Why study this course?
The Law (including foundation year) BA is a four-year degree set up to help you enter your desired law-related undergraduate course, if you don’t meet the necessary entry requirements for the three-year course. The foundation year is designed to prepare you for the challenge of studying at undergraduate level.
You will study modules which will help you to improve your critical thinking, essay writing and academic skills. You will also study a law module which will introduce you to the fundamental principles of law; rights and responsibilities within the legal system; and the way our legal system works. There will also be opportunities to engage in study visits to legal institutions.
This is not a qualifying law degree for professional legal training, so it’s not suitable if you wish to become a solicitor or barrister. We offer Commercial Law LLB or Law (with International Relations) LLB that are qualifying law degrees.
More about this course
This law degree with a foundation year is designed to help you enter a career within environments that rely heavily on the knowledge of law, including business, politics, the civil service and the voluntary sector.
Throughout the degree you’ll receive academic and careers support from tutors and academic mentors. There will also be opportunities to attend workshops that focus on improving your interview, essay writing and critical thinking skills.
In your foundation year you’ll focus on developing academic skills within the context of a broad range of current themes and social issues, from an interdisciplinary perspective. You’ll also explore the broad topics of media, crime and race, where your critical thinking, essay writing and research skills will be exercised. In Year 0, you will also study a Law module which will introduce you to the fundamental principles of law, rights and responsibilities within the legal system, and the way our legal system works. On this course you’ll have opportunities to engage in study visits to legal institutions.
In the subsequent three years of your course you’ll engage in a more in-depth academic study of law, gaining much more choice over the subjects and themes you’ll study.
he foundation year on this course is shared with a number of our other foundation year degrees, so in Year 0 you’ll get to study with other students interested in a variety of different specialisms.
Following your foundation year you will continue to study the same subjects on the Law BA degree. If you find that you wish to change your degree specialism at the end of your foundation year, there will be flexibility to do so.
On completion of this course you’ll graduate with the same award and title as students on the traditional three-year course.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 0 modules include:
Critical Thinking (core, 15 credits)
Fundamentals of UK Law (core, 15 credits)
Interventions for Change (core, 15 credits)
Media, Crime and ‘Race’ (core, 15 credits)
Reflecting on Self and Society (core, 15 credits)
Researching Discrimination (core, 15 credits)
Researching Inequality (core, 15 credits)
Social Issues in Context: Text to Essay (core, 15 credits)
Year 1 modules include:
Administrative Law (core, 15 credits)
Constitutional Law (core, 15 credits)
Contract I (core, 15 credits)
Criminal Law I (core, 15 credits)
English Legal System (core, 15 credits)
Land Law I (core, 15 credits)
Law of Tort I (core, 15 credits)
Legal Method (core, 15 credits)
Year 2 modules include:
Contract Law II (core, 15 credits)
Criminal Law II (core, 15 credits)
Law of Tort II (core, 15 credits)
Consumer Rights Law (option, 15 credits)
Employment Law (option, 15 credits)
Land Law II (option, 15 credits)
Law of Advocacy and Mooting (option, 15 credits)
Law of Equity and Trusts I (option, 15 credits)
Law of Evidence (option, 15 credits)
Law of the European Union I (option, 15 credits)
Legal Research Methods (option, 15 credits)
Year 3 modules include:
Civil Law and Practice (core, 15 credits)
Criminal Litigation (core, 15 credits)
Child Law (option, 15 credits)
Civil Liberties and Human Rights (option, 15 credits)
Company Law (option, 15 credits)
Dissertation (option, 15 credits)
Environmental Law (option, 15 credits)
Extended Essay (option, 15 credits)
Family Law (option, 15 credits)
International Trade Law (option, 15 credits)
Jurisprudence (option, 15 credits)
Landlord and Tenant Law (option, 15 credits)
Law of Evidence (option, 15 credits)
Law of Immigration (option, 15 credits)
Law of the European Union II (option, 15 credits)
Music and Entertainment Law (option, 15 credits)
Penal Policy (option, 15 credits)
Public International Law (option, 15 credits)
Where this course can take you
This degree will help you to enter a variety of non-law professions such as politics, business, law commission, insurance, banking, civil service, local authorities, journalism and media.
The course is not designed to comply with the requirements of the Joint Academic Stage Board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board for the completion of the Academic Stage of training for the legal profession.
You can also consider alternative careers involving law which do not require approval of JASB, such as paralegal, patent lawyers or licensed conveyancers. Students who wish to be considered for Year 2 of the LLB programme may apply to the course leader at the end of Year 1. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and are at the discretion of the course leader.
What is a degree with foundation year?
This is a four-year degree course with a built-in foundation year (Year 0). It’s the perfect route into university if you can’t meet the necessary entry requirements or don’t have the traditional qualifications required to start a standard undergraduate degree. You’ll graduate with a full undergraduate degree with the same title and award as those who studied the traditional three-year course.
