Law in Practice with a Foundation Year

If you don’t attain the grades needed to enrol on to the LLB Law in Practice undergraduate programme, then this 5-year programme, including a Foundation Year, could be for you.

The Foundation Year is an excellent way to gain the knowledge and skills needed to begin the LLB Law in Practice degree; you will be introduced to key themes in law, as well as being provided with opportunities to pick up new skills that will be of use throughout your undergraduate degree.

As a student on a Foundation programme, you will benefit from being part of a diverse teaching environment, based in state-of-the-art facilities on our £450m Bay Campus. After you complete this year, you will move to Singleton Campus for the remainder of your studies.

Following your Foundation Year, the next 4 years of your LLB programme provide you with a comprehensive grounding in the core areas covered by a law degree, with a year spent at a paid internship in a legal setting. This will allow you to experience legal practice firsthand, and pick up key skills that will be infinitely useful in your future career.

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. As your studies progress, you can choose from a wide range of specialised areas of law including medicine, human rights, family, the environment, trade, employment, and media; enabling you to shape your own learning.

You will be supported by our established Employability Team to help you secure a placement in a legal service environment for your third year, which will have tangible benefits for your future career path and employment.

Swansea has an established and growing reputation for law teaching and research. The School of Law is recognised as a source of expertise, and as having an impact on policy and practice in a diverse range of fields of practice. The School is wholly committed to continuous improvement in teaching and learning, and to putting students at the centre of its activities.

As a result, Law at Swansea is ranked:

• 12th in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2024)
• 13th in the UK for Student Experience (Times Good University Guide 2024)
• Top 15 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2024)
• Top 150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)

All of our undergraduate Law programmes contain the foundations of legal knowledge needed to enter the legal profession. Our programmes provide a strong foundation for students who may wish to take the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE) in the future, and satisfy the academic stage of training required by the Bar Standards Board for those wishing to become barristers.

Your first year of study will be your Foundation Year at The College. This covers a mix of key themes in law, combined with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in your degree. Themes of study include:

Legal Skills, Criminal Law, Critical Thinking, Composition and Style

On successful completion of your Foundation Year, you will move to Singleton Campus to complete your LLB degree.

Years 2 and 3 consist of the core areas of a law degree, with the option to select some of your own modules in both years. Across Years 1 and 2, you will typically study areas including:

Criminal Law, Equity and Trusts, Law of Contract, Law of Tort, Legal System, Property Law, Public Law and Skills for the Study of Law

Year 4 (Level S) will be spent at a paid internship in a legal setting. You will take the internship module (LA-S000) and be assessed throughout the year and receive an overall module mark with feeback for each element. If the mark attained for your placement year (Level S) is not to your advantage (i.e. does not improve your overall weighted average) then it will not be counted towards your overall degree classification.

Your final year consists entirely of optional modules allowing you to shape your own learning. We have a wide range of optional modules, you will typically study areas including:

Cybercrime, Family Law, Intellectual Property Law, Science and Technology, Media Law, Medical Law, Company Law, Trade, Advocacy and Human Rights

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment can include:

• Writing a letter of advice to a client
• Blog and poster writing
• Group-based tasks
• Reflective Exercises
• Presentations