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About University of Galway
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Community Engagement
Community Engagement
At University of Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
Law and Human Rights
Course Overview
The four-year Bachelor of Civil Law (Human Rights) is an innovative and unique programme – the first of its kind in Ireland. It offers students the opportunity to combine a full undergraduate law programme with the study of human rights.
The study of human rights involves gaining an understanding of how the international human rights treaties function as tools to ensure that states respect and protect the equal human dignity of all people. Students will learn about how human rights law develops, including the influence of activism and grassroots movements for social change.
Human rights are not just legal concepts; therefore students on this course will have the opportunity to gain philosophical and political insights that will broaden their knowledge and deepen their critical thinking skills. Students will also study emerging areas of human rights law and contemporary issues of large-scale injustice such as climate change, the environment and human rights; data privacy; refugee rights; poverty; and business and human rights. In addition, this course will provide a basic introduction to International Criminal Law and International Humanitarian Law.
Students on the programme will be challenged and engaged by a rich curriculum of core and optional law modules. Students will be trained in key legal skills such as written and oral advocacy; and they will be educated in the principles, theories and doctrines of human rights law and practice.
The School of Law and the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway are pioneers in legal education and research on human rights. Students will have access to world leading researchers, writers and lecturers in human rights at the Irish Centre for Human Rights.
Students complete all the modules required to support them to undertake the entrance exams for the Law Society of Ireland, should they wish to qualify as a solicitor. Students who wish to qualify as a barrister will have the option of taking all additional modules required by the Honourable Society of King’s Inns, through the Legal Professions specialised stream in the final year.
Professional Work Placement or Study Abroad
In year three of this course students will have the opportunity to spend the academic year completing professional work placement or studying abroad. Students will have the opportunity to apply for a professional work placement in a leading law firm, a corporate organisation, a public sector organisation or other suitable legal placement. Study abroad is highly recommended for students who choose to study a language (Legal French or Legal German) and are encouraged to study in our partner universities in Germany and France. We have also partnered with a number of leading universities who teach through English in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, India, Poland, The Netherlands, Spain and the United States of America.
Note: Students who choose the optional specialist stream in Legal Irish will spend year three divided between one semester studying at NUI Galway’s Gaeltacht campus in An Cheathrú Rua and one semester of professional work placement in an Irish-speaking legal environment.
Specialist Streams
In final year students have the opportunity to shape their degree and focus on an area of study that interests them and develop special expertise in their chosen field. Students may choose one of the following specialist streams.
- Business and Commercial Law
- Public Law, Risk and Regulation
- Human Rights, Crime and Equality
- International, Comparative and Transnational Law
- Law and Innovation
- Language: Legal French, Legal German or Teanga an Dlí (Legal Irish)
- Legal Professions
- General
Applications and Selections
Who Teaches this Course
Every staff member in the law school and human rights centre is involved in some way.
Requirements and Assessment
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate including Irish, English, another language, and any three other subjects recognised for entry purposes.
Additional Requirements
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Duration
4 years
Next start date
September 2024
A Level Grades (2023)
universityofgalway.ie/alevels
Average intake
15
QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes
Closing Date
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
Award
CAO
GY252
Course code
Course Outline
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Year 1 (60 credits)
This year focuses on building skills with strong foundational teaching. The module ‘Understanding the Law’ builds a platform of essential skills and helps students to transition to the expectations of a university degree.
The module ‘Human Rights: Theories, Concepts and Selected Issues’ provides a grounding in critical, inter-disciplinary and practical approaches to human rights designed to enable deep engagement with human rights law in subsequent years. Topics in past years have included feminist theories of power and injustice, ‘rebellious lawyering’ theory, climate justice, disability rights, the past and present human rights issues arising from Ireland’s history of institutionalisation and family separation, and participation in a mock examination of Ireland by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Compulsory Core Modules (50 credits)
- Human Rights Law: Theories, Concepts and Contemporary Issues (10 credits)
- Understanding the Law (10 credits)
- Constitutional Law (10 credits)
- Contract Law (10 credits)
- Tort Law (10 credits)
Optional Modules (10 credits)
- Family and Child Law (10 credits)
- Language: Legal French/ Legal German/ Teanga an Dlí (Legal Irish) (10 credits)
Year 2 (60 credits)
In second year students develop their skills further with modules such as ‘Mooting’ which helps develop communication and advocacy skills. Students will also complete a ‘Guided Research Essay’ on a topic of their choice and will be supported by an academic mentor.
Students take four compulsory modules in human rights law, which together provide a comprehensive overview of the human rights treaty systems that influence state laws and practice in Ireland, Europe and the world over. These modules also address areas of emerging human rights law and contemporary issues, and they introduce students to a range of staff and postgraduate researchers specialising in human rights at NUI Galway as well as to guest speakers practicing in human rights law.
Compulsory Core Modules (50 credits)
- Criminal Law I & II (10 credits)
- European Union Law I & II (10 credits)
- European Human Rights Law - Systems & Themes I & II (10 credits)
- International Protection of Human Rights I & II (10 credits)
- Mooting (5 credits)
- Guided Research Essay (5 credits)
Optional Modules (10 credits)
- Labour Law I (5 credits)
- Labour Law II (5 credits)
- Industrial and Intellectual Property Law (5 credits)
- Environmental Law I (5 credits)
- Environmental Law II (5 credits)
- Language: Legal French/ Legal German/ Teanga an Dlí (Legal Irish) (10 credits)
Year 3 (60 credits)
Customise your experience by choosing either professional work placement or study abroad.
Caithfidh na mic léinn a dhéanann Teanga an Dlí seimeastar amháin ag staidéar ar champas Gaeltachta Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh ar an gCeathrú Rua agus seimeastar amháin eile ar shocrúchán oibre i dtimpeallacht lán-Ghaeilge. (Students who study Legal Irish will spend one semester studying at NUI Galway’s Gaeltacht campus in An Cheathrú Rua and one semester of professional work placement in an Irish-speaking environment.)
Year 4 (60 credits)
Students will have the opportunity to shape their degree by choosing a specialist stream. Students may choose one of the following specialist. Certain specialist streams have prerequisite modules which must be passed before choosing the stream in the final year. Students who wish to qualify professionally as a barrister should choose ‘The Legal Professions’ stream which covers all the modules required to apply for the degree of Barrister–at–Law at The Honorable Society of King’s Inns. Module selection is subject to timetable clashes and availability.
Compulsory Core Modules (30 credits)
- Company Law I & II (10 credits)
- Equity Law I & II (10 credits)
- Land Law I & II (10 credits)
Specialist Streams (30 credits)
Students will have the opportunity to shape their degree by choosing a specialist stream. Students may choose one of the following specialist streams. Certain specialist streams have prerequisite modules which must be passed before choosing the stream in the final year.
The Legal Professions
- Administrative Law I (5 credits)
- Jurisprudence (5 credits)
- Evidence I & II (10 credits)
- Choose 10 credits of modules from other streams
Human Rights, Crime and Equality
- Applied Legal Theory (5 credits)
- Equality and Law (5 credits)
- Labour Law I (5 credits)
- Animal Law (5 credits)
- Comparative Disability Law (5 credits)
- Criminology (5 credits)
- Housing Law & Policy (5 credits)
- Labour Law II (5 credits)
- The Protection of Prisoner Rights under International Law (5 credits)
- Family and Child Law (10 credits)
Business and Commercial Law
- Banking Law
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Labour Law I
- Labour Law II
- Commercial Law
- International Trade Law
- Law and Economics
- Industrial and Intellectual Property Law
- Comparative Competition Law
- Law and Innovation
Public Law, Risk and Regulation
- Applied Legal Theory (5 credits)
- Environmental Law I (5 credits)
- Information Technology Law (5 credits)
- Comparative Competition Law (5 credits)
- Administrative Law II (5 credits)
- Criminology (5 credits)
- Environmental Law II (5 credits)
- Health and Safety Law (5 credits)
- Housing Law & Policy (5 credits)
- Industrial and Intellectual Property Law (5 credits)
- International Trade Law (5 credits)
International, Comparative and Transnational Law
- Comparative Disability Law
- Public International Law
- Comparative Competition Law
- International Trade Law
- Applied Legal Theory
Law and Innovation
- Information Technology Law (5 credits)
- Industrial and Intellectual Property Law (5 credits)
- Lawyering, Technology and Innovation (5 credits)
- Business Intelligence & Analytics (5 credits)
- Comparative Competition Law (5 credits)
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (5 credits)
- Decision Modelling and Analytics (5 credits)
- Entrepreneurial Venture Development (5 credits)
- Implementing Digital Innovation (5 credits)
- Law and Analytics (5 credits)
Language
Students who choose a language must also choose 20 credits worth of modules on other streams to meet credit requirements.
- Legal German / Legal French/ Teanga an Dlí (Legal Irish) (10 credits)
General
Define your own degree by selecting modules from multiple streams to meet the requirement of 30 credits. Module selection is subject to timetable clashes and availability.
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Subject
- Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Required Core Subject
- A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.
Year 1 (60 Credits)
Optional GR106: Legal German - 10 Credits - Semester 1Optional GA1101: Gaeilge & Scileanna Cumarsáide 1_Teanga an Dlí - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional GR1104: Beginners German for Law Students - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional LW3149: Family and Child Law - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required LW262: Tort - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required LW118: Contract - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required LW117: Constitutional Law - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required LW3120: Understanding the Law - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional LW127: Family Law - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional LW109: Legal French - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Required LW3123: Human Rights Law: Theories, Concepts and Contemporary Issues - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Year 2 (60 Credits)
Optional GR208: Legal German - 10 Credits - Semester 3Optional LW213: Legal French I - 10 Credits - Semester 3
Optional LW212: Labour Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Optional LW356: Industrial And Intellectual Property Law - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Optional LW357: Environmental Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Optional GA2113: Gaeilge & Scileanna Cumarsáide 2_Teanga an Dlí - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required LW427: European Union Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required LW3130: European Human Rights Law - Systems & Themes I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required LW3129: Guided Research Essay - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required LW3127: International Protection of Human Rights I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required LW301: Criminal Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Optional LW216: Labour Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Optional LW358: Environmental Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Optional GA2114: Teanga an Dlí - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required LW3131: European Human Rights Law - Systems & Themes II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required LW428: European Union Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required LW437: Moot Court - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required LW3128: International Protection of Human Rights II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required LW304: Criminal Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Year 3 (60 Credits)
Optional LW3125: Professional Work Placement - 60 Credits - Semester 5Optional LW3144: International Study Abroad Exchange - 60 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3145: Erasmus Language Exchange (French) - 60 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3147: Erasmus Language Exchange (German) - 60 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3148: Erasmus Exchange (Non-Language) - 60 Credits - Semester 5
Optional GA209: Inniúlachtaí Gairme - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional GA3202: Córais Faisnéise & Feidhmchláir - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional GA3203: Gaeilge & Scileanna Cumarsáide 3: Teanga an Dlí - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional GA3314: Teicneolaíochtaí Aistriúcháin agus Teanga - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional GA3315: Pobal na Gaeltachta sa lá atá inniu ann - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional GF306: Dlí, Eiticí agus an Córas Poiblí - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3143: Professional Legal Skills - 10 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3142: Applied Legal Research Project - 20 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3135: Professional Work Placement - Semester 1 - 30 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3133: Study Abroad Semester 1 - 30 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW339: Independent Research - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW333: Comparative Competition Law - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW357: Environmental Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3151: Equality and Law - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW356: Industrial And Intellectual Property Law - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW383: Information Technology Law - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW212: Labour Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional LW3150: Family and Child Law - 10 Credits - Semester 5
Optional GA3204: Taithí Oibre (Dlí) - 30 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW3134: Study Abroad Semester 2 - 30 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW3136: Professional Work Placement - Semester 2 - 30 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW4104: Administrative Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW371: Alternative Dispute Resolution - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW370: Comparative Disability Law - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW365: Criminology - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW358: Environmental Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW419: Health and Safety Law - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW232: Housing Law & Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW364: International Trade Law - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW216: Labour Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW3152: Law and Analytics - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional LW3153: The Protection of Prisoner Rights under International Law - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional SP405: Contemporary Social Thought - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Year 4 (60 Credits)
Optional LW212: Labour Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7Optional LW215: Commercial Law - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW356: Industrial And Intellectual Property Law - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW333: Comparative Competition Law - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW357: Environmental Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW383: Information Technology Law - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW3150: Family and Child Law - 10 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW323: Public International Law - 10 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW337: Administrative Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW513: Evidence I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional GR317: Legal German - 10 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW3151: Equality and Law - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW339: Independent Research - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional MS222: Decision Modelling and Analytics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MS414: Business Intelligence and Analytics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW3159: Lawyering, Technology and Innovation - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional GA4112: Gaeilge & Scileanna Cumarsáide 4: Teanga an Dlí - 10 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW405: Health Law & Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW3156: Revenue Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Required LW263: Equity I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Required LW225: Land Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Required LW229: Company Law I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW379: Legal & Business Ethics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW3104: Applied Legal Theory - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional LW371: Alternative Dispute Resolution - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW216: Labour Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW364: International Trade Law - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MG2101: Entrepreneurial Venture Development - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW358: Environmental Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW365: Criminology - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW232: Housing Law & Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW4104: Administrative Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW370: Comparative Disability Law - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW3119: Jurisprudence - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW514: Evidence II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW380: Legal French II - 10 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW419: Health and Safety Law - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW3152: Law and Analytics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW3153: The Protection of Prisoner Rights under International Law - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MS4101: Implementing Digital Innovation - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW3157: Revenue Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Required LW265: Equity II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Required LW226: Land Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Required LW231: Company Law II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW3158: Animal Law - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional LW420: Clinical Placement - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Further Education
Graduates of this course may complete further study to become a barrister or solicitor. Graduates will have completed the modules examined in the solicitor entrance exams at the Law Society of Ireland and will have the option to complete the modules required for the barrister entrance exams at The Honorable Society of King’s Inns.
Graduates may also be interested in completing a LLM (Master of Laws) or PhD programme. The School of Law offers a wide range of taught LLM programmes and LLM or PhD programmes by research.
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
The Irish Centre for Human Rights has a global network of alumni working in human rights, providing excellent links and supports for our students.
Graduates of the Law (BCL) and Human Rights programme will be well prepared to work in international human rights law, policy or legal practice. Graduates will have the foundation necessary to pursue opportunities with international organisations, United Nations bodies or developmental agencies.
Graduates of this degree will be ready to sit the professional entrance exams for the Law Society of Ireland (solicitor). Graduates who completed the Legal Professions specialised stream will be eligible to sit the professional entrance exams for the Honourable Society of King’s Inns (barrister).
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Transferable Skills Employers Value
Work Placement
Our students will have the opportunity to gain a professional focus and real world experience through professional work placement. Students gain invaluable experience by putting theory into practice and developing new skills which can support and influence career direction. Students will have a range of CV and interview preparation supports available in advance of their work placement. The course will offer some international work placements through its partnerships with international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other human rights bodies. Some of our current work placement partners include the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Irish Refugee Council Independent Law Centre, Irish Council for Social Housing, ISPCC, Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy NUI Galway, Sage Advocacy, Threshold and A&L Goodbody Probono Practice.
Study Abroad
Students can study abroad at partner institutions around the world, giving them the opportunity to experience legal education in an international setting and to gain a different perspective on the law.
Irish Centre for Human Rights
Students will have access to world leading researchers, writers and lecturers in human rights at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. The Irish Centre for Human Rights is one of the world's premier academic human rights institutions, dedicated to the study and promotion of human rights, international criminal law and humanitarian law.
National and International Internships
In addition to professional work placement opportunities in third year, students in their final year will have the opportunity to apply for a limited number of national and international summer internships which are offered on a competitive basis.
Terence O’Malley DLA Piper Scholarship
Students on this course may be eligible to apply for the Terence O’Malley DLA Piper Scholarship. The scholarship fund will support Scholars throughout their four year degree to the value of €2,500 annually (total value of €10,000 per Scholar). The scholarship is awarded on the financial need and academic merit of the successful applicants. View full scholarship details.
Mooting
All students will complete the Mooting module and will have access to the NEW state-of-the-art on-campus Moot Court. Mooting is a simulated courtroom experience. The module is delivered through a taught component made up of lectures and an active component where students will participate in practical seminars and a mock trial. Past students described participating in mooting as ‘transformative’.
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student Contribution
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy** €140. **Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.
Find out More
Phone: +353 (0)91 492389
Email: law@ universityofgalway.ie
School of Law Undergraduate Courses
Highlights from the School of Law Undergraduate courses
What Our Students Say

Ruth Cormican | Human Rights Attaché to the Permanent Mission of Ireland to
There are great opportunities for law students at University of Galway. For example, I undertook a summer internship in Suffolk University Law School in Boston working with two criminal justice NGOs: Prisoner Legal Services and the New England Innocence Project. After my degree I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study for an LLM in International Human Rights Law at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.

Tessa Maria Lambrich | Graduate of the Irish Centre for Human Rights
Studying at the Irish Centre for Human Rights is an incredibly enriching experience. I appreciate most that there is room to link academically high level discussions to practical considerations and issues in the field and to contemporary examples, which is very important to me due to my previous experience. Every question is welcome and taken seriously by the staff! The atmosphere between students is so friendly - we come from all over the world and have different educational backgrounds which make discussions interesting and diverse