Studying at Honours Level

Honours level (level 10) study builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the first and second year. It assumes that students have achieved a certain competence in key features of legal study, and aims to develop these competences further.

Honours study is about developing your own views on the law, and honing your analytical and critical skills. As such, Honours teaching is very different to Ordinary level teaching. Instead of lectures and tutorials, two-hour seminars are held at which you are expected to contribute views on reading and questions sets prior to the class. At Honours level, members of staff act as facilitators to further discussion and inquiry; and Honours study involves a considerable about of self-learning and research. It is important that you contribute actively to honours seminars in order to get the most out of them.

The School of Law has specific Honours Marking Criteria which provide an indication of how you will be assessed at Honours level. The Marking Criteria and grade descriptions can be downloaded here (PDF).

The School offers a wide variety of honours courses, and a list of available courses for the upcoming year is published in Semester Two of the academic year.

Reassessment at Honours

It is important to note that there are no resit opportunities at Honours level. It is therefore important that you complete all of the elements of assessment for the Honours course, as further resits will not be permitted except in exceptional special circumstances.

In line with Taught Assessment Regulation 52, the Board of Examiners may award Credit on Aggregate for a failed course if a student has passed at least 80 credits in the year or honours study, and has an overall average of 40% or more for the 120 credits of study taken in the relevant honours year; and that they have satisfied any other specific requirements for the degree programme (e.g. compulsory courses).