BA Hons Law & Economics
ApplyKey facts
- UCAS Code: ML11
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Ranked: top 10 in UK for Law and Economics (Complete University Guide 2021)
Part-time study: available
Study abroad: study in Europe & North America
Study with us
- develop an awareness of law and the legal implications of business operations which is sought after by employers
- access the resources of the Andersonian Library, one of the finest in Scotland, offering a wide range of law reports, legislation, serials and monographs
- progress to our LLB (Graduate Entry) after completing a joint Honours degree with Law and another subject
- our BA degrees in Humanities & Social Sciences are initially broad-based. In Year 1 you'll study three subjects, including your chosen subject(s)
How could the Covid-19 pandemic affect my studies?
Covid-19: information & FAQsWhy this course?
There are a number of ways you can study law at Strathclyde, one such way being the BA degree in combination with another subject. Please note that studying law within the BA degree will not qualify you for entry to the legal profession. For professional qualifications in law students follow the LLB programme.
Law is concerned with the study of the obligations, duties and rights which every member of society has in relation to one another and to the state.
The study of law is regarded not as purely vocational, but part of a broader education.
Following the recent global economic crisis, economics is more important and relevant than ever. Decisions on money, banking, interest rates, taxation and government spending affect us all, with global consequences.
Economics aims to understand the activities of the different agents in the economy – consumers, producers and the government – and how they all fit together.
Our degree will give you the ability to explain complex data in simple terms to different audiences. You’ll also develop excellent mathematical, statistical and problem-solving skills.

What you’ll study
Law
Year 1
The first-year class, Introduction to Law & Legal Obligations, introduces the laws of contract and delict, which are the essential building blocks of most other areas of law, the court systems and judicial decision-making, and the law-making process in the UK.
Years 2, 3 & 4
You select classes according to your interests from a wide range of options, including Human Rights, Environmental Law, Criminal Law, Public International Law, and Law, Film & Popular Culture.
Economics
Year 1
The first year of study looks at consumers and industries, with markets, market failure and the role of government, unemployment and inflation. No previous knowledge of economics is assumed but the class is also suitable if you've studied the subject before.
Year 2
You'll take core classes in microeconomics and macroeconomics and choose from a number of optional classes.
Year 3
As a third-year student, you will study a combination of core and optional classes to develop the foundations laid in Years 1 and 2 with a view to Honours study.
Year 4
Optional classes complement the areas of microeconomics and macroeconomics. You'll also write a dissertation.
Law
Legal Methods
The aims of this class are to:
- provide students with a basic knowledge of the history, structure and institutions of the Scottish legal system
- provide students with the skills required to find, interpret and analyse the law applicable in Scotland, from all their various sources
- introduce students to competing conceptions of law
- introduce students to legal reasoning
Public Law 1
Following on from the introduction to the constitution – its key actors, institutions and their functions – in Public Law 1, students taking Public Law 2 will build upon that knowledge here: first by focusing on the ways in which legal (judicial review) and quasi-legal (tribunals, public inquiries, ombudsmen) bodies supervise the exercise of constitutional and administrative decision making; secondly, by a detailed analysis of the political and legal mechanisms which exist for the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. As such, Public Law 2 is concerned with the abuse of power, and the ways and means by which power can be limited and held to account – whether that is the power of a golf club to suspend an unruly member, the power of a local authority to order the compulsory purchase of privately owned property, or the power of the Prime Minister to wage war.
Economics
Introduction to Economics
Law
Public Law 2
Following on from Public Law 1, Public Law 2 aims to consolidate knowledge and understanding of constitutional and administrative law. Students taking this class will require to have taken Public Law 1 in the first year. It'll build upon knowledge of the key concepts and institutions of the UK constitution. As a second year class, its rationale is to give students the opportunity to progress from an understanding of the constitution to an understanding of the role of the law in the constitutional control of public power. This course encourages students to adopt an evaluative and critical stance towards ongoing constitutional developments. The course will focus on control of administrative action, both by the judiciary and by ombudsmen. The protection of individual rights will be a key feature, focusing on judicial protection but also encompassing the role of human rights institutions in the UK and Scotland. The future control of public power will be discussed, including topical debates concerning constitutional reform in this area.
Domestic Relations
Family law concerns the control which the law exerts over domestic relationships and families; it affects everyone to a greater or lesser degree.
Topics include:
- the legal status of children, parental responsibilities and rights and the upbringing of children - including issues in adoption and fostering, local authority care and the Children's Hearing system
- legal consequences of marriage/civil partnership
- divorce - including what happens to the family and its financial consequences
- unmarried domestic relations, opposite-sex and same-sex
Commercial Law
Commercial law is a second year compulsory subject on the LLB (and LML) degree. The class provides students with an understanding of commercial law in a Scottish context. It partially meets the commercial law subject requirements and related skills outcomes of the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates (albeit that some of the commercial professional topics, eg sale of goods and insurance law, are dealt with by other courses).
Building on the knowledge acquired by students in first year, the general academic objective of the course is to examine the basic principles and rules concerning core aspects of commercial law, including the main principles of agency, partnership and company law, the law relating to various methods of payment (including consumer credit and bills of exchange) the rules governing the ways in which creditors can ‘secure’ repayment of a debt (eg through taking personal guarantees from third parties for repayment of the debt, or by establishing rights in security over debtor property); the basic principles of diligence; the consequences of both corporate and individual debtor inability to repay debts (corporate insolvency and personal bankruptcy respectively).
While the focus of the class is on ‘a black letter’ analysis of relevant statutory and common law in the broad commercial area, in order to aid understanding of relevant principles, the class also examines the policy rationales underlying the current law and recent and projected reforms in this area.
Involuntary Obligations: Delict & Unjustified Enrichment
The design of this class is primarily aimed at enhancing students’ ability to read cases, deal with case law and apply the techniques of case-analysis and common law development.
The student will acquire an in-depth and up to date knowledge and understanding, from both a legal and a social perspective, of the rules of law governing involuntary obligations, that is to say the law of delict and the law of unjustified enrichment.
Students will acquire the ability to apply the rules of law to particular fact situations in order to provide definitive answers to the problems exposed in these situations.
Students will develop critical and reasoning skills, giving them the ability to make and present personal and informed judgments on the rules of law and their application within the domestic legal system.
Property Trusts & Succession
The general rationale of this class is to provide students with a contemporary understanding of the law of property, trusts and succession in Scotland, and to meet Law Society of Scotland requirements in this subject-area.
EU Law
The EU law class focuses on the constitutional and institutional order of the EU as well as on the internal market. To this end, the class looks at the European integration process, the EU institutions, EU competences, the decision-making process within the EU, the principles underpinning the EU legal order and the principles governing the internal market.
Economics
Microeconomics 2
Macroeconomics 2
Law
Compulsory classes
Evidence
The main focus of the course is on providing an overview of how the handling and proving of facts works in law and how this interacts with the law of evidence. The emphasis is on understanding and application, rather than the learning of the specific details of legal rules.
The course has three general academic aims:
- to introduce students to theoretical and practical issues relating to the use and proof of facts in the Scottish legal system
- introduce students to the central concepts, rules and principles of the Scots law of Evidence
- give students an understanding of the interrelationship between the theory, practice and law relating to the use and proof of facts in the Scottish legal system
Elective classes
Law, Film & Popular Culture
Legal Theory
The main aim of this class is to introduce students to the major theoretical ideas and values of law, and to debates about those ideas and values, thereby enhancing their understanding of law in general.
The class explores relationships between law and morality, law and society and between law and power. In doing so, the course also explores what we mean by law, morality and power. The course requires students to work on their own and make an oral presentation and trains then in concise thinking.
Housing Law
The aim of the class is to introduce the student to the law of landlord and tenant, and to concepts of housing need and market allocation of housing resources and the different ways in which such concepts are interpreted and operated in modern Britain. The method of teaching and assessing the class is designed to enhance learning, academic and transferable skills.
International Private Law
This class aims to provide students with an understanding of the problems inherent in situations involving a foreign element and the basic concepts and principles of Scots international private law. More particularly, attention will be given to the rules which establish when the Scottish court has jurisdiction in any case involving a foreign element. The class will also determine the applicable law in cases involving international elements heard before a Scottish court and the rules on recognition and enforcement of judgments in certain contexts.
The International private law rules in relation to:
- contract
- delict
- marriage
- divorce & nullity
- parent & child
- property
- insolvency & succession
Tutorials for this class take place on Saturday mornings.
This class is not recommended for Erasmus exchange students.
Competition Law
Most industrialised countries, and the European Union now have elaborate laws, rules and procedures for ensuring the maintenance of a competitive economy. This course looks at how the competition laws of the United Kingdom and the European Union affect how business operates in Britain.
If you're contemplating a career in business, or are simply a consumer, some knowledge of competition is useful. If you're a student of industrial economics, or of marketing, some knowledge of competition law is a wise precaution. Moreover there are considerably more job opportunities in this area, whether as an economic adviser, legal practitioner or in-house lawyer advising on effective compliance.
Discrimination Law
Although we are all equal in the law, some are treated more equally than others. This module examines the nature of discrimination and some of the reasons for it, and the history of the law which tries to prohibit it and promote equality. The class looks in depth at the Equality Act 2010 and relevant case law. It covers the protected characteristics, direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation and disability discrimination, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments. As well as individual anti-discrimination law in employment and goods and services, the class examines preventive and pro-active measures, including positive action and the public equality duty and the arguments around their nature.
Assessment consists of a group presentation on an approved topic of your choice and a piece of coursework requiring problem solving skills and analysis of law and policy.
Ethics & Justice
The Ethics and Justice class aims to introduce students to the world of work by bridging the gap between theory and practice, and by providing them with the intellectual and practical tools to deal with the personal and practical dimensions of law in a competent, ethical and socially responsible manner.
The class will help to develop students’ legal, intellectual and practical skills, and provide them with an opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness and ethics of what they do and how this fits in with problems of access to justice. It will also enhance student understanding of the social and economic context in which legal rules operate.
This class is only open to Law Clinic students with case experience.
Internet Law
The extensive uptake of new digital information technologies and particularly, the internet, has resulted in expanding our legal universe, with new laws being created, the application of older laws being challenged and reconfigured and, unavoidably, new legal challenges arising due to conflicts of regulatory decisions with technological advances.
The aim of the class is to address the basic issues arising from the advent of the internet and related digital technologies and familiarise students with important legal developments that have taken place in the last 20 years.
Crime & Punishment
This class encourages students to think constructively and critically about contemporary issues in the field of criminology. It also focuses on contemporary responses to crime in the fields of punishment, imprisonment and penal policy, with reference to developments in Scotland and beyond.
Human Rights Law
This class deals with the questions, what are those 'basic' or 'fundamental' rights and freedoms to which every individual is entitled in a democratic society, and how to protect them against possible violations.
The class focuses on a selection of the most prominent human rights which have resulted in considerable amounts of litigation. You'll consider the right to life, right not to be tortured, freedom of expression, children’s rights and issues regarding terrorism.
Employment Law
This class aims to provide students with an understanding of employment law in a UK and EU-wide context and to introduce students to the sources, principles and main features of employment law.
You'll learn about key employment protection provisions and the major collective provisions of employment law in the UK, including the legal position of the contract of employment, the status of employee, the law and practice of unfair dismissal, discrimination law and working time regulations.
The class will focus on practical employment law involving practitioners, an Employment Judge and an Employment Tribunal visit.
Banking Law & Finance
This course is concerned with the legal relationship of banker and customer and the services offered by bankers in the community. It examines the financial instruments employed in financing trading and other transactions and is especially concerned with the law and practice of lending, both secured and unsecured.
Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual property is integral to all our daily lives, whether it is the music we listen to, the news we read, or chair we sit on, as well as providing the resources necessary to produce new medicines, and the superabundance of brand marketing to which we are routinely subjected.
The class will study the law of patents, trademarks (registered and unregistered), copyright, and moral rights, and the law of confidence (which includes trade secrets). Both the substantive law, and the underlying policy behind providing exclusive rights for this type of property will be examined.
Public International Law
Interested in what is going on in Syria? Concerned about what may or may not be going on in North Korea? Pondering why troops are still in Afghanistan? Then public international law might be the class for you.
The class explores the relationships between states as among themselves and with international institutions. As well as giving an overall view of the area, we'll also look at specific incidents which have arisen and which have been dominated by international law, and which in turn have made huge contributions to the area.
The syllabus looks at sources including treaties and customary law, statehood, the collective use of force, state responsibility and terrorism, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Local Government Law
This class is evening teaching only.
In Scotland, local government employs around 250,000 people. Every council has its own legal department and nearly 10% of practising solicitors in Scotland are employed by local authorities. It is essential that lawyers in private practice have knowledge of how local government works.
The course will cover a selection of the following topics:
- what local government is and what does it does
- the constitutional position of local government
- the structure of Scottish local government and its statutory framework
- elections to and membership of a local authority
- rights, duties, liabilities and restrictions of councillors
- the councillors’ Code of Conduct and registration of interests
- the powers of local government; the ultra vires rule; community planning; the power of wellbeing; publicity powers
- byelaws, management rules and private Acts of Parliament
- how councils work; the political dimension
- external controls on local government; the courts; the ombudsman, the Standards Commission, the Accounts Commission
- a brief guide to local government finance
Economics
Microeconomics 3
Macroeconomics 3
Economics
Compulsory classes
Dissertation
Elective classes
Microeconomics 4
Macroeconomics 4
Introduction to Econometrics
Economics of Firms & Industries
Industrial Economics
Applied Econometrics
In the third year econometrics class you’ll have learned about regression in both a cross-sectional data and time series data context. This class extends that knowledge in three ways.
First, for cross-sectional data, the class deals with regression techniques where the dependent variable may be restricted or limited in some way. In such cases, the regression model as taught in the third year class is not appropriate; this class develops models which are similar in spirit to the standard regression model, but can handle all of these cases.
A second purpose of Applied Econometrics is to develop regression methods which can be used when you have panel data - consisting of both cross-sectional and time-series dimensions.
Third, the class will build on the introduction to the econometrics of time series data developed in this class by developing two classes of models.
Financial Development & Economic Growth
This class gives a balanced view of the role of finance in promoting long-run economic growth, but also booms and busts. The nature and role of financial intermediaries will be introduced, and, afterwards, formally addressed in a simple aggregate growth model. Empirical evidence will be examined, before turning to the specifics of micro-finance. The importance of financial globalisation will also be investigated. Finally, the rest of the class will be devoted to deciphering the causes and consequences of the current financial crisis.
Behavioural Economics
Behavioural Economics offers alternative theories that merge psychological insights with economic theory and are based on experimental and other evidence, that attempt to provide a better explanation of real-world behaviour.
This class is concerned with exploring these new behavioural theories with the aim of providing you with an expanded toolkit with which to approach ‘real-world Economics’ that is based on the burgeoning Behavioural Economics literature that has emerged over the past two or three decades.
After studying this, you should be able to extend much of your previously-learned knowledge in Microeconomics in various directions that take into account more realistic ways of modelling how individuals behave.
Natural Resource, Environmental & Energy Economics
The class provides you with an introduction to natural resource, environmental and energy economics and policy. It focuses on the contributions of economics to understanding environmental, energy and resource problems, their causes, and the design of effective public policies to counteract them.

We're ranked Top 10 in the UK for Law.
Assessment
Law
Our assessment methods include:
- exams
- multiple choice exams
- problem-based and critical analysis essays
- presentations
- group work
- reports
- case studies
- reflective diaries
Economics
The majority of classes are assessed by a final exam. This mark is supplemented by one or more forms of individual and/or group coursework. In some cases, students can earn an exemption from the exam by achieving a specified coursework mark. Exams are normally held at the end of the semester in which the class is taught.
Students normally have one opportunity to be re-assessed for a failed class.
Learning & teaching
Law
Our teaching aims to help students develop knowledge and understanding of the principles, nature and development of law and legal institutions in Scotland and in other jurisdictions.
The programme is delivered by leading academics through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and webcasts.
Economics
Teaching is given over two semesters in blocks of 12 weeks each.
Methods include lectures, tutorials and seminars. As a student, you'll take part in team-based projects and make use of online teaching materials. Our industrial partners regularly assist in teaching and the assessment of student presentations.
Entry requirements
Required subjects are shown in brackets.
Highers | Standard entry requirements*:
(Higher English, Maths/Applications of Mathematics National 5 B-C, or equivalent) Minimum entry requirements**:
(Higher English B and Maths/Applications of Mathematics National 5 C) |
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A Levels | Year 1 entry: ABB-BBB (GCSE English Language 6/B or Literature 6/B, GCSE Maths 4/C) |
International Baccalaureate | 36 (Maths SL5) |
HNC | Year 1 entrySocial Sciences: A in Graded Unit; Maths National 5 B, or equivalent |
International students | Find out entry requirements for your country by visiting our country pages. |
Deferred Entry | Not normally accepted |
*Standard entry requirements
Offers are made in accordance with specified entry requirements although admission to undergraduate programmes is considered on a competitive basis and entry requirements stated are normally the minimum level required for entry.
Whilst offers are made primarily on the basis of an applicant meeting or exceeding the stated entry criteria, admission to the University is granted on the basis of merit, and the potential to succeed. As such, a range of information is considered in determining suitability.
In exceptional cases, where an applicant does not meet the competitive entry standard, evidence may be sought in the personal statement or reference to account for performance which was affected by exceptional circumstances, and which in the view of the judgement of the selector would give confidence that the applicant is capable of completing the programme of study successfully.
**Minimum entry requirements
Widening access
We want to increase opportunities for people from every background. Strathclyde selects our students based on merit, potential and the ability to benefit from the education we offer. We look for more than just your grades. We consider the circumstances of your education and will make lower offers to certain applicants as a result.
Degree preparation course for international students
We offer international students (non-EU/UK) who do not meet the academic entry requirements for an undergraduate degree at Strathclyde the option of completing an Undergraduate Foundation year programme at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre.
Upon successful completion, you will be able to progress to this degree course at the University of Strathclyde.
International students
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 100 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
Visit our international students' sectionFees & funding
All fees quoted are for full-time courses and per academic year unless stated otherwise.
Scotland | TBC* 2020/21: £1,820 *Fees for students domiciled in Scotland are subject to confirmation by the Scottish Funding Council. Scottish undergraduate students undertaking an exchange for a semester/year will continue to pay their normal tuition fees at Strathclyde and will not be charged fees by the overseas institution. |
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England, Wales & Northern Ireland | TBC* 2020/21: £9,250 *Assuming no change in RUK fees policy over the period, the total amount payable by undergraduate students will be capped. For students commencing study in 2021-22, this is capped at £27,750 (with the exception of the MPharm and integrated Masters programmes), MPharm students pay £9,250 for each of the four years. Students studying on integrated Masters degree programmes pay an additional £9,250 for the Masters year with the exception of those undertaking a full-year industrial placement where a separate placement fee will apply. |
International | £16,000 |
University preparation programme fees | International students can find out more about the costs and payments of studying a university preparation programme at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre. |
Additional costs | LawNo additional costs for law modules and all compulsory material is in the library. EconomicsCourse materialsCourse materials comprise both textbooks and course handbooks. All of the compulsory handbooks are available to students free on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Some classes may have a recommended core textbook which you may wish to purchase but copies will be available in the University Library. Other costs
Study AbroadIf a student is studying abroad, they are responsible for all costs. |
Available scholarships | Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities. |
Please note: All fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.
How can I fund my studies?
Students from Scotland
If you're a Scottish student, you may be able to apply to the Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish government. Scottish students may also be eligible for a bursary and loan to help cover living costs while at University.
For more information on funding your studies have a look at our University Funding page.
Students from England, Wales & Northern Ireland
We have a generous package of bursaries on offer for students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales:
You don’t need to make a separate application for these. When your place is confirmed at Strathclyde, we’ll assess your eligibility. Have a look at our scholarship search for any more funding opportunities.
International Students
We have a number of scholarships available to international students. Take a look at our scholarship search to find out more.
Careers
Graduates who have studied law and another discipline may find openings in government services, commerce and industry, banking and insurance, management and administration, where knowledge of the legal implications of business practice is of value. Some graduates continue to an accelerated graduate LLB degree, usually with the aim of entering the legal profession.
Economics graduates are employed in a wide range of areas, including the Government Economic Service, management, investment analysis and media outlets.

We're a 5-star
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Law & Economics (1 year entry)
Start Date: Sep 2021
Mode of Attendance: full-time
Year of Entry: 1 year
Contact us
Find out more about the programme
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak our team are working from home and can be contacted via our online enquiry form.