Common Law

The Common Law degree is designed for those who plan to practise law in common law jurisdictions such as England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Canada. It is not suitable if you wish to enter the legal profession in Scotland. The Common Law curriculum offers intellectual depth and has a range of flexible options.

for entry in 2025

You should refer to the entry requirements for both subjects and the degree award when applying for a joint honours degree programme. The higher entry requirement (where applicable) and additional requirements must be met for both subjects.

Summary of entry requirements for Common Law

SQA Higher entry requirements

• AAAAB is the minimum requirement from S5 to be reviewed for an S6 offer
• Offers are not guaranteed to applicants who meet the minimum from S5
• Typically offers will be made at Higher AAAAA plus Advanced Higher B by end of S6. B at Advanced Higher is equivalent to A at Higher
• Additional requirements Higher English at A plus either Advanced Higher English B or Humanities subject B
• Satisfactory completion of LNAT.

SQA Higher adjusted entry requirements* (by end of S5 or S6)

• MD20: ABBBB (also other target groups*)
• MD40: AAABB (ABB S5 minimum for consideration)*
• Additional requirements: Higher English
• Successful completion of Reach or Top-Up
• Satisfactory completion of LNAT.

* See Access Glasgow for eligibility.

A-level standard entry requirements

• AAA
• Additional requirements: A-Level English or Humanities subject. Plus either GCSE English Language at B/5 or GCSE English Literature at B/5
• Satisfactory completion of LNAT.

IB standard entry requirements

• 38 (6,6,6)
• Additional requirements: HL Humanities and SL English at 6
• Satisfactory completion of LNAT.

Admissions guidance

• Find out more about entry requirements and alternative qualifications

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

• 6.5 with no subtests under 6.0
• IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

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Common equivalent English language qualifications for entry to this programme

TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)

• 90 overall with Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

• 59 with minimum 59 in all subtests
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

• 176 overall, no subtest less than 169
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

• 7 overall with no subtest less than 6
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

LanguageCert Academic SELT

• 70 overall with no subtest less than 60
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Password Skills Plus

• 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Trinity College Tests

• Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests
• Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

• Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

School Qualifications

• IGCSE English First Language, grade C
• IGCSE English Second Language, grade A
• A Level English, grade C
• International Baccalaureate English A SL5 or HL5
• International Baccalaureate English B SL6 or HL5
• SQA National 5 English or ESOL, grade B
• SQA Higher English or ESOL, grade C

International School Qualifications

• Brunei: O-Level English Language 1120 grade B and above
• Denmark: Studentereksamen English at 7
• European Baccalaureate: English as Language 1 pass, if taken as Language 2 grade 7, if taken as Language 3 grade 7.5
• Finland: Ylioppilastutkinto / studentexamen English grade C or 4
• France: International Option Baccalaureate (OIB) / Baccalauréat Français International (BFI) grade 12
• Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone: West African Examination Council (WAEC) / Senior Secondary School Certificate English grade C6
• Germany: German Abitur English Grade 11
• Hong Kong: Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education, English Language grade 4
• India: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) / All India School Certificate (ISC) English at 80%
• Kenya: Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) English grade B
• Netherlands: Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO) grade 7
• Norway: Vitnemal English grade 4 or above
• Singapore: Cambridge International O Level English Language (1128 Singapore only) at Grace C; Singapore Integrated Programme Secondary 4 English Language at grade B
• South Africa: National Senior Certificate (NSC) / Independent Exam Board (IEB) Grade 4 (English as Home Language) OR Grade 4 (English as First Additional Language)
• Sweden: Avgangsbetyg / Fullständigt Slutbetyg fran Gymnasieskolan English grade VG
• Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education at English at Ordinary Level grade C

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Alternatives to English Language qualification

• Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  • students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
• Undergraduate 2+2 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
  • students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

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Pre-sessional courses

We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

• direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
• essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
• flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

• School of Modern Languages & Cultures: English for Academic Stud: Pre-sessional courses

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

• Heriot Watt
• Kingston Upon Thames
• Middlesex University
• Manchester University
• Reading University
• Edinburgh University
• St Andrews University
• UCL
• Durham

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Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

Further information about English language: School of Modern Languages & Cultures: English for Academic Study

The flexibility of the LLB (Common Law) at Glasgow, together with the emphasis on developing the key skills required by employers and the opportunities available to study abroad and to take part in placement opportunities, means that the degree provides a sound general foundation for a range of careers. These include the Civil Service, local government, journalism, industry and commerce, international institutions, administration, banking, insurance, social work and the police service. All Glasgow law students benefit from a dedicated employability programme featuring tailored events focusing on various aspects of legal practice. These events feature a range of legal professionals from solicitors and barristers through to judges (many of whom are Glasgow graduates themselves). Law students at Glasgow may also gain real world legal experience and an opportunity to develop their skillset through legal clinical projects run via the GO Justice Initiative. For those seeking to work as a lawyer in England and Wales, Ireland or Northern Ireland, the LLB (Common law) will provide an invaluable foundation in the academic study of law. If you intend to become a barrister in England and Wales, the LLB (Common Law) satisfies the Bar Standards Board requirements regarding the academic component of training based on a law degree. After completing our degree, you would then undertake the ‘vocational stage’ of training, which requires completion of a postgraduate Bar course. The final step in qualifying as a barrister involves a period of full-time training for one year (‘pupillage’). If you intend to become a solicitor, the LLB (Common law) is currently recognised for the purposes of qualifying as a solicitor in Northern Ireland (the Solicitor course at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Belfast). If you intend to become a solicitor in England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority administers an independent, centralised assessment called the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). This includes: