This course is open for applications.

To apply, please visit the Entry section below.

Accreditations and partnerships:

About

Maximise your chances of securing pupillage by building your legal knowledge and skills side by side. You'll embed your understanding through regular application of your knowledge to scenarios you are likely to experience when advising clients or in court.

By undertaking and successfully completing the UWE Bristol Bar Training Course (BTC), you'll develop, and be able to demonstrate, the competencies required to be called to the Bar, as set out by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).

On the BTC course, you'll build your legal knowledge and skills side by side, to embed your learning and maximise your chances of doing well on the course, and securing pupillage.

PG Diploma course:

Full-Time (Duration: nine months)

You'll undertake the seven compulsory modules required to complete the vocational component of training.
Tuition is timetabled over three to four days a week, providing opportunities to work or undertake pro bono activities alongside your studies.

Part-Time (Duration: two years)

You'll undertake the same seven compulsory modules over two years.
Tuition is timetabled on Fridays and Saturdays every three to four weeks, providing opportunities to work or undertake pro bono activities alongside your studies.
The course includes a mix of face-to-face tuition on campus for skills and some online tuition for knowledge.

LLM course:

Both the full-time and part-time routes consist of the seven compulsory modules required for the vocational component of training, followed by two taught optional modules and a written project module, which together lead to the master's award. These additional modules are designed to reinforce your development as a reflective practitioner with responsibility for your own self-development.

Full-time (Duration: one year)

You'll complete the seven compulsory modules in up to nine months.
The teaching and assessment for the two taught option modules will be in the summer, immediately following the completion of the core modules.
The written project is taken over the summer, with submission in early September.

Part-Time (Duration: 26 months)

You'll complete the seven compulsory modules over 26 months, and the core modules within two years.
Teaching will be in the summer, and you may choose to spread the load by taking one optional module in year one.
Assessment for the two optional modules will be in early Autumn.
The written project is completed over the summer, with submission in the Autumn of the second year.

Eligible students will be able to apply for postgraduate loan funding to complete the LLM course.

If you enrol on the PGDip course, you can subsequently transfer to the LLM, undertake extra modules and graduate with a master's (subject to programme transfer deadlines that operate and will be made known to you no later than induction).

Why study the Bar Training Course?

The BTC provides the foundation to your career as a barrister. Part of the vocational component of training for the Bar of England and Wales, it covers the advocacy skills, and detailed knowledge of the law, required to be able to confidently work with clients and present legal cases in court.

Why UWE Bristol?

Choosing to undertake your BTC (Combined) at UWE Bristol offers you the assurance of studying with a well-established education provider.

Taught by highly experienced tutors, who are all qualified barristers or solicitors, you'll benefit from substantial face-to-face teaching, feedback and formative assessments, to embed your learning, hone your skills and give you the strongest foundation for your legal career.

Opting to study this course means that the knowledge and skills elements of your training will be taught together, in a way that is most reflective of life in Chambers, with both parts taught primarily face to face to maximise your potential to succeed.

We place a strong emphasis on personal and academic support, giving you regular contact with your personal tutor at all stages, to support you with the rigorous demands of the course, alongside access to extensive university-wide resources.

Our well-established links to the local and national Chambers and Bar also open the door to significant career-enhancing opportunities, such as competitions, mock pupillage interviews, career talks, guest lectures and pro bono work, all designed to help you gain maximum value from your training.

Where can it take me?

The BTC prepares you for a successful career as a barrister, giving you the necessary skills, knowledge and network to maximise your chances of securing pupillage.

Many of our graduates go on to work as barristers, while others take this sought-after qualification into careers as legal associates, managers or legal advisers, or into other sectors.

Entry

Typical offers

Entry requirements

As stipulated by the BSB, you'll need:

To hold a law degree/conversion course, which meets the requirements for study of the foundations of legal knowledge subjects
A degree classification (minimum 2:2)
Membership of an Inn of Court
English language ability (see below).

All students applying for a place on the UWE Bristol BTC course will be considered for an offer according to the extent that their application form demonstrates:

The potential to fulfil the BSB Professional Statement Competences
A commitment to a career at the Bar/in law
A record of legal work experience or other law related activity during their studies.

These criteria will be assessed by reference to answers on the applicants online application form.

Deferred entry

We do not accept deferred entry applications for this course.

English Language Requirement

All prospective barristers must be able to demonstrate that their English language ability is at least equivalent to:

7.5 in the IELTS academic test (all sections)
76 in each part of the Pearson test of English (academic).
7.5 in the UWE Bristol English Placement Test (all sections)

All applicants should have an effective command of the English language and be able to use it appropriately, accurately and fluently to handle complex and detailed argumentation. International students will be required to produce a certificate evidencing the necessary IELTS or Pearson test scores.

Barristers should:

use correct and appropriate vocabulary, English grammar, spelling and punctuation in all communications
speak fluent English.

The method for verifying that a prospective barrister has met this requirement will be determined by UWE Bristol.

Potential Exemptions

International students will be required to produce a certificate evidencing the necessary IELTS or Pearson scores unless they:

achieve an actual 2.1 LLB from a university in England or Wales, having studied in England or Wales* or,
are predicted 2.1 overall in their LLB from a university in England or Wales, whilst studying in England or Wales. Applicants would be required to submit interim transcripts from their second year including an academic reference stating the prediction of a 2.1 or,
an actual LLM with merit or above from UWE* at the point of application for a place on the BTC.

*Qualifications only eligible up to three years from date of completion.

UWE Bristol reserves the right to require any candidates who successfully self-certify to undertake the IELTS academic test or Pearson test if they do not subsequently demonstrate the English language requirement set out above.

How to apply

Apply to study LLM Bar Training Course full-time.

Apply to study PGDip Bar Training Course full-time.

Apply to study LLM Bar Training Course part-time.

Apply to study PGDip Bar Training Course part-time.

The application deadline is Tuesday 8 July 2025. Please upload all relevant documents by this date.

We recommend that you apply well before the application deadline. Submitting your application early will allow time for our Admissions team to process your application.

The international deposit payment deadline is Tuesday 22nd July 2025. You'll need to pay your deposit by this date. For information on how to pay your deposit, see our International student payments pages.

For further information

Email: Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 83333

Structure

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

You'll study these core modules:

Bar Professional Practice
Civil Advocacy
Civil Litigation
Conferencing
Criminal Advocacy
Criminal Litigation
Drafting, Opinion Writing and Legal Research
Professional Ethics.

Plus, two optional modules from:

Clinical Negligence
Commercial Law
Criminal Law
Employment Law (BPTC)
Family Law
International Trade
Refugee and Asylum.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

Highly experienced and supportive tutors, drawn from legal practice and the academic side of law, will help you develop your knowledge quickly.

Most of the course is taught face to face through small group sessions, providing substantial contact and opportunities for discussion, with your tutors and peers.

Weekly skills sessions, in small groups (no more than six students in Conference Skills and Advocacy sessions), will support you to develop the skills you'll need to practise law and support clients effectively. You'll take part in workshops, extended practice activities and role-play activities, and receive regular written and oral feedback on your skills. The sessions are also recorded to allow for subsequent reflection and analysis.

Studying the course means that Criminal Litigation and Civil Litigation are taught alongside the other subjects, and feed into them, to embed your learning at the deepest level.

For example, after studying sentencing in Criminal Litigation, you'll be expected to apply that knowledge during a conference with a client awaiting sentence (Conference Skills), and to represent that client during their sentencing hearing (Advocacy).

Developing your skills under the supervision of experienced teachers, you'll be supported to progress during the course to the level expected of a pupil barrister.

Guest lectures and extensive online resources, such as recorded lectures, podcasts, blogs and demos, will further embed your learning and skills.

If you study towards the LLM, you'll undertake further taught modules on specialist subjects (such as working with refugees), and complete a reflective project, to work towards your master's award.

See our glossary of teaching and learning terms.

Different awards

On successful completion of the UWE Bristol BTC, you'll graduate with either a PG Diploma or LLM award.

Students undertaking the LLM course will receive their transcript of results in the seven compulsory modules required for Call while they're still undertaking their taught option and project modules.

If you don't successfully complete the seven compulsory modules, you'll still potentially be eligible for:

a PG Certificate in Legal Knowledge, if you pass Criminal Litigation and Civil Litigation
a PG Certificate in Legal Skills, if you pass Conferencing, Advocacy, Opinion Writing (to include Legal Research), Drafting and Ethics.

The certificates would evidence your attainment of particular competencies and would be of value to you in pursuing another legal or non-legal career.

Study time

PG Diploma

Full time course: runs for nine months, from September to May with up to 14 hours of face-to-face tutorial group teaching per week, delivered over three to four days. You'll be required to carry out approximately 30 hours of independent study per week, in addition to your taught contact hours.

Part-time course: runs for two years, from September to September, with approximately 14 to 21 hours of face-to-face tutorial group teaching per month, delivered over Fridays and Saturdays. You'll be required to carry out approximately 30 hours of independent study per month, in addition to your taught contact hours.

LLM

Both the full-time and part-time courses include:

The seven compulsory core modules required to complete the vocational component of training, forming the interim award (PGDip).
A choice of two taught optional modules (worth 30 credits total) and a written project module, which together lead to the master's award. These additional modules are designed to support your development as a reflective practitioner with responsibility for your own self-development.

Full-Time Course: runs for one year, with the core modules taught between September and May as part of the interim award (the PGDip). You'll study further modules to complete the master's award. Taught option modules will be undertaken immediately after completing the compulsory modules, and will account for 30 credits, with up to 20 hours of contact time including preparation, per module a week. Alongside this, you'll undertake one project module which is predominantly self-study. These modules are to be completed within the same academic year.

Part-Time Course: runs for 26 months. You'll study the seven compulsory modules, completing the core modules within the first two years. The two taught optional modules are delivered in the summer, and you may choose to spread the load by taking one of them in year one. Assessment for the optional modules takes place in early Autumn.

The written project is completed over the summer, with a submission point in the Autumn of the second year.

Assessment

The teaching and assessment for the two taught option modules is undertaken in the summer months immediately following the completion of the core modules. The written project is written over the summer with a submission point of early September.

Civil Litigation and Criminal Litigation assessments are set by the Central Examination Board, on behalf of the Bar Standards Board, and examined using multiple choice questions.

Professional Ethics is set by UWE Bristol as an unseen assessment in controlled conditions.

All other assessments are also set locally and are either completely seen or partially seen, in that you'll receive information in advance to research the relevant areas of law.

In most assessments, you'll be graded as either Outstanding, Very Competent, Competent, or Not Yet Competent.

We use mock assessments with feedback to help you monitor and improve your performance, and prepare effectively. Our tutors have extensive experience of the centralised assessments, so are well placed to support you.

For added flexibility, there is some choice about when you take your assessments, although we structure the teaching to allow you to complete them at the earliest opportunity.

See our full glossary of assessment terms.

Fees

LLM Full-Time

Supplementary fee information

Eligible students will be able to apply for postgraduate loan funding to complete the LLM course.

See our funding pages for more information.

Features

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the Bar Standards Board.

Study facilities

You'll be based in the Bristol Law School, on our Frenchay Campus, with access to extensive facilities to support your learning, including:

Well-equipped classrooms, with IT equipment and whiteboards
Mock courtrooms, with equipment to record advocacy sessions for later analysis
Comprehensive resources online through our Blackboard system, including exam-style multiple choice tests, podcasts, pre-recorded lectures and demonstrations of oral skills by experienced practitioners.

The Law School sits within our £55m Bristol Business School building, which includes learning spaces for individual and group study plus conference rooms you can book.

You'll also have access to all the other facilities on our Frenchay Campus, including 24-hour access to our library, and a wide range of academic support, wellbeing and careers services.

Your tuition fee includes all the books and resources you need for the course (which will be provided to you) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) student fee.

Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.

Take a personalised virtual tour of the Law facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.

Careers

Careers / Further study

The BTC prepares you for a successful career as a barrister, giving you the necessary skills, knowledge and network to maximise your chances of securing pupillage.

Many of our graduates go on to work as barristers, working either as self employed or inhouse counsel, or for the Government Legal Profession or Crown Prosecution Service.

Other graduates take their BTC into careers as legal associates, managers or legal advisers, or into other sectors.

Alongside support from our award-winning university careers services, you'll receive careers advice and support specific to this course, including access to CV clinics, careers talks, 'ask the experts' events and mock interviews, to enhance your chances of obtaining pupillage and help you plan your career path. We can also help with planning for a career overseas through our international careers service.

"Coming from a non-conventional route, I found the panel talk reassuring with panel members from varied routes becoming barristers. It was insightful hearing about their different career stages and perspectives" Melissa, 2023 Bar Training Course graduate.

Career-enhancing opportunities

Through our strong links with Chambers in Bristol and nationally, you'll have regular opportunities to connect with practice, and take part in events which include:

Chambers-sponsored advocacy and mooting competitions, and national and international mediation and arbitration competitions
'Ask the experts' events
Mentoring, careers advice and talks
Mock pupillage interviews
CV writing clinics
The UWE Bristol Law Fair
The Bristol Bar Students Dinner.

As well as working with charities such as Support Through Court, we have our own Business Law Advice Clinic, where you can tap into diverse work experience opportunities, to give back to the community and enhance your employability at the same time.

At an additional, but highly reduced cost, we also offer students the opportunity to become a civil commercial mediator through an internationally respected mediation training provider.

Life

Fees	Amount (£)
Home Award Fee	15750
International Award Fee	16500
Offshore Award Fee	16500

LLM/PGDip Bar Training Course