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Bar Training Course (BTC)

Prepare for a thriving career at the Bar, with a barrister training course that supports you from the exam room to the courtroom. Learn specialist knowledge and skills in the context of realistic legal scenarios, giving you the edge to secure pupillage. 

Advocacy taught in groups of max. five students, allowing you to refine your skills and get real-time feedback
Centralised BSB assessments staggered throughout the course so you can focus on one set of assessments at a time
Hard copies of the White Book and Blackstone’s Criminal Practice (worth over £1,200) included in course fee

About the Bar Training Course (BTC)

Tried and tested training to secure your barrister career. 

With professional skills and practical application at the forefront, our expert tutors bring their years of courtroom experience into the classroom. Get practice-ready skills you can use from day one, with small classes for advocacy training that give you the time and space you need to prepare for the Bar. 

What you'll study

Our Barrister courses are designed to ensure you have the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to stand out in a competitive market. 

  • Collaborate in an interactive classroom of up to 20 students 

  • Advocacy and conference taught in groups of up to five 

  • Specialist Bar Advisory Board to ensure training is aligned to practice 

  • Instant access to Bridge to the Bar with 40 hours of additional study 

  • Peace of mind with our Career Guarantee* 

  • Connect with chambers across a range of specialist practice areas 

  • Upgrade to our BTC (Master’s) to access postgraduate loan funding 

 *T&Cs apply 

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for our Barrister Training Course (BTC) are as follows:  

  • Qualifying law degree or non-law degree plus our Law Conversion Course, or a CPE/GDL/PGDL (minimum 2:1)  

  • Fluency in English 

  • Membership of an Inn of Court  

  • Receipt of a satisfactory reference  

English language requirements  

To study at BPP, it is important that you are able to communicate and engage in English effectively in an academic setting.  

If English is not your first language, you will be required to provide proof of your ability across reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English.  

View details of accepted English language qualifications 

Course details
Course length
9 months (FT) or 24 months (PT)
Start dates
September and January
Study methods
Face-to-face
Fees and funding

From £15,500

Qualification
Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Bar)
Accreditation
Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Type: PDF, Size: 116.67 KB

What can I do after the Bar Training Course (BTC)?

Undertake pupillageTo practise as a barrister, you’ll need to undertake pupillage.
Called to the BarOnce you’ve passed pupillage you’ll be called to the Bar by your Inn of Court.
Apply for tenancySecure your space at a chambers and start your career as a barrister

Course structure

Your training will focus on developing the core advocacy skills you need for the courtroom. Practising in small groups, you’ll become a confident advocate and learn faster with detailed, real-time feedback
Preparing for Pupillage 1  (60 credits)

Follow the typical life cycle of civil cases – thematically studying civil litigation and evidence, which will be integrated with submission advocacy and drafting, along with the pervasive skills of legal research and case analysis, as well as professional ethics.   

Through face-to-face workshops you will experience how a barrister’s procedural knowledge works hand-in-hand with the vital skills required at the Bar.  

Modules:  

  • Civil Litigation & Evidence (30 credits)  

  • Submission Advocacy (15 credits)  

  • Drafting (15 credits)  

Preparing for Pupillage 2(60 credits)

You will study criminal themes, each of which integrates with the key oral skills of conference, cross examination, and examination-in-chief. Enhancing your oral skills in realistic legal contexts, you’ll follow the life-cycle of a criminal case. You’ll meet with the client at various stages of proceedings, before conducting witness handling at the client’s trial.  

For the Opinion Writing & Legal Research module, you’ll attend workshops based on common and commercial law cases. This ensures you experience a range of practice areas and replicates the work you’ll encounter in practice. 

Modules:  

  • Oral Skills (20 credits)  

  • Criminal Litigation, Evidence & Sentencing (30 credits)  

  • Opinion Writing & Legal Research (20 credits)  

  • Professional Ethics (non-credit bearing)  

How you'll study

Face-to-face

You’ll experience live, face-to-face teaching in a collaborative learning environment, with valuable interactive with our professionally experienced tutors, who use their expertise to bring their studies to life

Practical learning optimised for success

Apply your knowledge via simulated client scenarios within our Virtual Chambers, which mirrors legal practice to give you a real insight into life as a barrister

Performance boosted by AI

You’ll use our AI-driven adaptive learning platform, BPP Adapt. Adapt identifies your strengths and areas for improvement, adapting to your performance and flexing as you develop 

Never miss an opportunity to improve

Whether you’re in-class, at home, or on the go, our learning resources are available in both hard copy and online format, including The White Book and Blackstone’s Criminal Practice, worth over £1,200 

24/7 access to everything you need

Get instant access to interactive learning materials, course notes, and recorded lectures through The Hub. Our course materials are tailored to how you learn best, with the flexibility to ensure you can maximise your independent learning


Types of assessment

  • Bar Standards Board (BSB) centralised assessments  

  • Coursework (to test written and oral skills)  

  • Examinations (including multiple choice and problem-based questions)  

 Examinations will be in the form of oral assessments and written elements or multiple-choice questions and may be unseen or part-seen, where assessment material is released in advance.  

 The pass mark for these assessments is set by the BSB at 60%.  

 Full details on BPP University’s feedback policy on examinations and assessment can be found in the Manual of Policies and Procedures


Learning support

Access a full range of learning support services for students with any specialist learning needs.

Dates and locations

Explore BPP study locations

Full-time: you will have around 10 hours face-to-face teaching per week, split across three or four days. Up to 32 hours of independent learning per week is also required.  

Part-time : part-time study is available with a minimum duration of 24 months — taught across six terms. Typically, you will have 10 hours face-to-face teaching on one weekend per month. 

Fees and funding

2024-2025

Domestic Students
London Central (Holborn)£16,700
Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester£15,500
International Students
London Central (Holborn)£17,900
Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester£16,700

Fees include BSB registration fee of £705.

A deposit of £350 will need to be paid within 48 hours of accepting your offer on all our courses, to secure your place. 

Funding options

We offer a number of ways to support you with funding your university studies:


Need to discuss finance?
If you have any questions or require help, contact us on 03300 603100

Why choose BPP University Law School?

30+ years

of training the brightest legal talent

600+

legal employers trust us to deliver their legal training

100,000 alumni

across the globe

Studying as an international student

We welcome students from around the world, offering a culturally diverse study environment, with our specialist service helping choose your study location, correct visa, finance options and even somewhere to live.

We’re also a Student Sponsor and are fully recognised and accredited as a Higher Education Institution.

I really enjoyed the amount of advocacy we had practice of, and that's something that has really spurred me on and put me in good stead for pupillage.


Ayesha Smart Barrister Training Course (BTC)

Apply for this course

Ready to go? Apply online at BPP today and discover the next part of your journey.

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