Program Overview

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Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

The LLB degree provides students with a sound knowledge of the general principles of the South African legal system, and an ability to use legal materials effectively.

Overview

The University of the Witwatersrand offers several options for studying law, including:

• The four-year stream (Programme Code: LFA14), which students enter directly from matric.
• The three-year stream (Programme Code: LFA13), which students enter after having completed a bachelors degree without doing any law courses.
• The two-year stream (Programme Code: LFA12), which students enter when they decide to complete a Wits BA(Law) or a BCom(Law) before entering the LLB.

Curriculum

The curriculum for each stream is as follows:

Four-year stream

• First-year:
  • Law of Persons
  • Family Law
  • Introduction to Law for LLB students
  • Certificate of Competence in Computer Literacy
  • One or more courses from any other Faculty in the University, to the value of 36 LLB credits
• Second-year:
  • Constitutional Law
  • Constitutional Law: Bill of Rights
  • Criminal Law
  • Delict
  • Jurisprudence
• Third-year:
  • Business Entities
  • Contract
  • Civil Procedure
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Ethics and Law: Theory and Practice
  • Evidence
  • Property
  • Public International Law
• Fourth-year:
  • Practical Legal Studies
  • Administrative Law
  • Customary Law
  • Insolvency
  • Labour Law
  • Four electives

Three-year stream

• Second year (first year of registration):
  • Law of Persons
  • Family Law
  • Introduction to Law for Graduates
  • Constitutional Law
  • Constitutional Law: Bill of Rights
  • Criminal Law
  • Delict
  • Jurisprudence
• Third year (second year of registration):
  • Law of Succession
  • Business Entities
  • Contract
  • Civil Procedure
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Ethics and Law: Theory and Practice
  • Evidence
  • Property
  • Public International Law
• Fourth year (third year of registration):
  • Practical Legal Studies
  • Administrative Law
  • Customary Law
  • Insolvency
  • Labour Law
  • Four electives

Two-year stream

• Third year (First year of registration):
  • Law of Succession
  • Business Entities
  • Contract
  • Civil Procedure
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Ethics and Law: Theory and Practice
  • Evidence
  • Property
  • Public International Law
• Fourth year (Second year of registration):
  • Practical Legal Studies
  • Administrative Law
  • Customary Law
  • Insolvency
  • Labour Law
  • Four electives

Entry Requirements

The entry requirements for each stream are as follows:

Four-year stream (LFA14)

• APS 46+
• English Home Language OR Additional First Language Level 6
• Mathematics Level 5
• Maths Literacy Level 6
• Wait-listing: Students who come to Wits immediately after Matric may apply for the four-year LLB. Applicants with an APS of 43-45, as well as English Level 6 AND Mathematics Level 5 OR Maths Literacy Level 6, will be wait-listed, subject to place availability.

Three-year stream (LFA13)

• No matric APS calculation.
• Subject to assessment criteria as determined by the School of Law and place availability.
• Applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree at an institution other than Wits are required to apply for the three-year LLB programme (select year of study 2).
• Applicants must have completed the degree within no more than the prescribed minimum period of study plus one year, and must have obtained an average of at least 65% in the final year of the undergraduate degree.

Two-year stream (LFA12)

• No matric APS calculation.
• Subject to assessment criteria as determined by the School of Law and place availability.
• Wits students who have completed a BA Law or a BCom Law are eligible to apply for the two-year LLB (select year of study 3).

University Application Process

The Student Enrolment Centre at Wits handles all student applications. To apply, students must:

• Check the admission requirements for their degree.
• Check if any additional selection requirements apply.
• Submit their application, required documentation, and application fee before the closing date.
• Once they have applied, an Admissions Consultant will be assigned to their application.
• Applicants can monitor the progress of their application/s via the Self Service Portal.

University Fees and Funding

The current average tuition fees for the first year of study are available on the Fees website. The Fees website also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once students have applied, they will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office provides information on student funding and scholarships.

Programme Details

• Programme Code: LFA12 / LFA13 / LFA14
• Faculty: Commerce, Law and Management
• School: Law
• Qualification: LLB
• Duration: 2-4 years
• Study Mode: Full-time

Closing Date

• Application Closing Date: 30 September 2025
• Residence Applications: 30 September 2025