Business Law
Business law is a degree that brings together the rigorous analytical training of legal study with a focus on the legal frameworks that govern commercial life, giving graduates a qualification that is valuable both for entry to the legal profession and for careers in business and finance. Law is the system of rules and obligations that regulates how people and organisations relate to each other, and business law focuses on the areas of law most directly relevant to commercial transactions, corporate structures, employment, intellectual property, and dispute resolution. Studying it develops the precise reading, careful reasoning, and persuasive argument that are the hallmarks of a legal education, alongside practical knowledge of how law operates in business contexts.
At Nottingham Trent University, business law is studied over three years of full-time study, with the programme including a sandwich year with a work placement and a year abroad, giving you professional experience and international perspective alongside the academic qualification. The law curriculum covers the core areas required for a qualifying law degree, including contract law, tort, constitutional and administrative law, land law, and equity and trusts, alongside specialist business law content in areas such as company law, commercial law, employment law, competition law, and intellectual property. The sandwich year placement gives you direct experience of a legal or business environment, and the year abroad provides exposure to how commercial law operates in a different jurisdiction, which is increasingly important in an internationally oriented legal career.
Graduates from business law programmes have a range of professional options. Those who want to enter the legal profession hold a qualifying law degree and can proceed to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination to become solicitors, with a particular advantage in commercial practice, corporate law, and the commercial litigation and transactional work that dominates the large law firm market. The business dimension of the degree also makes graduates attractive to companies seeking people with legal awareness in roles in compliance, contract management, regulatory affairs, and in-house legal support.
Finance, banking, human resources, and management are further destinations for graduates who want to apply their skills in a business rather than a legal setting. Postgraduate study in law, business, or a specialist legal area is available for those who want to develop further expertise.