MA Law
- MA
Overview
The MA in Law is designed for non-law graduates aspiring to pursue a legal career. It will give you a thorough grounding in the seven foundations of legal knowledge – Contract, Land Law, Public Law, Tort Law, Criminal Law, EU Law and Trusts – enhancing your ability to think logically and construct compelling arguments.
This two-year programme explores these seven core subjects in depth, offering a much more rigorous and comprehensive legal grounding, as compared to a law conversion course (GDL). For your eighth subject, you will choose from a wide range of optional postgraduate units from our LLM programme catalogue, or research and write your own research project under the expert supervision of a member of staff.
Ideal for those aiming for a legal career or seeking other professional roles across the public and private sectors, this programme develops the advanced analytical, communication, and research skills valued by top employers. Our programmes are well respected by leading law firms, with Bristol ranking seventh in the UK for employability (QS Graduate Employability, 2022).
Choosing a postgraduate law degree from the University of Bristol – ranked third in the UK for legal research excellence (THE analysis of REF 2021) – means engaging in a rigorous, research-rich curriculum that will make you stand out to employers. You will be challenged and inspired by our world-leading academics.
Programme structure
At the University of Bristol you will experience our vibrant international community and diverse teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, and bespoke skills workshops. The wide range of optional units reflect the expertise of our globally renowned academics, allowing you to further specialise your degree.
In year one, you will study two core units in each of the two semesters, assessed by examination and/or coursework. Each unit also starts by introducing you to the key legal skills that will enable you to research, think and write like a lawyer, preparing you for the substantive content you will study. Year two comprises the three final core units, with integrated skills teaching, plus a further optional unit of your choice.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MA in Law.
Entry requirements
You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in any discipline.
If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date.
We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply.
We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
Go to admissions statementIf English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level B.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £15,300 per year
- Home: part-time (two years)
- £7,650 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £28,600 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
Information about funding and scholarships can be found on the University of Bristol Law School funding webpages. This includes information about the Law School's Think Big about Law and Justice Scholarships, open to international postgraduate students.
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
Graduating from a world-leading university* can open doors for careers in a variety of sectors. Individuals who have completed the MA in Law have gone on to:
- qualify as solicitors or barristers in the UK, and as lawyers in other jurisdictions,
- work in private practice, as in-house legal counsel for businesses or in the public sector,
- act as advisers in international organisations, or for international NGOs and other agencies,
- study further in the UK or overseas.
The Law School has partnered with BPP University to offer law students the Bridge Programme, a free career development course to help aspiring solicitors and barristers prepare for their future careers, through two distinct pathways.
Please visit our Careers and Employability webpage for more information.
*Ranked 54th in the world (QS World University Ranking 2025)
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk