Bar Practice Course

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

To be eligible to take up your place, you must comply with the requirements for commencing a Bar Practice Course (BPC) set out by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). The Bar Qualification Manual gives you full information about these requirements.

• You will be required to pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) by August of the year you commence your studies. Further details on this test can be found on the Bar Standards Board website.
• You will need either a qualifying law degree (QLD) 2:1 minimum or an undergraduate degree in any other subject (2:1 minimum*) and a Graduate Diploma in Law/CPE.
• For qualifying law degrees, all offers based on predicted grades will be conditional upon achieving a 2:1 or above.
• All applicants who meet the basic eligibility criteria may be invited to attend a Selection Event at one of our campuses or via Skype.

*For non QLD applicants with a 2:2, offers based on predicted GDL grade will be conditional upon achieving distinction or commendation.

Selection process

Applicants meeting the eligibility criteria will be required to complete our selection process which includes a 5 minute ‘plea in mitigation’ and 10 minute interview.

It is your responsibility to ensure you fulfil all eligibility requirements for the BPC.

You must join an Inn of Court before you can start the BPC. The closing date for application to an Inn of Court is 12 weeks before your BPC course is due to commence. Please contact the relevant Inn for further details:

• Gray’s Inn
• Inner Temple
• Lincoln’s Inn
• Middle Temple

If you are a non-EEA student you will also require a visa covering the full duration of your course.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

Bar Practice Course

Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT)

Candidates seeking entry to the BPC are required to pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) before being allowed to enrol on the course. We strongly recommend you sit the test as soon as possible and we will guarantee to hold your offer open until you have successfully passed the test. Should you fail to pass, you are able to re-sit the test after 30 days. As you must successfully pass the test before you can enrol on the BPC course, we encourage you to sit the test as early as you can – this will allow plenty of time should you need to take it again, before the deadline. For further information please check the Bar Standards Board website.

The University of Law fully complies with equal opportunities legislation and actively encourages diversity within the legal profession. Our admissions process acts fairly and aims to enable students to make the best use of their talents. You are encouraged to tell us about any special requirements at the earliest opportunity. This will allow us to discuss how we may go about meeting your requirements.

Months of entry

January, June, September

Course content

If you have a law degree or GDL and wish to train as a barrister, our BPC is designed to help you secure pupillage. You can expect high standards of tutoring by qualified practitioners with unparalleled experience in delivering advocacy. Choose our BPC LLM and make your pupillage applications stand out - working on real life pro bono legal cases, study additional modules or write a dissertation.

You’ll be supported by our specialist careers service from the moment you accept your place. 96% of BPTC full-time UK graduates were in further study or employment, including pupillage, 15 months after graduating (2020/21 Graduate Outcomes data). Contains HESA Data: Copyright Jisc 2022. Previously the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).

Information for international students

English language requirements

If you have completed a degree outside the UK and you do not come from a ‘majority English speaking country’, please provide a certified copy of one of the approved English Language Tests.

For more information visit our entry requirements page.

Please note: The University will not accept TOEFL English Language test as a proof of students' English proficiency until further notice due to Home Office investigation.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

BPC

· Part time - 20 months

Campus-based learning

· Full time – 8-9 months

Campus-based learning

BPC LLM

· Part time - 20 months

Campus-based learning

· Full time – 8-9 months

Campus-based learning

Information for international students

English language requirements

If you have completed a degree outside the UK and you do not come from a ‘majority English speaking country’, please provide a certified copy of one of the approved English Language Tests.

For more information visit our entry requirements page.

Please note: The University will not accept TOEFL English Language test as a proof of students' English proficiency until further notice due to Home Office investigation.

Fees and funding