law: agreements, rights and responsibilities (W300)
|
60 |
|
- Law: ownership and trusteeship: rights and responsibilities (W301)
|
60 |
|
And 60 credits of free choice from any OU modules to bring your total number of credits to 360. Within the total, you must ensure that you have at least the required minimum number of credits at each level and no more than 30 from Openings modules or the discontinued Short module Science starts here (S154).
If you are a non-graduate we particularly recommend the following modules as part of your free choice for this degree to be studied before the Level 2 and Level 3 compulsory modules: An introduction to business studies (B120) and English for academic purposes online (L185).
If you wish all your study to be in law we recommend that after the compulsory modules, you complete your credit requirements with any from: Employment law and practice (W221) , Relationships, families and the law (W224) or the discontinued modules Commercial transactions: law and practice (W222), Company law and practice (W223).
Route B – If you complete this degree before 31 December 2016 for this 360-credit honours degree you require:
240 credits from the following four compulsory law modules:
Level 2 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- The discontinued module W200
|
60 |
|
- The discontinued module W201
|
60 |
|
Level 3 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Law: agreements, rights and responsibilities (W300)
|
60 |
|
- Law: ownership and trusteeship: rights and responsibilities (W301)
|
60 |
|
And 120 credits of free choice from any OU modules to bring your total number of credits to 360. Within the total, you must ensure that you have at least the required minimum number of credits at each level and after 31 December 2014 no more than 30 from Openings modules or the discontinued Short module Science starts here (S154).
If you are a non-graduate we particularly recommend you study English for academic purposes online (L185) or have studied one of the discontinued modules Rules, rights and justice: an introduction (W100); An introduction to business studies (B120); Introducing the social sciences (DD101) as part of your free choice for this degree to be studied before the four compulsory modules.
If you wish all your study to be in law we recommend that after the compulsory modules, you will complete your credit requirements with any from the discontinued modules: Relationships, families and the law (W224), Employment law and practice (W221), Commercial transactions: law and practice (W222), or Company law and practice (W223).
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of modules, so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Please note:
An award of transferred credit towards an Open degree won’t necessarily be acceptable as part of an LLB. You must also meet any other requirements imposed by the governing professional bodies in England and Wales: the Solicitors Regulation Authority and The Bar Standards Board. You should check with these organisations directly for more information.
Classification of your degree
On successful completion of the required number and type of modules you will be awarded a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and will be entitled to use the letters LLB (Hons) (Open) after your name. Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours. You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification