Law Programme

Education

The programme includes four and a half years of full-time study and leads to a law degree. Information about the entire programme's course of study (course by course) can be seen in the study plan.

The programme is a professional degree that entitles graduates entrance to certain legal professions, such as judge, lawyer, prosecutor and bailiff.

The first six semesters provide an underpinning general education in law. During these semesters, you study civil law, public law, criminal law and procedural law, among other legal areas.

During the eighth and seventh semester, you choose between different advanced courses within legal eras such as business law, human law, procedural and criminal law and tax law.

The eighth semester ends with internship and a course in legal theory and method which prepares you for the final degree thesis.

During the ninth and final semester, you write your thesis of 30 ECTS.

During the programme, you are trained in developing an ethical approach in legal practice and the application of the law.

Form of Instruction

The teaching mainly consists of lectures and seminars. You will also develop your legal skills through, among other things, case-based learning, active participation in seminars, role-playing, and writing assignments. You will also practice oral presentation. All examinations are based on an individual assessment.

Study Abroad

During your Law programme, you have an opportunity to spend the seventh semester studying abroad at one of Karlstad University's exchange partners. A semester abroad builds upon the competences and knowledge you develop during your studies and you will enhance your communication skills and intercultural skills - all of which improves your CV for future employers.

Karlstad University has exchange agreements with over 200 partner universities, located in over 35 countries. The Law programme has dedicated agreements with partners for Law courses and students can spend semesters in universities such as the University of Milan, Italy; University of Trier, Germany or University of Wollongong, Australia. With the support of your Programme Leader, you select your courses before departure and approved courses are officially recognized after your exchange period. You may also complete aspects of your final thesis data collection abroad. To discover more about these opportunities, go to our Study Abroad website, link to the right.

Professional Contact

During your programme, you will meet professional lawyers in, e.g., guest lectures, study visits and labour market days. The eighth semester includes internship, for example with a court, authority or a company.

Semester 1	ECTS credits
Introduction to Law, and Jurisprudence I (Obligatory)	15
Public Law (Obligatory)	15

Semester 2	ECTS credits
EU Law and International Law (Obligatory)	7.5
Contract Law with Damage Law (Obligatory)	15
Corporate Law (Obligatory)	7.5

Semester 3	ECTS credits
Criminal Law (Obligatory)	15
Procedural Law (Obligatory)	15

Semester 4	ECTS credits
Administrative Law and Administrative Process (Obligatory)	12
Family Law (Obligatory)	8
Jurisprudence II (Obligatory)	10

Semester 5	ECTS credits
Credit and Insolvency Law (Obligatory)	15
Tax Law (Obligatory)	15

Semester 6	ECTS credits
Labour law (Obligatory)	7.5
Social Law (Elective)	15
Children's Law (Elective)	7.5
Market law with Competition law (Elective)	15
Intellectual Property law (Elective)	7.5

Semester 7	ECTS credits
Company Taxation (Elective)	15
International taxation and Tax Procedure (Elective)	15
Legal Tech, AI, and Rules-as-Code (Elective)	15
Legal social work (Elective)	15
Company law and financial market law (Elective)	15
Criminal Procedural Law in theory and practice (Elective)	15
Alternative Dispute Resolution (Elective)	15
Crime Investigation (Elective)	15
Optional course (Elective)	30

Semester 8	ECTS credits
Course in Tax Law Methods (Elective)	15
Criminal Law Sanctions and Sentencing (Elective)	15
Environmental Law and Social Sustainability (Elective)	15
Tort law and intellectual property law (Elective)	15
Jurisprudence III with internship (Obligatory)	15

Semester 9	ECTS credits
Master thesis in Law (Obligatory)	30

*Full-time study always equals 30 ECTS credits per semester (20 weeks).

Please note - not all programmes offer elective or optional courses.

Elective course: Students are free to choose among certain alternative courses, often depending on their choice of specialisation.

Optional course: Students are free to choose any course offered at Karlstad University or at other universities. Courses listed are examples of recommended or frequently chosen courses for a specific programme.