University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2017/18 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Social Sciences and Law > University of Bristol Law School > Law and French (LLB) > Specification
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Programme code | 9LAWD003U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Siobhan Shilton
Nina Boeger (Law) |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
Second School/department | Department of French |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Accrediting types: |
The qualifying law degree is recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for the purposes of satisfying the academic stage of training. (http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/) Accredited by the Bar Standards Board for the purpose of a Qualifying Law Degree. |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups |
Law (2023) (benchmark statement)
Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
The LL.B. (Law and French) degree is a four-year Joint Honours programme. The programme provides an intellectual training through the study of the fundamental features of the legal systems of England and Wales and of the European Union, their underlying principles and values and the contexts in which the law operates, and through the provision of opportunities for the acquisition of a broad range of intellectual and critical skills in preparation for: a career in the legal professions; employment in a wide range of other legal and non-legal contexts; further education. Three years are spent at Bristol and one year (the third year of the programme) at a French-speaking university (see http://www.bristol.ac.uk/law/study/ugdegrees/ugcourseinfo/llb-lawfrench.html). The Bristol component also allows students to study French language, literature and history to degree level. During the year abroad, students acquire knowledge of the French legal system.
This course of study is recognised by the Bar Council and the Solicitors Regulation Authority as a qualifying law degree.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding are acquired through: lectures, seminars, tutorials, intensive language classes, directed reading, regular written coursework and practical language work (supported by the facilities of the Multimedia Centre), and a compulsory period of residence in the country to countries where the language is spoken. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. Language development skills are tested through formative and summative modes of assessment (translations, language essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through group work in seminars, tutorials, oral presentations, essay writing and practical language work. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of data are developed. Specific units focus on other intellectual skills: problem solving and research techniques. (FREN40015, Dissertation) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. Language development skills are tested through formative and summative modes of assessment (translations, language essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations to initiate discussion, including defending their interpretations in debate with other students and staff. (1, 4, 5, 6) Oral skills are further developed in the language classes. (8, 11) Research and written communication skills are developed through the writing of essays and tutors' feedback on these. (3, 7, 9, 13) Independent learning is required in all language and non-language units. (1, 13, 14) IT skills are developed when researching and producing course work. (5, 12, 15) Students are given guidance on how to manage their time and work independently. (1, 17) Students are given guidance on the use of electronic resources, and are informed of opportunities for C&IT training. (15) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Non-language units are assessed through, written examination, written coursework and oral presentations requiring detailed and informed handling of the primary literature and extensive background reading in support of the argumentation advanced. In language, oral presentations are assessed according to criteria testing the effectiveness and accuracy of delivery and the command of information. Some units require oral class presentations of a satisfactory standard in order to gain CPs. The knowledge base is also tested through traditional unseen written examinations and through dissertations. Research and IT skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the course has been expressly designed to lay the foundations, both in terms of subject-specific knowledge and skills and in terms of more general skills and abilities, which will allow students to fulfil the programme's aims and objectives. Core units in language are geared to help students progress in the consolidation and development of their A-level (or equivalent) language skills. Mandatory non-language units cover some of the main themes and concepts of French culture, familiarising students with the literature and political/social backcloth of France and thereby introducing them to the key areas of study offered in the programme. This will enable students to make informed choices between the optional units available in future years and provide a sound basis for study in Level I. The expectation is that their work will require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2, students are expected to be able to demonstrate that, in both mandatory and optional units, they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge and also their capacity to evaluate their work. The topics explored and source materials consulted will be of greater depth and substance. Students will develop their analytical skills, their ability to structure their work and to expound it effectively with the increased requirement for seminar presentation. Language work will be of a higher level of complexity and students will develop their capacity to work accurately and creatively with French. They will be encouraged in group-work skills through active participation in seminars. They will be acquiring a heightened capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of coursework assignments). |
Level H/6 - Honours |
In Year 4, students are expected to expand the breadth of their knowledge through the study of optional units that allow them to pursue more closely their particular areas of interest. These units are more directly linked to staff research specialisms. Students are thereby able to benefit from a wide range of expertise at the cutting-edge of research that not only enhances their intellectual development but also serves actively to foster in them a research culture. Students will be expected to develop their ability to gather and assimilate information, synthesise it in an appropriately informed way, and engage in sophisticated evaluation of primary texts. These skills will have been enhanced through the heightened command of the French language acquired during the mandatory period of residence in a French-speaking country. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Acquisition of knowledge and understanding through lectures, seminars, tutorials and directed reading with a strong emphasis on primary materials. Independent learning is achieved through written coursework and research projects. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Knowledge and understanding are largely tested through traditional unseen written examinations (which include both essay questions and hypothetical problems). Many units are assessed through coursework which requires a more detailed and expansive treatment of certain topics. The year abroad will be assessed according to the methods agreed by the host university, which may include a mixture of oral and written examinations. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, tutorials, oral presentations and written assignments (both essays/problems and research projects). All units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation are developed. In addition, specific units focus on other intellectual skills (problem-solving and research) and opportunities for practising these skills are offered in other units. |
Methods of Assessment | |
All assessment tasks (written examinations, coursework and research projects) test powers of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Problem-solving is assessed both by written examinations (which contain hypothetical problems) and coursework. Research and autonomy is assessed through coursework and research projects. The year abroad will be assessed according to the methods agreed by the host university, which may include a mixture of oral and written examinations. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to make oral presentations. Working effectively in a group, IT exercises and making use of feedback are integrated into specific units. Written communication is developed through written assignments, assessed coursework and research projects. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Assessment is primarily through written assignments (examinations, coursework and research projects) which provide evidence of communication skills. Coursework is also used to assess key skills (such as key IT skills). |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
By the end of their first year of study, students are expected to be able to demonstrate a sound knowledge of the fundamental principles of some of the core areas of law and a level of competence in the relevant skills. They will be able to research secondary literature on legal materials, solve legal problems, produce written summaries and discursive accounts of the law, engage in moots and debates, retrieve web-based information from identified sites and engage in joint preparation for, and participation in, class discussion. The expectation is that their work may require substantial direction from members of staff. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
By the end of their second year of study, students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge of legal principles and their capacity to evaluate these principles using a variety of perspectives. They should also have developed a higher level of competence in the relevant skills. This will include the ability to research relevant primary and secondary materials in a given area of law, solve more demanding legal problems and consider legal reform, engage in regular good-quality written preparation for class, make structured presentations and engage in subsequent discussion, use a variety of online resources and engage in the joint production of written work. They are expected to be developing a capacity for self-directed learning. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
During their final year of study, students are expected to expand the breadth of their knowledge through their study of optional subjects and to develop further their ability to evaluate law. At this level students are expected to be able to demonstrate their capacity for self-directed study using the skills acquired and developed at levels one and two. This will include finding relevant materials on a set topic, solving complex legal problems, producing a lengthy written account of an area of law, and engaging in regular and spontaneous location of online legal materials. They will also be expected to collaborate where appropriate in their research tasks and to give seminar papers if required. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
Success at undergraduate level in the Social Sciences and Law depends on your being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. The programmes offered in the Faculty are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with larger lecture-based units providing the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving through to smaller seminar-based specialist units and finishing with an individual dissertation or research project. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning. But at the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing, whether in the library or at home. It is this skill of independent study above all others that you will take with you when you leave.
This model of academic development is particularly obvious in the more discursive subjects such as law, politics, social policy and sociology. The typical timetabled contact time for a discursive 20 credit point unit in the Faculty is about 30 hours. You will find that you need to allow for about 10 hours preparation on your own if you are to get the most from one of these teaching sessions. In addition there will often be class presentations or essays to write. Typically, the final year will include an independent research unit which by definition has a much smaller amount of more individualised support. Towards the end of any teaching block you may have additional revision or updating classes, and many programmes have occasional ad-hoc lectures of general interest and relevance. If you get stuck, there is always the chance to speak to your lecturer after a class or during their hours of general availability, or you could see your personal tutor. The Faculty also includes programmes which require increasing levels of mathematical sophistication, typically in Economics, Finance and Management. In this latter case, much larger numbers of lectures - up to 18 hours a week depending on option choices - and fewer small group classes are normal, as in the sciences.
As a result, and depending on your particular programme and option choices, your timetable is likely to be a lot less structured than that of fellow students who are linguists, scientists, engineers or medics. But the time that others spend in laboratories you should be spending in private study. In a sense, the library is your laboratory, and you will want to make best use of the excellent range of resources available to you here. A good University education does not tell you 'what you need to know'. Rather, we assume that, like your lecturers and professors, you are intellectually curious about your subject. We invite you to join us and we are there to help you satisfy your curiosity as best we can.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/current-students/fssl-undergraduates/assessmentandfeedbackstatement.pdf
Law:
No additional information.
French:
Honours Degree programmes involving French and another subject require mandatorily that one year (Year Three) be spent abroad either entirely or for one half of the year in a French-speaking country. Many students opt to take an assistantship in a French school under a scheme organised by the French government. The French Department has SOCRATES exchange agreements exchanges with universities in, Paris, Cergy-Pontoise, Bordeaux, Aix, La Réunion and Martinique. A number of placements on stages are also taken up; some placements are recurrently available to Bristol students while others are arranged anew each year.The French Department, thanks to its size with 15 full-time teaching staff, is able to offer a rich array of internal pathways for students to follow. All the pathways place an emphasis on the development of language skills and the enhancement of the students' knowledge and expertise in a variety of genres and periods of culture selected from the wide range available. The Department received a 5 in the most recent RAE and it has always encouraged a strong synergy between research and teaching. This has resulted in the creation and development of a vibrant learning environment for students within the Department, as staff continuously upgrade existing teaching materials and introduce fresh optional units. A further source of strength in the learning experience of students comes from the interaction between French and other departments. Single honours students will normally follow Additional units taught outside the French Department. In addition, units have consistently been available as options within other departments as well as French. Thus, Romance Linguistics (FREN 30059) may be taken by students from the Departments of French, Italian Studies or Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies. Furthermore, almost all the units figuring in the programme may be followed by students of French within the School of Modern Languages. The School offers a wide variety of joint programmes involving the study of any two of the following languages: Czech, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. There are also joint programmes combining French with Latin, Drama, History of Art, Music, Philosophy, Politics, History and Law. Such students serve to enrich the intellectual environment within which teaching and learning take place within the French Department.
http://www.bris.ac.uk/law or Email: law-ug-admissions@bristol.ac.uk
The following units are must pass: LAWD10016, LAWD10008, LAWD10014 and LAWD10012. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Introduction to Law | LAWD10016 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Law of Contract | LAWD10008 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Law and State | LAWD10012 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Criminal Law | LAWD10014 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
French Language | FREN10029 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
One from: | ||||
Shaping France | FREN10008 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Reading Literary and Visual Cultures in French | FREN10010 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
The following units are must pass: LAWD10011, LAWD10013 and LAWD20023. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Law of Tort | LAWD10011 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Constitutional Rights | LAWD10013 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Law and Policy of the European Union I | LAWD20023 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Comparative Law | LAWD20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
French Language 2 | FREN20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Students may choose one unit from the following list: | ||||
French Drama | FREN20026 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
France 1940-44: Occupation and Resistance | FREN20037 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
France and Europe | FREN23013 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
The French Language: Structures and Varieties | FREN20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Introduction to French Cinema | FREN20056 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Modern Critical Theory | FREN20061 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Students may choose up to one unit from the following list: | ||||
Political Systems of Modern Europe | MODL20008 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Gender in Post-Socialist Central and Eastern Europe | MODL20011 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Students may choose up to one unit from the following list: | ||||
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Year Abroad (Law and French) | LAWD39002 | 120 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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French Language 3 | FREN30001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Land Law | LAWD20002 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Trusts | LAWD30120 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Select one of the following: | ||||
Final Year Research Project | LAWD30091 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Dissertation | LAWD30132 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 |
Students taking LAWD30091 may choose either 20cp from the following Law units AND 20cp from the optional Language units listed below OR 40cp from the optional Language units listed below. Students taking LAWD30132 must take 20cp from the optional Language units listed below. | ||||
Jurisprudence | LAWD20004 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Crime, Justice and Society | LAWD20034 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Company Law | LAWD20037 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Evidence | LAWD20038 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Medical Law | LAWD20039 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
General Principles of International Law | LAWD20041 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Introduction to Intellectual Property | LAWD20043 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
British Immigration, Nationality, and Citizenship Law | LAWD20045 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Roman Law | LAWD20046 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Family Law 1: Adult Relationships | LAWD20047 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Issues in Corporate Governance | LAWD30001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Advanced Family Law | LAWD30002 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Information Technology Law | LAWD30003 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Clinical Legal Studies | LAWD30005 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Rich Law, Poor Law | LAWD30017 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Commercial Law | LAWD30028 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Banking Law | LAWD30090 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Criminology | LAWD30100 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Insolvency Law | LAWD30104 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Law and Government | LAWD30105 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Legal History | LAWD30106 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Sex, Gender and Law | LAWD30110 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Employment Law | LAWD30113 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Environmental Law | LAWD30123 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Human Rights in Law, Politics and Society | LAWD30125 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Transnational Arbitration | LAWD30128 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Commercial Conflict of Laws | LAWD30136 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Corporate Law Simulation | LAWD30112 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
International Dispute Settlement | LAWD30117 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Law and Race | LAWD30135 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Students may select from: | ||||
Around Cubism | FREN30096 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Les Miserables: Readings and Receptions | FREN30030 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
African narratives of migration | FREN30039 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Intellectuals and the Media in France | FREN30108 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Independent Study 1 | MODL30005 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Translating in a Professional Context | MODL30010 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Communism in Europe | MODL30001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Sociolinguistics: Language Variation and Change | MODL30015 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Students may choose MODL30011 if they took MODL23014 in their second year of study and students may choose MODL30012 if they took MODL23015 in their second year of study. | ||||
Catalan Language (follow-on) | MODL30011 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Czech Language (follow-on) | MODL30012 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Students also have the option to choose the following unit: | ||||
Liaison Interpreting | MODL30006 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 |
Law and French (LLB) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000