Law undergraduate programme (state examination)
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Programme | Law undergraduate (state exam) programme |
| Qualification at completion | First State Examination for Jurists |
| Duration and credits | 10 semesters |
| Starts in | October (winter semester) |
| Language of instruction | German |
About the programme
Law as an academic discipline is concerned with studying the existing body of laws and regulations, the legal system and its terminology and how they are related to other facets of life, such as politics, society and business.
The undergraduate Law programme gives students the necessary knowledge and skills to complete the First State Examination. Graduates may then continue with an academic career path by taking up doctoral study. Alternatively, graduates who wish to become lawyers or judges in Germany may follow up with a two-year practical clerkship and then the Second State Examination for Jurists, which will give them the required qualification to practise as a lawyer or become a judge. The curriculum is prescribed in the German Judiciary Act. With about 80% of law graduates working as lawyers, the undergraduate Law programme gives special consideration to this line of work. Legal practitioners need to be able to think in terms of abstract and formal legal concepts as well as constantly changing life situations in their daily work; both need to be taken into account simultaneously.
Features
- The Faculty of Law at the University of Passau has an excellent reputation in Germany, as is shown by the faculty's outstanding results in various university rankings.
- Study one of nine law-specific language programmes alongside your degree programme.
- The many university partnerships make it easy for you to study abroad almost anywhere in the world.
- When you study this degree programme, you get the chance to complete the University of London's Certificate of Higher Education in Common Law (CertHE) or Bachelor of Laws (LLB) International Programmes.
- Double degree options exist with Université Toulouse 1 Capitole (France) or Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo (Spain).
- Gain attractive additional qualifications while studying for your undergraduate degree, such as the English-taught Certificate of Studies in European, Comparative and International Law (CECIL) and the German-taught Certificate of Studies in Eastern European Law.
- The University's Institute for the Didactics of Law offers students a free year-long exam preparation course for optimum preparation for the state examination.
- Once you have completed the undergraduate Law programme, you may continue your studies at the University of Passau with the double degree programme in German and Russian Law.
Jurists who have completed the second state examination in law have the prerequisites for a legal career in the civil service (judge, prosecutor, administrative lawyer), as legal counsel (lawyer/barrister), in contract law and in certifying authority (civil notaries, solicitors), in businesses (insurance companies, legal departments, advisory staff) and associations.
The law undergraduate programme concludes with the First State Examination for Jurists (Erste Juristische Prüfung), which covers the compulsory subjects and their historical, social, economic, political, philosophical and European law underpinnings, as well as one elective which forms your specialisation.
The first examination in law is a two-part examination, consisting of the state examination proper ('Erste Juristische Staatsprüfung') on the compulsory subjects and an examination set by the University ('Juristische Universitätsprüfung') on the chosen specialisation. Currently there are 29 different specialisations for you to choose from.
If you choose Foreign Law as your specialisation you can complete 30% of the first state examination in law abroad, e.g. at:
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo (Spain)
- Université Toulouse 1 Capitole (France)
- Universita degli studi di Torino, Turin (Italy)
- Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic)
The University’s law-specific language programmes allow you to complement your degree studies with a specialised language programme in one or more languages, whilst learning about the legal system of the relevant world region(s). Subject-specific language training significantly enhances your employment prospects and facilitates access to internationally-operating authorities, multinational businesses and the diplomatic service. Subject-specific language programmes are available for Chinese, Czech, English, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
The First State Examination for Jurists is followed by a two-year clerkship/traineeship at a court of law, administrative authority or other official body. This stage of your training concludes with the Second State Examination for Jurists.
For further details, please consult the infosheet [German content] from the Academic Advice Service.
This degree programme starts in the October (winter semester) each year.
With abitur or European qualifications
Prospective students with a higher education entrance qualification from Germany or the EEA region (e.g. German abitur or the Austrian matura) can enrol directly for this degree programme during the enrolment period.
Prospective students with non-EEA qualifications
German language requirements
You will need German language skills at level C1 CEFR or higher to study this degree programme, as that is the main language of instruction for this programme. Therefore, you will have to provide a recognised German language certificate such as DSH-2 or TestDaF 4×4 with your application, unless German was the language of instruction for your secondary school education (e.g. Abitur at a German international school).
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