LLB After FSc or FA: The CertHE Route to a University of London Law Degree

Yes, you can start a University of London law degree after FA or FSc. At Blackstone, students joining after Intermediate usually begin with the CertHE Common Law, a University of London certificate made of the same four subjects as the first year of the LLB, which can be completed in one year. Pass three of its four modules and you can apply to move into the LLB. On this route the whole journey to the LLB is planned as three years.

CertHE stands for Certificate of Higher Education. The University of London describes it as a respected legal qualification in its own right, and a way into the LLB for students who don't yet meet the LLB's entry requirements.

You study four modules (a module is one subject). They are the same four modules as the first year of the LLB:

• Contract law
• Criminal law
• Legal system and method
• Public law

The University of London sets and marks the exams. They are normally held in May and October.

The University of London's own rules for the CertHE Common Law are:

• You must be 18 or older by the registration date.
• You must have a place at an approved teaching centre. The CertHE cannot be studied on your own; your application goes through the centre.
• Each teaching centre sets its own admission criteria.
• You need to show a good level of English. The University accepts a range of evidence, not only test scores.

Blackstone is a University of London Recognised Teaching Centre in Lahore, and the University lists the CertHE Common Law among the programmes it supports here (see Blackstone on the University of London website). At Blackstone, the CertHE route is open to students with Intermediate (FA/FSc) or O-Levels, and admission includes a written test.

Some students with strong Intermediate or A-Level results may be able to join the LLB directly instead. The LLB admission qualifier shows which route fits you.

1. Year 1: CertHE. You study the four CertHE modules at Blackstone and sit the University of London exams.
2. Move into the LLB. The University of London says students may transfer to the LLB after successfully completing three CertHE modules. Blackstone also asks that you meet its attendance requirements.
3. Years 2 and 3: LLB. You continue with the LLB modules, including Tort law and Jurisprudence and legal theory, and choose optional subjects.

If you decide to stop after the CertHE, you still hold a University of London qualification in core legal subjects.

In the CertHE year, Blackstone's fee is Rs 795,000 and the University of London's fees are £2,664 (registration £696, plus £216 and £276 for each of the four modules). The full three-year cost is set out in our LLB fees guide and on the fee structure page.

The University of London's dates for the CertHE Common Law April 2027 intake are:

Teaching centres can close their own admissions before the University's deadline, so apply early.

Rules on which law degrees can be used to practise in Pakistan are set by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Bar Council, and they can change. Before you enrol, confirm the current position for your intake with HEC and the Bar Council. The University of London gives the same advice: check with the regulator where you want to practise, and get the answer in writing, before you apply.