Oxford university law or history??

I am hoping to go to Balliol college, Oxford after my A levels and I am just wondering whether I should take law or history.
Also what subjects should I take at A level and what grades should i get to do law at oxford?
Thanks.

Reply 1

Festina lente

Original post by WRocket

Pick whichever one you are dedicated to studying intensively for 3 years. It's horrible doing a degree you're not really enthusiastic about. Some work experience might help you to decide whether law is for you.

For law, any traditional academic A-levels (arts or sciences) are good; taking an essay subject is advisable (though you can certainly get in without) and I assume you'll be taking History anyway, so that's sorted :smile:

Oxford currently requires AAA at A-level. But I wouldn't be surprised if that was A*AA by the time you come to apply.

So far as your GCSEs go, get as many As and A*s as you can :smile:

Reply 2

doivid

Original post by WRocket

Some useful links
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/courses/courses_and_entrance_requirements/table.html
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/courses/law_jurisprudence/law_4.html
http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate/ebrochure/index.html
http://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate-admissions/law-jurisprudence-and-law-with-law-studies-in-europe
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/courses/history/history.html
http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/prosundergrad/index.htm
http://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate-admissions/history

Reply 3

Crazy Mongoose

I was toying between History and Law when I was applying. Having done my law degree, my advice would be to think carefully about if you want to do law because you want to be a lawyer, or if you want to do law because you think it is an interesting intellectual discipline. The two are not the same. Law at Oxford mostly involves applying rules to different facts in interesting ways, and arguing about why your way of applying them is right.

If you just want to be a lawyer and earn lots of money (hah!) then do History and convert to law with the GDL.