Law Dual Degree BCL or Maitrise

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University College Dublin

Program Overview

This highly selective dual degree is perfect for students who want to stand out with a truly international legal education. You’ll study both Irish common law and French civil law, graduating with two respected law degrees and the ability to work confidently across legal systems and borders.

Curriculum structure (short overview)

Years 1 & 2 – Building a strong legal foundation at UCD
Your first two years focus on core Irish law subjects while developing essential legal skills. You’ll study key modules such as Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law, EU Law, and Legal Research & Writing, learning how to analyse cases, construct arguments, and think like a lawyer.

Year 3 – Civil law immersion in France
In third year, you study at a partner university in France and follow the Maîtrise en Droit curriculum. Taught fully in French, modules like Droit civil, Droit constitutionnel, and Droit administratif immerse you in the civil law tradition and French legal culture.

Year 4 – Advanced and comparative study
You return to UCD for your final year, choosing advanced and optional modules such as Company Law, International Law, and Jurisprudence. This year brings both legal systems together and allows you to graduate with a rare comparative legal perspective.

Focus areas

Irish common law, French civil law, EU law, comparative and international law

Learning outcomes

Strong legal reasoning, bilingual legal competence (English and French), comparative analysis skills, advanced legal research and writing

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The BCL element provides a recognised academic foundation in law and supports progression toward professional legal training, subject to meeting additional professional requirements.

Reputation

UCD’s law programmes are internationally respected, with the university consistently ranked among the world’s leading institutions for law and legal studies, making this dual degree especially attractive to global employers and postgraduate programmes.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

This dual degree is all about experiencing law as it’s actually studied and used across borders. You’ll build practical legal skills at UCD’s Sutherland School of Law, then spend a full academic year in France studying civil law alongside French students, giving you real insight into two legal traditions. Throughout the programme, learning is hands-on, discussion-based, and grounded in the same tools and methods used in professional legal environments:

Study in the Sutherland School of Law, a purpose-built facility designed specifically for modern legal education
Full immersion in France in Year 3, completing the Maîtrise en Droit through lectures, seminars, and assessments taught entirely in French
Regular use of professional legal research databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis for case law, legislation, and academic commentary
Access to UCD Library (James Joyce Library), with extensive specialist collections in Irish, EU, international, and comparative law
Small-group seminars and collaborative coursework, encouraging debate, teamwork, and comparative legal thinking
Strong focus on legal research, writing, and oral presentation skills, developed through essays, problem questions, and class participation
Opportunities to get involved in mooting, law societies, and guest lectures, helping you build confidence and professional awareness
Ongoing academic support from UCD lecturers and partner universities in France, ensuring a smooth transition between legal systems

What really sets this programme apart is that you don’t just study international law—you live it. By the time you graduate, you’ll have hands-on experience of both common law and civil law, a rare advantage for international legal careers or postgraduate study.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the BCL/Maîtrise leave with an exceptional, internationally recognised legal education that opens doors well beyond traditional law careers. Alumni commonly progress into roles such as solicitor or barrister (with further professional training), EU or policy officer, corporate or compliance analyst, and international legal or public-sector graduate roles. Thanks to the programme’s bilingual and comparative focus, graduates are especially well placed for careers with an international or European dimension:

UCD Careers Network, offering tailored career coaching, CV and interview support, employer events, and law-specific careers programmes throughout the degree
Strong graduate employment outcomes, with UCD reporting that the vast majority of graduates are in employment or further study shortly after graduation, and law graduates typically entering higher-than-average graduate salary bands
Access to UCD’s extensive employer and alumni network, including links with leading law firms, multinational companies, EU institutions, and public-sector bodies
A degree with long-term professional value, as the BCL provides a recognised academic foundation for legal professional training, while the Maîtrise strengthens eligibility for opportunities in France, the EU, and international organisations
Graduates progress into legal practice, EU institutions, public administration, multinational corporations, NGOs, and international organisations, or move directly into advanced study

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the BCL/Maîtrise, students often continue with postgraduate law degrees (LLMs), specialised master’s programmes in areas such as EU law, international law, or human rights, or progress into professional legal training pathways in Ireland or abroad. The dual-degree structure also provides an excellent foundation for research-led postgraduate study or doctoral programmes, particularly in comparative or European law.