LLB Law and Celtic

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

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.

Year 1

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 courses in Celtic, choosing between studying the Scottish Gaelic language and Celtic civilisation.

Gaelic language pathway

If you take the language pathway, your course will be determined by how much Scottish Gaelic you already know. Even if you are a complete beginner, you can choose to study Scottish Gaelic. Our Year 1 classes suit all levels of prior knowledge.

• If you have no previous knowledge, you will learn written and spoken Scottish Gaelic by taking our Gaelic 1A course.
• If you are an advanced speaker, our Gaelic 1B course will develop your language skills and deepen your experience of Scottish Gaelic literature.

Celtic civilisation pathway

The civilisations pathway is made up of two courses: Celtic Civilisation 1A and 1B. Together, they seek to place the Celtic languages of the past and present into a wider historical and contemporary context.

On these courses, you will consider the impact of modern Celticness on how the past has been understood, and will be introduced to Celtic Studies in the medieval and modern periods.

There is also the opportunity to combine the study of Celtic civilisation with our basic language learning course, Introduction to Gaelic Language and Culture.

Year 2

Your 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

You can choose between continuing to study the Scottish Gaelic language, or studying Celtic literatures.

Language pathway

If you take the language pathway, you will refine your language skills and learn about linguistic structure. You will also learn more about Scottish Gaelic culture and literature, exploring verse and prose.

Literature pathway

If you take the literature pathway, you will gain an overview of key literary genres and texts from Gaelic Scotland, Ireland and Wales from the early medieval period to the present. Texts are presented in English translation.

Year 3

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
• International Law
• Property Law
• Family Law
• Criminology

You will also study the compulsory course Advanced Legal Writing alongside additional, honours-level option courses in Celtic.

Depending on what pathway you have taken through Celtic in Years 1 and 2, you will choose between modern courses and medieval courses.

Modern courses

These explore literary, cultural, and historical aspects of Gaelic Scotland and Ireland from around 1600 to the present day.

There are courses on linguistics and sociolinguistics, and advanced language courses aimed at developing your high-level oral and writing skills in Scottish Gaelic.

Medieval courses

These introduce the Early Irish and Medieval Welsh languages, and develop your study of literature, history and culture.

Year 4

This is the final year of the LLB (Hons) programme. You will choose further law courses to expand your specialist knowledge.

You will write a dissertation. This will help you develop your legal research and writing skills.

You will also study further courses in Celtic, choosing between modern and medieval courses.

Programme structure

Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.

To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.

Programme structure (2024/25)

Our facilities

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.

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.

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.

Celtic

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

Our resources for the study of Celtic are largely held over three sites clustered around George Square:

• the Main University Library and its Centre for Research Collections
• the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) and its Celtic Class Library
• the School of Scottish Studies Archives and its Scottish Studies Library

Across these sites, you will find:

• more than 400,000 rare books
• six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
• 33,000 recordings of songs, music, stories, rhyme and verse in Scots, Gaelic and English, as well as in dialects now extinct
• thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects
• thousands of photographs and rarely-seen historic documents which capture exceptional and everyday aspects of Scottish culture and heritage

Highlights for the study of Celtic include:

• the Carmichael-Watson Collection
• the Donald MacKinnon Collection
• the David Laing Collection

Why Edinburgh?

Through the Gaelic Algorithmic Research Group (GARG), an international team researching modern technologies for Gaelic, we have led the development of the world’s first working Automatic Speech Recognition system for Scottish Gaelic. We are also founding members of Faclair na Gàidhlig, a collaborative project to publish a historical dictionary of the language.

We work closely with Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the national Gaelic development agency, of which Professor Rob Dunbar is a Board Member (2023 to 2027). Rob also sits on the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages - the only treaty in the world designed to protect and promote regional and minority languages and to enable speakers to use them both in private and public life.

Study abroad

In Year 3, you may have the opportunity to spend the year studying abroad through the University's international exchange programme. There are also shorter term and virtual opportunities to study or work abroad throughout the four years, including over the summer months.

What are my options for going abroad?

How will I learn?

Law

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

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

Years 3 and 4 consist of two-hour seminars, rather than lectures and tutorials. These seminars allow you to discuss and explore topics in more depth.

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

Celtic

Your classes will typically fall into three categories:

• lectures
• tutorials
• seminars

In addition to these 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.

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

There is an emphasis on interaction and developing fluency, and on building the strong linguistic competencies required for careers in the Gaelic world.

How will I be assessed?

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

If studying Scottish Gaelic, your exams will include oral exams to test your spoken language skills.

Law

After graduating you can progress on 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.

Please note however that 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 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 qualify and practise in Europe and elsewhere. To do this, you must comply with the local conversion requirements and complete any further study non-Scottish jurisdictions require.

Celtic

Thanks to an ever-broadening international reach, Celtic languages, literatures and cultures have a steady stream of enthusiastic new speakers and audiences.

In Scotland particularly, developments such as the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, the creation of BBC Alba (the Gaelic digital television service), and the ongoing expansion of Gaelic-medium education have increased demand for highly educated Gaelic speakers and specialists in Celtic culture.

Employment prospects are particularly high within:

• education, outreach, advocacy and training
• journalism, broadcasting and media
• politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service and law
• publishing, culture, heritage and the arts

In some areas, there are more Gaelic-related jobs than there are people qualified to fill them.

Your transferable humanities skills and intercultural competence will also set you apart in sectors such as:

• business, finance and commerce
• communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
• leisure, tourism and travel
• research, development and venture acceleration
• translating and interpreting

Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: AAAAA (achievement by end of S5 preferred). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S5.
• A Levels: A*AA.
• IB: 39 points with 666 at HL.

Minimum entry requirement

The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

• SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S5.
• A Levels: ABB.
• IB: 34 points with 655 at HL.

More information for widening access applicants

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Highers: English at B, at first attempt. National 5s: a language other than English at B.
• A Levels: English Literature, English Language or combined English at B. GCSEs: a language other than English at B or 6. English Language and English Literature GCSE, both at A or 7, are accepted in place of A Level English.
• IB: HL: English at 5. SL: a language other than English at 5.

Additional requirements

Language requirement

For degrees that have a subject requirement of a language other than English, students may not use their own native language to meet this requirement. In these instances, English or an alternative language other than native will be acceptable.

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international student and your school qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to the University you may be eligible for admission to this degree programme through our International Foundation Programme.

International Foundation Programme

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at C
• GCSE at C or 4
• Level 2 Certificate at C
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 162 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 54 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 5 in each component.*

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the degree you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT, or Trinity ISE test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins, regardless of your nationality.

English language requirements

(*Revised 24 May 2024 to change PTE Academic requirement from total 62 with at least 54 in each component, and to clarify that we do not accept PTE Academic online. Revised 29 August 2024 to add Oxford ELLT requirements.)

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.

Please note that some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for LLB Law and Celtic

Additional costs

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

Funding

For more information on how much it will cost to study with us and the financial support available see our fees and funding information.

Fees and funding

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