Bachelor's Degree in Law

General Objectives of the Course

The 1st cycle of Law studies aims at providing students with a set of basic legal knowledge, to wit: the tools that jurists to-be must really know no matter their specific area of work.The most rigorous, updated notions that
national and foreign legal science have advanced are provided as well. Another goal of this formation program is to provide the student with an ability to select and interpret social events that s/he is bound to scrutinize under the legal viewpoint.In order for legal solutions to be convincing they ought to be effective, so jurists who have done the 1st cycle ought also to be able to convey decisions as well as the legal presuppositions and foundations thereof.Finally, it is also an objective of the 1st cycle to spur the student’s willingness to attend specialized courses in the future, insofar as not only has Law greatly extended its action over new areas but also the need has increased for the jurist to get back to school in order to acquire specialized training.

Admission Requirements

National Call for Access and Entry to Higher Education (DGES):

One of the following subjects:
06 Philosophy
11 History
18 Portuguese

Application score: 100 points (0-200 scale)
Entry exams: 100 points (0-200 scale)

Calculation Formula:
Secondary school average: 50%
Entry exams: 50%

Other forms of access (UC-applicants):
- Change of Institution / Course Pair Schemes;
- Special Access Call for over 23-years-olds;
- Special Access Call for Holders of Other Higher Education Courses;
- Special Call for International Students.

This information does not exempt the consultation of the webpage of the Directorate General of Higher Education (DGES) and/or of the Applicants website. Please, visit the DGES and the Applicants websites

Professional Goals

Advocacy, Judiciary and Public Prosecution, Diplomacy, Municipal Civil Service, National and Community, Registry and Records, Notary, Justice of the Peace, Judicial Police, Portuguese Imigration Service , International Organizations, University Teaching, Research, Secondary Education, Institutions private, Litigation, Media

Mode of Study

Integral Regime/daytime

Teaching / Evaluation language(s)

Portuguese

Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

As assessment is a pedagogical activity inseparable from the teaching process, its aim is to establish the students' competencies and knowledge, their critical sense, ability to recognize and resolve problems, as well as their written and oral presentation skills. Students may only register for exams for classes they are currently registered for under the terms of number 6 of article 4 of the University of Coimbra Pedagogical Policy. The following are examples of assessment items: Oral or written exams, written or practical work, individual and group projects that may require an oral defense, as well as class participation. Assessment for each class may include one or more of the above mentioned items. Grading is based on a scale of 0 to 20 and a grade of 10 is required to pass. Whenever assessment includes more than one item, the final grade is calculated by taking into account the relative weight of each item according to a formula published in the course outline under the terms of number 2 of article 7 of the UC Pedagogical Policy.

Learning Objectives and Intended Skills

The 1st cycle of studies is designed to provide students with a thorough view on the basic tools for the exercise of Law-related careers. The courses are organized so as to allow a progressive acquisition of knowledge: it
starts with the introductory courses and culminates in the more complex ones which build on previously acquired knowledge. The Legal tools are conveyed through conventional presentations by the instructor (Theory classes) with the
aim of establishing the “state of the questions”, the implicit and explicit issues, the possible ways of solution and the doctrinal and jurisprudential trends. Subsequently, practical work (practical classes) will provide the opportunity to apply acquired knowledge to specific problems, train the technical argumentation, weigh up other options, vindicate and convey the solutions. The objective of embracing the two approaches to legal knowledge is twofold: complementarity and unity of methodologies designed for teaching and acquisition of competencies. In this way, graduate students obtain a doctrinal body of knowledge that not only allows them to take decisions in a variety of real life contexts but also elicits confidence and a lifelong desire of specialized information. FDUC graduate students are thus expected to acquire the basic training that will enable them to face a variety of situations. They are also expected to gather as much relevant information as they possibly can, apply criteriously the technical legal tools and publicly justify their intervention. Nonetheless, students should realize their own limits when it comes to highly specialized contexts, and this is why they are expected in the future to seek specialized training as their professional activity requires.
The pursuit of learning and the way it is actually carried out are regularly assessed by the Organic Unit as faculty members are heard along with students’ representatives in the Pedagogic Advisory Board. In this connection, from the very beginning of the Bologna process implementation the Faculty has felt a particular need to reflect about the appropriateness of the curricular structure. To that end, groups of reflection have been formed in order to examine a variety of issues, in particular the monitoring of the way students are acquiring the knowledge, skills and competencies they are expected to. Important for an appraisal of the learning goals are also the students’ opinions expressed in pedagogic questionnaires as well as the faculty members’ responses expressed in the pedagogic evaluation of the course. Nor can be ignored the invaluable contribution of the conferences of pedagogic reflection co-organized by the students representatives along with the Faculty Administration.

Course Coordinator(s)

Bernardo Borges Garcia
uc47563@uc.pt

Jorge André Carvalho Barreira Alves Correia
jorgealvescorreia@fd.uc.pt

ECTS Departmental Coordinator(s)

João António Pinto Monteiro
uc36909@uc.pt

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of prior learning is carried out in accordance with the Academic Regulation of the University of Coimbra.

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

Act n.º 74/2006, of 24 of March, with the subsequent alterations, Ordinance n.º 782/2009, of 23 of July, and Order n.º 21981/2008, published in the Diário da República, 2nd Series, n.º 163, of 25 of August

Graduation Requirements

Achievement of the passing grade in a set of curricular units that amount to a total of 240 ECTS.

Access to Further Studies

Acess to further studies:
The conclusion of the First Cycle of Law Studies allows the access to the Second Cycle of Studies of various areas of knowledge.

Study Programme

Bachelor's Degree in Law

Academic year
2024-2025

Course Type
1st Cycle Studies

DGES Code: 9078

Qualification Awarded: Bachelor's Degree

Duration: 8 Semester(s)

ECTS Credits: 240.0


Applications

Call for Applications


Calendar

1st Semester
Start date: 09-09-2024
End date: 14-12-2024
2nd Semester
Start date: 03-02-2025
End date: 22-05-2025

Accreditations

Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior
2022-11-02 a 2025-11-01
Direcção Geral de Ensino Superior

Nº Registo: R/A-Ef 1593/2011/AL01

2016-05-27

Documents