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LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology

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RS2725 Open Day (5) (2)
UCAS code: 
M101
Institution code: 
S82
Location: 
Ipswich

Duration: 

Three years full-time.

Four and a half to nine years part-time.

Course Options: 
Professional Placement
Study Abroad
Typical Offer: 

2023-24 and 2024-25 entry; 112 UCAS tariff points (or above), BBC (A-Level), DMM (BTEC), Merit (T Level).

  • Apply your legal knowledge and theory in practical exercises such as mooting and disputes.
  • Ideal for students looking for a career in law, including roles as barristers and solicitors.
  • Benefit from multi-disciplinary experienced course tutors.
  • Combined degree allows you to acquire legal knowledge with a grounding in criminology.
  • New modules keep up-to-date with the changing world.  
  • Opportunities to network and gain experience with legal service providers, including legal practitioners. 

Introduction

Law Homepage

This dynamic combined course is designed to meet the requirements of a qualifying law degree. It is ideal for students who wish to become Barristers or Solicitors after graduation and for those seeking a wide range of careers in law or other sectors. You will develop a comprehensive understanding of the nature of law, the relationship between law and justice, and law in action.

Further grounding in criminology allows you to draw on a range of perspectives useful for understanding law in context, with particular references to state responses to crime and the regulation of behaviour.

Drawing on a multi-disciplinary team of experienced academics at the University of Suffolk, this course exposes students to the study of law in social, political and economic contexts, and in its broader international and transnational dimensions.

Teaching here is research led and prepares you for the changing environment, in terms of both your prospective employability and your continuous self-development. You will develop skills in legal reasoning and in the use of legal principles to solve problems.

As part of your learning, you will have the opportunity to practice your skills in seminars, workshops, moots and debates. This combined degree allows considerable opportunity to acquire legal knowledge in core foundation legal subjects while broadening your education with core subjects in criminology and further options in both in law and criminology.

Students have the opportunity to work in our Legal Advice Centre, alongside our experienced supervising solicitors to provide those most in need of legal advice.  We strive to provide free legal advice in areas of law where access to advice is limited, predominantly where legal aid is difficult to secure. Find out more information about the Legal Advice Centre here.

Watch our video about studying Law at the University of Suffolk here:

 

Further information on the University's relationship with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Bar Standards Board (BSB) is available in the PSRB register.

Course modules

Typical course content will follow the below format, with some optional modules being available subject to appropriate student numbers and specialist staff availability

Level 4 All mandatory and requisite Law and Criminology modules

Level 5 All mandatory and requisite Law and Criminology modules

Level 6 All mandatory Law and Criminology modules Plus one law option AND one criminology option from the level 6 (Year 3) options.

Full downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

A selection of optional Law modules:

  • Public International Law
  • Company Law
  • Criminal Evidence
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Clinical Legal Practice
  • Community Legal Education
  • Family Law
  • International Human Rights
  • Advanced Property Law and Practice
  • Wills and Probate

A selection of optional level 6 Criminology modules:

  • Victimology
  • Drugs, Crime and Society
  • Penology

Optional modules available in any year will be communicated to you prior to your enrolment to facilitate module choice. Some optional modules may not run in every year of study, and the availability of optional modules depends on the level of student demand, the availability of specialist staff and timetabling constraints. In addition, we regularly review our curriculum to ensure it is up-to-date, relevant, draws on the latest research and addresses contemporary issues. As a result, the modules we offer may change over the course of your degree.

Legal Method and Advocacy (Mandatory)

Students will engage with the techniques of legal reasoning used in the common law world, the law-making process and the sources of law in England and Wales. This module also introduces students to the nature of legal obligations (contract and torts) and the principles and sources of EU Law. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to apply legal knowledge in practical exercises such as mooting and alternative dispute mechanisms.

Constitutional Law (Mandatory)

Public law is multifaceted and students will engage with a range of issues to include the relationship between the individual and the state, the effect of membership of the EU, devolution within the United Kingdom and the significance of judicial review. Students will be able assess the significance of human rights in constitutional and administrative law, with due reference to the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Criminal Law (Mandatory)

This module examines the concepts and principles of criminal law in England and Wales. It covers the general principles of criminal law and the substantive law concerning a range of offences. Students will be able assess the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on criminal law. Students will be equipped to interpret and apply cases and statutes to legal problems and engage critically with academic legal discourse.

Contract Law (Mandatory)

Students will examine the principles, policies and practical applications of contract law from a variety of perspectives. They will develop a thorough understanding of how contractual obligations are formed and regulated, how legal principles and concepts are used to identify and resolve legal problems, and the function of contracts in society and the economy. The module also addresses the dimensions of contract law that are shaped by the impact of EU law.

Introduction to Criminology (Requisite)

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the subject specialism that is criminology using a topic-based approach. Students examine how we can make sense of crime and criminality by exploring some key areas of debate and controversy within the discipline of criminology. Crime has come to dominate both the political and social stage and there are many social, cultural and criminological explanations made as to the extent, cause and nature of crime and criminality. The task of the students is to explore and make some sense of this debate.

Principles of Psychology for Criminology (Requisite)

This module will introduce students to key approaches and perspectives within the discipline of psychology and provide an understanding of how human behaviour is influenced by biological, behavioural, cognitive and psychoanalytical processes. The module will explore some of the basic principles and debates within psychology and will outline key concepts, theories and research studies that have informed psychology as a whole as well as those of the different approaches, perspectives and branches of psychology covered within the module. The focus of the module is on providing students with a grounding in the fundamentals of psychology in order to complement their understanding of criminology and offending behaviour; to highlight a number of areas in which psychology has contributed to criminological knowledge; and to elucidate the links between psychology and criminology by discussing the implications and applications of different approaches within criminology and in explanations of, and responses to, criminal and deviant behaviour.  

Tort Law (Mandatory)

Students will examine the development and function of the law of torts in society. The module places considerable emphasis on the current applications of legal principles, policy and academic discourses in this branch of the law of obligations. Very complex sets of social relationships are governed by legal concepts of duty, harm and compensation. The module also engages with the impact of human rights and EU law on tortious liability.

Research Methods in Law (Mandatory)

Students will develop insights into how legal research is conducted to address substantive, procedural and contextual legal issues and how to apply techniques from related subjects in the social sciences and humanities. Since legal problems are often multifaceted, legal research methods require effective integration of doctrinal, theoretical and empirical research techniques.  An important feature of this module is the application of legal research skills to solving legal problems and to the analysis of legal issues.

Land Law (Mandatory)

Students will develop a solid understanding of the historical and theoretical foundations of English land law and of the current legal principles and concepts in use today. The module examines the development of the legal frameworks regulating property in land, including the normalisation of the registration of titles. The module explores and examines the different forms in which property rights in land arise and the mechanism used to accommodate developments.

Equity and Trusts (Mandatory)

Students will develop a solid understanding of the principles and concepts used in the law of trusts in England and Wales, covering the main forms of trust property. The module examines the development and current application of the fundamental maxims in equity, using both primary legal sources and academic discourses. The module also contextualises equity and trusts by facilitating understanding of the historical, social, political and economic functions of this area of law.

Criminological Theory (Requisite)

This module highlights the importance of political and cultural concerns of the period when considering the search for the ‘causes’ of crime. Students are introduced to the main theoretical debates occurring within the discipline of criminology. It examines the three broad levels of criminological explanation: the individual, the situational, and the structural. Thus the different theories within criminology that locate their main explanation for criminal behaviour at one (or more) of these levels are explored.

Contemporary Issues in Criminology (Requisite)

The purpose of this module is to allow students to engage with selected contemporary issues, debates and perspectives in criminology. Based primarily on weekly seminar discussion of an identified journal article, book chapter, or report, the module will focus on critical analysis, appreciation and discussion of each issue and facilitate engagement with broader subject areas of criminology.  Students will develop a critical overview of the discipline as it stands and the extent to which it is equipped or willing to engage with certain types of crime. Some topics will allow introductory insights into emerging, specialist fields of enquiry. Students are encouraged to critically evaluate the limitations of criminological theories and evidence as appropriate, as well as explore and critique the influence of current social, economic, political and cultural context on particular policies and practices in criminal justice. To reflect the dynamic, contemporary nature of this module, students are encouraged to appreciate and use various forms of representation through which criminological issues may be channeled and discussed. 

Independent Project (Mandatory)

This module consolidates the legal research skills developed over the previous two years and enables you to undertake an independent project in your final year.  You will develop your project proposal with support from a supervisor on the course team.

EU Law (Mandatory)

European Union law (EU law) governs the relations among member states of the European Union and the means by which economic, social and political integration are designed and enforced. This module examines the laws and principles that comprise EU law and determine implementation in member states.

Administrative Law (Mandatory)

This module will focus on proceedings in the High Court for judicial review of the decision of public bodies.  The module will also examine the Human Rights Act 1998 and alternatives to judicial review proceedings such as internal complaints mechanism and ombudsmen.

Public International Law (Optional)

Students will engage with the origins, sources and application of international law in public matters. The module examines the law that governs international organisations such the United Nations and the role of international courts and tribunals in the interpretation of international treaties. This module engages with the application of international law in areas such as border disputes, the law of the sea, foreign direct investment, environmental protection (including developments in relation to climate change), armed conflict, refugees, human rights violations and international criminal law.

Company Law (Optional)

Students will engage with the interaction between law and the commercial context in our understanding the development of corporate structures. Aspects of this module draw on material from other common law jurisdictions, such as Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Australia. In full recognition of the transnational nature of corporate activities, and the influence and impact of corporations on a wide range of issues that cross national borders and jurisdictions, this module engages recent developments in transnational law in relation to corporations.

Criminal Evidence (Optional)

This module examines the law of criminal evidence in England and Wales. As well as providing a comprehensive introduction to key evidential rules, the module will explore the rationale and policies for these rules and encourage a critical evaluation of them. Statutory provisions will be examined in detail together with key cases that interpret them and develop the law in this area.

Criminal Procedure (Optional)

The module will provide a comprehensive introduction to key rules of criminal procedure, such as bail, venue and sentence through the use of realistic case studies which will develop throughout the course. These will commence with the decision to prosecute through to trial and sentence. Students will develop an ability to apply these procedural rules to further factual scenarios.

Penology (Optional)

This module considers both custodial and non-custodial punishment and a range of issues and dilemmas that might derive from these two key strategies of penal intervention. An exploration of the role and emergence of the modern prison and its internal culture, relationships and organisation will constitute an important element of the programme. Issues such as the ‘Americanisation’ of the penal system and the impact of prison privatisation will be raised when discussing the nature of imprisonment in the future.

Victimology (Optional)

This module will expand upon previous learning relating to the social and legal construction of crime and deviance. Recognising the extent, patterns and impacts of victimisation are fundamental to enable informed discussion regarding crime and deviance.  This module seeks to broaden students’ understanding of contemporary crime and criminal justice, by exploring the concept of victimisation, the experiences of crime victims and developments in response to them both within and outside of the state.

Intellectual Property Law (Optional)

Intellectual property (IP) is a rapidly expanding area of private practice that is closely connected to the knowledge-based economy which is shaping the current economic and political order both domestically and globally. The subject concerns an area of law of detailed and structured study that requires specialist knowledge. The aim of this module is to provide students with a sound knowledge and understanding of the law of intellectual property.

Clinical Legal Practice (Optional)

This module will provide students with an opportunity to undertake a placement in a firm or organisation that provides legal, or related, advice to either the public or other organisations. Placements could be in organisations in the private sector, public sector or voluntary sector. The student will need to complete an agreed number of hours within their placement organisation. As part of the placement, the student will either participate in or observe law related work in practice.

Drugs, Crime and Society (Optional)

The module explores key issues, themes and debates from the field of drugs, crime and society. Students explore established and more recent academic and policy debates surrounding drug use, regulation and criminalisation. It is expected that students will come to the module with a 'taken-for-granted' perspective on the nature of drugs, their links with crime, and their wider social consequences and the module aims to challenge some of these. 

Career opportunities

Students can progress in to a range of law and criminology related careers, including roles as Barristers and Solicitors as well as other careers within the law sector. 

Examples of careers students may pursue include: legal practice (with further training for those intending to become Solicitors, Barristers,  Chartered Legal Executives, Patent Attorneys or Trade Mark Attorneys), local government, criminal justice roles, social justice, financial services and journalism. 

Fees and finance

2023-24

  • UK full-time tuition fee: £9,250 p.a
  • UK part-time tuition fee: £1,454 per 20 credits (please contact the Student Centre for further information)
  • International full-time tuition fee:  £13,992 p.a

Further Information

At University of Suffolk, your tuition fees provide access to all the usual teaching and learning facilities that you would expect. However, there may be additional costs associated with you course that you will need to budget for. 

 

Entry requirements

Course options

This course offers a Professional Placement and Study Abroad.

Staff

Course Leader, LLB (Hons) Law

Lecturer in Law

Associate Professor in Criminology

Senior Lecturer in Criminology

Senior Lecturer in MSc Leadership and Custodial Environments (LaCE)

Lecturer in Criminology

Director, The Centre for Academic & International Partners

Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of the Legal Advice Centre