Law and French LLB (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Law

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

MR11

Award

LLB (Hons)

Duration of study

4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Central Area

Start date

September 2026

School

Edinburgh Law School

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Mandatory

Accreditation

Available

Placement

No

Open days and events

About the degree programme

Our joint programmes allow you to study law alongside another academic discipline. Over four years of study you will take a range of courses from both the Law School and the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures. 

The joint LLB Law and French programme aims to promote advanced knowledge and understanding of the theory, concepts and rules of the law. Additionally, you will study a major world language spoken in many parts of Europe, Africa and the Americas. 

Alongside intensive study of the French language, you will explore:

  • Francophone culture, including literature and cinema
  • political history 
  • philosophical ideas

This programme also includes a compulsory year abroad in Year 3 at an institution that teaches in French. This offers you the chance to have a culturally immersive experience in another country while also developing your legal and language skills.

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years.

A key benefit to studying a 4-year degree programme is that you have the flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.

This allows you the opportunity to study other courses that interest you or enhance your degree. By the end of Year 2, you can decide which of these subject areas you want to focus on in the honours years of your programme.

How long it takes to complete our degree programmes

How a joint degree programme works

A joint programme allows you to gain a well-rounded learning experience. You will have more exposure to different disciplines, allowing you to expand your knowledge and expertise.

Teaching on joint programmes is split across the two subject areas, and teaching will take place in locations associated with both subjects.

You will gain a different perspective through studying more than one subject and have a wider skill set that is highly attractive to future employers.

Programme rankings

  • 13th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings: Law 2024.
  • 21st in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Law & Legal Studies.
  • 13th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Modern Languages.

Programme benefits

  • Edinburgh Law School has been educating and training some of the world’s finest legal minds for more than 300 years.
  • Studying in Scotland’s capital, you will be at the heart of Edinburgh’s legal centre, with the highest courts in Scotland a five-minute walk away.
  • You will benefit from access to some of the best academic law materials in Europe in our law library.
  • You will join a supportive law community and be assigned to a LawPALS group. This is our peer-assisted learning scheme, which is designed to help you adapt to the study of law.
  • You will have access to a number of events and opportunities through the Law School's Career Opportunities Programme.

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for LLB (Hons) Law and French

View the tuition fees for one academic year of LLB (Hons) Law and French.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

On some courses, you will be encouraged to buy additional learning materials for learning and assessments.

Additional costs should be anticipated for the mandatory study abroad in Year 3. Costs will vary depending on the country and partner university.

Additional costs while studying abroad may include:

  • insurance
  • visa requirements
  • accommodation
  • travel

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend a maximum of £920 to £2,257 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

On the joint LLB programme you will study Scots law alongside French. 

In Years 1 and 2, you will study foundation 'Ordinary' courses. 

In Years 3 and 4, courses are studied at 'Honours' level, where you will choose from up to 40 specialist courses covering a range of theoretical, practical and historical fields of study. 

If you wish to retain the option of practising as a lawyer in Scotland, it is sometimes (but not always) possible to complete the additional courses required. 

This will typically require extra study throughout the programme. This means you must consider the possible impact of this on qualifying as a solicitor. 

We highly encourage all students on joint degree honours programmes to discuss their intended pathway with the Law School.

You will be introduced to general legal principles and legal techniques. You will study compulsory courses including:

  • Scottish Legal System 
  • Critical Legal Thinking 
  • Contract Law 
  • Family Law 
  • Public Law of the UK and Scotland 
  • European Union Law

You will also study the compulsory course French 1B. This course will help you develop your written and spoken skills in the French language.

We will also introduce you to the richness and variety of French civilisations by focusing on social and political events from the Second World War to the 21st century. These topics include:

  • resistance and collaboration 
  • the Fifth Republic 
  • May 1968 
  • feminism 
  • colonisation and decolonisation
Find Year 1 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Law courses

In Year 2, your law courses may include:

  • Property Law 
  • Jurisprudence 
  • Public Law and Individual Rights 
  • Delict 
  • Criminal Law 
  • Revenue Law 
  • International Private Law
  • Business Entities 
  • Commercial Law 
  • Evidence 
  • Succession and Trust Law
French courses

You will develop your written and spoken language skills in French in readiness for your year abroad in Year 3.

You will learn how to write a précis in French and how to translate. Many exercises will relate to social, political or cultural debates in present-day France and the Francophone world.

You will also take a course in French and Francophone literature and culture. This course will introduce you to some of the most important authors at key points in French literary and cultural history, from the 12th to the 21st century.

You will study works by writers such as Montaigne, Racine, Molière and Baudelaire alongside texts that have been considered marginal to French culture for reasons of gender or colonial politics.

Find Year 2 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

During Year 3, you will spend at least 30 weeks on an approved study placement in a French-speaking country. You will study agreed courses in law and French. We typically have exchange places at partner universities across Belgium, France and Switzerland.

Our graduates have told us how much this year abroad has benefited their broader life experience and skills, as well as their linguistic and intercultural competencies in French. Living abroad will also give you a wider perspective, experience and skills to embrace the opportunities and challenges of life after university.

All students who spend Year 3 abroad must also take the compulsory law course Advanced Legal Writing (Online).

Find Year 3 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will receive advanced legal skills training during your honours study and will have the opportunity to specialise in further law subjects, chosen from a wide range of courses, including:

  • Commercial Law 
  • Property Law 
  • Family Law 
  • Criminology

You will consolidate your core language skills in French and take an honours-level option in an aspect of Francophone literature, thought or culture.

You have the option of completing a dissertation in law.

Find Year 4 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Study abroad

You will spend Year 3 abroad (a minimum of 30 weeks) in a French-speaking country.

Turning classroom learning into a lived experience, your year abroad will allow you to deepen your knowledge of French by speaking it daily and immersing yourself in Francophone culture.

Your year abroad is a chance for you to evolve and grow beyond Edinburgh. Our graduates have told us how much the year abroad has benefited their broader life experience and skills.

What are my options for going abroad?

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Law

Large group lectures provide the teaching framework for law in Years 1 and 2. These are complemented by small group tutorial sessions. 

Year 1 students will normally have two or three lectures per week for each course. You will also have a regular tutorial for each course. 

Years 3 and 4 consist of two-hour seminars, rather than lectures and tutorials. In these, students are expected to discuss and explore topics in more depth. 

All Year 1 students have access to Edinburgh's Law Peer-Assisted Learning Scheme (Law PALS). The Mooting Society also provides you with opportunities to learn and practise courtroom skills.

French

For French, your classes will typically fall into three categories:

  • lectures 
  • tutorials 
  • seminars

Language tutorials allow you to develop your linguistic skills in a range of real-world tasks under the supervision of an experienced language teacher.

These tutorials typically cover skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking — all of which involve learning and applying grammar.

In addition to classes, and to get the most out of your courses, you will need to read widely.

We make extensive use of our audio and visual resources, and you will also be encouraged to use online materials.

The Students’ Association facilitates a peer support scheme for French, bringing together students across year groups to help each other with specific study skills, topics or themes.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams.

Coursework in French will take a range of forms to allow you to practise different skills. For example, you may be asked to:

  • write an essay, review, blog post, opinion piece or learning journal 
  • respond to a piece of writing, film, or other media, including through close reading 
  • give a short talk or presentation 
  • record a podcast or video 
  • design a poster or presentation

Exams for French will include oral exams to test your spoken language skills.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.

Support for your studies

Our academic staff

Edinburgh Law School has been at the centre of the teaching and practice of law since its earliest days. Academic staff are experts in their field and passionate and supportive in their teaching. You will have easy, local access to:

  • the Edinburgh Sheriff Court
  • the Supreme civil and criminal Scottish courts
  • the Crown Office
  • the Scottish Government
  • the Faculty of Advocates
  • the Law Society of Scotland

You will come into frequent contact with the personnel of all of these institutions, both through field trips and through external teaching provided by personnel from these institutions on the programme.

Where you will study

Study location

Law

The Law School has been housed in the Old College since the late 1800s. Our traditional and historic home underwent a full refurbishment, completed in 2019. This transformed the building into a 21st century home for the school, while celebrating and preserving the heritage and history of Old College.

The Law School is ideally placed for those studying and working in the law. It is within easy walking distance of the highest courts in Scotland and the Scottish Parliament.

French

Teaching in French takes place in and around the University of Edinburgh's Central Area. 

This is where you will also find the Main University Library which holds over 118,500 books and 25,500 journals in French. The library can give you access to:

  • films
  • newspapers
  • databases
  • other media in the French language

Academic facilities

Law

As a student at Edinburgh Law School, you will benefit from excellent teaching, study, and research facilities. 

Designed for the way you study, the new features include:

  • a law library
  • spacious seminar rooms
  • dedicated student social spaces, including a café

Our library is one of the largest law libraries in the UK.

French
Centre de recherches francophones belges

Established in 1995, our Centre de recherches francophones belges promotes the teaching of francophone Belgian literature, and hosts a range of activities for students and the public.

Since 2018, the Centre has been partnering with Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI) to bring Francophone Belgian culture to Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Diaspolinks network

We also play a key role in the Diaspolinks network, which brings together researchers with a shared interest in the growing field of Diaspora Studies, especially Anglophone and Francophone diasporas.

The international network is unique in comparing the various diasporic communities’ responses to issues of identity, belonging and relocation in the context of British, French and Canadian immigration policies.

Accreditation

Our LLB programmes are accredited by the Law Society of Scotland.

However, this combined honours programme does not include all courses required to proceed to the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice and thereafter to the legal profession in Scotland. 

It may be possible, in discussion with the Law School, for joint honours students to meet these requirements by studying additional courses.

Career paths

Law

After graduating, you can progress to the legal profession in Scotland by completing the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice, followed by a traineeship with a legal firm, to qualify as a solicitor. 

However, this is only possible following a joint degree programme if you have been able to complete all additional courses required for the Diploma. 

You can then opt to go to the Bar, to qualify as an advocate. This requires a period of 'devilling' under the supervision and direction of a practising advocate.

Careers outside of Scotland

Graduates who qualify to practise may also go on to qualify and practise law in other jurisdictions. There are rules which enable a Scots-qualified solicitor or advocate relatively quickly to re-qualify as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales. 

Graduates may also go on to re-qualify in France (and in Belgium and Luxembourg) as an 'avocat'. 

Graduates may also qualify and practise elsewhere in Europe and beyond. To do this, you must comply with the local conversion requirements and complete any further study non-Scottish jurisdictions require.

Non-legal careers

Graduates who do not choose a legal career often use their skills and experience for employment in finance, management or journalism. 

Our graduates have also worked with international organisations such as the United Nations and the European Union. 

French

Studying a language to a degree level demonstrates that you are:

  • a good communicator
  • a resilient problem solver 
  • someone open to other cultures and new ideas

These skills are valued by employers as 'intercultural competence'.

Graduating in Law and French, you will be near-fluent in a major language of international communication, one of the most widely spoken in the world. 

You will be well-placed to seek opportunities in the 29 countries where France is an official language (including parts of Europe, Africa and North America) and the many multinational companies and institutions for which it is a working language, including the European Commission. 

Wherever you are based in the world, your skills will make you stand out.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

Students intending to enter the Scottish legal profession must take, in addition to the professionally required LLB courses, the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at a Scottish University. Application for entry to the Diploma is made during the final year of the LLB degree.

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

At Edinburgh Law School, students also have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities alongside their studies, which give them the chance to develop their skills and interests and to fully take part in the Edinburgh Law School community.

Find out more about the Law School's student groups and societies

French
Les Escogriffes

The University's French theatre society, Les Escogriffes, typically stages a play in French each year, with opportunities to direct, act, produce and promote.

"Les Escogriffes is such a fun way to meet people learning and speaking French, and it is such a great creative outlet. We are silly, we play theatre and improv games, and you don’t need prior experience speaking French or doing theatre. You can perform or work behind the scenes of a production, and feel super proud of what you have achieved, making friends along the way!"

Read French student Freya's blog post on being a part of Les Escogriffes during her time at Edinburgh

Babble

If you love to write, our online creative writing magazine Babble is the place to publish your:

  • prose
  • poetry
  • drama
  • non-fiction

Babble goes out twice a year and includes work written in French and eight other European languages. You can get involved in the editorial committee, and launch nights typically include readings and performances.

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Within the city, you will have access to specialist collections, including one of the best French collections in the UK in the National Library of Scotland. 

Edinburgh's French cinema scene is particularly strong. There is plenty to see and do throughout the year, and there are annual French and Africa in Motion film festivals.

Many events are hosted by the recently upgraded and refurbished Institut français d’Écosse on George IV Bridge, five minutes from Old College, which is an arm of the French Foreign Ministry. The centre promotes French language and culture and is co-located with the French consulate on the city's Royal Mile.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

Related degree programmes

You may also be interested in

Discover Uni data

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.