Deciding on a career path is not something most people do haphazardly. They consider many factors, such as the cost of tertiary education, the time involved in honing one’s skills and craft, and the passion behind making such a choice – in other words, the reason why.
After figuring out the why, the how comes next. Tertiary-level education can be expensive based on the course or degree one chooses, and often the location of that school plays a big role in actually attending. Studying law in the Caribbean and studying law in the U.K. is similar in some ways and different in others.
Studying in the Caribbean
Undergraduate programmes in law can be found throughout the Caribbean with some schools offering in-person learning and others providing students with a form of distance learning. It is important to recognise that many of the distance learning programmes available to those in the Caribbean are from schools that are based in the U.K. However, schools situated in the Caribbean that offer the undergraduate Bachelors of Law (LLB) programme include the University of the West Indies, which has campuses located in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. The University of The Bahamas also offers an undergraduate LLB programme. Both universities offer a wide range of courses for students. The LLB courses entail an introduction to basic legal principles in the various areas of law (such as Law and Legal Systems, Law of Tort, and Criminal Law) and provide students with opportunities for research-based assessment, the development of argumentative skills, the utilisation of methodologies for critical analysis and issue identification. Both universities offer three-year courses for full-time students, and individuals wishing to enter the LLB programme at the University of the Bahamas must have an associate or bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher from an accredited institution. Mature applicants over 30 years of age who provide evidence of academic and professional achievement may be considered and, where applicable, interested persons should possess English proficiency at grade B or higher. In terms of entry requirements for the LLB programme at the University of the West Indies campuses, prospective candidates must possess a minimum of five (5) CXCs, including two (2) 2-Unit CAPE subjects; or a First Degree with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 and above. There are no special subject requirements in addition to those necessary for Matriculation, and the competition for places in the faculty is such that very high A-level grades and very high averages in undergraduate degrees are required for an applicant to stand a reasonable chance of gaining admission. The tuition fees for those attending any of the University of the West Indies campuses are based on whether students are from those campus countries, are from contributing non-campus countries and are from non-contributing countries with those fees ranging from $10,000 per year.
Studying in the U.K.
The U.K. offers a large variety of programmes for those interested in studying Law. Some of these programmes are offered through universities, and some are offered through accredited institutions for those seeking to complete at an accelerated pace. Courses that are offered by universities include LLB degree programmes that provide persons with the skills and knowledge required to practise law or Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degrees that essentially focus on law more as an academic subject instead of practical. Universities in the U.K. also offer students the ability to combine their law courses with business, management, criminology, accounting and policing to name a few. This allows students the opportunity to stand out amongst their peers who may be vying for similar jobs at the end of their studies. Further, as the world continues to evolve, new programmes especially with some aspect of law should be offered to students to keep up with new advancements.
A qualifying law degree is essentially the law degree a student receives at the completion of their law programme i.e. the LLB degree. The entry requirements for persons wishing to begin their law programme will usually require a minimum of two A levels, with three A levels and A grades needed for the most popular courses. Qualifying grades can range from BCC to AAA with universities and colleges commonly asking for ABB. Some courses also require applicants to pass the National Admissions Test for Law.
The length of time required to complete the LLB programme is two to three years. Students are required to study compulsory LLB modules during their first and second years of the programme, and these modules include Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Contract, Property/Land Law, Equity and Trusts, EU law and Torts. Usually, in the third year of the course students are able to choose four elective modules or write a law dissertation. Tuition fees for the LLB programme are usually £9,000 a year for home students and can range from £12,000 to £19,000 a year for international students.
There are hundreds of universities throughout the U.K. that offer the LLB programme, and there are several universities in the Caribbean that offer the same. Therefore, it is important to choose the one that is the best fit for your pocket and academic and professional goals.