BA (Hons) Law with Business Communication
- UCAS code: M1N1
- Mode of study: Full time
- Duration: 3 years
- Entry requirements 2013: For year 1 entry applicants require successful completion of 1 year of HE study, plus English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 5.5 with no component score less than 5.5, or equivalent. For year 2 entry applicants require successful completion of 2 years of relevant HE study, ideally including the English Legal System, plus English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 5.5 with no component score less than 5.5, or equivalent. For year 3 entry applicants require successful completion of 3 years of relevant HE study, including study of the English Legal System, Contract Law and Tort Law, plus English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0, or equivalent.
- Please see details of the range of other qualifications that will also be considered on the 'Entry Requirements' tab below. Please do contact us for advice on other qualifications that aren't listed here.
Find out more:
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 8200
Email: bus.admissions@port.ac.uk
Department: School of Law
This course is only available to International applicants whose first language is not English.
Course overview
We live in a world where business is global and the internet facilitates cross-border trade. In such an environment, an understanding of law, legal liability and legal process is vital.
This degree is designed for international students wishing to combine the study of law with the further development of their English language skills, making it particularly attractive for anyone considering a career in the general area of law, business or management. Normally entry will be at second-year level subject to evidence of two years of relevant previous study of law in higher education (ideally including English Legal System), but exceptionally final year entry may be possible.
It embraces both the conceptual framework and the context of law, and covers the basic principles of English commercial law (which is often the governing law in international contracts), and the principles of both private international and public international law.
The law element of the degree is taught by the School of Law, whose students come from all over the word including Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. The language element is taught by the School of Languages and Area Studies which is also cosmopolitan in make-up and has a well-respected suite of English language programmes for non-native speakers.
Course content
Year one
The first year will introduce the English legal system, works on English language skills and introduces the skills needed for successful study at University in the UK. Units studied will include:
- English Legal System
- General Language 4 (English)
- Multimedia Listening
- Business English 1
- Studying at University
- Developing Research Skills
Year two
The second year is designed to develop your understanding of law. Second-year units include:
- Substantive Law of Tort
- Contract Law
- General Language 5 (English)
- Business Communication 1
- Business English
Options include:
- English Legal System
- Elements of Commercial and Consumer Law
- Employment Law
Year three
The final year focuses on public and private international law. Core units studied are:
- Public International Law
- Private International Law
- Independent Project
- General Language Level 6 (English)
Options include:
- European Union Law
- Company Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- Employment Law
- Elements of Commercial and Consumer Law
Teaching and assessment
The School of Law is praised by its students for the level of student support offered by staff. All academic staff have regular office hours and are almost always able to offer 'open door' access – if we are in and not doing something else then we are happy to see students.
In every year of your degree you will be assigned a personal tutor. You will meet regularly with your personal tutor in timetabled sessions to discuss your progress and to help to resolve problems or questions that you may encounter along the way. In year three, your personal tutor will also be your project supervisor.
Teaching is undertaken usually in the format of a one-hour seminar and one-hour lecture per week. Some units will be different – they may be taught in the format of seminars alone, language labs or working more independently with the supervision of a member of staff.
Assessment is varied, with examinations forming an important, though not exclusive, part of the core law subjects. Other types of assessment include coursework essays, presentations or written moot arguments.
An opportunity to try mootying (a sort of mock trial) is given in the Law of Tort unit – this can be fun and will help to develop your confidence in speaking English and using the law to argue a point.
Career prospects
English is increasingly the language of international business and trade. The combination of legal knowledge and good English language skills, which we develop on this course, will give you a distinct advantage in the international job market. There are many jobs available for you in business, legal and regulatory compliance, trade, public service, human resources, finance and management.
Facilities and features
Based in the Portsmouth Business School’s Richmond Building, the School of Law has state-of-the-art teaching facilities and staff with a wide variety of practical and academic experience of law.
Mock courtroom
You can choose to be part of our full-blown mock trials and moots in our mock courtroom. The £1 million development is an exact replica of a crown court, complete with dock, witness box, public gallery, jury room and interview rooms. You can have a look at it being used in a recent mock trial involving staff and students.