Law Schools and Programs in Ghana

Law Studies in Ghana

Ghana is a common-law country, and its legal education is taught in English in two stages. The academic stage is the Bachelor of Laws (LLB), taken at a university law faculty. The professional stage, which leads to the call to the Bar, is run under the General Legal Council through the Ghana School of Law in Accra. An LLB alone does not allow its holder to practise.

The professional stage is changing. The Ghana School of Law describes its current Pre-Bar Course as a transitional measure under the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170), so students planning several years ahead should follow the official announcements. This directory lists two schools in Ghana for law, in Legon and Accra.

The LLB at university

The University of Ghana School of Law in Legon was established as a department in the 1958/59 academic year, became a faculty in 1960/61 and a full school in 2014/15. It offers the LLB by two routes:

• From secondary school: selection is based on performance in the WASSCE, and the school also lists Cambridge O and A Levels and the International Baccalaureate among entry qualifications. To graduate, a student needs a minimum of 120 credits, carrying 15 to 18 credits per semester.
• Post-First-Degree LLB: for holders of a good first degree in any discipline, with a minimum of Second Class (Lower Division), from a university accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). Applicants sit a selection examination and an interview, and graduate with a minimum of 90 credits.

The Ghana School of Law names the University of Ghana, KNUST and GIMPA as public universities whose LLB graduates are eligible for the professional course, together with private universities accredited for the purpose.

The professional stage and the call to the Bar

The Ghana School of Law opened in December 1958 at Makola, Accra. The Legal Practitioners Act of 1958 established the General Legal Council to regulate legal education and professional standards. The school reports that 961 lawyers were called to the Bar in 2025.

The school describes its Professional Law Course as a two-year full-time course for LLB graduates, who must pass the school's entrance examination. Successful candidates receive the Professional Law Certificate and are called to the Bar as Barristers-at-Law and Solicitors of the Supreme Court.

Under the 2026 reform the school sets out a new four-step route: the Pre-Bar Course, Law Practice Training, the National Bar Examination and the call to the Bar. The Pre-Bar Course is a non-residential, one-year programme in three terms from September to May, taught at campuses in Accra and Kumasi. The school states that it will be phased out once the reform is fully embedded across law faculties. The University of Ghana School of Law also announces a one-year Pre-Bar course.

International students and foreign-trained lawyers

The rules of the professional stage are written mainly for Ghanaian citizens. For the Professional Law Course, the foreign-applicant category covers Ghanaian holders of law degrees from the UK, the USA, Canada or other common-law jurisdictions, who must have passed subjects such as Ghana Constitutional Law and Ghana Legal System and Methods. A separate Post-Call Law Course is open to Ghanaian citizens qualified to practise abroad and to non-Ghanaian lawyers from countries with reciprocal arrangements with Ghana.

For a foreign student, the realistic options are therefore the academic programmes: the LLB, or a master's degree. A student who intends to practise in another country should ask that country's regulator how it treats a Ghanaian LLB before enrolling.

Master's degrees

The University of Ghana School of Law offers 38 master's programmes: 19 Master of Laws (LL.M.) programmes for applicants with a law degree, and 19 Master of Arts (M.A.) programmes that give functional legal training to people without a law background. For the 2026/2027 intake the school lists fees of USD 9,178 for non-Ghanaians and GHS 22,355 for Ghanaians, and an application processing fee of US$110 for international applicants. Applicants with foreign certificates must obtain an evaluation report from GTEC. The school also offers PhD programmes.

Recognition and the student permit

GTEC regulates tertiary education in Ghana and handles accreditation and credential evaluation.

According to the Ghana Immigration Service, a foreign national admitted to a Ghanaian school is required by law to obtain a student permit to reside in the country for the length of the studies. The requirements include an application letter from the school addressed to the Comptroller-General, copies of the admission letter and of school fee receipts, two passport-sized photographs, the passport and a copy of the Non-Citizen Identification card (checked October 2026).

The schools in this directory

The University of Ghana in Legon is the directory's law faculty. The second entry, Accra Polytechnic, is now Accra Technical University: it was established in 1949, was renamed Accra Polytechnic in 1963 and was converted into a technical university in 2016. Its undergraduate programmes are Bachelor of Technology degrees and three-year Higher National Diplomas. Students looking for an LLB should confirm directly with the university which law-related courses it currently teaches.

Frequently asked questions

Can I practise law in Ghana with an LLB alone?

No. After the LLB, graduates must complete the professional stage under the General Legal Council and be called to the Bar. The Ghana School of Law describes a route of Pre-Bar Course, Law Practice Training and National Bar Examination under the 2026 reform.

What do I need to enter the LLB at the University of Ghana?

School leavers are selected on their WASSCE results. Graduates can apply to the Post-First-Degree LLB with at least a Second Class (Lower Division) degree, and must sit a selection examination and an interview.

Can a foreign lawyer qualify in Ghana?

The Ghana School of Law runs a Post-Call Law Course for lawyers from other common-law jurisdictions. For non-Ghanaians it is limited to lawyers from countries with reciprocal arrangements with Ghana.

Do international students need a permit to study in Ghana?

Yes. The Ghana Immigration Service requires a foreign national admitted to a Ghanaian school to obtain a student residence permit, applied for with a letter from the school.