LLB Law with Criminology

Criminology examines the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behaviour in both the individual and wider society, exploring the factors that underscore processes of law making, law breaking and law enforcement. 

Criminology complements and contextualises Legal study, and is an extremely useful addition to those looking to practice criminal law or work in the criminal justice system. The LLB Law with Criminology programme is a qualifying law degree and draws upon the significant expertise of our academic staff to offer a wide range of specialist modules.

Birmingham Law School is one of the UK’s top 20 law schools (QS World Rankings 2019) and is the most established law school in one of the largest legal communities in the country. For almost 100 years we have made a major contribution to teaching and scholarship, and you’ll learn from academics who are leaders in their fields and the authors of many key works used by practitioners today. The skills you will acquire throughout the degree are transferable and as a result you will enjoy excellent employment prospects in both law and non-law careers.

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Rebecca

Rebecca

LLB Law with Criminology student

“Studying Law with Criminology has allowed me to develop an extensive knowledge of the law by learning how to research and critically analyse its interactions with society”

Course details

The LLB Law with Criminology programme will help you to develop enhanced subject knowledge of criminal law and criminal justice processes including: analysis of the creation and application of legal rules; the impact of law on individuals, organisations and society; the theoretical underpinnings of the concept of law; and the moral and political values expressed in law and legal processes.

At Birmingham, you’ll benefit from an intellectually challenging and stimulating environment for your undergraduate studies, focused on ensuring you’re a fully supported and active learner. Our unique degrees are designed to provide both academic excellence and vocational development; a balance that’s highly sought after by employers in both law and non-law sectors. The courses are also very flexible, allowing you to specialise more and more as you progress. Students on the LLB with Criminology also have the option of a year abroad in a partner institution.

Why study this course

  • Study at a top global law school - Birmingham Law School is one of the UK’s top 20 law schools (QS World University Subject Rankings 2019), reflecting our excellence in teaching and our world-leading research. Our academics are experts in their fields, conducting cutting-edge research which informs law reform
  • Extensive extra-curricular legal opportunities - our Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER) run pro bono groups and mooting competitions. Last year, over 200 of our students volunteered in our pro bono groups
  • Professional links - opportunities include placement schemes, the annual law fair, and visits to leading firms. CEPLER run careers events and work placements throughout the year. Last year 163 of our students participated in CEPLER organised work placements
  • Optional modules - tailor your law degree to suit your interests in final year with our extensive range of electives 
  • Optional year abroad opportunities - study overseas at a partner institution and experience incredible cultures as well as an alternative perspective on Law and a different academic environment
  • Excellent graduate prospects - 93% of graduates from our Law programmes are in employment or further study 6 months after graduating (DLHE 2017)
  • Transferable skills - a law degree prepares you for a wide range of careers as it enables you to develop a variety of skills, such as oral and written communication, analysis and evaluation, problem solving, independent working and research skills

Modules

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2019. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

First year

Students currently take the following compulsory modules in their first year:

These are assessed by a mixture of traditional examinations, essays and projects.

Second year

In their second year students take modules in:

Year abroad

You can apply to study abroad for a year in an approved university around the world. If you achieve a grade of 2.1 or above in your first year then you will be invited to apply for a Year Abroad in your second year. If your application is successful, you will go abroad in your third year and return to us for your final year. Find out more.

Final year

In the final year students study one compulsory module:

You will also have the opportunity to study one optional criminology module and four optional law modules from the range available within the Law School which may include:

*Students wishing to have a Qualifying Law Degree should choose Trusts and Equity as one of their final year options, as well as a Foundation subject (which includes the overwhelming majority of final year modules).

Fees and funding

For UK students beginning their studies in September 2019, the University of Birmingham will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. The fees for your first year of study will therefore be £9,250. Visit our tuition fees page for more information.

Fees for 2019/20 are as follows:

  • Home / EU: £9,250
  • Overseas: £17,640

Eligibility for Home/EU or Overseas fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students.

For further information on tuition fees, living costs and available financial support, please see our pages on undergraduate fees and funding.

Scholarships

  • The Law School offers subject specific scholarships for students of £3,000 p.a. Full details of how to apply can be found on our scholarships page

Entry requirements

Typical offer:
AAA
General Studies:
General Studies is not accepted but a good performance may be taken into account if you fail to meet the conditions of the offer.

Additional information:

Preferred subjects:

We prefer applications from students offering at least two A levels from our list of preferred subjects:

Accounting, Ancient History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Computing, Drama and Theatre Studies, Economics, English Language, English Language and Literature, English Literature, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Government and Politics, History, History of Art, Human Biology, Law, Mathematics, Medieval History, Modern or Classical Languages, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Statistics, World Development

We are happy to accept any subject as the third A level (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking). If you are not studying an A level combination that includes two of these subjects, please contact the Law School.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma:

6,6,6 in Higher level subjects plus 32 points overall.

BTEC and Access qualifications:

  • BTEC Extended Diploma in the following subject areas will be considered: Business and Law. Grades required - D*D*D* and distinctions in all units. Other BTEC Extended Diplomas may be considered if offered alongside an A level in one of our preferred subjects.
  • BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Business or Law combined with two A levels (from our list of preferred subjects) and BTEC Diploma in Business or Law combined with an A level in one of our preferred subjects will be considered.
  • Other BTEC subjects combined with A levels are considered on a case by case basis provided there is an appropriate subject combination.

Access to Higher Education courses in a relevant subject are considered.

We do not require or consider the LNAT admissions test for entry onto our programmes.

Other qualifications are considered – learn more about entry requirements.

International students:

Birmingham Law School has a thriving community of over 200 international students across our LLB programmes. We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Our country pages show what qualifications we accept from your country.

If your first language is not English you must provide an English language qualification. Recognised qualifications include:

  • IELTS: 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band

If you need to improve your level of English in order to meet the minimum entry-level requirement you may be able attend one of the full-time presessional English courses run by our Birmingham International Academy.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages.

How to apply

Apply through UCAS at www.ucas.com  
Learn more about applying

OverviewLearning and teaching

Photograph of students consulting books in the University of Birmingham library

As a Birmingham student, you are joining the academic elite and have the privilege of learning from world-leading experts in their fields. Learning here at the Law School is research-led, drawing upon the expertise of staff to provide excellent teaching. We regard teaching and research as inextricably linked and mutually reinforcing. Our staff are frequent participants in legal debates and contribute regularly to the policy-making process.

Our teaching reflects original thought and insight which has helped to shape the contours of the discipline of law. Respondents to the National Student Survey have acknowledged the enthusiasm of our staff and their ability to explain things clearly and make material intellectually stimulating. We encourage all our students to challenge us and draw their own conclusions.

Central to Learning and Teaching in the Law School at the University of Birmingham is critical enquiry, debate and self-motivation, summed up by the term enquiry-based learning.

Enquiry-based learning describes an environment in which learning is driven by the shared enquiry of students and tutors. This approach will enable you to take control of your own learning as you progress through your degree. Moreover, it will encourage you to acquire essential skills that are highly valued in the competitive employment sector: creativity, independence, team-working, goal-setting and problem-solving. Enquiry-based learning places you at the centre of your own learning process so that you learn through involvement and ownership and not simply by listening.

What you can expect?

Throughout your Law degree you can expect about 13 hours of contact time per week made up of approximately ten hours of lectures and three hours of seminars.

Lectures

Lectures are an important method of teaching used in the School, intended to provide a structured framework for learning and dispensing essential knowledge. They won't tell you all you need to know, but they should help you to navigate the reading you're expected to undertake to pursue your studies effectively. A good lecture can be an eye-opening and mind-broadening experience.

Seminars

Seminars are smaller group classes, which involve the development and testing of ideas in discussion, with a high degree of student input. A successful class is one in which the module teacher says very little, intervening only to comment, steer and occasionally inform or correct.

Seminars are not ‘mini-lectures’. In all seminars you are expected to be prepared and to participate. They provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas, and all students are expected to be able to participate actively. This is tremendously important at university level and will help you to clarify and extend your understanding of the topics you are studying, as well as develop confidence in expressing yourself orally.

Seminars in law also provide an opportunity to learn the difficult but vital skill of applying the law to factual situations.  This is assessed in exams through ‘problem questions’. For your seminars directed to this skill you will be given the facts of problem questions in advance, and you devote time to working out your own answers beforehand, then testing those answers in argument during the seminar.

Teaching staff

Students at the University of Birmingham are taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. Many of our teaching staff have published important works about their areas of expertise, whilst others have taught at international institutions and can offer unique perspectives of their subjects.

You can find out more about the members of staff (including their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest) in their academic profiles linked below.

Assessment methods

Birmingham Law School uses a variety of methods to assess student performance, this includes exams, essays and dissertations. At the beginning of each module, you'll be given information on how and when you'll be assessed for that particular programme of study.

  • Examinations take place in the summer term (May/June) and exam-based modules are typically assessed by a 2 or 3-hour exam. There are no January exams at Birmingham Law School.
  • Essays vary in length (1000-4000 words) depending on whether the essay is only part of the assessment for the subject or whether the subject is assessed 100% by essay.
  • Dissertations are individual research projects into a specific topic and vary in length (up to 10,000 words) depending on the credit value of the subject which is being assessed by dissertation.

A number of prizes are available for outstanding performance in assessments at the end of each academic year. Many of these prizes are sponsored by law firms across the UK.

Studying at degree-level is likely to be very different from your previous experience of learning and teaching. You will be expected to think, discuss and engage critically with the subject and find things out for yourself. We will enable you to make this transition to a new style of learning, and the way that you are assessed during your studies will help you develop the essential skills you need to make a success of your time at Birmingham.

Feedback

Developing skills and enhancing academic performance is a key part of a university education and the Law School provide feedback on your work throughout your degree. You'll receive feedback on each assessment within four weeks, so that you can learn from and build on what you have done. To enhance the student learning experience, the Law School provides the following:

  • Individual feedback on academic performance is provided during progress review meetings with your personal tutor throughout the year.
  • All academic members of staff will have feedback and office hours during which you can see them without prior appointment and speak to them on a 1-1 basis to discuss feedback or other academic support you may require.
  • Individual feedback is provided on both assessed and non-assessed essays within four weeks of submission. This feedback will cover:
    • What was done well
    • What was not done well
    • How the above relate to the mark achieved and the marking criteria
    • What could be done to improve the next piece of work.
  • Generic feedback on examination papers will be offered to students following the publication of results in June each year.
  • In addition to generic feedback, individual feedback is offered to all students who have failed and are entitled to re-sit the examination.

Legal Skills Advisory Service (LSAS)

In addition to the feedback you will receive from academic staff, our Legal Skills Advisory Service will help you develop skills particular to studying law. We run daily drop-in sessions and weekly workshops open to all undergraduate Law students. LSAS will help you to develop skills which are crucial to legal study. Workshops include:

  • How to prepare for seminars and lectures
  • How to answer essay and problem questions
  • How to read cases and articles
  • How to learn from feedback and tackling common mistakes
  • How to manage your time effectively
  • How to prepare for exams
Course detailsEmployability

Photo of a pencil and an employment application

Birmingham Law School's Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER) provides a diverse range of opportunities and activities to enhance knowledge, skills, confidence and employability - all the things that help graduates to stand out from the crowd in a competitive jobs market.

Our students can benefit from activities, opportunities, help and resources in areas including:

Careers

  • CEPLER's extensive provision of careers lectures and skills workshops offers advice and guidance on a range of specialist areas of law and legally-related careers, in addition to practical skills sessions on how to present yourself and succeed at interview. View information on our careers lectures provision. Or find out about other careers activities.
    • We are forging links right across the legal community and beyond to public, third sector and non-law commercial organisations to provide valuable work experience placements. 

Pro Bono

  • CEPLER's Pro Bono Group began in 2009 and has grown from one Street Law Project to a diverse portfolio of opportunities to build your experience and serve the community. Visit the Pro Bono Group page for full details on the range of projects.

Mooting & Advocacy

  • Being able to evidence your experience of advocacy is a key advantage in the over-subscribed legal profession. CEPLER offers skills sessions and three Mooting competitions, as well as Debating and Negotiation.

Education

  • CEPLER is developing new and innovative approaches to teaching to give you experience of real world law. So far, we have introduced two new practice-based modules: Regulation of the Legal Profession, which will encourage you to question assumptions about lawyers and their role in society; and Advocacy, which covers a range of skills such as mooting, negotiation and mediation, along with court observations and presentation skills development.

Professional accreditation

This degree is a ‘qualifying’ degree; this means that it provides exemption from the first or academic stage of the examinations required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board before you can qualify as a solicitor or barrister.

Barristers

In order to practise in England and Wales the intending barrister must first join an Inn of Court. Many students do this while taking their degree. The School has its own Inns of Court Students’ Association from which details can be obtained about joining an Inn. On successful completion of the degree intending barristers must take a further one-year full-time course, the Bar Professional Training Course, leading to the second part of the Bar examination. There then follows a one-year period of Pupillage – a form of apprenticeship in a barrister’s chambers.

Solicitors

On completion of their degree intending solicitors  take a one-year full-time course. This is called the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Thereafter, there is a two-year training contract (apprenticeship in a firm of solicitors), all or most of which must be taken after completing the LPC. Fuller information on both the Bar and the Solicitors’ professions is given in the Law School Handbook. The official bodies, from which complete particulars should be sought, are as follows:

The Council of Legal Education
4 Gray’s Inn Place
London
WC1R 5DX

The Education and Training Team
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Cube
Wharfside Street
Birmingham
B1 1RN
ETUQS@sra.org.uk

Learning and teachingStudent life

Birmingham has transformed into one of Europe's most exciting cities. It is more than somewhere to study; it is somewhere to build a successful future.

Clubs and societies

The Guild has over 200 Societies, community volunteering groups and associations for you to join; they cover every topic and activity that you can think of - there really is something for everyone.

Student Experience Officers

Our Student Experience Officers will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They will offer research opportunities, study skills support and help you prepare for your post-university careers. They will also organise social events, such as field trips, to help you meet fellow students from your course.

Accommodation

Coming to Birmingham might be your first time living away from home. Our student accommodation will allow you to enjoy your new-found independence in safe, welcoming and sociable surroundings.

The City of Birmingham

One of Europe's most exciting destinations, Birmingham is brimming with life and culture, making it a wonderful place to live, study and work.

Our students fall in love with the city - around 40% of our graduates choose to make Birmingham their home.

International students

The University of Birmingham has been welcoming international students onto our campus since 1900.

We have one of the largest and most vibrant international student communities in the UK, with 5,000 international students from more than 150 different countries and 31% of our academic staff from overseas.

If you would like further information about entry requirements, how to apply and funding options, then you can visit our international students webpage. You may also wish to take a virtual tour of our campus and watch the video below to hear our international students say their favourite thing about the University of Birmingham.

Employability