LLB Law with Criminology at Swansea University brings together the study of law with an in-depth exploration of crime, criminal justice, and social responses to offending.
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.
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.
Why Law with Criminology with a Foundation Year at Swansea?
As a student at the School of Law, you will be part of a supportive academic community where your voice matters. The programme team works in partnership with our students to shape curriculum design and teaching approaches, ensuring that your learning remains innovative and responsive to your needs.
You will be provided with a high degree of personalised support throughout your journey in order to provide you with the best possible opportunities to succeed. This includes dedicated personal tutors, a carefully designed induction programme, skills development workshops, ongoing employability advice and support, and a range of extra-curricular activities.
Swansea University 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.
Law at Swansea is currently ranked:
Top 125 in the World (The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026)
Top 101-150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
Criminology at Swansea is ranked:
7th in the UK for Career Prospects (Guardian University Guide 2026)
5th in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Times Good University Guide 2026)
Your Law with Criminology with a Foundation Year Experience
Our LLB 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, ensures that you are prepared for contemporary professional requirements.
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.
The LLB is structured in order to provide you with a thorough grounding in the foundations of legal knowledge, while creating the flexibility that allows you to tailor your own studies to your interests and aspirations, which can lie in a range of sectors due to the variety of modules available.
Across each of your three years, you will study compulsory modules on the foundations of law, giving you an essential grounding in this area. This is complemented by criminological theory throughout, which increases in intensity as you progress through your degree. Your final year allows you to choose from a wide selection of optional modules, enabling you to shape your own learning around your interests and ambitions.
This programme includes opportunities to undertake a Year Abroad in locations such as North America, Europe or East Asia, enhancing your learning and offering invaluable life experience.
If you’re worried about meeting our entry requirements, why not consider the LLB Law with Criminology with a Foundation Year. The Foundation Year gives you an exciting introduction to higher education, setting you up with the skills, confidence, and knowledge that you’ll need to be successful on your undergraduate degree. It’s ideal if you need a little more support after further education or are returning to education after a gap. The foundation year (level 3) will be delivered by The College, Swansea University (TCSU) on the Bay Campus. Years 2-4 (levels 4-6) will be delivered by the School of Law on the Singleton Campus.
Law with Criminology with a Foundation Year Employment Opportunities
The programme is designed with employability at its heart. You will have the opportunity to acquire practical skills in legal research, advocacy and negotiation, as well as written and oral communication by taking part in seminars and experiential learning.
The Law School at Swansea University has numerous connections within the legal profession. Through these, work experience programmes are made available for summer placements within Solicitors Firms, Barristers Chambers and linked professions. We also actively share employability opportunities through our internal platforms and on our graduate LinkedIn page, to support you in securing employment.
In each semester, we run an ‘assessment day’, to enable you to practice your CV drafting, interviewing and problem-solving skills. We also host an ‘additional careers’ event each year to allow you to explore other career prospects outside of the traditional Solicitor or Barrister routes.
Guest lectures and extracurricular workshops take place throughout the year. These are delivered by Solicitors and Barristers, and organisations such as the Law Commission, giving you invaluable career insights, and linking you with key members of the profession.
Graduates of the LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology programme progress into a wide variety of careers across both the legal and criminal justice sectors. Many go on to work in the legal profession as solicitors, barristers, legal assistants, or legal executives, supported by the strong foundations in legal knowledge gained during the degree.
Beyond traditional legal roles, graduates also pursue careers across the criminal justice system, including the Police Force, Prison Service, and Probation Service. Other common destinations include Local Authorities, the Civil Service, the financial sector, human resources, charities and NGOs, think tanks, and research organisations.
This programme provides a distinctive and high-quality education that equips you with the knowledge, analytical skills, and confidence to achieve your career aspirations in both law and criminology. The combination of legal training and criminological insight offers a competitive edge, preparing you for professional pathways that require critical thinking, ethical awareness, and a strong understanding of how law operates within society. r
Modules
We're currently reviewing our curriculum to enhance your learning experience and embed skills that will benefit your future career. This means that some modules may be subject to change.
Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:
NOTE : Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following modules. Lectures will be delivered in English, seminars for the Welsh option will be conducted in Welsh.
Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:
NOTE : Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following modules. Lectures will be delivered in English, seminars for the Welsh option will be conducted in Welsh.
Choose Exactly 30 credits from the following Modules:
NOTE : Choose Exactly 30 credits from the following modules. Lectures will be delivered in English, seminars for the Welsh option will be conducted in Welsh.
Choose Exactly 30 credits from the following Modules:
NOTE : Choose Exactly 30 credits from the following modules. Lectures will be delivered in English, seminars for the Welsh option will be conducted in Welsh.
Choose Exactly 80 credits from the following Modules:
NOTE : Select 80 credits from the list below. Please ensure that your module selections are balanced across semester 1 and semester 2 (60 credits per semester).
You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA212. There is a welsh version of this module LAA303C, you can only select either LAA303 or LAA303C.
There is an application procedure and there are eligibility criteria. If you intend to apply to take a dissertation module, please see the Dissertation Handbook on Canvas HUB:Law. While you wait to hear whether your application for dissertation is successful, please choose the module you would wish to take if you were not permitted to take the dissertation module. If you are accepted onto the dissertation module, we will make the necessary changes to your module selection.
Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:
NOTE : Select 40 credits from the list below. Please ensure that your module selections are balanced across semester 1 and semester 2 (60 credits per semester).
At Swansea, you will benefit from a high-quality, research-informed
education that combines a range of effective and inclusive teaching methods,
carefully tailored to suit the needs of your course. Most courses are taught
in person, on campus, giving you the opportunity to
actively engage with other students, academic staff, and the wider
university community.
You can expect a mix of
lectures, seminars, workshops, and practical sessions -
including laboratory work, skills training, or studio-based teaching where
relevant to your discipline. These sessions are designed to encourage active
participation, collaboration, and the development of both subject-specific
and transferable skills.
Digital learning tools are also used to enhance your
learning experience. These may include:
Recorded lectures to support flexible study and
revision.
Virtual labs or simulated environments, particularly in
science, healthcare, and technical disciplines.
Online resources on the university’s virtual learning
environment (Canvas), including videos, reading materials, quizzes, and
discussion forums.
This approach enables you to engage with and review content at your own pace
while benefiting from the structure and support of in-person teaching.
This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or
bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh
speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh
Provision expander below.
N.B If you are an international student studying with a Student Route
Visa, please note that your timetabled activity, along with any
additional supervisory activity (with Swansea University staff present)
will take place on campus. In line with UKVI protocol, these sessions
will be monitored and data made available on request.
There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study at least 40 credits of this course through the medium of Welsh.
Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea
University. We can offer you:
Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
One-to-one support through the medium of Welsh to improve your academic skills.
An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence
of your Welsh language ability for future employers, namely the WJEC and Coleg Cymraeg’s Welsh Language
Certificate.
Our degrees are taught by experts, some of whom are experienced legal practitioners and all of whom have a wealth of legal knowledge to pass on to our students.
You can find out more about our academic expertise on our staff pages.
Fees for full-time undergraduate UK students on classroom based foundation programmes will increase from Year 1, and in subsequent years, to the maximum regulated fee level set by the Welsh Government.
You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.
To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.
Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.
To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's
scholarships and bursaries
page.
Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually.
For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.
Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.
You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):
Travel to and from campus
Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your
personal tutor, the Centre for Academic
Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas
such as:
Academic writing
Maths and statistics
Critical thinking
Time management
Digital skills
Presentation skills
Note taking
Revision, memory and exam techniques
English language skills (if English is not your first language).
In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability,
mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have
Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and
requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.
International summer programmes are open to students from all schools.
Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as
Sri Lanka, South Korea, Fiji, Bali, the USA and across Europe. For more
information about programmes and eligibility visit our
Summer Abroad webpages.
We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application
deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can
find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.
At Swansea, we have a range of law-focused societies, which offer opportunities for you to meet fellow students and take part in a variety of activities. These societies are all run for students, by students, and include:
The University will seek to deliver each course in accordance with the
descriptions set out in the relevant course web pages at the time of
application. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable
or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision,
either before or after enrolment.
The information below is for students starting their courses in 2016 or
later.
The University will not normally make very substantial changes to courses
(for example, a change to the course title, significant restructuring,
substantial change in course content, or the introduction of a progression
hurdle) which would impact on students who have already begun their course.
In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary for the University to make
such a change after acceptance of a place by an offer-holder. This will not
happen less than 5 months before enrolment. The offer-holder will be
notified of the change and will have the opportunity to withdraw their
application and apply elsewhere.
Other changes could be made to course content, study location, delivery and
teaching provision because of developments in the relevant subject,
enhancements in teaching or assessment practice, requirements of external
accreditation processes, changes in staffing, resource constraints or
changes in the availability of facilities. Such changes will take account of
the reasonable expectations of prospective and current students.
Summary of Changes
Date of Change
10/02/2026
Course Title(s)
Law with Criminology with a Foundation Year
With a Classroom based Foundation Year,
LLB (Hons)
4 Year
Full Time
(MM1F)
Material Change
There are changes to this programme’s credit structure at more than one level of study plus extensive changes to the programme’s structure that impact whether modules are compulsory and optional.
Reason for Change
These updates are designed to make your learning experience more streamlined, relevant and manageable.
