COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) at University of Galway is a four-year degree that provides a rigorous grounding in Irish and European Union law while allowing students to develop specialist interests, practical experience, and international exposure. In Year 1, students establish strong foundations through core subjects such as Constitutional Law, Contract Law, and Tort Law, alongside intensive skills training in legal research, writing, and critical thinking, supported by the Understanding the Law module; optional subjects include Family and Child Law and Legal French, German, or Irish. Year 2 deepens legal knowledge with core modules in Criminal Law, Company Law, Evidence, Administrative Law, and EU Law, while the compulsory Mooting module builds courtroom advocacy and oral argument skills; students can also choose from electives such as Labour Law, Disability Law, and Information Technology Law, and continue language studies where relevant. In Year 3, students broaden their horizons through either a professional legal work placement or a year studying abroad at a partner institution in Europe, North America, or Asia, while those studying Legal Irish divide their year between the Gaeltacht campus in An Cheathrú Rua and an Irish-speaking legal placement. The final year focuses on advanced professional subjects including Equity Law, Land Law, and Jurisprudence, alongside specialist streams such as Business and Commercial Law, Human Rights, International and Comparative Law, Law and Innovation, Public Law and Regulation, Language, or General Law, and includes an independent research project, ensuring graduates are well prepared for professional legal training or diverse legal careers.