Law in Practice with Criminology

LLB Law in Practice with Criminology at Swansea University is a specialised four-year programme that prepares you for careers at the intersection of law and criminology, while also providing you with valuable workplace exposure.

Designed to prepare you for a wide range of careers, the programme is grounded in academic excellence and informed by leading research. It blends theory and practice, enabling you to understand how legal systems operate within wider social, political, and economic contexts, while critically examining the causes and consequences of crime.

From the outset, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the foundations of legal knowledge, including Contract Law, Tort Law, Criminal Law, Public Law, Land Law, Equity and Trusts, and EU Law. These core subjects satisfy the academic stage of training required by the Bar Standards Board, and support those wishing to pursue the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

Alongside these core areas, you will study criminology modules that explore topics such as the Sociology of Crime, Policing, Punishment, Youth Justice, and the Criminal Justice System. This will help you develop a critical understanding of how law interacts with crime and society.

In the third year of your LLB, you will undertake a paid internship with an employer in a legal setting. This will allow you to experience legal practice firsthand, where you can pick up key skills that will be infinitely useful in your future career.

As you progress, you can tailor your degree through a wide range of optional modules in both law and criminology. Law options include Human Rights, Medical Law, Cybercrime, Environmental Law, Family Law, and World Trade, while criminology options may cover Penology, Criminal Psychology, and Terrorism and Violent Extremism. This flexibility allows you to pursue your interests and develop specialist expertise across two complementary disciplines.

Our Law in Practice with Criminology programme places a strong emphasis on equipping you with the skills necessary for professional life. The curriculum is carefully designed to reflect the evolving landscape of legal education, including the changes introduced by the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), while maintaining the value of a traditional law degree.

You will be supported throughout the programme in developing a broad range of skills, such as legal writing, oral presentation and problem-solving. The inclusion of multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessments, which are a key feature of the SQE, further ensure that you are prepared for contemporary professional requirements.

As well as in your Year in Practice, opportunities to gain real-world experience are embedded throughout the degree, including participation in the Law Clinic, where you can provide advice to clients under supervision, and there are opportunities to take part in mooting, negotiation, and client interviewing competitions.

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Public Law; Law, Professionalism and Ethics; The Sociological & Criminological Imagination; Tort Law; Contract Law.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: Criminological Theory: Content and Application; Equity and Trusts; Placement Preparation: Year in Industry / Year in Practice; Penology and Punishment; Criminal Law; Land Law

In Year 3: Year spent in Industry.

In Year 4, you will typically study areas including: Employment Law: Rights and Obligations; Counter-terrorism Law; Criminal Evidence; Cybercrime; Law Dissertation; Law of Succession; World Trade Law; Law, Science and Technology (LST); Sexual Crimes; Core and Critical Issues in Policing; Homicide: Criminalising Death and Dying; Social and Environmental Harms.

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes.

In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment may include:

• Writing a letter of advice to a client
• Preparing a legal briefing
• Blog and poster writing
• Group-based tasks
• Oral presentations

Throughout your undergraduate law degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.

For a full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course pages at: www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/law or get in touch with us at study@swansea.ac.uk