University of Pretoria - Faculty of Law
Our mission is to be an internationally recognised leader in socially relevant legal education and research in South Africa and globally. In pursuing its vision, UP Law has as its mission the creation and sustenance of a research and education environment that is grounded in values of social justice and excellence. We have professional links to the world’s most prestigious international bodies such as the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, the World Bank and foreign universities.
At the undergraduate level, the Faculty offers a four-year LLB degree. However, the majority of our students first enrol for a BCom (Law) (Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences) or BA (Law) (Faculty of Humanities) degree. We aim to produce LLB graduates with the required knowledge, critical thinking abilities, awareness of social and ethical responsibilities and the legal skills to follow any of the established career paths in law. With this aim in mind, UP Law is progressively placing greater emphasis on an inquiry-led approach teaching and learning model, to improve the research and problem-solving skills of our students, while simultaneously ensuring that they are work ready as graduates.
At the postgraduate level, we offer extensive master’s (LLM/MPhil) programmes (through coursework or research) and a doctoral (LLD/PhD) programme.
The Faculty currently employs approximately 70 dedicated full-time academics, of which 75% have doctoral degrees in various fields of the law. They are supported by highly motivated professional staff, and together they serve and prepare our student community for the various law-related career opportunities.
The legal profession is a demanding one, but the skills you will learn at UP Law will prepare you to be amongst the best in the field. It does not matter whether you choose an LLB, a BCom Law or BA Law degree, as you will have access to support from your faculty and some of UP’s tailored programmes where you will learn how to land your first job or start your own business. With the high quality of teaching and learning support we provide, employers are keen to hire our graduates.
Our high standard of teaching and learning ensures that UP Law graduates acquire the required graduate skills demanded by the legal profession. Also, our UP Law graduates are able to adjust to the real world beyond university with relative ease. It is our objective to enable and empower our students to apply their in-depth knowledge and critical thinking skills to make a positive impact on South Africa and the world, as well-rounded, ethical individuals that are an asset to the workplace and society. The Faculty of Law (UP Law) at the University of Pretoria (UP) is exulted to announce that the ‘Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 by subject: law’ has ranked UP Law 60th in the world for law.
