A law degree is not a prerequisite to becoming a lawyer. More and more non-law graduates are joining the profession, which means that virtually any degree is acceptable, so take your pick! As with A-levels, be canny and choose a subject that you're going to do well in; the vast majority of firms and chambers stipulate that applicants for training contracts or pupillage must have a 2.1 or first. We receive many letters via the Oracle from students who have only a 2.2 degree and are despairing about their future chances in the profession. Having a 2.2 doesn't put the legal profession out of reach; nor does it make the area of commercial law unobtainable. It does, however, seriously restrict the number of firms and chambers that will consider you - for example, it's unlikely that you'll be considered by the top-end sets or the magic circle and large City firms.

Also bear in mind that in application forms for work experience and pupillage you'll be asked to include your end-of-year grades for your first and second years. This means that your work needs to be of a consistently high standard rather than you cramming for - and only just making - a 2.1 at the end of your third year.

Some non-law degrees are regarded as particularly useful for specialist areas of the law - if you've already decided on a specialist area in which you wish to practise, there may well be a relevant subject to complement your career prospects in the law. For example, a knowledge of chemistry may well be useful to a specialist IP lawyer (although such matters are unlikely to be major considerations at this stage).

The downside of not studying a law degree is that you’ll have to make up for lost time after graduation by studying for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), which squeezes into one year the seven foundations of legal knowledge that are compulsory for progressing to the vocational stage of training. This is harder than spreading them out over a three-year law degree and of course involves the added expense of an extra year's study. On the other hand, a different first degree will increase your knowledge and depth of experience outside of the law. For more on a career in law with a non-law degree, read our publication Launchpad to Law here.

Note that if you take years out after completing the academic stage of your legal career, beware that your degree becomes 'stale' after seven years have passed (so you'd have to take further refresher exams before going any further).

Course content

Whether you opt for a law or non-law degree, the seven foundations of legal knowledge that must be studied (and passed!) are:

• contract;
• tort;
• criminal;
• equity and trusts;
• EU;
• property; and
• public.

Where to study

Many institutions offer degrees in law, as either single, joint or combined honours courses. If you don't want to have to go on to complete certain parts of the GDL, you should ensure that the degree you choose covers the seven foundations mentioned above, and that the course is validated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Our "Course Search" section provides a comprehensive list of institutions that teach qualifying law degrees, as does the SRA website (to see this list, click here).

An exempting law degree integrates the academic and vocational stages of training. In 2009 the only institutions offering an exempting law degree were the University of Huddersfield, Northumbria University and the University of Westminster.

For those not intending to study law at undergraduate level, the choice is enormous. You should consult your careers adviser and as many guides to courses as you can.

How and when to apply

University applications are managed by UCAS in your A-level years. You should consult www.ucas.ac.uk and your sixth-form/college careers adviser for details.