Are you
thinking of studying Law, but you aren't quite sure
if it's the right choice.
If you're worried that this will be a career-defining decision, you can
relax. The truth is that your career
development is an ongoing life process which may
take you down several parts throughout your working
life. And some of these parts may surprise you.
Earning a degree can open up a world
of possibilities. Studying Law doesn't mean
you can only be a lawyer. There are many career
paths that Bachelor of Laws, or LLB, graduates
can choose.
These include becoming an attorney - which would require
you to do two years of a paid internship to complete
your articles or becoming an advocate, which
requires one year of unpaid pupilage, where
you study under a practicing advocate. You could
decide to work towards social and environmental justice
in the non-profit sector, or to
work for government as a policy advisor. You may
prefer to serve as legal counsel or advisor
in a corporate, or you could do something completely
different with the highly transferable skills
you learn doing an LLB degree. So,
why choose to study Law at
UCT? The University of Cape Town
offers highly regarded qualifications that combine
solid academic theory and research with
innovative teaching methods and some practical
learning. UCT also offers a
great range of extracurricular activities, student development
services, and opportunities for you to
your social responsibility experience.
UCT Law graduates are highly sought
after, not only in South Africa but internationally.
UCT attracts excellent students
from diverse backgrounds, ensuring a
rich learning environment. The faculty hosts eleven
world-class research units. Let's look
at three different LLB programmes offered
by UCT Law. First is
a combined stream LLB, for
which you would first register for an undergraduate degree
in either Humanities or Commerce, with
Law as an undergraduate major. You would
start your Law courses only in the second year
of study, assuming you have an average of at least
65% in your first-year if you
are a Humanities student and 63% average
in your first-year if you're a Commerce
student. These first-year GPAs are the
minimum requirement for a student to be eligible for
consideration for a place in the Law major stream.
Achieving these GPAs does not guarantee a place. Given
the large number of students who apply for the Law major and
the fact that the limited places are offered on a competitive
basis to students with the highest GPAs, it
is likely that a student will require a GPA
well above 65% in Humanities
or 63% in Commerce
to receive a place. Once you have
your first undergraduate degree with Law subjects, you would
then do a two-year LLB degree. Second in
the four-year LLB programme, you go
straight into Law in your first year. This is
a shorter, less costly degree with fewer
years of study than the combined stream LLB. However,
you would not have
had the benefit of a Humanities or Commerce degree,
which provides a strong foundation for an LLB
with a broader range of subjects, and an opportunity
to hone on your analytical, research and
writing skills.
Alternatively, you might do
a three-year graduate LLB, in which you have
an undergraduate degree but did not take Law as an
undergraduate major.
If you choose
to do a four-year LLB, you must
apply directly to the Faculty of Law.
If you would prefer to do a combined stream LLB, you
must apply directly to either Commerce or
Humanities. Now that you know what your
options are for completing an LLB degree, let's talk
about what you need to receive an offer.
Your application will be assessed on:
your Faculty Points Score, which is calculated by
adding the percentages of the top six subjects
in your final exams, excluding Life Orientation.
You do not need Mathematics to study Law.
You will also need to take the National Benchmark Test.
You should do this as early as possible
in the year you apply as this may lead to an
early provisional offer. If you are keen to know
more about the various Law programmes or the application process,
contact us directly, or visit the Law
Faculty website. We look forward to hearing from you.