[Ahmeda1]

Im a student who is going to have to apply to a degree course soon at university but i am not sure at the moment what i would like to study?! I love modern and historian architecture and would any day become an architect. on the other hand, i think being a lawyer is a pretty good thing aswell, and the background of law interests me massively!

STUCK!!!!

Any useful tips about these subjects, anyone???

[Claire888]

Maybe look into what the jobs of lawyer and architect involve individually, or maybe talk to a careers advisor. Obviously you are much more likely to earn more money in law, but you have to consider what you prefer to spend your whole career doing as for both you are going to spend a long time gaining qualifications, so you will have to be sure. It's also worth checking that your A-levels will be suitable for both courses, I don't really know what is needed for law but for architecture it is usually fairly open. Some universities will require Art and/or a portfolio, only very few require maths/physics, whereas others will want a science.

From what I've heard a law degree can be really boring, as you have to learn so much information whereas an architecture degree is much more creative and based on designing in a studio atmosphere. I take it your going into U6th in September so you do have a limited amount of time, still I would suggest some work experience, in a lawyers office and at an architects practice. When I did my first week of work experience in architecture it completely confirmed that it was the right path for me and it was definitely worthwhile.

[Claire888]

(Original post by lankan-gurl)
I'm thinking of applying to uni soon as well for Law, yeah I suppose one hand it can be seen as boring as there are so many lectures, notes etc. If you really enjoy it then yeah its worth applying to

I might apply to it with a combined honours degree so if your thinking of applying to law or architecture but your unsure you could see if there was some sort of a degree which includes something similar to either or both. Oh and like it says above you could do some work experience to see which course you most prefer.

You wouldn't be able to do a combined honours in architecture AND law. Firstly architecture can only be combined with other similar/related subjects at some selected universities, eg, architecture and landscape architecture at Sheffield, but not with something outside of the build environment department. But you may find if you do this that the combined course will not give you an accredited qualification from the relevant national boards, meaning that you wouldn't be qualified in either profession at the end of it. I know for architecture you would have to do additional exams (outside of the exams provided in the course) as you wouldn't be exempt from the RIBA exams if you did a combined course.

[lankan-gurl]

(Original post by Claire888)
You wouldn't be able to do a combined honours in architecture. Firstly architecture can only be combined with other similar/related subjects at some selected universities, eg, architecture and landscape architecture at Sheffield, but not with something outside of the build environment department. But you may find if you do this that the combined course will not give you an accredited qualification from the relevant national boards, meaning that you wouldn't be qualified in either profession at the end of it.

I didn't say that there was lol. I just said that you could look to see if there was a combined honours degree with something that is similar to the both. I'm only looking to do a law degree with year abroad or law with psychology and as far as the research i've done and looked into some good universities there's nothing wrong with a combined honours degree.

[Claire888]

(Original post by lankan-gurl)
I didn't say that there was lol. I just said that you could look to see if there was a combined honours degree with something that is similar to the both. I'm only looking to do a law degree with year abroad or law with psychology and as far as the research i've done and looked into some good universities there's nothing wrong with a combined honours degree.

No, I know you didn't, I was just clearing it up, on the architecture side (the only part I really know about) I know there isn't just they can be a bit tricky when you are applying to something where the exams of the ordinary degree give you a particular qualification, which may not be the case if taken as a joint honours. Then again I know someone who is doing law and criminology and I'm pretty sure she will become a qualified lawyer at the end so it works both ways

[thelawstudent]

if you're doing law do not combine it with anything (except for law with a language)

[lankan-gurl]

(Original post by Claire888)
No, I know you didn't, I was just clearing it up, on the architecture side (the only part I really know about) I know there isn't just they can be a bit tricky when you are applying to something where the exams of the ordinary degree give you a particular qualification, which may not be the case if taken as a joint honours. Then again I know someone who is doing law and criminology and I'm pretty sure she will become a qualified lawyer at the end so it works both ways

Oh ok, yeah I understand now what you mean I suppose it would be quite difficult or so with exams and getting a particular qualification but now I think it just depends on what university you apply to and the reputation? I don't know.

[lankan-gurl]

(Original post by thelawstudent)
if you're doing law do not combine it with anything (except for law with a language)

Why not? Like it says above I agree that ok it's probably hard with the particular qualification you receive but I think that depends? Besides i'm really not good with languages.

[zaliack]

Although it's not the same as architecture, but after you qualify with a law degree, you can focus on firms/chambers which specialise in construction law. I don't know anything about construction law, so you should research it if you are interested.

[zaliack]

(Original post by thelawstudent)
if you're doing law do not combine it with anything (except for law with a language)

Agreed. If you do a combined honours, such as law and criminology, not only are you limiting your choices for law related modules, but you may find that you prefer commercial law a lot better than criminal law, effectively making 25% of your modules useless for your job.

[Rancorous]

Depends what you're most interested in.

[thelawstudent]

(Original post by lankan-gurl)
Why not? Like it says above I agree that ok it's probably hard with the particular qualification you receive but I think that depends? Besides i'm really not good with languages.

top MC/City law firms do not look highly on joint honoured law degrees where they are likely not a full LLB that may not be approved by the law society

[thelawstudent]

(Original post by zaliack)
Agreed. If you do a combined honours, such as law and criminology, not only are you limiting your choices for law related modules, but you may find that you prefer commercial law a lot better than criminal law, effectively making 25% of your modules useless for your job.

@lankan-gurl

[lankan-gurl]

(Original post by thelawstudent)
top MC/City law firms do not look highly on joint honoured law degrees where they are likely not a full LLB that may not be approved by the law society

Oh ok so basically a law degree should be done on its own?, are you studying law at the moment in university?

[UnderPost]

(Original post by thelawstudent)
top MC/City law firms do not look highly on joint honoured law degrees where they are likely not a full LLB that may not be approved by the law society

That is complete bull!

For as long as your LLB is a "Qualifying Law Degree" you will satisfy rules laid down by the SRA and Law Society - you will be aloud to be a solicitor.

And from my experience, firms would prefer if you had your finger in another subject e.g accounting as its an asset.

I did a straight Law LLB degree and looking back I probably would have done a joint honours (it keeps your options open).

[thelawstudent]

(Original post by UnderPost)
That is complete bull!

For as long as your LLB is a "Qualifying Law Degree" you will satisfy rules laid down by the SRA and Law Society - you will be aloud to be a solicitor.

And from my experience, firms would prefer if you had your finger in another subject e.g accounting as its an asset.

I did a straight Law LLB degree and looking back I probably would have done a joint honours (it keeps your options open).

i swear i read somewhere that it's a bad idea to combine law with something such as a joint honours in law+history would make it a BA not a LLB (yes the SRA would approve it as a qualifying law degree but would it look good in the eyes of chambers/law firms? i haven't come across any trainee/pupil barrister who did a joint honoured law degree with something else other than a language).. but hey maybe i was wrong

[UnderPost]

(Original post by thelawstudent)
i swear i read somewhere that it's a bad idea to combine law with something such as a joint honours in law+history would make it a BA not a LLB (yes the SRA would approve it as a qualifying law degree but would it look good in the eyes of chambers/law firms? i haven't come across any trainee/pupil barrister who did a joint honoured law degree with something else other than a language).. but hey maybe i was wrong

No, if you look here: http://www.sra.org.uk/students/cours...providers.page ANY of these degrees are LLBs and more importantly- QLDs!.

Maybe what you have read is where somebody has taken an LLB in Law + History. Preferred History, took more History modules than he should - thus not making it a QLD (and I assume making it a BA).

But as long as you do all the core modules (Public, Contract, Tort, Criminal, Land, Trusts, some sort of Introduction to Law / Legal Skills module and EU Law) you are ok.

Probably the main reason why you haven't met somebody that did a joint honour is because the vast majority do a straight LLB. There was around 100 in my year, and I'd say at least 80 did straight LLB.

But from my experience big firms prefer people who are more well rounded. Having a joint honour makes you this as you can appreciate how business is ran if you've done Law + Business. PLUS what's good is if you don't like law you can always turn to Business for a job.

I'd say in even other degrees a joint honour is better as you have two different avenues to go through.

I should note that I have seen SOME (but very few) jobs where they say they won't consider joint honours. But this hasn't been in law, it has usually been in statistics. I don't know why though!

[Ahmeda1]

Thank you very much to everyone on here for their advice..but naturally, my parents would prefer me to do law, and told me about the "poor" job prospects of architecture, that combined with a friend that finished architecture and has been in and out of jobs for 2 years has made me reconsider.

But thank you all for your opinons and thoughts. If anyone has anything else to chime in, I'd be glad to hear it.