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Undergraduate FAQs - for prospective applicants

Are you thinking of applying to study an Undergraduate programme at UCL Laws? Read our Frequently Asked Questions to find out more about studying with us and preparing your application.

General enquiries

When do you hold Open Days?

UCL Laws participates in the UCL Open Days held in Summer - visit the UCL Open Day website to find out more and to watch a recording of the virtual open day that took place previously.

If you would like to be kept up to date with the Faculty of Laws, please register your interest.

Do you have a view on gap year and deferred entry applications?

As applications for places on our LLB Laws degree programmes are highly competitive, we will exercise our discretion when considering deferral requests. We will consider an applicant’s change of circumstances or the desire to seek employment, secure funding or engage in law related activities during a gap year.

How do I find out whether I should pay tuition fees at the UK or International rates?

You can find information about whether your application will be subject to UK or International fee status on the Student Fee Status page.

The UCL Laws Undergraduate Admissions Office cannot discuss your individual fee status by telephone or by personal visit, nor can we enter into correspondence on this issue for prospective applicants. Please note that once a fee status is determined it will remain unchanged for the duration of the degree programme in most circumstances.

Do you offer the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)?

No, we do not offer Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). Please visit the Solicitors Regulation Authority website to search GDL course providers.

Do you offer Foundation programmes?

No, all of our programmes are at degree level, however the UCL CLIE does offer Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates for international students whose home qualifications do not allow direct admission to UCL undergraduate degrees.

Do you have any part-time or distance-learning LLB programmes?

No, all of our undergraduate degree programmes are full time and based at UCL Laws. You may find it useful to visit the University of London to find details of alternative programmes.

Visit the University of London website to find out more

Can I apply to take an individual module at UCL Faculty of Laws?

Students enrolled at University of London institutions are eligible to apply to undertake individual modules from the Faculty of Laws, but places are limited and subject to availability. You can find information about the eligibility for laws modules on the LLB modules page.

If you are studying at a University of London affiliated institution, you should contact ug-law@ucl.ac.uk to enquire about this process.

Entry requirements

I don't meet the GCSE grade requirements. Can I still apply?

Candidates may re-sit GCSE subjects in order to meet the GCSE requirements. UCL Laws may waive the maths and/or English language GCSE Grade 6 requirement(s) (but not below the UCL benchmark of Grade 5 unless there are very exceptional circumstances), at the Faculty Tutor's discretion, where there is good reason to do so.  

The Grade 6 requirement has been waived in the past, for example, for mature students studying an access course, and students whose GCSE assessment was affected by extenuating circumstances that could not be taken into account by the relevant Exam Board at the time. Extenuating circumstances are circumstances which are sudden, unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond the student's control and proximate to the assessment which affected their performance at assessment, such as a serious illness or the death of a close relative. Your referee should briefly refer to your extenuating circumstances in their reference.

Each application will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at laws-admissions@ucl.ac.uk.

Do you have any subject requirements?

We do not have any subject requirements for entry into our LLB Law programme; therefore, your subjects are your personal choice. If you are taking A levels, we require that two of the three subjects are on our UCL-wide preferred subject list, which can be found here. We do not hold any preferences and would not discriminate between any subjects on the preferred subject list. In general we would recommend that you choose the subjects you believe you would enjoy the most and perform the best in (especially given our high entry requirements).

Do I need to achieve A*AA at A level in one sitting?

Yes, the entry requirements of A*AA must be fulfilled in the same sitting. A*AA awarded over two different years, for example AA in one year and an additional A* the following year will not satisfy our entry requirements, unless you have extenuating circumstances.

Will I still be eligible for consideration if I am resitting AS level papers?

We will still consider an application where AS examinations are being retaken, providing they are taken before your A Levels are completed.

Can I apply with A level (or equivalent) resit results?

We are unable to accept an A level (or equivalent) resit result, unless the first attempt result was impacted by extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances are circumstances which are sudden, unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond the student's control and proximate to the assessment which affected their performance at assessment, such as a serious illness or the death of a close relative.

If there were extenuating circumstances that affected the original sitting of your exam you should email us at laws-admissions@ucl.ac.uk at the same time you submit your UCAS form. To repeat, we will only consider a result in a resit examination where there were extenuating circumstances proximate to the first sitting of the affected assessment and those circumstances are supported by appropriate evidence attesting to the circumstances at the time, e.g. a letter from your school.

Do you make contextual offers on the LLB programmes?

Access UCL is UCL's contextual offer scheme for students from groups that are underrepresented at UCL. Eligible students who successfully complete the Access UCL scheme will receive a reduced offer two grades below the standard UCL offer:

A level: BBB, or;

IB Diploma: 36 points overall and a total of 17 achieved in three higher level subjects with no score lower than 5, and successful completion of the Access UCL Scheme.

If you are eligible for Access UCL, your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.

Visit the Access UCL Scheme website to find out more about eligibility and the Access UCL process

Do you consider Realising Opportunities when accessing my application?

UCL is a member of Realising Opportunities (RO) and therefore will consider this when reviewing your application. Please ensure you make us aware you are partaking in RO.

Eligible students who successfully complete the RO scheme will receive a reduced offer two grades below the standard UCL offer:

A level: BBB and successful completion of the RO Scheme, or;

IB Diploma: 36 points overall and a total of 17 achieved in three higher level subjects with no score lower than 5, and successful completion of the RO Scheme

Visit the Realising Opportunities website for more information

If English is not my first language, do I have to pass an English test to apply?

You do not need to provide proof of English language proficiency at the application stage. If we want to make you an offer of study, we will request proof then. Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

Application process

Can I apply for more than one LLB degree course?

Yes, you can apply for more than one LLB degree programme at UCL Laws via UCAS. If you decide to apply to more than one of our programmes, please contact us at laws-admissions@ucl.ac.uk to indicate your preferred programme (if applicable). As our programmes are highly oversubscribed, we would not be able to make an offer for more than one of our programmes, but we will bear in mind your preference when making our decision.

What if I decide that I want to apply to study at UCL Laws after I have submitted my UCAS application to another UCL department?

If you have not used all of your five choices, you can contact UCAS and ask them to include one of our LLB Law degree programmes in your application. If you have used all five choices, and have a course or institution choice for which you have not yet received a decision, you can ask UCAS to change your choice to one of our LLB Law programmes up to 14 days after the date of the Welcome Letter being sent to you by UCAS.

Please remember if you choose your degree programme choices after the 31 January, this will result in your application being considered as a late application.

If you have used all five choices and a decision has been made on your original application to UCL, we would not be prepared to consider your application for a place on one of our LLB Law degree programmes.

What if I have additional information to provide in support of my application?

Applicants should ensure that their applications are complete and accurate before submission to UCAS. All qualifications taken should be listed – you should not omit qualifications or other pertinent information. You cannot attach additional documents to the UCAS application.

Do you conduct interviews for places on the LLB degree programmes?

If you have applied to one of our LLB Law with a European Legal System degree programmes, and we are considering making an offer to you, we will invite you to attend an interview in order to assess your competence in the language of your programme. 

Your knowledge of the law is not being assessed at this stage and will not be considered at your interview, so please don’t worry about knowing everything before you arrive! 

To explore your motivation for the programme and to help put you at ease, your interviewers might ask questions about your interests and hobbies. UCL Laws has a very active student community, so your general accomplishments may be explored during the interview. 

We do not interview for the three year LLB M100 degree programmes.

How do I apply for a scholarship?

In order to apply for a scholarship, you must first be holding an offer of a place on a UCL undergraduate programme. UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies. For more information and to see which scholarships you may be able to apply for, please use the UCL Scholarship Finder.

Visit our Fees and Scholarship webpage to find out about law-specific sources of funding

Transfers, Senior Status, and Mature Students

Are mature students eligible for consideration?

Applicants who will be aged 21 years or more on admission are classed as mature students. We welcome applications from mature candidates, but you must still meet rigorous entry requirements for admission to study for the LLB degree programme, and we would expect to see evidence in the application that you have the qualities and skills necessary for the successful study of law at degree level.

Can I apply for advanced standing/accelerated entry/senior status admissions to the Law degree programmes?

No, all successful applicants must enrol at the beginning of year one for the full three- or four-year degree programmes. No credit can be given for programmes studied at other institutions.

Our LLB Law degree programmes are linear, rather than modular, and students must pass the examinations at the end of the first year in order to proceed to the second.

Can I transfer to UCL Laws from a degree programme in another department at UCL?

Although such transfers are permitted in theory at UCL, if you have just started your course in another UCL department and you would like to be considered for a LLB Law degree programme to start immediately in the current academic year, it is unlikely we will have any places available.

If you are a current UCL student and you are enquiring about being considered as an interdepartmental transfer student to start the LLB Law degree programme in the next academic year, you will need to make this request before the UCAS deadline of 31 January 2024, and have registered to take the LNAT by the 31 December 2023 in the same year that you intend to start the course.

I’m studying law at another university. Can I transfer into year two or three at UCL Laws?

As our degree programmes are heavily oversubscribed and you need to complete the full three-year programme to be awarded the degree, we do not accept applications to transfer to UCL Laws from students already studying at another institution. Should you wish to apply to UCL Laws, you would need to apply via UCAS for first year entry for the next academic year, and take the LNAT in the next admissions cycle.

LNAT (National Admissions Test for Law)

Please be aware that you do not need to wait to submit your UCAS application before registering for the LNAT. The LNAT and UCAS application are separate processes and can be completed at any time before the relevant deadlines. 

Is there a minimum score for the LNAT?

UCL Laws does not have a fixed benchmark or minimum score required for the LNAT. The average LNAT score of candidates who received an offer during the last academic cycle at UCL was 29. For contextual offers, the average LNAT score of candidates who received an offer at UCL was 27.

A high score in the LNAT is not a guarantee of an offer as applications are considered on the basis of all the information provided (including the academic profile, personal statement, reference, LNAT score and essay).

Visit the LNAT website to find out more about the test

What if my performance in the LNAT was affected by extenuating circumstances?

Before the test
If you feel unwell (mental or physical) before your test, we suggest that you reschedule your test rather than sitting your LNAT examination. If you decide to take the test when you are unwell, we will have no way of knowing how you would have done if you had not been unwell and will therefore not be able to take into consideration your circumstances.
 
To confirm, if you attend the exam you are declaring you are fit to do so and the mark you achieve will stand. You will not be permitted to receive any additional consideration from UCL Laws relating to that assessment unless you fall into the category below.
 
During the test
If there is an incident while you are sitting the test (e.g. a fire alarm or you suddenly fall ill), the test centre will do what it can to minimise the disruption (and to let you finish your test if you are well). The incident will be logged and you will be given an incident number by the test centre staff. Once you have your incident number you need to contact the LNAT Consortium at once so that the incident can be investigated and, where appropriate, a resit test offered (please request a resit if your test was negatively affected).  
 
If you were unable to continue with your test due to a sudden illness, you will need to request an approved resit from LNAT. We will then disregard your first attempt and use your resit score, even if your original score is higher than your resit.
 
More information on test day problems can be found on the LNAT website

What if I cannot take the LNAT before the 31 December deadline?

It is the candidate’s responsibility to register for the test in time to ensure that they are able to meet it.

As the deadline is well advertised on the UCL Laws website and the LNAT website, we will not consider any application where the candidate has not registered in time to take the test before the deadline.

What if there is no test centre in my country?

Regrettably, some countries have no test centres and are not expected to have them during the current test cycle. If you do not find your country listed in the test centre locator please contact the LNAT Administrator who will check the position. If it is confirmed that there is no test centre that you can reasonably travel to, you should contact us at laws-admissions@ucl.ac.uk.

What if I was registered to take the test before the deadline but was unable to sit it due to extenuating circumstances?

If you were registered to take the test before the deadline but were unable to sit it due to illness, bereavement or another unexpected circumstance, you need to let LNAT and UCL know as soon as possible so that we can make any necessary arrangements.

When you contact UCL, you will need to provide your original registration receipt so that we can see that you were scheduled to take the test on time, and any other relevant documentation regarding your extenuating circumstances.

If your extenuating circumstances are accepted by the Director of Undergraduate Programmes, we will allow you to sit the test at a later date.

To be eligible for this consideration you must contact us as soon as possible after your scheduled test date and no later than 31 December. If you contact us after this deadline, we will not be able to consider your extenuating circumstances.

Career opportunities

Are the undergraduate programmes recognised as qualifying law degrees?

All of our programmes are compliant with the QAA subject benchmark statement for law and contain the "Foundations of Legal Knowledge" subjects as well as the skills associated with graduate legal work such as legal research. For further information on qualifying as a Solicitor or Barrister in England and Wales, please have a look at our website here

Please note that we can only provide information relating to the UK, we cannot comment on other countries. We expect candidates to contact their relevant Bar Councils to check their requirements.

What careers support is offered to students?

UCL Laws has an in-house dedicated careers consultant to help you get started on your career journey. You can take advantage of one-to-one advice sessions, CV and application checking as well as practice interviews. There is a bespoke events programme offered to students which reflects the latest trends in the market and UCL Laws Society runs a series of careers and networking events.

Visit the UCL Laws Careers Support webpage for more information

What do LLB students go on to do?

The wide range of skills and subjects learned throughout the LLB degree open up many opportunities to those that graduate. UCL Laws graduates are highly regarded and pursue a variety of careers. Many UCL Laws graduates move directly to further vocational study and train to become solicitors or barristers. Recent graduates have also chosen employment in government, political service and a range of industries.

You can find more information about the destination of UCL graduates on the UCL Careers webpage (you can filter by Undergraduate and Faculty of Laws).

You can also view our LLB alumni profiles to see what recent graduates have gone on to do.