Bachelor of Commercial Law with Integrated Foundation Year BCL
About This Programme
The Bachelor of Commercial Law with Integrated Foundation Year is a four-year programme at the University of Birmingham Dubai: a foundation year in law and legal skills, business, global environmental issues and academic English, followed by the three-year Bachelor of Commercial Law (BCL). The degree covers the rules, principles and concepts of the core branches of English and UAE law, with a particular emphasis on commercial transactions. It examines legal issues that cross international jurisdictions and move between common and civil law, placing core English law in a wider international and commercial context. The programme concentrates on the areas of English, UAE and international law most relevant to commercial legal practice in the UAE and the GCC, and builds professional and practice-based skills through pro bono work, mooting and work experience.
Course Highlights
- The University describes itself as the only UK Russell Group university based in Dubai.
- Birmingham Law School students and alumni receive a 20% discount on BARBRI's SQE1 Prep and Extended US Bar Prep (EBAR) courses.
- Key professional and practice-based skills for a legal career, and an understanding of international legal issues that affect commercial transactions.
- Law-focused extra-curricular activities through Birmingham Law School's Centre for Employability, Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER).
- Ranked 76th in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and 11th among UK universities, as stated on the course page.
What You'll Study
The BCL runs full-time over four years, including the integrated foundation year. Teaching comes from experts in the UK and Dubai, including authors of key works, through lectures, interactive seminars, workshops, presentations, independent study and peer learning. Lectures give an expert introduction to each topic and guide reading and assessment; seminars are small-group discussions for testing ideas with tutors and peers. The degree is designed around 120 credits a year, roughly 40 hours of learning a week across lectures, seminars, workshops, independent study, revision and assessment. Assessment varies by module and can include essays and other coursework, group or individual presentations and projects, exams, reports and computer-based assignments. Every assessment has a formative (practice) stage with feedback before the summative (final) assessment, and feedback is given promptly throughout.
Foundation Year
2026/27. Essential knowledge in law and legal skills, business and the market, global environmental issues and academic English, with dedicated support, preparing students for undergraduate study. Passing at least 100 credits, with at least 60% in Academic English and 60% overall, secures progression to the Bachelor of Commercial Law.
- Business and the Market20 credits
- Introduction to Business and Management20 credits
- Introduction to Global Environmental Issues20 credits
- A Critical Introduction to Law and Legal Skills20 credits
Students take one of the following 40-credit English modules.
- Academic English and Study Skills40 credits
- Advanced Academic English and Study Skills40 credits
- Advanced Academic Skills40 credits
Year 1
2027/28. Commercial law with an international focus, combining the foundations of common and civil law, from the English legal system and UAE and GCC legal systems to legal and commercial solutions and ethics, criminal law and regulation, public law and contract law.
- English Legal System, Legal Skills and Methods20 credits
- Legal & Commercial Solutions & Ethics20 credits
- Principles of Contract Law20 credits
- Principles of Criminal Law and Regulation20 credits
- Principles of Public Law20 credits
- UAE and GCC Legal Systems20 credits
Year 2
2028/29. Key legal principles in commercial law, property law, tort, civil and Islamic law, international dispute resolution, and EU and international trade law.
- European Union and International Trade Law20 credits
- Principles of Civil and Islamic Law20 credits
- Principles of Commercial Law20 credits
- Principles of International Dispute Resolution20 credits
- Principles of Property Law20 credits
- Principles of Torts Law20 credits
Year 3
2029/30. Specialist options relevant to international commercial legal practice, such as banking and Islamic finance, DIFC civil procedure, international arbitration, law and technology, energy law, intellectual property law and labour law, letting students shape the degree around their career interests.
- Equity, Trusts and Succession20 credits
Take five 20-credit options: three in Semester 1 and two in Semester 2. Options are subject to availability each year.
- Banking and Islamic Finance20 credits
- Construction Law20 credits
- Energy Law20 credits
- International Arbitration20 credits
- Law and Technology20 credits
- Principles of Company Law20 credits
- Principles of DIFC Civil Procedure20 credits
- Principles of Intellectual Property Law20 credits
- Principles of Labour Law20 credits
- Principles of Private International Law20 credits
Entry Requirements
Applicants must meet both the University's general entry requirements and the course's own criteria. Each application is reviewed by the course's Admissions Tutor, who decides whether to make an offer.
Careers
Graduates gain legal and transferable skills for work across legal jurisdictions and in business, education and government. The University reports that it was the top choice of the UK's major graduate employers in The Graduate Market 2025 report, and second among the UK universities most targeted by leading graduate employers in High Fliers' Graduate Market 2026 report. Careers advisers help with CVs, LinkedIn profiles, applications and interviews by email or one-to-one, and students meet employers at on-campus fairs and presentations. CEPLER, Birmingham Law School's employability and legal education centre, runs activities in Dubai, including guest lectures from UAE law firms and alumni, events with legal employers such as career expos and panel discussions, and advocacy and mediation workshops.
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and listed as Active on the Commission for Academic Accreditation register as the Bachelor of Commercial Law. With its strong focus on English law, the BCL can lead to qualifying as a Solicitor at international law firms in the DIFC through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route, and prepares students to register as Legal Consultants with the Dubai Legal Affairs Department, subject to that department's requirements.
Programme Details
Award
Bachelor of Commercial Law (BCL)
Start Date
January and September (September 2026 applications closed)
Typical Offer
CC at A level
Duration
4 years (including the foundation year)
Qualification
Bachelors
Subject Area
Law
Campus
Dubai
Course Type
Single honours
Study Pattern
Full time
Delivery Format
In person
Tuition Fee
AED 123,506/yr
AED 123,506 for the foundation year, full-time, for September 2026 entry; each later year costs AED 134,922, and fees for September 2027 entry are still to be confirmed. The fee covers tuition, examinations and graduation, is charged for each year of study, and can be paid in full or in three instalments a year. Applications for September 2026 entry to this programme are closed, and details for September 2027 entry will be published later. Applications are made directly through the University of Birmingham Dubai Admissions portal (not UCAS), with no application fee, and are usually decided within 10 working days of all documents arriving. A non-returnable AED 5,000 deposit, deducted from tuition, is paid on accepting an offer. Scholarships of up to 30% are assessed from the application itself, with no separate form.