LLB (Hons) Law and Criminology

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UCAS Code

M1L6
Start Date

September
Location

Pontypridd
Campus Code

A

Fees

Home students

£9,535*
International students

£15,850*
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

Start Date

September
Location

Pontypridd
Campus Code

A

Fees

Home students

£785*
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

Overview
Module Overview
Course Highlights
Entry Requirements
Fees and Funding
How to Apply

Make an Enquiry

If you're passionate about the criminal justice system or eager to explore criminal law, this course is ideal for you. Centered on criminal justice and criminology, it blends legal expertise with a focus on criminal law and justice, preparing you for a career in the legal field. Offering a comprehensive LLB law degree, this program emphasises Criminal Justice and Criminology to equip you with the specialized knowledge and skills needed for success in the legal system.

Career paths:

Police officer
Criminal Justice jobs; Court and legal services
Corrections and offender rehabilitation
Victim services
Civil Service
Local authority professional
Custody Sargent
Solicitor
Lawyer
Barrister

In collaboration with:

The Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Bar Standards Board

Skills taught:

Critical thinking
Curiosity
Analytical thinking
Problem-solving
Solid communication

Course highlights

Qualified staff

Learn from qualified solicitors and lawyers with significant industry experience.

Top facilities

Study and practice in our Legal Advice Clinic, Hydra Centre, and moot courtroom.

Legal placements

Enjoy work hands-on placements in legal firms, solicitors and police forces.

Professionally accredited courses

Earn a qualification recognised by top global legal bodies. Boost your competitive edge.

Module Overview

Our LLB Law and Criminology degree will immerse you in practising law from the moment you start, giving you direct access to real-life simulations in our moot courtroom and Hydra Centre. You’ll also be able to pick modules that interest you most throughout your time studying with our faculty.

Year one
Academic and Professional Legal Skills 
Criminal Law 
Law and the State 
Legal Systems and Methods 
The Law of Contract 
The Law of Torts 

Year two
Crime, Justice and Society
Criminal Evidence
Land Law
Law on Trial
Learning through the Workplace
Access to Justice, Advocacy and Ethics (Optional)
Family Law (Optional)
Law and Technology in Practice (Optional)
Public Legal Education (Optional)

Year three
Contemporary Legal Research
Equity and the Law of Trusts
Advanced Criminal Law
Banking and Finance Regulation (Optional)
Clinical Legal Education (Optional)
Corporate Criminal Liability (Optional)
Dissertation (Optional)
Family Law (Optional)
Gender and the Law (Optional)
Medical Law (Optional)
Miscarriages of Justice (Optional)
Public Legal Education (Optional)
The Law Relating to Children (Optional)

Your first year will focus on the foundation of law and the UK legal system that stretches across employment and criminal law and understand the role of law in our society. You’ll also start to develop broader skills such as critical thinking and hear from our guest speakers throughout the year.

Academic and Professional Legal Skills
Start your degree by learning the legal skills that will help you throughout the course. You’ll research and take part in a 6-week immersive project.

Criminal Law 
Learn about criminal law rules and doctrine in a social, political and human rights context and explore criminal law relating to homicide, non-fatal offences, intent and liability.

Law and the State 
Get introduced to the constitutional and administrative law of the European Union. You’ll discover the nature of EU law and its relationship with UK law.

Legal Systems and Methods 
Explore the structures, institutions, processes and personnel of the Anglo-Welsh Legal system. You'll learn about the institutions and the role of legal professionals.

The Law of Contract 
You’ll be introduced to the rules of contract law, the cornerstone of civil liability and a foundation for other modules on the course. You’ll understand agreement and consent.

The Law of Torts 
Discover the law of torts, the cornerstone of private and public tortious liability. It’ll help you understand other modules and teach you about negligence and occupier’s liability.

In your second year, you'll delve into crime, justice, and their effects on society while selecting modules that match your personal interests. You’ll develop the skills to engage in reasoned debates about crime, victimization, crime control, criminal justice, and law, with the option to undertake an industry placement.

Crime, Justice and Society
The perfect module for anyone interested in criminal justice and the socio-legal perspectives of crime and criminal law, you’ll develop a socio-legal analysis of crime.

Criminal Evidence
Explore the rules of the law relating to criminal evidence and apply the impact of the rules of evidence in a criminal trial. You’ll learn through practising in our moot courtroom and hydra suite.

Land Law
Understand the principles of Land Law in England and Wales and the issues with registered and unregistered land, freehold and leasehold as well as landlord and tenant relationships.

Law on Trial
Discover the theories and doctrines of law, the legal system and its impact on society's values, influences and political pressures. You’ll explore case studies and apply legal theory.

Learning through the Workplace
This is your chance to work on placement in an environment that interests you. You’ll do 70 hours of work to help build your employment experience after graduation.

Access to Justice, Advocacy and Ethics (Optional)
Ideal if you're passionate about justice and ethics. You'll interview clients and provide advice on their behalf.

Family Law (Optional)
Learn about the law relating to family in this interactive module that explores difficult topics such as domestic abuse, divorce, judicial separation and forced marriage.

Law and Technology in Practice (Optional)
Explore the use of technology in the legal sector from profession, processes, and institutions to the systems. You’ll look at the effects and discuss trends.

Public Legal Education (Optional)
Interested in public legal education? This module explores the access to justice and the delivery of public legal education. You’ll work with a community group too.

In your final year, you'll hear from more inspiring guest lecturers and begin considering career paths that align with your legal expertise. You’ll have the choice to either write a dissertation for your final assessment or select modules that best suit your personal interests.

Contemporary Legal Research
This is your chance to research an area of law that interests you. You’ll analyse and evaluate the issue in a Legal Advice Clinic, an assignment or answer a set question.

Equity and the Law of Trusts
Discover the fundamental principles of Equity and the Law of Trusts in England and Wales, and understand and evaluate the law and apply it to complex scenarios in class.

Advanced Criminal Law
Build on your knowledge from the first year and understand the advanced and complex aspects of criminal law such as its transnational nature with human trafficking and slavery.

Banking and Finance Regulation (Optional)
Explore the legal regulation of banks and the banking system. You'll look at their customers, financial crime and money.

Clinical Legal Education (Optional)
Build on the clinical legal skills you’ve learnt over the last two years and provide pro-bono legal advice to members of the public on a range of legal issues.

Corporate Criminal Liability (Optional)
Discover the law on corporate criminal liability and explore the significance of corporate crime like bribery within business and our modern society.

Dissertation (Optional)
Perfect if you enjoy in-depth research and writing. Choose this module to explore a legal topic that fascinates you and showcase your findings.

Family Law (Optional)
Learn about the law relating to family in this interactive module that explores difficult topics such as Domestic abuse, divorce, judicial separation and forced marriage.

Gender and the Law (Optional)
Learn about feminism and other perspectives on law and legal processes around gender. You’ll debate the inequalities between genders and the part law plays.

Medical Law (Optional)
Explore medical law and ethics, critically evaluating the legal and ethical dilemmas in complex medical scenarios. You’ll understand the role of consent and confidentiality.

Miscarriages of Justice (Optional)
Review and critique the criminal justice system, looking at the concept of miscarriage of justice and how the criminal justice system deals with it.

The Law Relating to Children (Optional)
Explore the law relating to children, understanding the social and political context it operates. You’ll look at abduction, child cruelty and sexual offences.

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

You’ll combine a mix of theory and practical learning throughout your studies, with work placements and our campus facilities including the Legal Advice Clinic and a Hydra simulation centre.

Our course focuses on the foundations of legal knowledge, recommended by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board. Our LLB Legal Practice (SQE) takes a two-fold approach to the course, preparing students to sit the SQE1 multiple choice exams and helping them develop the key skills to become a lawyer. This will help students who want to go on to sit their SQE2 after graduation.

Teaching staff

Our law lecturers are all professionally accredited and have experience working as solicitors and lawyers. They’ll share their legal research through published articles, conferences and textbooks. Their research feeds directly into your studies which means you’ll benefit from an evolving curriculum taught by staff at the forefront of their topic.

Our programme of guest speakers gives you an insight into the practice of law and helps you understand the types of career paths available. There’s also a chance to join our Student Law Society, hosting regular professional networking, and visits to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court.

Placements and work experience

Our staff work with prestigious legal services companies offering valuable work placements to encourage you to practise your new legal skills and experience a real workplace environment. Clinical legal education is included in our courses, giving you access to justice under the supervision of practising solicitors and lecturers in the university’s pro bono Legal Advice Clinic.

We have strong connections with the industry and host a range of expert guest speakers who’ll provide context and real-life examples relating to the topics you study. We also have working lunches and networking opportunities available for our students.

Facilities

Our impressive law facilities at the Pontypridd campus provide a hands-on learning experience. You'll practice in our award-winning Legal Advice Clinic, work on real cases, and refine your skills in our moot courtroom. The Hydra simulation suite allows you to make key decisions in various scenarios, offering you realistic preparation for legal practice. Most lectures and sessions are held at the Pontypridd Campus in Treforest, just 20 minutes from Cardiff. These resources ensure you're fully prepared for a successful legal career after university.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS points: 104 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

A Level: BCC
BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit
Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate: Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC at A Level
Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points.

Additional requirements include:

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

How to apply

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our country.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your English Language pages is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

Contextual Admissions Policy

Careers and Employability

Careers support

Our faculty is proud of their open-door policy, helping support students throughout their studies. Our team will help with CV writing, applying for jobs, confidence in interviews and navigating the recruitment process.

The USW Careers Service is on hand to support you throughout your studies, with guidance on writing your CV, applying for jobs, mastering interviews and navigating the recruitment process. We regularly host skills workshops and careers fairs to connect you with future employers and equip you with the tools to progress.

Industry partners

You’ll have the opportunity to apply for work placement during your second year of study which can be with one of our trusted partner placements or somewhere you’ve found that interests you personally. A work placement is a great option if you want a mixture of academic and practical learning, teaching and assessment.

We work with the legal services sector to provide our LLB Law students with valuable work placements including at the Senedd, Citizens Advice, RCT Council and Hugh James.

Graduate careers

Many of our graduates from the LLB course go on to postgraduate study as they look to progress further in their legal education. If you’re thinking about joining the Bar, you’ll be able to move to a Bar Training Course, or if you want to finish the CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Legal Practice, you can do that too.

If you’re considering going into a job, you can move on to qualify as a solicitor with the LLM Professional Practice and prepare for the Solicitors Qualification Exams (SQE). Many of our law graduates choose roles in legal technology, social work, police, third-sector organisations, business, finance and HR to name a few.

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£9,535

per year*

International Full-time Fee

£15,850

per year*

UK Part-time Fee

£785

per 20 credits*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.

Life at USW

Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.