Overview

NFQ Level 8, Major Award

Entry to the BCL (Hons) (International) is via BCL (Hons) (Law (Pathways)). All students will be registered for the Law (Pathways) programme in the first instance. At the end of First Year, Law (Pathways) students can apply to transfer to the BCL (Hons) (International). Places on the BCL (Hons) (International) are automatically available to students achieving at least a 50% average in their First Year Examinations; otherwise it is subject to the availability of places (with the determining criterion, in the event that there are insufficient places, being the aggregate mark in First Year).

First Year - BCL (Law (Pathways))

First Year consists of core modules to the value of 50 credits and elective modules to the value of 10 credits. In order to be admitted to the First University Examination in Law, a student must have satisfactorily attended prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits.

Second Year - BCL (International)

Second Year consists of core modules to the value of 35 credits (or 25 credits if LW1106 and LW1107 have been selected in First Year) and elective modules to the value of 25 credits (or 35 credits if LW1106 and LW1107 have been selected in First Year). In order to be admitted to the Second University Examination in Law a student must have: (a) passed the First University Examination in Law; and (b) subsequently satisfactorily attended prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits.

Students are required to attend placement policy and procedure sessions.

Third Year - BCL (International)

There are two paths in this programme in Third Year.

Path 1

Students must attend an approved European or North American or Chinese university law school on a full-time basis for one academic year between the completion of the Second University Examination in BCL (Hons) (International) and the commencement of the Final Year BCL (Hons) (International). The choice of courses to be followed abroad is to be made in consultation with the Dean of the School of Law in UCC or his/her delegate. Registration for the Fourth Year BCL (Hons) (International) programme in UCC must directly follow the year spent abroad.

Path 2

Students must attend an approved European or North American or Chinese university law school on a full-time basis for one semester in the academic year between the completion of the Second University Examination in BCL (Hons) (International) and the commencement of the Final Year BCL (Hons) (International). The choice of courses to be followed abroad is to be made in consultation with the Dean of the School of Law in UCC or his/her delegate. Students will register for an equivalent of 30 credits at their chosen university abroad. For the semester that students are not on placement abroad, students must take elective modules in UCC to the value of 30 credits, bringing the total to 60 credits for the full academic year.

Fourth Year - BCL (International)

Fourth Year consists of core modules to the value of 25 credits and elective modules to the value of 35 credits. In order to be admitted to the BCL (Hons) (International) Degree Examination, a student must have: (a) passed the Third University Examination in BCL (Hons) (International), and (b) subsequently attended in a satisfactory manner, for at least a full academic year, prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits.

Workload Guideline

Where a programme contains elective modules it is recommended that students do not take any more than 40 credits in any semester. Students are therefore advised to choose their modules so that the workload is evenly spread throughout the year.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Year 1
Students take 60 credits as follows – all listed core modules (50 credits) and 10 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
LW1104	Foundations of the Legal System	5
LW1112	Constitutional and Institutional Law of the European Union	5
or LW1114	Droit institutionnel de l’Union européenne
LW1153	Criminal Law	10
LW1154	Law of Contract	10
LW1156	Legal Research and Writing	10
LW1161	Constitutional Law: Fundamental Rights	5
or LW1163	Dlí Bunreachtúil: Bunchearta
LW1162	Constitutional Law: Institutions of Government	5
or LW1164	Dlí Bunreachtúil: Institiúidí an Rialtais
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:		10
AC1103 plus AC1104	Financial Accounting Fundamentals plus Accounting for Partnerships and Companies
CH1001	Chinese Language (Mandarin) I
FR0105	Introduction to French : Complete Beginners 1
FR1005	French for Near Beginners 2
FR1105	Threshold French
FR1107	French for Reading Purposes I
GA1002	Ceart na Gaeilge idir Scríobh agus Labhairt
GE0003 plus GE0004	German Language (Beginner Level A1) Part 1 plus German Language (Beginner Level A1) Part 2
GE0005 plus GE0008	German Language (CEFR-Level A2.1) plus German Language (CEFR-Level A2.2)
HS0028	Spanish Language (Beginner Level)
HS0128	Spanish Language (Improver [01] Level)
HS1009	Spanish Language (Post Leaving Certificate)
IT1102	Non-Beginners' Written and Spoken Italian
IT1109	Introduction to Written and Spoken Italian
LW1106 plus LW1107	Law of Torts I plus Law of Torts II 3
Year 2
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (35 credits) and 25 credits of elective modules: 4
Core Modules
LW1106	Law of Torts I 3	5
LW1107	Law of Torts II 3	5
LW2204	Economic Law of the European Union	5
LW2249	Property Law: Ownership and Succession	5
LW2250	Property Law: Rights in the Land of Others	5
LW2262	Clinical Legal Skills - Group Work and Presentation	10
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 25 credits from the following: 4		25
LW2006	The Law of Evidence I (5)
LW2007	The Law of Evidence II (5)
LW2207	International Human Rights Law (5)
LW2208	Law of the European Convention on Human Rights (5)
LW2211	Principles of Public International Law (5)
LW2216	Humanitarianism and the Law (5)
LW2254	Commercial Law (10) 5
LW2263	Law of Public Administration (5)
LW2264	Administrative Law: Grounds of Judicial Review (5)
LW2269	Privacy and Data Protection Law (5)
LW2275	Family Law: Child Law (5)
LW2276	Family Law: Family Relationships (5)
LW3368	Principles of Revenue Law (5)
LW3371	Sources and Foundations of Environmental Law (5)
LW3372	Environmental Law: Contemporary Issues in Governance, Regulation and Enforcement (5)
or modules to the value of 15 credits (or 25 credits) from the foregoing and modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:
CH1001	Chinese Language (Mandarin) I (10) 6
CH2107	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2 (10)
FR2105	Towards Vantage French (5) 7
FR2107	French for Reading Purposes II (5) 7
GA2001	Úsáid agus Cruinneas na Gaeilge I (10)
GE2101	Integrated German Language Course (10)
HS0128	Spanish Language (Improver [01] Level) (10)
HS1009	Spanish Language (Post Leaving Certificate) (10)
HS2101	Second Year Spanish Language Course (Ex-Beginners) (10)
IT2101	Intermediate Italian Language (10)
MG2003	Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Consumption (5)
MG2008	Business Ethics and Governance (5)
Year 3
Students take modules to the value of 60 credits from one of the following paths:		60
Path 1
Students attend an approved European or North American or Chinese university law school for one academic year.
or
Path 2
Students take 60 credits as follows - the equivalent of 30 credits at an approved European or North American or Chinese university law school for one semester and 30 credits of elective modules in UCC in the semester they are not on placement abroad:
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 30 credits from the following: 8, 9
LW2006	The Law of Evidence I (5)
LW2007	The Law of Evidence II (5)
LW2207	International Human Rights Law (5)
LW2208	Law of the European Convention on Human Rights (5)
LW2211	Principles of Public International Law (5)
LW2216	Humanitarianism and the Law (5)
LW2263	Law of Public Administration (5)
LW2264	Administrative Law: Grounds of Judicial Review (5)
LW2269	Privacy and Data Protection Law (5)
LW2275	Family Law: Child Law (5)
LW2276	Family Law: Family Relationships (5)
LW3310	Advanced Constitutional Law (5)
LW3312	Employment Law: Contracts, Termination, Collective Labour Law (5) 10
LW3313	Employment Law: Rights Protection, Equality, Specific Categories of Employees (5) 11
LW3316	Financial Services: Law and Regulation (5)
LW3345	Company Law I: Fundamental Concepts and Doctrines (5)
LW3346	Company Law II: Management, Finance and Insolvency (5)
LW3347	Contemporary Issues in Corporate Law (5)
LW3368	Principles of Revenue Law (5)
LW3369	Income Tax Law (5)
LW3370	Sports Law (5)
LW3371	Sources and Foundations of Environmental Law (5)
LW3372	Environmental Law: Contemporary Issues in Governance, Regulation and Enforcement (5)
LW3373	Sports Law Clinic (5)
LW3404	Medical Law and Ethics (5)
LW3405	Medical Law: Regulation of Healthcare (5)
or select modules to the value of 20 credits from the foregoing and modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:
AC2204 plus AC2205	Introduction to Management Accounting (5) plus Intermediate Management Accounting (5)
CH2107	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2 (10)
CH3020 plus GV2239	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (5) plus Chinese Politics (5)
FR4101	Advanced Use of French (10) 12
GA3001	Úsáid agus Cruinneas na Gaeilge (10)
GE3101	Advanced Integrated German Language Course (10)
IT3101	Advanced Italian Language (10)
Year 4
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (25 credits) and 35 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
LW3303	Law of Equity: Doctrines and Remedies	5
LW3305	Law of Equity: Trusts	5
LW3360	Moot Court	10
LW3367	Jurisprudence	5
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 35 credits from the following: 8		35
LW2006	The Law of Evidence I (5)
LW2007	The Law of Evidence II (5)
LW2207	International Human Rights Law (5)
LW2208	Law of the European Convention on Human Rights (5)
LW2211	Principles of Public International Law (5)
LW2216	Humanitarianism and the Law (5)
LW2263	Law of Public Administration (5)
LW2264	Administrative Law: Grounds of Judicial Review (5)
LW2269	Privacy and Data Protection Law (5)
LW2275	Family Law: Child Law (5)
LW2276	Family Law: Family Relationships (5)
LW3308	Alternative Dispute Resolution (5)
LW3310	Advanced Constitutional Law (5)
LW3312	Employment Law: Contracts, Termination, Collective Labour Law (5) 10
LW3313	Employment Law: Rights Protection, Equality, Specific Categories of Employees (5) 11
LW3316	Financial Services: Law and Regulation (5)
LW3345	Company Law I: Fundamental Concepts and Doctrines (5)
LW3346	Company Law II: Management, Finance and Insolvency (5)
LW3347	Contemporary Issues in Corporate Law (5)
LW3368	Principles of Revenue Law (5)
LW3369	Income Tax Law (5)
LW3370	Sports Law (5)
LW3371	Sources and Foundations of Environmental Law (5)
LW3372	Environmental Law: Contemporary Issues in Governance, Regulation and Enforcement (5)
LW3376	Traveller Equality and Justice Project Clinic (10)
LW3377	Courtroom Ethnography: Theory and Practice (5)
LW3404	Medical Law and Ethics (5)
LW3405	Medical Law: Regulation of Healthcare (5)
LW3408	Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance (ESG): Law, Policy and Practice (5)
or modules to the value of 25 credits from the foregoing and modules to the value of 10 credits from the following:
AC2204 plus AC2205	Introduction to Management Accounting (5) plus Intermediate Management Accounting (5)
CH3020 plus GV2239	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (5) plus Chinese Politics (5)
FR4101	Advanced Use of French (10) 12
GA3001	Úsáid agus Cruinneas na Gaeilge (10)
GE3101	Advanced Integrated German Language Course (10)
IT3101	Advanced Italian Language (10)
Total Credits		240

¹

FR0105 may only be taken by complete beginners.

²

FR1005 may not be taken by a student who has studied French to Leaving Certificate level.

³

LW1106 and LW1107 must be taken in Second Year if not selected as elective modules in First Year.

⁴

Students who have selected LW1106 and LW1107 as elective modules in First Year must take the other 25 credits of core modules and 35 credits of elective modules in Second Year.

⁵

LW2254 is available in Second Year only.

⁶

For students wishing to take up a placement in China, it is compulsory to have successfully completed CH1001 Chinese Language (Mandarin) I in either First or Second Year.

⁷

FR2105 and FR2107 are available only to students who have already taken FR1105 and FR1107 in First Year.

⁸

Other than those previously selected.

⁹

Students whose placement takes place in Semester 1 will only be able to choose modules from this list that are offered in Semester 2 and students whose placement takes place in Semester 2 will only be able to choose modules from this list that are offered in Semester 1.

¹⁰

LW3312 is not available to students who have previously passed LW3301.

¹¹

LW3313 is not available to students who have previously passed LW3302.

¹²

FR4101 Advanced Use of French (10 credits) may only be taken with the permission of the Head of the Department of French.

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for BCL (Hons) (International) (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Identify the primary and secondary sources of Irish law;
  
• Apply core legal skills of legal research, writing and advocacy;
  
• Demonstrate an understanding of, and an ability to evaluate, fundamental legal principles and concepts;
  
• Critically analyse the political, economic, social and ethical contexts in which laws are formulated;
  
• Identify and analyse the primary points at issue in decided case law;
  
• Analyse law from international and comparative perspectives.