Law (BCL) and Human Rights

Course Overview

The four-year Bachelor of Civil Law (Human Rights is an innovative and unique programme – the first of its kind in Ireland. It offers students the opportunity to combine a full undergraduate law programme with the study of human rights.

The study of human rights involves gaining an understanding of how the international human rights treaties function as tools to ensure that states respect and protect the equal human dignity of all people. Students will learn about how human rights law develops, including the influence of activism and grassroots movements for social change.

Human rights are not just legal concepts therefore students on this course will have the opportunity to gain philosophical and political insights that will broaden their knowledge and deepen their critical thinking skills. Students will also study emerging areas of human rights law and contemporary issues of large-scale injustice such as climate change, the environment and human rights data privacy refugee rights poverty and business and human rights. In addition, this course will provide a basic introduction to International Criminal Law and International Humanitarian Law.

Students on the programme will be challenged and engaged by a rich curriculum of core and optional law modules. Students will be trained in key legal skills such as written and oral advocacy and they will be educated in the principles, theories and doctrines of human rights law and practice.

The School of Law and the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway are pioneers in legal education and research on human rights. Students will have access to world leading researchers, writers and lecturers in human rights at the Irish Centre for Human Rights.

Students complete all the modules required to support them to undertake the entrance exams for the Law Society of Ireland, should they wish to qualify as a solicitor. Students who wish to qualify as a barrister will have the option of taking all additional modules required by the Honourable Society of King’s Inns, through the Legal Professions specialised stream in the final year.

Professional Work Placement or Study Abroad

In year three of this course students will have the opportunity to spend the academic year completing professional work placement or studying abroad. Students will have the opportunity to apply for a professional work placement in a leading law firm, a corporate organisation, a public sector organisation or other suitable legal placement. Study abroad is highly recommended for students who choose to study a language (Legal French or Legal German and are encouraged to study in our partner universities in Germany and France. We have also partnered with a number of leading universities who teach through English in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, India, Poland, The Netherlands, Spain and the United States of America.

Note: Students who choose the optional specialist stream in Legal Irish will spend year three divided between one semester studying at NUI Galway’s Gaeltacht campus in An Cheathrú Rua and one semester of professional work placement in an Irish-speaking legal environment.​

Specialist Streams

In final year students have the opportunity to shape their degree and focus on an area of study that interests them and develop special expertise in their chosen field. Students may choose one of the following specialist streams.

• Business and Commercial Law
• Public Law, Risk and Regulation
• Human Rights, Crime and Equality
• International, Comparative and Transnational Law
• Law and Innovation
• Language: Legal French, Legal German or Teanga an Dlí (Legal Irish
• Legal Professions
• General

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate including Irish, English, another language, and any three other subjects recognised for entry purposes.

The Irish Centre for Human Rights has a global network of alumni working in human rights, providing excellent links and supports for our students.

Graduates of the Law (BCL) and Human Rights programme will be well prepared to work in international human rights law, policy or legal practice. Graduates will have the foundation necessary to pursue opportunities with international organisations, United Nations bodies or developmental agencies.

Graduates of this degree will be ready to sit the professional entrance exams for the Law Society of Ireland (solicitor). Graduates who completed the Legal Professions specialised stream will be eligible to sit the professional entrance exams for the Honourable Society of King’s Inns (barrister).