Bachelor of Laws in Laws

A student of law is not predestined to becoming a lawyer, a magistrate or a notary public. Legal experts also find employment in business world, in government services or in politics. Our programme covers various branches of the law and offers a variety of legal issues and case studies.

Bachelor's Programme
3 year 180 credits
Faculty of Law and Criminology
Dutch
download brochure 
About the programme
Programme summary
Find out more
Off to a good start
Postgraduate studies

What

Despite being one of the oldest university programmes, students nowadays are still interested in the study of law. The reasons are obvious: with one domain after another becoming ‘judicialised’, the ever-increasing complexity of today’s society has a clear impact on the law. Most important decisions require sound legal advice, and legal experts take on key positions in society. In the olden days, a student of law was almost certainly predestined to becoming a lawyer, a magistrate or a notary public. The focus of law studies was on civil law and criminal law.

Nowadays, the focus of our study programme has become much broader. Our graduates no longer exclusively make it into the magistracy, the notarial or legal profession, but also find their way into the private sector, in government services or international organisations. Our programme can also be the perfect stepping-stone towards a political career. The study of law, in other words, is so much more than “learning stuff by heart”. It is an interesting, versatile discipline with favourable career opportunities.

Je moet akkoord gaan met onze cookie policy alvorens je filmpjes kan bekijken.

Ik ga akkoord

For whom

Studying the law requires no specific prior knowledge. Since the learning contents are entirely new, it means a fresh start for everyone. There is no such thing as a specific legal intelligence, or “a flair for legal studies”. Legal experts keep their eyes and ears open to hot topics on the news. You take an interest in society and in historical evolutions, and you follow the political and legal news closely. You are motivated to analyse complex issues in a variety of social domains, to report on them, and to apply the rules to very specific situations. You have sufficient power of abstraction and linguistic proficiency to do so.
We place great store by linguistic proficiency: it is important throughout the programme, as well as in your later professional life. Proficiency in French is indispensable. Various legal sources are sometimes available exclusively in French. This is does not only apply to more dated sources, but also to verdicts and rulings passed in the French-speaking part of the country. Proficiency in English is a must for anyone aspiring a career in business. If your proficiency in any of these languages is insufficient, there are remedial opportunities for you to consider.

Je moet akkoord gaan met onze cookie policy alvorens je filmpjes kan bekijken.

Ik ga akkoord

Structure

  • Bachelor

The Bachelor's programme offers a broad overview of most of the branches of law. In addition to the purely legal course units, the curriculum also contains a broad range of political-philosophical, historical, economic and humanities course units. We expect you to be a smooth talker and have a facile pen. You will hone these skills (written and oral) further during exercises and the Bachelor’s dissertation. These exercises have as additional asset that they are an ideal preparation for the exam.

  • Master

Our two-year Master’s programme has a highly flexible curriculum. It contains six mandatory course units and room for twelve-odd electives. There are several lists of electives to choose from: ‘course units with a skills component’ (work placement, international moot court, a legal clinic...), ‘in-depth course units’ (in-depth study of a branch of law), and ‘broadening course units’ (specific legal or metalegal subjects). Your choice of electives depends on your personal interests, your future career choices, the teaching style, etc. The programme allows you to specialise to a certain extent, while your diploma still remains generally applicable to all legal professions. The two-year Master’s curriculum contains a Master’s dissertation, for the purpose of which you will set up and conduct independent legal research. At the end of the programme you will present your findings in the form of a written thesis.

A Bachelor’s degree in Law also gives access to other Master programmes than the ones mentioned here. Please take a look at the tab “Postgraduate Studies”.

Je moet akkoord gaan met onze cookie policy alvorens je filmpjes kan bekijken.

Ik ga akkoord

Labour Market

The labour market is ever-changing. Still, there are a number of trends we have observed and want to point out. First, only a small group of graduates makes it into the magistracy, the notarial or legal profession. Second, there is a growing need for corporate lawyers. And third, more and more ‘polyvalent’ positions are taken up by legal experts. This disconnection between diploma and future profession is a trend that has been establishing itself for some time now. Those so-called polyvalent positions are becoming increasingly complex, in which case a legal background comes in handy. That is why these positions are now often taken by legal experts. Last but not least, our programme is an ideal starting point for a political career.

Take a look at our faculty website for career testimonials by legal experts (in Dutch). Other interesting testimonials can be found at www.durfdenken.be (in Dutch).