Degree in Law

PROGRAM:
Degree
TYPE OF EDUCATION:
Class-based
LANGUAGE:
Spanish
CREDITS:
240 ECTS

Legal practice dates back to the origins of civilised society, but for that very reason is one of the professions with the greatest future, given its role in all aspects of human life. Our birth, marriage, buying a home, setting up a business, and in general any personal or social activity has legal implications. The Law is an inherent feature of humanity and is present in every activity, which means that lawyers are needed throughout society.

The Degree in Law is aimed at those students who in addition to wanting a highly specialised comprehensive legal training, wish to start their careers in national and international legal firms.

The programme is for those students not only seeking a highly specialised comprehensive legal training, but who also wish to begin their professional careers in the banking and finance sector, and, in particular, in some of the following areas:

  • Banking legal advice
  • Tax advice
  • Strategic consultancy and corporate development
  • Auditing and legal-corporate firms.
  • Investment banking or commercial banking

As a distinguishing feature, CUNEF has added the Master in Global Corporate Law & International Relations and the Master of Laws (MUAPA) to this qualification.

Qualification title: Degree in Law

Centre Responsible: CUNEF

Academic year of launch: 2013-2014

Minimum number of ECTS per enrolment and teaching period

Full-time students

Part-time students

First Year

  • Minimum ECTS: 60
  • Maximum ECTS: 60

Other Years

  • Minimum ECTS: 60
  • Maximum ECTS: 90

First Year

  • Minimum ECTS: 60
  • Maximum ECTS: 60

Other Years

  • Minimum ECTS: 30
  • Maximum ECTS: 90

Objectives

The CUNEF Degree in Law provides students with professional training, knowledge, skills and abilities that are highly sought after in a professional context. The fundamental goals of the qualification are as follows:

  • Firstly, the students acquire an in-depth knowledge of the legal system so that they can practice law in public administration and in the business world, in a legal advisory capacity. The aim in this regard is to train professionals who combine an in-depth knowledge of the legal and corporate area with the ability to lead project development and efficiently adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
  • Secondly, they acquire the necessary legal training to hold positions of responsibility at the legal departments of national and international companies in industry, trade, banking, insurance, development cooperation, etc.
  • Furthermore, the participants also gain familiarity with the processes of decision-making, analysis and summary skills, communication and teamwork. Likewise, they also develop the abilities needed to analyse and resolve legal problems, to apply knowledge in practice, receive and convey information in other languages, and use information and telecommunications technologies.
  • Students have the chance to supplement their academic training with practical placements at law firms and legal departments of companies through the educational cooperation programmes, and international training periods through exchange programmes established with a range of international institutions and universities.
  • Lastly, the aim is to raise students’ awareness of ethical principles and values in the course of their work.

Competences

The skills acquisition process takes place through the modules and subjects that make up the Degree course. How aptitudes are acquired will of course depend on the student’s stage on the Degree course, with skills being learned at initial, intermediate and advanced levels, as is standard practice within the European university system.

The horizontal and specific skills acquired by students focus on preparing them to engage in professional pursuits corresponding to the qualification offered.

The way the skills are designed likewise complies with the provisions of the ‘MECES’ framework for higher education qualifications in Spain.

General skills

GS1. Capacity for analysis and summary.

GS2. Critical thinking.

GS3. Oral and written communication.

GS4. Ability to manage information.

GS5. Application of the knowledge acquired to the formulation and defence of arguments and the resolution of problems.

GS6. Capacity for negotiation, conciliation and decision-making.

GS7. Acquisition of general knowledge that enable the student to access higher levels of study.

GS8. Ability to transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.

GS9. Capacity to project the knowledge, abilities and skills acquired in the promotion of a new society based on the values of freedom, equality, justice and pluralism.

GS10. Development of skills to initiate research.

Horizontal skills

In order to achieve an adequate general training aimed at preparing for professional activities to which the Degree in LAW is directed, the curriculum establishes generic and specific skills.

The principles set forth in article 3.5 of RD 1393/2007 have been taken into account in the design of the generic and specific skills of the Degree, namely, respect for fundamental rights and equal opportunities for men and women (Organic Law 3/2007 of 22 March), respect for Human Rights and the principles of universal access of persons with disabilities (Law 51/2003 of 2 December) and the promotion of education in a culture of peace and democratic values (Law 27/2005, of 30 November). These principles affect both the organisational aspects of the qualification, as well as the infrastructure of the centre where it is delivered and its contents. Using the latter perspective as a basis, the study and analysis of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and Human Rights have been incorporated into the Basic Training Topics and Topics that form the options of the Degree.

Likewise, the design of the basic skills of the Law Degree meet the conditions of the general and specific skills set forth in RD 1393/2007, Appendix I, section 3.2, namely, the prescriptions of the Spanish Framework on Qualifications for Higher Education (MECES). In particular, the skills of the Law Degree have been designed in such a manner to ensure the student:

  • Acquires knowledge typical of the Social Science and Legal areas that follow on from the base studied in general secondary education.
  • Has the capacity to gather and interpret relevant data within the different areas of Law, and in general in the area of Social Sciences and Law, to issue opinions that include a reflection on relevant topics of a social, scientific or ethical nature, with the reflection on human rights being of particular importance.
  • Has the capacity to defend the democratic principles and values associated with the respect for and defence of human rights, proposing solutions to professional problems that contemplate and are based on such values and principles.

Each of the topics making up the different Modules on which the Degree in Law Curriculum is based have Specific Skills (Learning Results), which are described in details in the “Learning Plan” section of this Memorandum. These are included in each one of the subjects with the letters CM.

Specific Skills

SS1. Perception of the unitary character of the legal system and the necessary interdisciplinary vision of legal problems.

SS2.  Capacity to read, interpret and draft texts and documents of a legal nature.

SS3. Recognise and understand the main public and private institutions of our legal system in terms of their origins, individually and as a whole.

SS4. Capacity to handle legal sources with support on the ICTs and legislation and jurisprudence databases.

SS5. Capacity to identify and apply all the legal sources of relevance to a specific matter.

SS6. Awareness of the importance of Law as a regulating system for social relations.

SS7. Understanding of the different ways Law was created throughout its historic evolution and its current reality.

SS8. Identification of the underlying social values in the rules and legal principles.

SS9. Capacity to argue in topical debates using the applicable law in a precise manner.

SS10. Capacity to discover alternative solutions in addressing a problem or in the use of legal sources with multiple approaches.

SS11. Identification of the aspects of legal significance of the social, economical and environmental reality.

SS12. Reflection on topics of a social, scientific or ethical nature in the Law field.

Regulated professions for which the students are prepared.

The Degree in Law prepares students to carry on their training to become a lawyer or court officer, under the terms established by Law 34/2006 of 30 October, on the access to the professions of Lawyer or Court Officer.

Professional opportunities

Students of the Degree in Law will be able to practice law after passing the legally required complementary training and hold positions in companies and institutions of the industrial sector, consultancy, banking and finance, insurance sector, etc. They will be able to work in the different law departments of law firms (commercial, civil, employment, procedural, tax, M&As, etc.), in the departments of national and international companies (finance, HR, commercial, marketing, etc.) and in public administration.

The Degree in Law is structured as follows:

  • In the first year (first and second semesters) the basic ECTS credits are covered.
  • These will be followed by the mandatory subjects, running from the second year to the fourth year.
  • Part of the eighth semester (fourth year) will be spent on placements at a legal practice or dedicated to elective subjects, and the Final Degree Project.

First term

CODESUBJECTLANGUAGEECTSTYPE
012805834Administrative Law: The activity of the AdministrationSpanish6Mandatory
012805836Civil Law: Real RightsSpanish6Mandatory
012805835Commercial Law: Companies, Assets and Commecial ContractsSpanish8Mandatory
012805838Procedural Law: Civil ProcessSpanish6Mandatory
012805837Tax Law InstitutionsSpanish6Mandatory
Total30

Second term

CODESUBJECTLANGUAGEECTSTYPE
012805839Administrative Law: Media, responsibility and controlSpanish6Mandatory
012805841Labour Law: Institutions and laboural relationsSpanish6Mandatory
012805840Commercial Law: CorporationSpanish6Mandatory
012805843Procedural Law: Crimminal ProcessSpanish6Mandatory
012805842Spanish Tax SystemSpanish6Mandatory
Total30
Total third year60

First term

CÓDIGOSUBJECTLANGUAGEECTSTYPE
012803432Financial Markets LawSpanish6Elective
012803430Corporate Bylaws for Small CompaniesSpanish6Elective
012803435Corporate TaxationSpanish6Elective
012803424Civil ResponsibilitySpanish6Elective
012803427Credit Protection and Special ProceedingsSpanish6Elective
Total30

Second term

CODESUBJECTLANGUAGEECTSTYPE
012803426Economic Analysis of the Law and CompetitionSpanish6Elective
012803431Insolvency LawSpanish6Elective
012803437International Business LawSpanish6Elective
012803425Real State LawSpanish6Elective
012803407InternshipSpanish6Elective
012803438Final Degree ProjectSpanish6Final Degree Project
Total30
Total fourth year60

Credit summary (1 ECTS= 25 hours of work)

Basic Training Credits: 60

Mandatory Credits: 126

Elective Credits: 54

Total credits: 240

  • (1) The External Practical Placement object is an elective subject
  • (2) The Final Degree Project is a mandatory subject

CUNEF sets out below the information of the faculty who teach this degree (academic and professional CVs for all of them), demonstrating that CUNEF has the necessary faculty required in order to deliver the teaching scheduled for the Degree in Law.

The academic, research and professional qualifications of the lecturers teaching this qualification at CUNEF are therefore appropriate.

Areas of knowledgeNo. of ProfessorsPhDsAccredited
Law422812
Economics111
Overall Total432913

The Degree in Law is for those students not only seeking a highly specialised comprehensive legal training, but who also wish to begin their professional careers in the banking and finance sector, and, in particular, in some of the following areas:

  • Banking legal advice
  • Tax advice
  • Strategic consultancy and corporate development
  • Auditing and legal-corporate firms.
  • Investment banking or commercial bankingT

There are two formats of external academic placement:

  • Curricular: forming part of the Course Curriculum. The Practical Placement subject corresponds to this mode.
  • Extracurricular: undertaken by students on a voluntary basis during their education, without forming part of the corresponding Course Curriculum. This will however be covered by the European Complement to the Degree, as established in the regulations in force.
Number of ECTS:6 ECTS
Nature of the subject:Elective
Duration150 hours (minimum)
RequirementsEnrolment on any educational course delivered by CUNEF. Students must be enrolled at CUNEF throughout the duration of the practical placement.
Students that have any fourth examination session subject pending will not be able to sign the Agreement until this has been passed.
Where do I find practical placement offers?CUNEF students can find practical placement offers through:
CUNEF Career Centre
CUNEF International Career Centre
When are practical placements performed?Once all Year 1, 2 and 3 subjects have been passed. In other words, from the summer of Year 3 onwards.
Teaching Guide for practical placementsPDF
Specific CUNEF regulationsPDF
Educational cooperation agreement formatPDF
Student appendixPDF
Final report formPDF

Article 31 of the Spanish Universities Act reform (Act 4/2007) addresses Quality Assurance, laying down the need to establish quality assurance criteria to facilitate evaluation, certification and accreditation, viewing quality assurance as an essential purpose of university policy. The new organisational structure for universal education established by Royal Decree 1393/2007, and the subsequent amendment in Royal Decree 861/2010, includes quality assurance as one of the basic elements that a course curriculum must include.

Spanish Universities Act 6/2001, of 21 December 2001, and the reform applied to this by Act 4/2007, of 12 April 2007, Article 31 of which addresses Quality Assurance, lays down the need to establish quality assurance criteria to facilitate evaluation, certification and accreditation, viewing quality assurance as an essential purpose of university policy. Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October 2007, amended by Royal Decree 861/2010, of 2 July 2010, establishing the regulations governing official university education, clearly indicates that “Quality Assurance Systems, which form a part of the new course curricula, likewise provide the basis for the new educational structure to function efficiently and to generate the trust on which the process of qualification accreditation relies”. The establishment of a Quality Assurance System is thus included in the new official university education regulations as a condition of the process of qualification verification and accreditation.

CUNEF has defined the structure of its Internal Quality Assurance System, (IQAS) and the procedures governing this function, in accordance with the demands of Royal Decree 1393/2007, amended by Royal Decree 861/2010.

The IQAS allows CUNEF to ascertain the development of its official qualifications, in support of transparency, the inclusion of continuous improvement strategies and the systematic organisation of actions effectively contributing to qualifications quality assurance and efficiency in processes to appraise verification, monitoring and renewal of mandatory official qualifications accreditation.

The CUNEF IQAS has the following structure: Degree Quality Committee, Master’s Programme Quality Committee and Doctorate Quality Committee, Technical Quality Unit, Academic and Management Unit.

The Quality Committees are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the degree, master’s and doctorate programmes taught at CUNEF. These Committees analyse and appraise the development of the qualifications, making proposals for review and improvement that will be submitted to the Academic Committee and CUNEF Management to be taken into account where applicable.

These committees have the following responsibilities:

  • Manage and coordinate the Internal Quality Assurance System and monitor this process.
  • Monitor and evaluate the quality targets, external practical placements and mobility programmes.
  • Draw up the regulations governing the functioning of the Quality Committees, and make the corresponding proposals to the Academic Committee and the Director of CUNEF for approval.
  • Gather information and evidence as to the development and application of the training programme for the qualification (objectives, development of teaching and learning, methodology, etc.).
  • Manage the Information System for the qualification (information, support and guidance for students, coordination of teaching staff, qualification course resources, mobility programmes, external practical placements, etc.).
  • Supervise fulfilment of the quality policy for the qualification in accordance with the CUNEF quality policy and the UCM quality policy.
  • Promote specific actions to encourage the use of new teaching methodologies and to disseminate and raise awareness of good practice in the field of quality.
  • Draw up guidelines for the development of information systems as to objectives, available resources, management and results of the qualifications course intended for lecturers, students and admin and support staff.

The Academic Committee (see composition in Table 1) is responsible for coordinating improvement proposals connected with qualifications and for decision-making in this regard. The Director of CUNEF is ultimately responsible for validating the decisions reached by the Academic Committee. Each Quality Committee comprises:

  • The coordinators/directors of the applicable official qualifications in each case (degree, master’s and doctorate programme),
  • The representatives (at least one per qualification) of the lecturers teaching each qualification,
  • The representatives (one per qualification) of students sitting for the qualification as candidates,
  • Up to a maximum of three representatives from the professional sphere of university qualifications delivered by CUNEF (where there are alumni among these representatives, they will be selected from this group), and a representative of admin and support staff.

The Degree Quality Committee is currently in operation (see composition in Table 2). It oversees the proper development of official CUNEF qualifications, and can be sent any comments connected with the quality of qualifications via the suggestions box.

The Quality Committees meet at least twice per year and are governed by the Quality Committee Functional Regulation approved on 24 November 2014.

Degree Quality Committee

Full nameCategory
Mercedes Gracia DíezDegree Director (President)
José Javier Galán RuizDegree in Law Director
Guillermo Velasco FabraAcademic Staff Representative
Francisco Javier Sosa ÁlvarezAcademic Staff Representative
Javier Sánchez HernándezAdmin and Support Staff Representative (Secretary)
Begoña Menéndez RodríguezAdmin and Support Staff Representative
Pablo Romanillos Pardo de SantayanaStudent Representative
Felipe Julián Vázquez SánchezStudent Representative
Cecilia de la Rosa GonzálezAlumni Representative

Law Degree Indicators:

 

Course

13/14

Course

14/15

Course

15/16

Course

16/17

Course

17/18

Course

18/19

Pre-registered71606995
Admitted37303529
Demand rate (pre-registered/places)236.67%200%230%327,58%
ICM-1 – New enrolment places offered (authorised by the UCM)303030303040
ICM-2 – New enrolment233133302829
ICM-3 – Percentage cover76,67%103,33%110,00%100,00%93,33%72,50%
ICM-4 – Qualification performance rate89,90%73,80%82,70%84,68%88,70%88,65%
ICM-5 – Degree dropout rate12,50%0,00%26,08%25,00%
ICM-6 – Teaching Evaluation Programme participation rate100%100%100%100%100%100%
ICM-7 – Alumni Efficiency rateNot applicableNot applicableND95,81%94,91%88,38%
ICM-8 – Graduation RateNot applicableNot applicableND100,00%66,67%71,43%
IUCM-1 – Success rate85,90%89,15%89,23%
IUCM-2 – First choice degree demand rate85,00%106,67%75,00%
IUCM-3 – Second and subsequent choice degree demand rate105,00%143,33%92,50%
IUCM-4 – Degree suitability rate90,00%80,77%79,31%
IUCM-8 – Positive lecturer evaluation rate86,67%86,67%93,75%97,67%
IUCM-13 – Student satisfaction with the qualification7,678,067,97,317,687,11
IUCM-14 – Lecturer satisfaction with the qualification9,29,118,048,68
IUCM-15 – Centre Admin and Support Staff satisfaction5,037,96,826,767,437,83
IUCM-16 – Qualification Appraisal Rate95.59%99.51%99,35%

*ICM – Madrid Regional Government Indicators
*IUCM – Universidad Complutense de Madrid Indicators

CUNEF is a highly specialised university education institution focused on the world of business management, finance and financial markets and instruments, and law. Our Degree and Postgraduate programmes set the standard in their respective fields.

To maintain this prestigious standing, CUNEF is committed to the continuous improvement of the teaching, research and services it provides as part of its quality commitment.

In accordance with its equality policy, CUNEF aims to fulfil the reasonable needs and expectations of its students, lecturers, admin and support staff, governing bodies and society at large. To this end the Centre defines the following quality objectives:

  • Pursue excellence in the education given to its students, combining cutting-edge knowledge with an eminently professional focus.
  • Offer its students the very best lecturers for their specialist qualifications in each operational sphere, combining knowledge and educational vocation with lengthy professional management experience in their respective fields.
  • Consolidate its image as a University Centre of acknowledged standing.
  • Underpin its professional network of lecturers, students, graduates/alumni and partner companies to generate benefits in the professional and managerial performance of its graduates/alumni.
  • Achieve an employability rate among graduates/alumni of close to 100%.
  • Commit to the internationalisation of its students, lecturers and programmes.
  • Ensure that the quality policy is understood and accepted by all CUNEF staff and is publicly available.
  • Ensure that the CUNEF Internal Quality Assurance System remains effective and is periodically revised. As the figure responsible for this institution, I undertake to develop and implement this quality policy in order to achieve the highest possible level of performance among our students.

Ana Isabel Fernández Álvarez

CUNEF Director

The Degree Quality Committee meets periodically over the course of the academic year, and at least twice per year. These meetings analyse information regarding the implementation of degree studies and the data revealed by the functioning of the quality assurance system. This review and study of information serves to identify areas for improvement that the Quality Committee conveys to CUNEF Management for approval and execution together with the tasks to be undertaken to eliminate any shortcomings.

The Degree Quality Committee maintains a register of quality improvements and strengths which it reviews and updates at least once per term, in accordance with the tasks being performed and the assessment of their impact.

Numerous improvement actions have been conducted since 2013 covering a wide range of aspects, resulting in managerial improvements and enhanced satisfaction among students and other stakeholders, alongside the public information made available about CUNEF itself and its academic offering, etc. Particular mention should be made by way of example of efforts to increase teaching coordination, to incorporate diploma supplements within the degree courses, to review and enhance the website and the information published there, etc.

For more specific and detailed information about how the Degree Quality Committee functions and the improvement proposals made, you may contact the email address sgic@cunef.edu .

The employability of CUNEF alumni represents a variable which is analysed by the Quality Committees, serving to assess professional interest in the qualification while likewise ascertaining whether alumni have acquired the skills initially defined for the course.

This analysis will allow proposals to be made to improve the qualification, or to eliminate it if the figures are below 20% for 5 consecutive years. To this end CUNEF conducts yearly surveys of alumni, asking them directly, as set out in the IQAS, whether the training they received has or has not proved useful in the pursuit of their profession, and their professional position before (if any) and after completing the qualification.

CUNEF uses this information to conduct a study of whether the study curricula are appropriate or not, as well as the employability or professional prospects of alumni.

If you have any words of suggestion, complaint or acknowledgement that you would like to pass on to us about the Degree in Business Administration and Management, you may use this platform

Suggestions, complaints and acknowledgements box.Degree in Law