Law & French (BCL (Hons))

Why Choose This Course

• This degree is a joint honours degree: students obtain a fully qualifying Law Degree (BCL) and an honours degree in French
• It is an opportunity for students to become versatile lawyers and linguists.
• The year abroad offers a lifechanging experience, with the opportunity to study at a prestigious law school in France or Canada
• It can include a placement in a European institution, law firm or NGO
• Graduates are perfectly suited for work in a European or an international environment.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

Year 3 is spent abroad, studying law entirely through the medium of French at prestigious French or Canadian law schools: Paris X, Strasbourg, Rennes, Lyon III, Montpellier, Montréal and Aix-Marseille.

Limited placement opportunities are also available for students in Paris and in Strasbourg.

Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their host country and to truly experience the French or Canadian way of life while learning French and law.

Skills and Careers Information

Students in the BCL (Law and French) course are provided with an excellent and internationally renowned education in law and in French.

They acquire critical legal skills thanks to the dedication of all staff members in the Department of Law (through subject areas such as general constitutional law and political institutions, business law, human rights, environmental law), they have the opportunity to become bilingual in French and English, and they learn a great deal about French contemporary and historical culture.

Our current graduates are working in various law firms in Ireland and abroad, as well as in UN and EU institutions.

Requirements

Leaving Certificate entry requirements

At Least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H3 in French, H5 in one other subject and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish. 

Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:

Mature applicants

Find out about the mature entry requirements here.

FETAC applicants

FETAC requirements can be found here.

Fees and Costs

Course fees include a tuition fee, student contribution fee and capitation fee. The state will pay the tuition fees for EU students who are eligible under the Free Fees Scheme. The annual student Contribution and Capitation Fees are payable by the student. In 2022/23 the Student Contribution Fee will be €3,000 and the Capitation Fee will be €138.

Please see Fees Office for more information.

How Do I Apply

EU applicants

Application to Year 1 of the degree programme is made directly through the Central Applications Office (CAO). Applicants should apply online at www.cao.ie. The normal closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of entry.

Mature applicants 

Application is made through the CAO (www.cao.ie) and the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of proposed entry.

BCL (Law and French) allows you to study law and French at the same time in a joint honours degree. You can then become a lawyer with specific linguistic skills.

Over the course of four years, you will take modules in law and French. You will graduate with a degree in both. This means you can progress further towards a career in law, or you can pursue a career in linguistics, translation or teaching.

Most of our graduates combine these two sets of skills and become lawyers with a unique linguistic ability. They often go on to work abroad in international or EU firms and institutions.

The highlight of the degree is Year 3, which you will spend at a prestigious law school in France (Paris X, Lyon III, Strasbourg, Montpellier or Rennes) or Canada (Université de Montréal).

The core legal part of the degree is common to all other law courses in UCC (BCL, BCL International, BCL Clinical and BCL Irish), so you will be part of the larger cohort of students in the Law Department. However, you will have specific classes in French, offered by the French Department, and in French law (within the Law Department).

The 15-20 students who start a BCL (Law and French) degree every year tend to develop a strong sense of identity.

In year 3, you will go abroad to study French or Canadian law entirely through the medium of French. This year is often seen by our students as a life-changing experience, during which they not only practise and improve their linguistic skills and become acquainted with another legal system, but also learn to live independently in a foreign country.

When they return to complete their degree, they have matured and are ready to make judicious module choices in Year 4, in preparation for their professional project, or for further university studies.

The degree is fully compliant with the entry requirements of the Law Society of Ireland and of King’s Inns. In four years, it will provide you with an excellent legal education, and the opportunity to become fluent in French.

Our BCL (Law and French) graduates are much sought after by employers and third-level institutions alike, as their maturity, legal capability and linguistic skills make them lawyers with a very specific edge.

See the College Calendar for more detailed information on the Programme and the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of Programme Modules.

Core Modules in First Year

FR1101 Foundation Course in Written and Oral French (10 credits)
FR1201 Introduction to French Studies (5 credits)
FR1801 Law, Language and Literature (5 credits)
LW1101 Legal Writing and Analysis (5 credits)
LW1104 Foundations of the Legal System (5 credits)
LW1112 Constitutional and Institutional Law of the European Union (5 credits)
LW1153 Criminal Law (10 credits)
LW1154 Law of Contract (10 credits)
LW1162 Constitutional Law: Institutions of Government (5 credits) or
LW1164 Dlí Bunreachtúil: Institiúidí an Rialtais (5 credits)

Recognised Qualification

Tawjihiyah (General Secondary Education Certificate) PLUS 1 Year at Bachelor degree level from a recognised university with competitive grades in specific relevant subjects

Band 2 Programmes

Minimum Entry Requirements

Minimum average of 90% in Tawjihiyah (General Secondary Education Certificate) PLUS competitive grades in year 1 at Bachelor degree level.

International Baccalaureate   

The BCL (Law and French) degree is provided in collaboration with the other law degrees in UCC, and is based on the same core law modules and skills. In addition, besides modules in French through your degree, you will have a vast range of subjects to choose from during your year abroad.

In your final year, you can avail of the large number of choices the Law Department offers to all students.

In terms of study, a combination of tutorials and lectures is used. Navigating between law classes and French classes is described by students as : logic for law and language; creativity for French culture and literature.

Assessment

Written exams will take place before Christmas and in May. Not all modules will have formal examinations. Many modules use other types of assessment.  French modules are based more on continuous assessment.

During Year 3, you will follow the assessment rules of your host university, either in France or in Canada.

Who teaches this course

The BCL (Law and French) degree course benefits from the input of all staff in the Law Department, as most modules are common to all other law degrees. A broad spectrum of legal experts teach in varied areas of law, including:

• Contract Law
• Constitutional Law
• Criminal Law
• Company Law
• EU Law
• Tort Law
• International Law
• Revenue Law
• Family Law
• Land Law.

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

• You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.

• In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.

• Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.