Do you think it's necessary to study English at HL in order to take law at uni?

[chanjake82]

Not sure if this is the right forum.

 

I know they prefer you to take English at A Level, but if you take it at SL in IB does it make a difference?

 

Has anyone managed to get into a leading university to study LLB without taking HL English?

[Ann Vyshinsky]

You mean English A or English B? 

 

I got into Oxford, was studying English B HL and Russian A SL.

 

I don't think there are any specific requirements for Law (unlike, e.g., for Medicine). 

[TykeDragon]

I would say that some level of English is necessary, but not HL at IB or even total fluency - they have the IELTS to test your English capabilities. I would say English is useful for law due to its similarity in terms of the skill needed for analysis and essay writing. This could be achieved through a number of subjects - economics, history, philosophy, politics to name but a few. Other subjects are surprisingly relevant due to the analytical mindset required - eg maths and chemistry.

 

So I would say no subjects are essential, let alone at HL, however make sure there is at least one subject that is essay based to show your capability for writing analytical essays as this is vital for law!

[chanjake82]

By English I meant English A: Language and Literature.

 

So I would say no subjects are essential, let alone at HL, however make sure there is at least one subject that is essay based to show your capability for writing analytical essays as this is vital for law!

By this, do you mean I need an essay based subject at HL or at SL or either one?

[ebu]

Although no subjects are essential, I would say that almost all law students tend to take History HL. Although its not a requirement of any kind, taking History HL would demonstrate your ability to analyze, argue for a side (using historiography) and handle a lot of content.

[DannyRodeck]

I would definitely take it as HL if you have a decent level of english, I found it pretty easy taking into account it has low boundaries, and the difference with SL is not a big deal. 

[Forgy]

It depends on the university you are going to. If you have a shortlist or even a specific university you want to go to, take a look at their prerequisites for an LLB.

 

For example, The University of Hong Kong says that: "Applicants for admission to the LLB programme must satisfy the University entrance requirements (http://www.als.hku.hk/admission/intl/admission/admissionHK2) which are the basic eligibility requirements. However, admission to the LLB programme, both for JUPAS and non-JUPAS applicants, is very competitive, and our Faculty's policy is to identify students who are competent in analytical and critical thinking, in expression and communication skills, and who possess good oral and written language skills, notably in English." (Source: https://www.law.hku.hk/programmes/llb.php)

 

The specific requirements say that local students need to have completed at least 6 years of education, and international students need to complete any of these requirements:

International examinations:

• Grade C or better in English Language at GCSE / GCEO
• Grade C or better in English First Language at IGCSE
• Grade B or better in English Second Language at IGCSE
• An overall band of 6.5 or better in Academic IELTS
• A score of 550 or better in the paper-based TOEFL (213 for computer-based, 80 for internet-based) [Note: TOEFL ITP test is not accepted for satisfying the English Language Requirement]
• Subscores of 550 or better in Critical Reading and 550 or better in Writing in SAT in the same attempt
• Grade 4 or better in the Higher Level English Language (B Syllabus); or
  grade 5 or better in the Standard Level English Language (B Syllabus); or
  grade 4 or better in the Higher or Standard Level English Language (A1 or A2 Syllabus); or
  grade 4 or better in the Higher or Standard Level English Language A: Language and Literature; or
  grade 4 or better in the Higher or Standard Level English Language A: Literature; or
  grade 4 or better in the Standard Level English - Text and Performance; or
  grade 4 or better in the Standard Level English - Literature and Performance (A1 syllabus) at International Baccalaureate
• Source: http://www.als.hku.hk/admission/intl/admissionHK2b

The last point there clarifies your doubt.

 

If you look around on any other university's website, that you are interested in, you should be able to easily find the information you need.

[Antonia Julia]

Its a late response, but the uni I want to apply for law has no specifics about languages. Of course you should have a command on english, but Malta University, for example, only wants the student to have taken a human science. 

[beth-]

Technically, there are no set subject requirements to study law, however, some universities do recommend you to have studied an essay-based subject, like History, or English, but it's not formally required for admission. There are some Cambridge colleges, though, according to their website, where an essay-based A-level/IB HL is required. So, taking an essay-based subject would probably be recommended, but English HL isn't needed or required.

Edited November 4, 2015 by beth-

[Gaby]

As a lot of people above said, there is not need to take English HL, unless you feel confident in it and actually want to take it. It is not a requirement. I got into top UK Law schools (Oxford, UCL, QMUL etc.) with English B HL. What will, however, work in your favour, is taking essay based subjects, English HL being one of them. But it might as well be History or Economics, depending on your interests.