Law and Politics

Law and politics is a combination that makes intellectual sense at a fundamental level: law and politics are both concerned with power, with the rules that govern collective life, and with the institutions through which authority is exercised and contested. Law provides binding rules and enforceable rights; politics shapes who makes those rules and in whose interests. Studying them together allows you to understand the legal system not just in technical terms but in its broader political and social context, and to bring legal rigour to your analysis of political institutions and processes.

At the University of Kent, this three-year full-time degree develops your critical and analytical skills while enabling you to think about the role of law in society alongside the workings of political institutions, democratic processes, and international relations. Kent Law School has a strong reputation for combining doctrinal legal education with socio-legal perspectives, and you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through the Law Clinic, working on real cases under supervision. This practical dimension sets the degree apart from purely theoretical legal education.

A typical entry tariff of 120 points applies.

You will develop skills in legal reasoning, statutory interpretation, case analysis, political analysis, research, and written argument. Both disciplines demand that you engage carefully with evidence and construct well-reasoned positions, making the combination a particularly strong preparation for careers in which argumentation and critical thinking are central.

Graduates go on to work in law (via professional qualification routes such as the Solicitors Qualifying Examination or Bar Training), the civil service, politics and political campaigning, public policy, journalism, human rights organisations, the voluntary sector, and business. Postgraduate study in law, politics, international relations, or public policy supports those seeking further specialisation.