Law and Politics

Law and politics is a pairing that acknowledges what many legal scholars and political scientists already know: that law and politics are deeply intertwined. Law provides the formal framework of rules, rights, and institutions within which political life operates, but politics shapes what the law is, how it is enforced, and whose interests it serves. Studying them together means you can engage with the formal rules of legal systems while also asking the harder questions about power, legitimacy, and justice that purely doctrinal legal study sometimes leaves aside.

At the University of Kent, this part-time programme is taught by Kent Law School, which has a distinctive approach to legal education that emphasises critical and contextual understanding alongside doctrinal knowledge. You will develop your analytical and critical skills, think about the role of law in society, and gain practical experience through the Law Clinic, which gives you the opportunity to work on real cases in a supervised setting. This practical dimension is a significant feature of the degree, connecting academic learning to the realities of legal practice.

Kent's approach prepares you for a career in law while also opening doors to many other professions that value the combination of legal knowledge and political understanding.

You will develop precise analytical reasoning, the ability to read complex legal and political texts closely, and the skills to construct and communicate well-supported arguments in both written and oral forms.

Graduates of law and politics programmes are well positioned to pursue legal training and qualification as solicitors or barristers, as well as careers in government, the civil service, public affairs, international organisations, journalism, policy research, NGOs, and academia. Postgraduate study in law, politics, international relations, or public policy is a natural continuation for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.