Law Short Course

Prepare for a law degree with UEL's Introduction to Law Short Course. 10-week evening classes, low fees (£200), no formal qualifications required

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Prepare for a law degree with UEL's Introduction to Law Short Course. 10-week evening classes, low fees (£200), no formal qualifications required

Start date

September 2025

Attendance

Part-time

Learning mode

On campus

Course Summary

This course is subject to revalidation.

Our Introduction to Law Short Course is a one-of-a-kind approach to applying for a law degree. The course is designed to prepare you to access a law degree even if you don’t have formal qualifications. This comprehensive law short course provides a solid foundation for aspiring legal professionals regardless of their educational background. 

This course will introduce you to the study of law and equip you with the necessary academic skills to progress to one of the following law degrees at the University of East London. *:

With low course fees and evening class times, this course makes higher education truly accessible for people who would find traditional study options difficult to balance with other commitments. Our law department is highly respected and balances friendly, supportive teaching with world-class research and academic expertise. 

The 10-week course starts in September, January, and April. Attendance is required for three hours on one session per week, plus 15-20 hours of weekly independent study. Students are assessed through an academic presentation and a final written assessment.

Grow degree-level skills

Develop your academic reading, writing and thinking skills in preparation for undergraduate legal study.

Kick-start your law career

Develop your confidence and independence, and transform your employability and career options.

Flexible learning

Fit your study in with your work and personal commitments and have access to UEL's extensive learning facilities and resources.

What You'll Learn

Through a series of lectures and seminars, you will be introduced to the sources of law and the English legal system, reading and interpreting statutes and reading and interpreting case law.  Skills development sessions are incorporated into the weekly sessions and include how to access and read the course literature, how to deliver presentations and write according to academic conventions. 

The Introduction to Law Short Course builds on the skills you have gained from work and life experiences to prepare you for studying for a degree. You will also develop your academic skills, including how to:

  • be an effective learner by understanding the expectations of Higher Education
  • read analytically by using established techniques to master complex tests
  • think critically and engage in legal debates
  • research academic topics using UEL's award-winning library facilities
  • write academic essays
  • use academic conventions to acknowledge sources of information
  • work in groups
  • design and deliver an academic presentation.


Teaching and learning are achieved through lectures, group activities, presentations, guided reading and writing tasks, and independent and online learning. You will be fully supported throughout the course with lots of opportunities to use UEL’s facilities and support services.

This law short course combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills development to ensure you're fully prepared for undergraduate legal studies.

Entry Requirements

Applicants can start the Introduction to Law Short Course after successfully passing an eligibility test. Please see our Preparation document for the eligibility test.

Applicants are expected to have a GCSE pass at grade 4/C or above, or an equivalent level 2 qualification in English language. If you do not have or are working towards a level 2 qualification, you can still be considered for the Introduction to Law Short Course. You must have completed your level 2 course before starting your degree.
 

 

Fees and Funding

£200 (some means-tested bursaries are available for those on a low income).

 

Your Future Career

Students who complete this law short course often progress successfully to full law degrees and develop rewarding careers in legal practice, corporate law, and public service.

After completing a law degree at UEL, a career in many areas of law is possible, as well as opportunities to join other graduate careers. A law degree can open doors to a wide range of career paths, both directly related to law and in other fields that value analytical thinking, problem-solving, and strong communication skills.  Please see our LLB Law page.

What our students say

UEL University Square campus web pic
The short course helped me to gain experience in both fields of academic literature and knowledge of the subject, this also helped me to have easier access to the criminology course I am now studying. I wouldn't have been able to get onto this course had I not passed the exam, attended the course and studied the literature. I hope to further my academic education or to go into employment in criminal justice.

Athena Amos

Introduction to Law and Criminology Short Course, BA Hons Criminology and Criminal Justice

Play

Natasha's story

‘All these people are going to think that law is not a career for me because lawyers are posh, white, upper-class old men.’

The Introduction to Law short course is a unique way to apply for a law degree, even if you don’t have formal qualifications.

How to Apply

You can apply in person, or you can telephone or email us:

  • Drop into our Advice and Guidance Centre between 9.30am and 4.30pm
  • Give us a call on 020 8223 4354
  • Or send an email to pep@uel.ac.uk

 

Find us

The Advice and Guidance Centre is just a 10-minute walk from Stratford Station:

University Square Stratford
1 Salway Road
London E15 1NF

Our Location