Studying Law at the University of Glasgow

The School of Law at the University of Glasgow welcomes Canadian applicants. The British common-law tradition is one of the foundations of Canadian law, and students intending to practise law in Canada can pursue the graduate-entry LLB in Common Law as a first step towards qualifying as a lawyer in Canada (in any jurisdiction other than Quebec). Our Common Law graduate entry LLB is also a qualifying law degree for the purposes of legal practice in England and Wales.

The LLB programme covers core areas of the common law of Contracts, Property, and Torts – essential elements for legal practice in Canada or in England and Wales – as well as more specialised areas of law. Our students can also study Canadian Constitutional Law on the programme, a course based on the syllabus produced by Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation (NCA), helping Canadian students prepare for qualifying to practice law in Canada.

Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow has a time-honoured global reputation for teaching excellence and world-leading research, providing our graduates with an exceptional foundation for international employability. The School of Law is consistently ranked among the top 10 law schools in the UK (ranked 4th for Law in the 2026 Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide). 

LSAT and LNAT Exams

For the 2-year accelerated Common Law degree, you are not required to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or the Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT). 

For the 4-year Common Law degree, you may be eligible for an exemption from the LNAT as an international student. 

 

Qualifying as a lawyer in Canada

In order to qualify as a lawyer in Canada (in a jurisdiction other than Quebec), after completing the Common Law LLB at Glasgow, you will need to:

  1. Apply for a National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) assessment
  2. Gain a NCA Certificate of Qualification
  3. Complete a bar admission process in a common law jurisdiction/province in Canada, and complete any further required training (e.g. a legal traineeship, usually known as ‘Articling’)

The NCA Assessment and Certification processes are set out in the NCA Policy Manual. The current version of the Manual is available from the NCA’s website, which provides other relevant information. Both the website, and the Manual, should be consulted first-hand. They are authoritative sources of information on the Assessment and Certification processes.

In order to gain the NCA Certificate of Qualification, you will need to demonstrate competency in eight (8) core subjects:

  • Canadian Administrative Law
  • Canadian Constitutional Law
  • Canadian Criminal Law
  • Canadian Professional Responsibility
  • Foundations of Canadian Law
  • Contracts
  • Property
  • Torts

The first five core subjects have Canadian-specific content. Competency in these areas is demonstrated by taking NCA examinations in those subjects, or completing a course covering those areas in an Approved Canadian Common Law Programme. The former is the most cost-efficient route to take, but some students prefer to have guided instruction in the modules, rather than taking the exams on a self-study basis.

You may demonstrate competence in the other Core Subjects (Contracts, Property and Torts) by completing relevant courses as part of the Glasgow LLB degree, subject to Legal Academic Performance requirements set out in the NCA Policy Manual.

Where you are required to take Additional Legal Subjects, they will be assigned from the following list:

  • Business Organizations
  • Civil Procedure
  • Commercial Law
  • Evidence
  • Family Law
  • Remedies

You will not normally be assigned an additional legal subject in this list which you have already studied as part of your degree at Glasgow.

More information about qualifying in Canada

Federation of Law Societies of Canada | National Committee on Accreditation

The information on this page has been created according to current understandings of regulatory requirements, but applicants should always check and confirm requirements with relevant professional bodies.  

If you have any questions about admissions requirements, please contact our Admissions Enquiry Team: Admissions Enquiry Form