Law with Politics with a Foundation Year

If you don’t attain the grades needed to enrol on to the LLB Law with Politics undergraduate programme, then this 4-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 an LLB 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.

The Foundation Year is taught at The College, located on our Bay Campus. After you complete this year, you will move to the School of Law on Singleton Campus for the remainder of your studies.

During the following three years, you will gain a comprehensive grounding in the core areas covered by a law degree. As your studies progress, you can choose from a wide range of specialised subject areas of law with an extensive list of over forty optional modules to choose from.

Alongside this, you will study key aspects of British and international politics, public policy, political theory, philosophy, and peace and conflict.

Throughout your degreeyou will develop excellent research and analytical skills, learning to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing, and benefitting from our practice-led approach to law and its relationship with international relations.

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.

Law at Swansea is ranked:

Top 125 in the World (The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
Top 150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
Politics at Swansea is ranked:

4th in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
Top 10 in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2025)

Teaching on the Foundation Year takes place in smaller class sizes, allowing for a more personalised experience. You will be given the opportunity to pick up essential skills through modules such as Critical Thinking, IT Support, and Composition and Style.

In addition to this, you will be introduced to legal concepts and terminology through a range of teaching themes that include Legal Skills, Contract Law and Criminal Law.

After you’ve continued on to your LLB Law degree, the School of Law offers a broad range of opportunities for you to get involved with; from research-based placements, to working with clients, to developing advocacy and other skills. Our thriving Law Clinic offers students the opportunity to get involved in giving advice to clients and we have programmes of extra-curricular mooting, negotiation and interviewing.

You will be studying in one of the select departments in the UK to offer the British Parliamentary Studies module, where you will be taught by our specialist academic staff and Members of Parliament, and you will visit the House of Commons. You will also have the competitive option of undertaking a work placement module with the Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament, working closely with Members of the Senedd.

Our undergraduate degree structure, with its range of final year optional modules, gives you plenty of scope to tailor your studies to your particular interests, career goals, or ambitions.

We offer a variety of additional work placement opportunities in a wide range of settings.

Throughout the 4-year programme, we offer an inclusive, student-focussed learning environment and community. Modules are delivered and assessed in a variety of different ways and you will be encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning, to work independently as well as with others, to act professionally, and to master new skills.

Course Modules

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.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including:
Public Law, Skills for the Study of Law, Introduction to Politics, Tort Law, Contract Law, Disinformation, Ideology and Bias: Researching and examining political data

In Year 3, you will typically study areas including:
Equity and Trusts, The State and Political Institutions, The History of Political Thought, British Politics and Public Policy, Criminal Law, Land Law

In Year 4, you will typically study areas including:
Researching Politics, Family Law, Commercial Sales, Environmental Law, Employment Law, Counter-terrorism Law, Criminal Evidence, Medical Law, World Trade Law, Shadow Wars: US Presidents and covert action from the Cold War to Trump, America and the Bomb, Human Rights Law, The Law of Devolution in Wales

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
• Blog and poster writing
• Group-based tasks

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 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