Law and Politics (with Professional Placement Year)

Develop practical and vocational skills alongside knowledge of the political structures and legal theories that shape our lives.

• Build practical legal skills alongside political insight to understand how laws are made, challenged and reformed.

• Apply your knowledge to real-world challenges in governance, public policy, human rights and beyond.

• Graduate with the transferable skills employers’ value: critical analysis, collaborative working, and the ability to communicate complex ideas with confidence.

This Law and Politics combined course brings together the study of Politics and Law to develop both professional legal expertise and a sophisticated understanding of how power, policy, and institutions shape society. You’ll explore the relationship between legal systems, political theory and governmental decision-making while building research, analytical and communication skills that are highly valued across a wide range of graduate careers.

In Law, you will examine the foundations of the legal system alongside key areas such as criminal law, EU law, environmental law, and cybercrime. You’ll learn how legislation is created, interpreted, and challenged, while developing the ability to analyse complex legal issues, construct persuasive arguments, and apply legal reasoning to real-world scenarios.

In Politics, you’ll investigate political ideologies, government structures, public policy, and contemporary global debates. The course encourages you to critically engage with current political challenges, from questions of justice and human rights to security, governance, and digital regulation. Alongside subject knowledge, you’ll develop practical skills in policy analysis, research, negotiation, and public communication.

Collaborative projects and applied learning opportunities form an important part of the degree. Working with fellow students, you’ll learn how to design and manage projects, evaluate evidence and outcomes, and communicate effectively with specialist and non-specialist audiences in a variety of professional contexts.

Throughout the course, you will examine how political forces influence the development of law, and how legal frameworks both constrain and enable political action. Whether analysing landmark cases, evaluating public policy, or debating the ethics of punishment and justice, you’ll develop the intellectual confidence to interrogate complex issues and present arguments with clarity and authority.

Combined Honour Awards

At Bath Spa University many of our undergraduate programmes can be combined, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one subject. If you choose to study a combined award then in Year One you’ll start by studying both subjects in equal depth. From Year Two you can choose whether to continue with equal numbers of modules from each subject, or whether you want to select additional modules in one or the other. Upon successful completion of the programme you will graduate with a joint degree.

More about the Professional Placement Year
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in multiple placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

Year one

Gain a broad understanding of English legal systems and criminal law, contextualise your learning, and develop your professional identity and employability skills. You’ll learn how to analyse cases critically, apply legal reasoning, and undertake legal research using established research methods.

In Politics you’ll address the nature and scope of the political, developing the skills required to think and act politically. First year modules follow a broad curriculum that places the study of politics in historical context, while introducing basic research methods and encouraging you to ask questions, challenge your own assumptions and engage in political debate with fellow students.

Year two

In Law, you’ll extend your legal understanding to include subjects such as contract law and EU law while developing a range of skills including negotiation and advocacy.

The second year of Politics modules is designed to facilitate increasing specialisation within a field or area that motivates you, while equipping you with core academic and professional skills through which to apply your knowledge to diverse research problems. You might establish connections with one of the programme’s existing external partners, or forge relations with a new organisation you may seek to partner with or work for. The second year is about shaping your degree to meet your individual learning and employability goals. An optional Professional Placement Year between your second and final year gives you the chance to gain extended experience in the workplace.

Year three

You’ll address property and tort law to a more advanced level, while honing your drafting and presenting skills. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore new areas such as cybercrime, leadership and management, and environmental law.

In Politics, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue a year-long project alongside your suite of final year modules. You’ll identify your own area of study, develop a research proposal and work independently to put it into practice. This might be an extended piece of academic writing, but it could also be a pitch to a local employer, a funding application for a community project, or the creation of digital resources for an external partner. You will also have the opportunity to pursue existing partnership projects, such as writing an article on internal affairs for an esteemed NGO magazine.

You’ll undertake a wide range of authentic assessments, which means your work will be relevant and applied to real-world issues and contexts. You’ll be assessed through essays, case studies, reports, group and individual presentations, practical work experience, critical reflections on learning and practice, podcasts, policy briefings and more.