Bachelor's in Law
The future is all in your head
Presentation
Choosing NOVA School of Law is to venture into a NEW way of learning to think about Law.
We are a team who believes that the proximity between student and teacher is essential for effective learning.
We create, right from the start of the degree, the development of a critical and creative spirit, promoting dialogued classes and specialised monitoring of study, promoting an approach to law that anticipates problems, and where that is not possible, of solving them in innovative ways.
We strive for constant pedagogical innovation, and firmly believe that a jurist in the contemporary world must be able to manage multidiscipliniarity arising from a global and digital world undergoing deep transformation. We fundamentally question the type of Law we have and need to have.
International and technological training is imperative.
We build on sound knowledge, intensifying it with best practice, as we believe in the dialogue between these two realities. And we encourage the development of humanistic jurists, capable of personalised and individualised views, aware of their transformative role in the construction of a more humane, contemporary society, capable of responding positively to the challenges that arise.
Coordination
Scientific Commission
President: Jorge Morais Carvalho | Board Members: Assunção Cristas (1st Year) | Miguel de Azevedo Moura (2nd Year) | Rita Calçada Pires (3rd Year) | Frederico de Lacerda da Costa Pinto (4th Year)
What it means to be NOVA School of Law




Certification
Study Cycle | Degree | A3ES Decision | Number of Years | Publication of the A3ES Decision | DGES Registration Number | Regulation/Study Plan |
Law | Bachelor | accredited | 6 | 22-07-2020 Documents relating to the accreditation process | R/A-Ef 3195/2011/AL04 |
Career paths and Employability
Given the solid training in the legal area, graduates will naturally find placement in areas directly related to Law, whether in the fields of magistracy, academia, arbitration and mediation, or consultancy in legal or tax areas.
The breadth of knowledge that the Law degree encompasses, and the multidisciplinary nature of training at NOVA, places college graduates at the forefront of professions, not only of those directly associated with Law, but of those for which Law training is an important complement, such as careers in international organisations and NGOs, diplomacy, business management, communication consultancy and journalism.
The law degree is highly relevant for those wishing to pursue a career in government or public administration, appealing particularly to students looking for careers in the field of Security and Defense.
In order to deepen students’ curricular experience, strategies have been developed that include curricular internships, internships and international experiences, agreements with recruiting entities and employability fairs that facilitate the transition to and contact with the labour market in each of the areas of professional development mentioned above.
“Morais Leitão has always taken on a number of students from NOVA School of Law, relying on the many alumni, including lawyer-interns, associates and partners. At NOVA, we especially value multidiscipliniarity and the combination of a solid theoretical background with a pragmatic approach focused on problem solving,” Morais Leitão.
“When we recruit students from NOVA School of Law, they have acquired technical skills in their basic training, and developed behavioural skills such as communication and relationship skills, initiative, autonomy and a sense of responsibility,” PWC | Human Capital.
What our alumni say




Curricular Plan 2023/2024
+ 2023/2024
Students must complete all mandatory course units of the study plan; one course unit from each of the 4 restricted options groups; and as many free choice course units as necessary to complete a total of 240 ECTS. The demonstration of adequate competence in the English language is an essential requirement for the attendance of the 1st Cycle and it is a mandatory condition for the 5th semester enrolment.
1st year
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Introdução ao Direito e ao Pensamento Jurídico | 8 |
Direito Constitucional | 8 |
Microeconomia | 6 |
Optional | |
História do Estado | 4 |
História das Ideias Políticas | 4 |
International Relations | 4 |
Political Science | 4 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito Constitucional Português | 8 |
História do Direito | 6 |
Teoria da Norma Jurídica | 6 |
Informação e Documentação Jurídica | 2 |
Optional | |
Macroeconomics | 4 |
Public Economics | 4 |
Sociologia do Direito | 4 |
Psicologia Jurídica | 4 |
2nd year
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Teoria Geral do Direito Privado | 8 |
Public International Law | 6 |
Direito Constitucional da União Europeia | 6 |
Optional | |
Programação para Juristas | 6 |
Análise do Discurso Jurídico | 4 |
Comparative Legal Systems | 4 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito Administrativo | 8 |
Direito das Obrigações | 8 |
Direito das Pessoas e da Família | 6 |
Direitos Fundamentais | 4 | Optional |
Critical Legal Thinking | 6 |
Specialised EU Law Topics – EU Family Law* | 6 | Direito da Igualdade Social | 4 |
* EU Family Law is a Jean Monnet Module offered by NOVA School of Law and funded by the European Commission addressing the protection of non-traditional and religious families within the European Union, and the constitutional aspects thereof (nEUfam).
3rd year
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Teoria da Lei Penal | 8 |
Responsabilidade Civil | 6 |
Direito dos Contratos | 6 |
Direito das Finanças Públicas | 6 |
Law and Technology | 2 |
Optional | |
Programação para Juristas | 6 |
Direito da Economia | 4 |
Casos Difíceis | 4 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Teoria do Crime | 8 |
Direitos Reais | 8 |
Teoria do Processo | 6 |
Direito das Sucessões | 4 |
Optional | |
Direito do Consumo | 6 |
Specialised EU Law Topics – EU Family Law | 6 |
Law & Economics | 4 |
Direito e Sustentabilidade | 4 |
4th year
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito Processual Penal | 8 |
Direito das Sociedades | 8 |
Direito Processual Civil Declarativo | 6 |
Optional | |
Direito Processual Administrativo | 6 |
Direito Internacional Privado | 6 |
Programação para Juristas | 6 |
Civil and Commercial Contracts | 6 |
Direito da Economia | 4 |
Casos Difíceis | 4 |
International Criminal Law | 4 |
Laboratório de Direito Civil | 4 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito do Trabalho | 6 |
Direito Fiscal | 6 |
Direito Processual Civil Executivo | 6 |
Prática Jurídica Interdisciplinar | 6 |
Optional | |
Direito do Consumo | 6 |
Specialised EU Law Topics – EU Family Law | 6 |
Crimes em Especial | 4 |
Law & Economics | 4 |
Direito e Sustentabilidade | 4 |
+ 2022/2023
Students must complete all mandatory course units of the study plan; one course unit from each of the 4 restricted options groups; and as many free choice course units as necessary to complete a total of 240 ECTS. The demonstration of adequate competence in the English language is an essential requirement for the attendance of the 1st Cycle and it is a mandatory condition for the 5th semester enrolment.
1st year
International Relations ou Political Science4
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Introdução ao Direito e ao Pensamento Jurídico | 8 |
Direito Constitucional | 8 |
Microeconomia | 6 |
Optional | |
História do Estado or História das Ideias Políticas | 4 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito Constitucional Português | 8 |
História do Direito | 6 |
Teoria da Norma Jurídica | 6 |
Informação e Documentação Jurídica | 2 |
Optional | |
Macroeconomics or Public Economics | 4 |
Sociology of Law or Legal Anthropology | 4 |
2nd year
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito Administrativo | 8 |
Teoria Geral do Direito Privado | 8 |
European Union Law | 6 |
Optional | |
Critical Legal Thinking | 6 |
Análise do Discurso Jurídico | 4 |
Sistemas Jurídicos Comparados | 4 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito das Obrigações | 8 |
Direito das Pessoas e da Família | 6 |
Public International Law | 6 |
Fundamental Rights | 4 |
Optional | |
Direito Administrativo Especial | 4 |
Family Law | 4 |
Ciência da Legislação | 2 |
* EU Family Law is a Jean Monnet Module offered by NOVA School of Law and funded by the European Commission addressing the protection of non-traditional and religious families within the European Union, and the constitutional aspects thereof (nEUfam).
3rd year
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direitos Reais | 8 |
Teoria da Lei Penal | 8 |
Direito das Finanças Públicas | 6 |
Direito dos Contratos | 6 |
Direito e Tecnologia | 2 |
Optional | |
Programação para Juristas | 6 |
Civil and Commercial Contracts | 6 |
Direito da Economia | 4 |
Trabalho Extracurricular** | 4 |
Go Global* | 2/6 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Teoria do Crime | 8 |
Responsabilidade Civil | 6 |
Teoria do Processo | 6 |
Direito das Sucessões | 4 |
Optional | |
Direito do Consumo | 6 |
Direito Processual Administrativo | 6 |
Freedom, Justice and Security (Special EU Law) | 6 |
Crimes em Especial | 4 |
Law & Economics | 4 |
Direito e Sustentabilidade | 4 |
Trabalho Extracurricular** | 4 |
Go Global* | 2/6 |
(*) available in the 1st and 2nd semester of the 3rd and 4th curricular years
(**) available in the 1st and 2nd semester of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th curricular years
4th year
1st Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito Processual Penal | 8 |
Direito do Trabalho | 6 |
Direito Processual Civil Declarativo | 6 |
Optional | |
Programação para Juristas | 6 |
Direito Internacional Privado | 6 |
Civil and Commercial Contracts | 6 |
Direito da Igualdade Social | 4 |
Direito da Economia | 4 |
2nd Semester | ECTS |
---|---|
Mandatory | |
Direito das Sociedades | 8 |
Direito Fiscal | 6 |
Direito Processual Civil Executivo | 6 |
Prática Jurídica Interdisciplinar | 6 |
Optional | |
Direito do Consumo | 6 |
Direito Processual Administrativo | 6 |
Freedom, Justice and Security (Special EU Law) | 6 |
Crimes em Especial | 4 |
Law & Economics | 4 |
Direito e Sustentabilidade | 4 |
Objectives and Structure of the Curricular Units
Tuition Fees
Tuition Fees costs for Bachelors in Law | Annual tuition value | Part-Time Tuition Fee value (65%) |
National Student (or equivalent) | 697€ | 495€ |
International Student | 7000€ | 4550€ |
For Bachelor’s in Law, students who enroll for one semester only (regardless of how many curricular units they attend) will pay a minimal tuition value:
- National Student (or equivalent): 495€
- International Student: 4550€
Reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the full documentation regarding fees, emoluments and taxes for the academic year in question.
Tuition fees are annual and due in full upon enrolment in the course. Payment in instalments is allowed for students’ mere convenience.
In the case of withdrawal from the course, the amounts already paid are not refundable. The remaining tuition fee payments due for the academic year to which the application relates must also be paid.
Payments must be made via ATM or through PayPal* using the references available in the reserved area. Failure to pay tuition fees within the time limits indicated results in an increase in the amount to be settled and/or the suspension of enrolment and registration, as well as the invalidity of all curricular acts practised in the academic year in which the non-compliance is not respected.
*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment
Payment by instalments
The annual tuition fees for the taught component can be paid in 10 instalments
- 10 instalments: 1st installment of 20% of the total amount paid upon enrollment and the remaining amount in 9 installments paid between the 1st and 10th of the months of September through May
Financial Discounts
Students who choose to pay the annual tuition fees in a one-off payment upon registration/enrolment receive a 5% discount on the amount to be paid.
Emoluments/Charges and Taxes Fees
Designation | Amount € | Payment deadline |
Administrative costs per registration/enrolment (each year) | 35,00€ | Upon enrolment/registration |
Institution insurance | 3,00€ | Upon enrolment/registration |
Registration Certificate | 6,00€ | At time of the request |
Conclusion Certificate | 50,00€ | At time of the request |
Improvement grade exam | 15,00€ | At time of the request |
Annual tuition value – National Student/European Union: 697€
Annual tuition value – International Student: 7000€
Reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the full documentation regarding fees, emoluments and taxes for the academic year in question.
Tuition fees are annual and due in full upon enrolment in the course. Payment in instalments is allowed for students’ mere convenience.
In the case of withdrawal from the course, the amounts already paid are not refundable. The remaining tuition fee payments due for the academic year to which the application relates must also be paid.
Payments must be made via ATM or through PayPal* using the references available in the reserved area. Failure to pay tuition fees within the time limits indicated results in an increase in the amount to be settled and/or the suspension of enrolment and registration, as well as the invalidity of all curricular acts practised in the academic year in which the non-compliance is not respected.
*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment
Payment by instalments
The annual tuition fees for the taught component can be paid in 4 or 10 instalments:
- 4 instalments: 25% of the amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining between the 1st and 10th of the months of September, January, May.
- 10 instalments: 1st instalment of 20% of the total amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining amount in 9 instalments paid between the 1st and the 10th of the months of September to May.
Financial Discounts
Students who choose to pay the annual tuition fees in a one-off payment upon registration/enrolment receive a 5% discount on the amount to be paid.
Emoluments/Charges and Taxes Fees
Designation | Amount € | Payment deadline |
Administrative costs per registration/enrolment (each year) | 35,00€ | Upon enrolment/registration |
Institution insurance | 3,00€ | Upon enrolment/registration |
Registration Certificate | 6,00€ | At time of the request |
Conclusion Certificate | 50,00€ | At time of the request |
Improvement grade exam | 15,00€ | At time of the request |
Applications
School Year 2022/2023
Places:
(i) For the 1st curricular year of the 1st study cycle: 7
(ii) For the 2nd curricular year and/or subsequent years of the 1st study cycle: 10
Who can apply for this special contest?
International students may apply for this contest, meaning all those who do not have Portuguese nationality and who, cumulatively, do not fit into any of the following categories:
- Nationals from a Member State of the European Union;
- Students who are not nationals of a European Union Member State, but who have been legally residing* in Portugal, uninterruptedly, for more than two years (the time they have held a residence permit for studies is not relevant for this purpose), January 1st of the year in which they intend to enrol at NOVA School of Law, as well as their children who legally reside with them;
- Students who apply for admission at NOVA School of Law through the special regimes for access and admission regulated by Decree-Law No. 393 -A/99, of October 2, as amended by Decree-Law No. 272/2009, of October 1;
- Students who are attending NOVA School of Law in the context of an international mobility programme for the completion of part of a study cycle in a foreign higher education institution with whom NOVA School of Law has established an exchange agreement for that purpose;
- Family member* of Portuguese nationals or of nationals of a Member State of the European Union, regardless of their nationality, under the terms defined by point e) from the Article 2 of Law No. 37/2006, dated 9 August;
- Students granted equal status of rights and duties under an international treaty between the Portuguese State and the State of which they are nationals on January 1st of the year in which they intend to enrol at NOVA School of Law;
- International students who are in an emergency situation for humanitarian reasons can also apply for international student status (cf. article 8-A of Decree-Law No. 36/2014, as amended by article 3 of Decree-Law No. 62/2018 of 8 June).
*Family members of Portuguese nationals or of nationals of a member state of the European Union, regardless of their nationality:
- The spouse of a citizen/citizen of the Union;
- The partner with whom a citizen/citizen of the Union lives in a non-marital partnership, formed in accordance with the law, or with whom the citizen/citizen of the Union maintains a permanent relationship duly certified by the competent entity of the member state where he/she resides
- The direct descendants who are under 21 years of age or are dependants of a citizen/citizen of the Union as well as the spouse or partner as defined in the previous sub-paragraph;
- The direct ascendant being a dependant of a citizen/citizen of the Union and of the spouse or partner as defined in point 2.
**Legal resident means a foreign citizen/citizen holding a residence permit in Portugal, valid for one year or more, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph v) of article 3 of Law no. 23/2007, of 4th July, as amended, which approves the legal regime for the entry, stay, exit and expulsion of foreigners from national territory
Notice: Students who enter higher education under this special contest will maintain their international student status until the end of the study cycle in which they initially enrolled or to which they transfer, unless, during the frequency of the study cycle, they comply with any of the dispositions established in article 2, No. 2 of Regulation No. 687/2020, of 20th August, being exclusively applicable from the academic year following the one in which the student’s situation changes.
In situations where the candidate provides false statements or presents counterfeit documents, the seriation will be cancelled or the enrolment and registration already made will be cancelled, and there will be no refund of the amounts paid to NOVA School of Law, without prejudice to other legal procedures that may be adopted.
Students in emergency situations for humanitarian reasons
Under the provisions of article 8-A of Decree-Law no. 36/2014, as amended by article 3 of Decree-Law no. 62/2018, of 8 June, international students who are in an emergency situation for humanitarian reasons may apply for international student status.
By law, students in emergency situations for humanitarian reasons enrolled and registered in public higher education institutions are subject to the same regime of fees, charges and emoluments established by the institution for national students. International students who are granted the status of students in situation of emergency for humanitarian reasons also benefit, by law, from all the support foreseen in the scope of direct and indirect social benefits.
Students coming from Ukraine
The armed conflict in Ukraine puts millions of Ukrainian citizens at serious risk, leading to a large-scale humanitarian crisis. This situation has justified an urgent humanitarian appeal by the United Nations for assistance and protection needs in Ukraine and the Regional Refugee Response Plan for Ukraine.
Council of Ministers Resolution No. 29-A/2022 of 1 March set out the specific criteria for granting temporary protection to persons displaced from Ukraine as a result of the recent armed conflicts in that country. Subsequently, the Council of the European Union adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022, by which it declared, pursuant to Article 5(1) of Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001, the existence of a mass influx into the European Union of persons who had had to flee Ukraine as a result of the armed conflict. In its wake, article 3 of Decree-Law 24-B/2022 of 11 March, consecrated, in the field of higher education, the possibility for beneficiaries of temporary protection under Council of Ministers Resolution 29-A/2022 of 1 March to apply for student status in an emergency situation for humanitarian reasons.
Regarding students coming from Ukraine in the present context of humanitarian crisis, it is important to define the terms of verification of the conditions for admission to the various study cycles of NOVA School of Law, as provided in paragraph c) of paragraph 1 of art. 14 of Decree-Law No. 36/2014 of 10 March.
- If the documents proving the candidate’s previous qualifications are not available, their absence does not mean that they will be excluded, in which case the qualifications invoked shall be preliminarily checked by means of an interview intended to confirm their plausibility.
- Since this cycle of studies is taught partly in Portuguese and partly in English, also taking into account that it is the duty of the host institution “to take initiatives to promote the academic and social integration of admitted students, organizing the actions that they consider appropriate for an active participation, namely in the areas of language”, it is understood that initially only proof of knowledge of the English language is required from these students, this being documented or, if no document is available, the candidate will be subject to an English exam on the date of the interview referred to in no. 1. Given that the teaching offer allows for a semester of courses exclusively taught in English, only in cases of students in emergency situations for humanitarian reasons, the verification of sufficient competence in Portuguese is postponed to a later moment, under a solemn undertaking from the candidates that they will attend the preparatory courses necessary for the minimum command of the Portuguese language required to obtain a degree in Law at NOVA School of Law.
Consult Dean’s Order N.º 09/2022
Consult Rector’s Order N.º 94/2022
Conditions for entry
Cumulative conditions for admission to the first cycle at NOVA School of Law are:
- The specific academic qualification for the purpose;
- Knowledge of Portuguese and English.
Submission of Applications (Online):
- Copy of the identification document or passport, which expressly states the applicant’s nationality;
- Declaration, under oath, that the candidate does not have Portuguese nationality, nor is covered by any of the exceptions of No. 2 of Article 2 of Regulation No. 687/2020, of 20th August, which under the terms of Decree-Law No. 36/2014, of 10th March, excludes them from International Student status;
- Document (certificate or diploma) attesting the level of knowledge of the Portuguese and/or English language, depending on the case;
- In the case of foreign qualifications that grant access to higher education, the applicant must also submit a diploma or certificate issued by a competent authority attesting the approval of an education programme and entitling its holder to apply and enter higher education in the country where it was obtained, or a document attesting the conclusion of the Portuguese secondary education or equivalent;
- In the case of a Portuguese secondary education diploma or legally equivalent qualification, the applicant should also submit a simple copy of a document proving the conclusion of the Portuguese secondary education or a certificate of equivalence of such qualification and a document proving the classification obtained in the Portuguese secondary final exams corresponding to the entry examinations for holders of the Portuguese secondary education diploma or equivalent;
- Certificate of residence issued by the country where the candidate is domiciled;
- Payment of the application fee using the ATM or Paypal* reference provided (70€);
- During the application, candidates must submit a request for accreditation of academic qualifications and professional experience obtained before entering the study cycle. For this purpose, the applicant must complete the appropriate form and attach all relevant documentation.
When the request for accreditation occurs at the time of the application, the accreditation is not a sufficient condition to be accepted into the study cycle and can only be granted after admission into the study cycle, in the same study cycle only.
All documents must be presented in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, and endorsed by the competent authority of the State where the document originates.
*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment
Selection Criteria/ application grade
The formula for calculating the application grade is the result of the sum of 40% of the final grade of secondary education and 60% of the best grade of the entry exams. The minimum classification in the entry exams to the Bachelor’s Degree in Law is 100 points on a scale of 0 to 200.
For students who have successfully completed the Pre-University Semester at NOVA University, Lisbon, with a minimum classification of 12 in the Curricular Unit(s) offered by NOVA School of Law, the result of the application of the above formula is increased by 50 points.
Application deadlines
1st Phase
Submission of applications: | From 1 to 28 February 2023 |
Announcement of placements: | 21 March 2023 |
Complaint about placements: | From 22 March to 4 April 2023 |
Enrolment: | From 5 to 17 April 2023 |
Registration for Curricular Units: | From 18 to 28 July 2023 |
2nd Phase
Submission of applications: | From 25 April to 5 May 2023 |
Announcement of placements: | 26 May 2023 |
Complaint about placements: | From 29 May to 9 June 2023 |
Enrolment: | From 12 to 23 June 2023 |
Registration for Curricular Units: | From 18 to 28 July 2023 |
3rd Phase
Submission of applications: | From 3 to 7 July 2023 |
Announcement of placements: | 21 July 2023 |
Complaint about placements: | From 24 July to 4 August 2023 |
Enrolment and Registration for Curricular Units: | From 7 to 11 August 2023 |
Tuitions Fees, Taxes and Emoluments
Application fee: | 70,00€ |
Administrative costs per registration/enrolment (each year): | 35,00€ |
Institution insurance: | 3,00€ |
Annual tuition fee (with the possibility of payment in instalments, see the tuition fees notice) | 7000,00€ |
Registration certificate | 6,00€ |
Accreditation of academic, professional or acquired knowledge and skills. | Consult the table of fees in force |
The fees are determined each year by the General Council of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.
Reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the full documentation regarding fees, emoluments and taxes for the academic year in question.