LLB (Hons) Law

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Law at USW is rated top in Wales for academic support, assessment and feedback._{NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY 2023}

The LLB (Hons) Law degree is a stimulating and challenging course that focuses on justice, technology and employability.

Available to study part-time or full-time, the programme covers all of the foundation subjects required by the Bar Standards Board and the Solicitors Regulations Authority, for the purposes of professional qualification as a barrister or solicitor in England and Wales.

Employability is at the heart of everything we do. At USW, you will benefit from our award-wining Legal Advice Clinic, which provides opportunities for every law student to gain vital skills that you can take with you into the workplace. In addition to this, we have strong connections with industry and host a range of guest speakers who are experts in their field, to provide context and real-life examples relating to the topics you study.

Graduates will gain an in-depth understanding of the diverse nature of law and develop a range of skills to help them advance their careers, whether they are aiming to be solicitors or barristers or decide to follow a different career path. Upon graduation, you can choose to join our LLM Professional Practice (SQE) to prepare you for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam or other postgraduate courses.

Outside of the classroom, you will have the opportunity to join our thriving USW Bar Society and get involved in a range of sporting, social and networking activities. Students benefit from our expertise in mooting from Year 1 and can also get involved in mooting competitions. Alternatively you may wish to join the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity group which meets regularly to drive positive change for the student body.

Recognised by

2023
2024

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2023	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
M100	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A
N/A	Part-time	5 Years	September	Treforest	A

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2024	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
M100	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A
N/A	Part-time	5 Years	September	Treforest	A

*The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

Year One: LLB Law Degree

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: LLB Law Degree

Land Law
Law and Technology in Practice
Law on Trial
Access to Justice, Advocacy and Ethics
Learning Through the Workplace
Public Legal Education (Optional)
Commercial Law (Optional)
Criminal Evidence (Optional)
Employment Law (Optional)
Family Law (Optional)

Year Three: LLB Law Degree

Dissertation (Optional)
Equity and the Law of Trusts
Contemporary Legal Research
Equality and Advanced Human
Advanced Criminal Law (Optional)
Banking and Finance Regulation (Optional)
Clinical Legal Education (Optional)
Consumer Law (Optional)
Corporate Law and Governance (Optional)
Employment Law (Optional)
Family Law (Optional)
Gender and the Law (Optional)
The Law of the European Union (Optional)
Legal History (Optional)
Legal Issues in Sport (Optional)
Legal Philosophy (Optional)
Medical Law (Optional)
Public Legal Education (Optional)
The Law in Wales (Optional)
The Law Relating to Children (Optional)

We encourage personal development through practical options and employability initiatives. The Legal Advice Clinic is an integral part of the Law School. You can work in the Clinic as part of a module and on an extra-curricular basis. As part of the work-based learning module, Learning through the Workplace, you will gain experience in a number of career settings.

Gain hands-on experience by volunteering with professionals in our award-winning Legal Advice Centre or through applied law modules such as Learning Through the Workplace.

Foundation Year

The LLB (Hons) Law is also available as a four year course including an integrated Foundation Year, and is designed for students who do not currently meet admissions criteria for direct entry onto the law degree. You will start by completing a foundation year, which provides well structured support, allowing you to develop your skills and knowledge before continuing onto the three year degree programme. For more information please email [email protected]

Teaching

The course uses a blended approach to teaching.

Teaching on the LLB (Hons) Law degree is informed by actual practice and our modules reflect real-life trends. Teaching methods vary from traditional lectures to more clinical legal education and online simulations.

In the third year, you can complete a dissertation in a legal issue of your choice.

This course is offered on a part-time providing an attractive alternative for anyone who cannot commit to full time education. If your circumstances change, you will have the opportunity to transfer to the full-time Law degree course at various stages. Study for the part-time degree is over a maximum six-year period.

Law lecturers engage in a variety of research activities which result in the presentation of papers at conferences, the publication of journal articles and textbooks. All our areas of research feed directly into your studies, so you will benefit from a cutting-edge curriculum that is taught by staff who are at the forefront of their subject area.

We have a programme of high-profile guest speakers, whose talks will give you an insight into the practice of law and help you understand the many career paths available when you graduate. You could get involved with the active Student Law Society, with events ranging from professional networking and visits to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court, to mooting classes and social activities.

Assessment

Assessment includes self, peer and tutor assessment, written coursework, portfolio, written exercises, in-class work, individual and group presentations and examinations.

Year 1

17% exams
83% coursework/presentations

Year 2*

10% exams
90% coursework/presentations

Year 3*

10% exams
90% coursework/presentations/academic poster/self-reflective journal/dissertation

*Average percentage split depending on which modules are selected

Accreditations

The course maintains a focus on law foundation subjects, and satisfies the required level of training at this academic stage as recommended by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board.

Placements

We work with the legal services sector to offer valuable work placements, where you can practise your new legal skills and understand the realities of the workplace. This placement will also contribute towards your legal degree. Firms involved in the scheme include Hugh James, Eversheds, Capital Law and many more.

Volunteering

You can volunteer at our Legal Advice Clinic, in addition to studying a Clinical module. Under supervision, you can provide free legal advice to members of the public and small businesses. This will give you an opportunity to put your theoretical studies into practice and provide vital work experience.

Students are provided with many opportunities to volunteer in projects including virtual volunteering opportunities with a Regional Employment Judge, ELIPS (Employment Tribunal Litigant in Person Scheme), Shelter Cymru Volunteer Pathways Programme, Age Cymru Independent Volunteer Advocates and Cardiff Lawyers Care Homelessness Clinic.

Facilities

The University of South Wales has impressive study facilities for law. The award-winning Legal Advice Clinic sits in the main Law building. We also have a courtroom with digital video facilities, a legal practice library, and dedicated teaching and practice rooms. You can take part in a range of activities, including moots and mock trials in our Moot Courtroom, which is modelled on those you will experience as a qualified practitioner. We run simulations in our Hydra suite to provide real world experiences in a supportive environment.

Lecturers

Support

Induction

You will receive a full induction to the LLB in your first week, enabling you to adjust to university life, get to know the teaching team, meet your Personal Academic Tutor and peers, plan your studies, and understand how the University works. Following this is a week designed to equip you with the basic skills for study, allowing you to enter the first teaching week primed and ready.

Staff support

The course leader and year tutor are available in regular weekly office hours. Each member of the course teaching team will have at least one scheduled office hour per teaching week. These office hours will be drop-in sessions for which students will not need to book.

Peer support

We have Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) sessions to support Year 1 students. These PASS sessions are run by students in the second and third year and enhance the law community while allowing students to be partners in the course.

We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement

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.

The entry criteria below reflect our standard entry requirements for the course for September 2023. However, all applications received by the University are reviewed holistically and individually. Entry criteria for September 2024 is changing and will be published on ucas.com from 8th May 2023. Entry criteria for September 2024 will be updated on our website from the end of October 2023.

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. Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy.

Other qualifications and experience

We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.

To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.

If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us here

Please note that whilst this course does not require a DBS Check for entry, some professions will not consider candidates who have certain types of criminal convictions. Therefore, if you have a criminal conviction and you are considering a particular career path we would recommend that you check with the relevant professional body or refer to their recruitment policy to make sure that your conviction will not disadvantage you.

Typical A-Level Offer

BCC - CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Access to HE Offer

Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points

Additional Requirements

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.

International Entry Requirements

We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.

English Requirements

In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.

Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course.

August 2023 - July 2024 Fees

Full-time UK: £9000
Full-time International: £14100
Part-time UK: £740 per 20 credits

August 2024 - July 2025 Fees

Full-time UK: TBC
Full-time International: £14950
Part-time UK: TBC

Student Perks

At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.

Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.

Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.

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.

* Obligatory

Item	Cost
Placement expenses: Work placement module as part of second year studies		Students must undertake a period of work placement. Student's undertaking placement may incur costs associated with travel and expected workplace attire will vary according to the placement.

Funding

Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs

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).

To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.

UK students

Apply via UCAS if you are a UK residing applicant, applying for year one of a full-time undergraduate degree, Foundation Year, Foundation Degree or HND and you have not applied through UCAS before. If you are applying to study part-time, to top up your Foundation Degree or HND, or to transfer to USW from another institution, please apply directly.

International and EU students

Apply directly to the University if you live outside the UK.

Admissions statement

Possible Career Options

Graduates of the LLB programme will typically progress on to graduate careers or postgraduate study.

There are clearly defined postgraduate study routes for Law; having completed the traditional ‘academic stage of training,’ students who wish to qualify as solicitors typically progress to the LLM Professional Practice which prepares students for the Solicitors Qualification Exams (SQE).

On completion of appropriate modules, you may complete the CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Legal Practice, also referred to as the CILEX Graduate Fast-track Diploma.

Graduates who wish to join the Bar will be able to progress to a Bar Training Course.

Graduates also progress into a variety of careers which range from Legal Technologists, Social Work, Police, Third Sector organisations, Business, Finance and HR to name a few possibilities.

What kind of student would this suit?

This course is a perfect first step to being a solicitor or barrister.

Our Law courses will be a good choice if you enjoy analysing issues and problem-solving. These transferrable skills will give you an excellent position in the graduate market.
If you are interested in law, not just the theory but from a practical perspective too, the design of course will suit you.

Our Careers and Employability Service

As a USW law student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.

This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.

Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.