LLB Law and Modern Languages (MR20)

2026 entry | view 2025 entry

Course summary

Our top-ranking law degree will give you a solid foundation of legal knowledge and an opportunity for you to explore a wide range of legal topics. You will be taught by world-leading academics, who actively impact law, policy and practice, in the vibrant and diverse city of Bristol.

An understanding of more than one legal tradition, language and culture can open up a world of opportunity. On this four-year, joint honours course, you will be able to combine the study of English law with language and cultural units in either French, German or Spanish.

Starting from A-level standard (or the equivalent) in your chosen language, you will develop your language and cultural knowledge to degree level, as well as study core units of the legal system of England and Wales, which is part of the Common Law legal tradition. You will spend your third year at a partner university in France, Germany, Spain or Latin America, countries that are all part of the Civil Law tradition. You will study units taught in French, German or Spanish that will introduce you to the legal system of that country. To find out more about studying abroad, visit the Centre for Study Abroad.

Choosing the LLB in Law and Modern Languages at Bristol will give you a deep understanding of the seven foundations of legal knowledge, enabling you to progress onto the Bar Training Course or prepare, in part, for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

A broader cultural experience, advanced language skills and the ability to articulate both the distinctive and common features of different legal systems will see you graduate with a valuable skill set, ideally tailored to the globalised workplace.

Get a head start in your legal career with the possibility of gaining Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) through one of our law clinics, alongside a wide range of career development support from our in-house careers adviser and university Careers Service, complemented by free access to career development resources from our partner, BPP University.

Course structure

The course is structured to help you think, write, reason and argue like a lawyer with an international outlook, while gaining a rich understanding of language, literature, history and culture. It will also help you develop key skills in research and analysis.

Your first year law units will introduce you to core areas of English and Welsh law, such as contract and constitutional law. Alongside this, you will follow a structured language course in your chosen language and gain a grounding in key historical and cultural aspects of communities in which it is spoken.

Second-year units core areas of English, European and Comparative law provide the opportunity to deepen your legal knowledge. On the language side of your degree, you will have opportunities to develop your linguistic skills and to choose an optional unit that furthers your understanding of your chosen language and the cultures in which it is spoken.

Typically, you will spend your third year abroad in a country in which your chosen language is spoken, studying units in the law of that country through the medium of your chosen language.

An exciting range of optional units will help you specialise further in your final year at Bristol, alongside your continued study of language and culture. Inspired by their year abroad, many law and language students choose units suited to global law firms and international organisations, on topics of banking law, commercial law, IT law or environmental law. Your Independent Research Project will allow you to undertake legal research and critically engage with your chosen topic area.

Check back soon to view the programme catalogue containing further details on the course structure and modules.

Entry requirements

We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.

A*AA or A*A*B, including B in the intended language of study (French, Spanish or German). Where a candidate is not taking an A-level in a modern language, we may accept A*AA or A*A*B plus a standalone language qualification at CEFR level B1. Further details available on our Modern language requirements page.
AAB including B in the intended language of study (French, Spanish or German). Where a candidate is not taking an A-level in a modern language, we may accept AAB plus a standalone language qualification at CEFR level B1. Further details available on our Modern language requirements page.

Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offer
D*DD in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma AND B in a French A-level (or equivalent)

Find out more about BTEC entry requirements
38 points overall with 18 at Higher Level including 5 at Higher Level in French
34 points overall with 17 at Higher Level including 5 at Higher Level in French

Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offer
88% overall with 8.0 in French
Advanced Higher: AA, and Standard Higher: AAAAA including A in French
Access to HE Diploma in Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or History (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include at least 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit or above. Proven capacity for language learning is also required, usually through a B in A-level French.

More about Access to HE entry requirements
Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales or the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.
Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.
The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

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