Gain up to 50 hours of advocacy training: test your skills in front of real barristers and judges at mooting competitions and also at mock trials in court.
Make an Enquiry
Enquiry form could not be loaded
The application deadline for our January 2025 intake is Friday 3 January 2025 at 9am (UK time). Apply Now
The Bar Practice Course (BPC) is the qualifying postgraduate course allowing graduates to prepare for practise as barristers in England and Wales. It is the vocational stage of training which you’re required to pass before you can go on to complete the final, practical stage of training: pupillage.
Our Bar Practice Course provides an ideal environment for developing confidence and the advocacy, communication and leadership skills you’ll need to thrive at the Bar. With our experienced academic team and advanced learning technology, you will gain the expertise needed to start your career as a barrister.
A Qualifying Law Degree at 2:1 or above
or
A postgraduate law conversion course
Entry requirementsWe pride ourselves in offering the best legal training, and our Bar Practice Course (BPC) is no exception.
It is designed to help you secure pupillage and prepare you for life as a barrister. You'll receive dedicated support from our specialist careers service from the moment you accept your place, giving you the best chance of securing pupillage and acquiring as much varied experience as possible.
When you study the Bar Practice Course with us you will receive:
Our virtual Selection Process* allows us to identify the brightest and most able students, creating a stimulating learning environment for all. As a result, when you undertake our BPC you can guarantee that you will be studying alongside committed, focused and intelligent students, which in turn will push you to succeed.
*If you successfully complete one of our Master of Laws (LLM) programmes and achieve 55% or above in the Advocacy and Bar Skills, Civil and Criminal Litigation, and Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution elective modules, you could be eligible for exemption from our BPC Selection Process.
52avav fully complies with equal opportunities legislation and actively encourages diversity within the legal profession. Our admissions process acts fairly and aims to enable students to make the best use of their talents. You are encouraged to tell us about any special requirements at the earliest opportunity. This will allow us to discuss how we may go about meeting your requirements.
Please see important information issued by the Bar Standards Board for those wishing to study for the Bar of England and Wales.
Go to Important BPC Information ➔
Progression for full-time PgDL and MA Law (Conversion) students
Based on the projected end dates of our full-time Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PgDL) and Master of Arts in Law (MA Law Conversion) courses, find out if you are eligible to commence our Bar Practice Course (BPC), LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) or SQE1 Preparation Course in January 2025.
52avav is committed to ensuring you have the advice and support you need to make successful pupillage applications. Our unique Future Pupil Programme means that you’ll be able to prepare for pupillage applications from the moment you accept your place.
Here's a list of the support you’ll receive from moment you accept your place until after you graduate:
Sent as soon as you accept your place on our Bar Practice Course. This will be your guide to ensuring your CV is Bar-focussed.
From the moment you accept your place, you’ll be able to register with our employability platform to gain access to relevant job and work experience opportunities as well as event listings.
Once you accept your place, you’ll be invited to meet one of our Specialist Careers Advisors to review your CV and get strategic advice on future pupillage applications. This is followed by our preparing for the BPC workshop, which is a chance to hear from our Future Pupils.
Participate in our award-winning pro bono activities and test your skills in front of real barrister and judges at prestigious national and international advocacy competitions. We also run internal competitions and workshops, including mock trials in court.
One-to-one appointments are available in person, by email, via Teams or Zoom. These can cover anything from general strategic advice to feedback on your applications, and mock interviews tailored to you.
Prepare for pupillage interviews in groups of four with a Specialist Careers Advisor and BPC Lecturers ready to grill you.
We run a range of events from practice-specific panels to How to Succeed at the Junior Bar, and our celebrated Pupillage Application Question Time and Pupillage Interview Question time events. We also run Bar networking events as well as events on the non-legal aspects of your practice such as taxes.
A newsletter run buy Future Pupils that ensures students are kept up to date with relevant information on topics such as mini-pupillage openings, job opportunities, volunteering opportunities, pupillage application pointers, scholarship information and events.
Even if you obtain pupillage whilst you’re on the BPC, you are likely to have a year to fill before you start. We can help you with scholarships, internships, employment and further education decisions. You’ll have access to our careers service for 5 years after graduating.
Hear from our expert lecturers about the skills you’ll learn with our BPC course.
We give you as many opportunities as possible to hone your essential advocacy skills and put what you learn into practice:
Choose to study this award and you will have the opportunity to add an internationally recognised LLM qualification to your CV and pupillage applications.
You can complete your Master of Laws (LLM) qualification via three routes:
If you study our Bar Practice Course LLM, you could also be eligible for a SLC Postgraduate Loan.
**Please note: if you are studying our BPC LLM part-time (weekend), our optional module subjects are only taught on mid-week days. Students studying additional modules at our Liverpool campus will have to attend regular sessions (1-2 days per week) at our Manchester campus for a single semester. Students studying additional modules at our Newcastle campus in will have to attend regular sessions (1-2 days per week) at our Leeds campus for a single semester. International students cannot study the additional module route in Liverpool or Newcastle, as they must complete all of their studies at one campus.
Hear from our Programme and Student Experience Lead, Nigel, as he reveals his route to teaching law.
Watch nowThe course demands show you the requirements, prior knowledge and commitments our course will involve.
Application and booking deadlines vary by intake - take a look at our key application and enrolment deadline dates for more information.
You can choose to study the Bar Practice Course full-time or part-time. Get a full breakdown of how these different options work throughout the year.
There are 10 assessments in total with practice assessments held for every module spread across the course. Some prizes, sponsored by chambers, are available for the highest-scoring student in each subject.
Hear from our expert lecturers about what to expect when studying our Bar Practice Course and what exactly you’ll learn.
Our Bar Practice Course has its own structure, with different assessments to suit.
We care about your career, which is why we offer support with job applications and other work experience opportunities as soon as you accept your place.
Discover more
If you’d like to study full-time or part-time you can apply directly with us and must attend a Selection Event*.
If you are an International Student, applying for our January 2025 intake, the deadline to book and attend a Selection Event is Wednesday 6 November 2024.
For Domestic UK Students, applying for our January 2025 intake, the deadline to book and attend a Selection Event is Saturday 4 January 2025.
Don't forget - you must be a member of an Inn of Court before you start our BPC. The deadline for applying is at least 12 weeks before you start the course. For more information about joining an Inn and the role of the Inns can be found in the l.
*If you successfully complete one of our Master of Laws (LLM) programmes and achieve 55% or above in the Advocacy and Bar Skills, Civil and Criminal Litigation, and Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution elective modules, you could be eligible for exemption from our BPC Selection Process.
2024/25 Course Fee (for courses starting on or after 1 July 2024)
Total fees (including BSB fee of £705)
If you’re a 52avav alumnus, you may be eligible to receive our £500 General Alumni Discount.
We also have a range of scholarships and bursaries available which make studying with us more affordable than ever, including our BPC Scholarships, available for BPC students (excluding those in receipt of our Newcastle Postgraduate Award).
Plus, if you choose to study the Bar Practice Course LLM you may be eligible for a postgraduate student loan.
*Please read our terms and conditions for more information.
We have students from over 120 different countries throughout our campuses, with a dedicated team to help international students.
If you are an international student and are coming to the UK to study, then you must apply to the Home Office for a visa. In most cases you will need to obtain a Student Route visa. In order to apply for this visa you must be sponsored by an education provider which is licensed by the UK Home Office.
The Home Office has also introduced a Graduate Work visa which allows Graduates to work flexibly, switch jobs and develop their career in the UK for 2 years post completion of a UK degree. The Graduate route is an unsponsored visa, meaning students will not need a job offer to apply for this visa.
Please note that the University does not currently provide visa sponsorship to students for part-time study. We also cannot sponsor students for online courses due to Home Office regulations.