The Bachelor of Civil Law and Magister Juris
the e-brochure, including features such as videos of interviews with academic staff, and current and past students; and links to podcasts about aspects of the application process.
The BCL and MJur are our world-renowned taught graduate courses in law, designed to serve outstanding law students from common law and civil law backgrounds. As masters level degrees, their academic standard is significantly higher than that required in a first law degree, such as a BA, LLB, or JD, and only those with outstanding first law degrees are admitted. Courses are not introductory, and students are expected to analyse complex material critically and to make their own contribution to the debate. In the seminars which feature as one of the means by which the course is taught, one will find students from a wide range of jurisdictions and backgrounds, including research students. Students choose four courses (one of which can be a 12,000 word dissertation) from a selection of 30 or so options.
Why two degrees?
The BCL and the MJur are drawn from the same pool of outstanding applicants and share the same classes. The existence of two degrees is designed to meet the needs of both common law students, and of civil law students who wish to study the common law. BCL and MJur students have the same course options available to them, except that MJur students may study one traditional English common law subject (notably contract, tort, company , constitutional law).
Why not an LLM?
The BCL and MJur are the only taught graduate courses in the world which make use of tutorials as a central part of their teaching (as well as the seminars and lectures more generally used on LLM and other masters courses). The tutorial is an intensive discussion between a tutor and typically two or three students, providing an opportunity for students to present their ideas and discuss their work with leading academics. It is this level of access to some of the best known teachers and researchers across a wide range of legal subjects which perhaps more than anything distinguishes the BCL and MJur from their LLM counterparts, though the intellectual rigour of both courses, and the cosmopolitan mix of students are also important factors in the success and reputation of the two courses.
- Courses in the BCL and in the MJur and the rules about combining them.
- Admission to the BCL/MJur: requirements and procedures, links to forms, etc.
- About the MPhil, a one-year add-on research degree for BCL/MJur students.
- More about funding for postgraduate students.
- General questions about life as a BCL or MJur student? Check out our FAQs.
- Statement of Provision for BCL & MJur Students
- The BCL and the MJur programme specifications: two official documents setting out our programme objectives and learning methods in a standard format.
- The most recent BCL and MJur examiners' report which comments on performance generally in each course and helps you to understand what is expected.
- Our postgraduate handbook which explains in more detail what to expect as a BCL or MJur student.
- The current Law Faculty lecture list, including this year's diet of lectures and seminars for BCL/MJur courses. Tutorials are not shown on this list because they are scheduled by individual tutors in consultation with individual students.
