The NLS BA (Honours)

The NLS BA (Honours) is an undergraduate programme offered at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, commonly referred to as the National Law School (NLS). The programme is a three-year offering with the option of an additional fourth year for research.

The new programme is part of NLSIU's broader offering of non-legal courses, including the Master's Programme in Public Policy, a two-year interdisciplinary course that explores the intersection of policy, social sciences, and law.

As NLSIU develops into a multi-disciplinary university, in line with national and State education policies, the BA programme is an organic development from decades of experience in offering the integrated 5-year Bachelor of Arts–Bachelor of Laws (BA LLB) programme.

Features of the NLS BA (Hons)

The NLS BA is uniquely designed to include:

• Common Core Foundational Courses: All first-year students, whether enrolled in the bachelor of arts or BA LLB programme, will take a series of shared foundational courses to build a strong academic base.
• Majors and Minors: Every student in the NLS BA (Hons.) programme has the option of electing a major-minor combination, or a double major. The majors and minors will be in the following disciplines: History, Sociology & Anthropology, Economics, and Politics.
• Open Electives: Students who are on the major-minor track, will have to take 36 credits worth of open electives over the three years of the programme.
• Languages: An integral part of the curriculum is the opportunity to learn a selection of Indian languages.
• Practice Courses: The programmes promises hands-on learning through practice courses in emerging fields like AI & Machine Learning, Film-making, Business Consulting, User Experience Research, Digital Journalism, Creative Writing, Entrepreneurship, Policy Advocacy and Analysis.
• Internships: Students are required to complete at least one internship of a duration of at least one month in every year of the programme.
• Fourth Year: In the fourth year, select students will be invited on the basis of their performance in the first three years, to will write a 20,000-word dissertation based on original research. They will also be appointed as TAs or RAs assigned to a faculty member or a research centre at the NLS. The four-year-track students will graduate with a BA (Hons. with Research) degree.

Admission

Admission to the NLS BA (Hons) is on the basis of all-India National Law School Admission Test (NLSAT- BA). The Academic Year usually commences on July 1.

The total intake for the programme for the Academic Year 2025-26 is 60 (including all four disciplines of History, Sociology & Anthropology, Politics and Economics).

About NLSIU

The National Law School of India University is a public state university established under the National Law School of India Act, 1986, enacted by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Located in Bengaluru, India, it is widely regarded as one of the country’s leading institutions for legal education and has consistently been ranked first in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for law.

The National Law School was founded after two decades of work by lawyers including former Chief Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah, Ram Jethmalani and Upendra Baxi, who petitioned the Legal Education Committee of the Bar Council of India to establish a university to rival Harvard Law School. Subsequently, the Bar Council of India Trust and Government of Karnataka reached an agreement to found the first National Law University in Bangalore. In 1986, the National Law University of India was established under the leadership of its founder, then Vice-Chancellor N. R. Madhava Menon.

The first batch of undergraduate law students were enrolled in 1 July 1988. Classes commenced before the school's buildings had been fully constructed, with lessons delivered at the Central College of Bangalore University until November 1991. Thereafter, the school moved to its current location in the Nagarbhavi suburb.