The LLB Law with Philosophy is an undergraduate law degree that combines rigorous study of law with in-depth engagement in philosophy. The standard programme runs for three years, with optional variants including a placement year, a foundation year, or a year abroad for those who want to extend their studies or gain additional experience.
You will study the legal foundations required for a qualifying law degree while also exploring philosophical theory, ethics, logic and moral reasoning. By graduation, you will have developed both strong legal knowledge and philosophical insight, preparing you for careers that value critical thinking, ethical judgement and analytical precision.
Why this course
This course equips you to understand not only how law works in practice, but also why law matters ethically, socially and philosophically. You will examine legal principles through a philosophical lens, exploring questions of justice, morality, human rights and the role of law in society.
You will study core areas of common law such as contract, criminal, tort and public law, alongside philosophical topics including ethics, political philosophy, moral reasoning and philosophy of law. This dual focus sharpens your ability to analyse, debate and interpret legal and ethical issues in a nuanced and well-informed way.
Combining law and philosophy gives you a strong intellectual foundation if you are interested in justice, human rights or the moral dimensions of law, and want a degree that balances practical legal training with theoretical depth.
Who should apply
Students interested in law, justice and legal systems, who also enjoy philosophical questions about morality, rights, ethics and society
Aspiring solicitors, barristers, legal researchers, or those planning careers where ethical reasoning and critical thinking are essential
Learners who enjoy debate, reading complex texts and writing analytical essays
People seeking a law degree with additional intellectual depth and flexibility, relevant to careers in human rights, public policy, academia or related fields
What you will learn
Core legal foundations including contract law, criminal law, tort law, public law and other fundamental aspects of English and international law
Philosophical theory covering ethics, moral reasoning, political philosophy and philosophy of law
The intersection of law and philosophy, exploring justice, human rights, moral responsibility, the role of the state and social ethics
Analytical skills including argument construction, legal reasoning, ethical analysis, critical thinking and structured writing
Your learning experience
Flexible study options including a foundation year, placement year or year abroad
Interdisciplinary learning combining law and philosophy modules for both breadth and depth
Development of practical legal research and writing skills alongside philosophical study
A strong ethical and critical perspective that encourages you to question how and why legal systems operate
Careers and outcomes
Graduates of an LLB Law with Philosophy can pursue careers in:
Legal practice, including roles such as solicitor, barrister, legal adviser or paralegal
Human rights, public policy and non-governmental organisations focused on ethics, social justice or legal reform
Government, public service or regulatory roles where legal knowledge and ethical reasoning are essential
Business, compliance and corporate governance roles requiring understanding of law, regulation and ethical decision-making
Further academic study, including postgraduate law degrees, philosophy master’s programmes or interdisciplinary research
Why we're great.
Our lecturers work with the UN, the UK government, and with EU and foreign governments
You gain work experience advising real clients through opportunities such as the Essex Law Clinic
We are world-renowned for our combination of Continental and Anglo-American philosophy
Entry requirements
UK entry requirements
A-levels: ABB or 128 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A-levels.
BTEC: DDM or 128 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels. The acceptability of BTECs is dependent on subject studied and optional units taken - email ugquery@essex.ac.uk for advice.
Combined qualifications on the UCAS tariff: 128 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A levels or equivalent. Tariff point offers may be made if you are taking a qualification, or mixture of qualifications, from the list on our undergraduate application information page.
IB: 32 points in the IB Diploma or 128 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Higher Level subjects.
IB Career-related Programme: We consider combinations of IB Diploma Programme courses with BTECs or other qualifications. Advice on acceptability can be provided, email Undergraduate Admissions.
QAA-approved Access to HE Diploma: 128 UCAS tariff points, depending on subject studied - advice on acceptability can be provided, email Undergraduate Admissions.
T-levels: 128 UCAS tariff points. We consider T-levels on a case-by-case basis, depending on subject studied. Depending on the course applied for there may be additional requirements, which may include a specific grade in the Core.
Contextual Offers:
We are committed to ensuring that all students with the merit and potential to benefit from an Essex education are supported to do so. We make Contextual Offers, of up to two A-level grades (or equivalent) below our standard conditional offer, to applicants from underrepresented groups residing in the UK. Our Contextual Offers policy outlines the full eligibility criteria.
For further information about what a Contextual Offer may look like for your specific qualification profile, email ugquery@essex.ac.uk.
If you haven't got the grades you hoped for, have a non-traditional academic background, are a mature student, or have any questions about eligibility for your course, more information can be found on our undergraduate application information page or get in touch with our Undergraduate Admissions Team at ugquery@essex.ac.uk.
International & EU entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Undergraduate Admissions team at ugquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.
English language requirements
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall, or specified score in another equivalent test that we accept.
Details of English language requirements, including component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here
If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.
English language shelf-life
Most English language qualifications have a validity period of 5 years. The validity period of Pearson Test of English, TOEFL and CBSE or CISCE English is 2 years.
If you require a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
Pre-sessional English courses
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
Pending English language qualifications
You don’t need to achieve the required level before making your application, but it will be one of the conditions of your offer.
If you cannot find the qualification that you have achieved or are pending, then please email ugquery@essex.ac.uk
.
Requirements for second and final year entry
Different requirements apply for second and final year entry, and specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a visa to study in the UK. Details of English language requirements, including UK Visas and Immigration minimum component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here
Additional Notes
If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College
Structure
Components and modules explained
Components
Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.
Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.
Status
What this means
Core
You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory
You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.
Modules
Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.
In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.
Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:
HR
100
4
FY
The department or school the module will be taught by.
In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.
Begin your study of philosophy with an exploration of epistemology (the theory of knowledge) and identity theory. What does it mean to say that we ‘know’ something? What if that something is ourselves? How do our modes of practical interaction with the world and each other shape our ability to know different kinds of objects? Are there vices of the mind that distort our reasoning and lead our practical deliberations astray? How important is trust in a functional knowledge community? What kind of creatures must we be in order to be capable of knowing things? What role does self-responsibility play in effective knowing? What is it to be a self? How does that differ from having an identity or identities? To what extent are our identities determined by others? Are they up to us? How can the study of philosophy help us with these questions?
What are the legal consequences of contract failure? How do you calculate damages? Examine key aspects of contract law. Identify legal issues in simulated case studies and learn to construct legal arguments. Apply legal principles and precedent cases to resolve simulated legal problems. Build the numerical skills to calculate damages.
This module introduces the fundamentals of the UK constitution and the foundations of judicial review. The module explores: the nature of the constitution; the structure of governmental power; the sources of constitutional rules; and the fundamental principles underpinning the UK constitution. The module considers the functions of the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial) and how they are accountable. The module examines the framework for protection of human rights in the UK and introduces the grounds of judicial review.
How effective is criminal law? How do you break down a criminal law statute to its component parts? And how do you then interpret it? Understand criminal law in England and Wales. Read and critically analyse judicial decisions. Assess and answer factual problems, raising issues of criminal liability.
Essex Law Key Skills provides an introduction to the English legal system and helps you acquire and develop a range of key skills that are important for legal studies. The module introduces you to the key sources of law and tools of practitioners in the English and Welsh legal systems, such as statutes, case law, treaties, and principles of academic writing, including research, writing and referencing skills.
The module allows students to build on their legal and academic skills throughout their first year, with dedicated sessions for ensuring pastoral support.
What are the main skills expected of a law graduate? And what key personal factors will inform your career choice? Get ready for the opportunities and challenges of the graduate labour market. Undertake activities, workshops and session that help you develop, building your key skills and competencies.
Who is liable for causing psychiatric harm? Or for causing economic loss? Study the foundations of negligence liability, examining further aspects of tort law. Gain experience of applying the principles of negligence liability to duty-based scenarios. Read and critically analyse judicial decisions.
Land law is a topic that affects all of us, playing a fundamental role in regulating people's rights over one of the most valuable and useful legal assets. This module is designed to provide you with a sound understanding of the key features of land law, including its underlying principles and its importance in regulating property relations in response to social policy needs. Students will learn about the distinction between personal property and land, the framework for establishing and enforcing various different interests in land.
This module provides you with an understanding of the nature of law, its relationship with society and the question of justice itself. The module introduces you to aspects of legal theory, contextualised and explains how the authority of law may be justified, as well as providing critical perspectives on law's relationships with power, money, and socially marginalised groups. You will apply their existing understanding of legal concepts and institutions to wider debates around the effectiveness of law in delivering social justice, connecting doctrine with broader topical debates.
This compulsory second year module, taught in the Spring term, aims to build upon the legal skills which students encounter in the first year module LW105 Legal Skills.
Students will develop a range of skills relating to legal research and project planning, which will both support their learning in the final year of their degree, and constitute valuable transferable skills in their own right.
In particular, LW254 Legal Research Skills will act as a foundation for LW304 Final Year Research Project and students will develop a research proposal for LW304 as part of their assessment for LW254.
This module incorporates a range of teaching activities, workshops and panel sessions that encourage you to take ownership of your personal and professional development in order to compete in the graduate labour market. You will be able to identify, articulate and evidence your employability skills, and will develop a critical understanding of your place in the world of work.
What are the constitutional issues around the institutional structure of the EU? How has this changed with enlargement? Understand EU law to obtain a qualifying law degree. Examine the concepts of EU law and how different areas are connected. Analyse EU law within its political and socio-economic context.
Jurisprudence is a module that enables you to think in depth about how law works and the impact it has on the society around us. For example: How is law different to other rules and principles? Should law reflect moral opinion, and if so, how do we decide what is moral? Can judges really be objective when they make decisions? How do we judge if law is making society fairer?
The module covers many key theoretical approaches to understanding what law is and how it functions. In doing so, we will look at the relationship (and conflicts) between law, on the one hand, and politics, markets, and social justice on the other. You will be asked to think for yourself about these issues, and reflect on which perspectives provide us with the most accurate, and the most useful, ways of thinking about law.
What is meant by breach of trust? What are the constitutional elements of a fully constituted trust? How can that trust be terminated? Study the principles governing the law of trusts. Examine the development of equity, equitable principles and equitable remedies. Analyse social and legal contexts in which trusts arise.
What is politics (is it about justice or power)? How does political philosophy relate to real politics? What are competing approaches in contemporary philosophy? What are the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches?
Philosophy and Mental Health: The Psychiatric Present and its Crises
(15 CREDITS)
This module brings philosophical reflections to bear on questions to do with mental health and psychiatry, exploring key existential and social issues of our time. The exact content will vary from year to year, but questions that can be the focus include:
What is mental health and its absence (various understood as distress or mental illness or mental disorder or as difficult experiences and troubled or troubling behaviour)? How do we best conceptualise them?
What is it like to experience a disordered mind – what are the key structures and features of such experiences? And what can we learn from this about the functioning of our mind when it is not disordered?
What is the ontology and epistemology underlying psychiatry? Have they changed over history and if so, why and how?
What is the social context of distress and how can we address it? Does bio-medical psychiatry obscure that context?
What are the ethical and political issues raised by our mental health system? Is it ever permissible to admit or treat people because of mental health issues against their will, and if so, under what conditions?
What is ‘mad studies’? Who and what does it study?
We will bring to bear different philosophical thinkers (such as Michel Foucault) or research traditions (such as Phenomenology) or ethical-political frameworks (like Republicanism) in exploring these and similar questions. In 2025-26, the focus will be on the crises inherent in our psychiatric present, informed by Foucault’s critical reflections about the beginning of psychiatry.
Our events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex. We run a number of Open Days throughout the year which enable you to discover what our campus has to offer.
You have the chance to:
tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff
Check out our Visit Us pages to find out more information about booking onto one of our events. And if the dates aren’t suitable for you, feel free to book a campus tour here.
Our UK students, and some of our EU and international students, who are still at school or college, can apply through their school. Your school will be able to check and then submit your completed application to UCAS. Our other international applicants (EU or worldwide) or independent applicants in the UK can also apply online through UCAS Apply.
The UCAS code for our University of Essex is ESSEX E70. The individual campus codes for our Loughton and Southend Campuses are 'L' and 'S' respectively.
You can find further information on how to apply, including information on transferring from another university, applying if you are not currently at a school or college, and applying for readmission on our How to apply and entry requirements page.
If you receive an undergraduate offer to study with us in October 2026 and live in the UK, you will receive an email invitation to book onto one of our Open Days. These events provide the opportunity to meet your department, join interesting taster sessions, tour our campus and accommodation, and chat to current students. You can visit our Open Days event page for more information, including terms and conditions.
Visit Colchester Campus
Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.
If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360-degree virtual tour allows you to explore our University from the comfort of your home. Check out our Colchester virtual tour to see accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.
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The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
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