School of Society and Culture

LLB (Hons) Law with Foundation

UCAS tariff 32 - 48 Contextual offers
A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes personal circumstances that may affect grades into account.
UCAS course code M101
Institution code P60
Duration

4 years

(+ optional placement)
Course type

Full-time

Study location Plymouth

Are you ready to make your mark in the legal world? Combine theory and practice to prepare for a successful career. Build a deep understanding of how the law works and apply this in the real world with the support of our experienced academic team including trained and practising solicitors. Study the topics that matter most to you with our range of optional modules. Volunteer in our on-campus, multi-award-winning Law Clinic that provides free legal advice to those who need it most in the region.

Careers with this subject

Law graduates find employment in a diverse range of roles, both inside and outside the legal profession. Studying law will develop your communication, interpersonal, and problem solving skills, which will make you stand out to employers across a number of fields. Graduates from our programme work as:
  • Barristers and in-house lawyers for companies
  • Solicitors, paralegals and legal executives
  • Journalists and media professionals
  • Politicians and senior civil servants
  • Business directors and managers
  • Public and voluntary sector managers
  • Teachers and legal academics

Key features

Build your confidence. Use the foundation year to become more confident, regardless of your educational background.
Benefit from our support. Your tutors, resources, skills training, and the community of students you will be part of will ensure you are prepared to progress from your foundation year to your chosen degree.
Develop your skills and stand out. Get ahead with a course designed to help you stand out with employers, whatever your career goals. Study modules with emphasis on developing your legal and employability skills as well as professional practice.
Flexibility. Have flexibility and choice in what you study: the first two years include traditional subjects, such as Criminal Law and Tort, alongside learning dispute resolution skills and a range of optional modules. In your final year you have lots of choice so can tailor your degree to your interests and career ambitions. Our optional modules include legal subjects such as family, employment, environmental, intellectual property, business, immigration, human rights and cybercrime.
Volunteer in our award winning Law Clinic. Gain valuable, professional experience by participating in our award-winning, pro-bono Law Clinic. Here you work under the guidance of legal practitioners, with real clients making a real difference in the community, without taking time out of your studies. You can do this for credit towards your degree or as a volunteer.
Join our outstanding student Law Society. Our society offers networking opportunities and organises competitions. Our students have excelled in winning national client interviewing and mooting competitions.
Learn from experts. Benefit from excellent research-informed and practice-led teaching by highly qualified staff, including legal practitioners. We have internationally renowned researchers in areas such as the environment, marine protection, immigration and intellectual property. We give policy advice, regionally and nationally, and work for change. We publish an on-line journal, the Plymouth Law Review, with contributions from both staff and students.
Supporting you to excel. We keep our class sizes small, so we have a close-knit community of like-minded students and staff, which will give you the encouragement and support you need to excel. You will be part of a supportive community and learning environment, with a dedicated personal tutor system and strong alumni links.
Prepare for your future. We've designed our degree to ensure you're prepared for the updated Solicitors Qualifying Exam. Our course also allows you to pursue training as a barrister, with our students regularly winning major Bar Scholarships from the Inns of Court. Take advantage of our dedicated person to support you to get work experience and secure placements.
This course is an integrated part of the LLB (Hons) Law degree at the University of Plymouth. Successful completion of your foundation year (Year 0) will not lead to a separate award or qualification in its own right but provides progression onto Year 1 of LLB (Hons) Law, or one of the following degree courses:
  • BA (Hons) Anthropology
  • BA (Hons) Art History
  • BA (Hons) Creative Writing
  • BSc (Hons) Criminology
  • BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology
  • BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
  • BA (Hons) English
  • BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing
  • BA (Hons) History
  • BSc (Hons) International Relations
  • LLB (Hons) Law and Criminology
  • BSc (Hons) Politics
  • BSc (Hons) Politics and International Relations
  • BSc (Hons) Sociology
  • BSc (Hons) Professional Policing

Course details

  • Foundation Year 0

  • In this year, you’ll experience a supportive environment to assist in the transition to successful study in higher education. You will learn about academic writing, critical thinking skills and begin to develop your research skills, as well as develop your knowledge and understanding through an introduction to the key aspects of law and relevant areas of social science.

    Core modules

    SSC301
    Discovering Your Inner Academic 30 credits

    In this module, students will learn the core academic and organisational skills required to succeed at university. They will benefit from a range of skill development sessions and subject-specific seminars, allowing them to practice applying the delivered academic skills in the context of their field of study.

    100% Coursework

    SSC302
    Individual Project 30 credits

    Students will undertake, with supervision, an individual project related to their degree programme. Staff will guide students through the process of defining, planning, and setting up their project. As part of the module, students will gain research and time management skills that will support their successful progression through their degree programme.

    100% Coursework

    SSC303
    Crime and Deviance 30 credits

    This module will introduce students to the main institutions and processes of the legal system and criminal justice in England and Wales, while developing key transferable skills related to the study and practice of law and criminal justice.

    100% Coursework

    SSC304
    Human Rights and Social Justice 30 credits

    Through the lens of human rights and social justice is module will introduce students to a foundational sociological understanding of the structure and organisation of society; and to the main institutions of domestic and international government, and the theories and concepts used by political science to study them.

    100% Coursework

  • Year 1

  • In your first year, you’ll learn about the core theories, principles and processes of the law, introducing you to how it’s studied and practised. You’ll be able to join the Student Law Society and take part in mooting, debating, negotiation and advocacy competitions. We’ve structured the curriculum so that alongside studying the English legal system, Contract, Tort, and Public Law, you’ll start to develop the critical thinking and self-reflective skills that will equip you for your chosen career.

    Core modules

    LAW4007
    Legal Systems and Skills 20 credits

    An overview of the English Legal System with reference to the criminal and civil legal processes and procedure. An introduction to the relationship between English law and procedure in a wider international context. To introduce an understanding of the requisite legal, transferrable and practical skills that underpin the study of law, including basic issues of ethical and professional conduct.

    100% Coursework

    LAW4008
    Public Law 20 credits

    This module focuses on Constitutional and Administrative Law, examining fundamental theories and principles, and their application and practice within the British constitution.

    100% Coursework

    LAW4009
    European Union Law 20 credits

    This module focuses on the law of the European Union, exploring aspects such as, for example, its institutional infra-structure, legal sources, preliminary rulings, key principles and means of enforcement

    100% Coursework

    LAW4010
    Contract Law 20 credits

    An introduction to the law of contract through study of the essential elements in contract formation. This module then considers the nature and relative significance of contractual terms.

    100% Examinations

    LAW4011
    Tort Law 20 credits

    The Law of Tort is concerned with the creation and imposition of civil rights obligations on people generally. It is focused on the legal protection of a number of key rights, such as the right to bodily integrity, reputation, enjoyment of property and privacy amongst others.

    100% Examinations

    LAW4012
    Criminal Law 20 credits

    This module provides examination of core principles and concepts of criminal law, an introduction to modes of participation, and analysis of selected offences and defences. This module will include two 2-hour talks that introduce our School and programme level employability related opportunities and support, including details of the optional placement year.

    100% Coursework

  • Year 2

  • In your second year, you’ll focus on real-life scenarios and develop practical skills in areas such as negotiation and advocacy through our very successful Dispute Resolution Skills module. You’ll study Property Law and Criminal Law in depth and begin to tailor your degree to your specific interests by choosing from a range of modules including, for example, Family, Employment, Environmental, Intellectual Property, European Union Law, Immigration and Asylum, Human Rights and Cybercrime. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience volunteering in our award winning Law Clinic, either as a volunteer or for credit towards your degree programme, and will receive support in gaining a placement if you wish to take the optional placement year.

    Core modules

    LAW5001
    Dispute Resolution Skills 20 credits

    This module focuses on the development of transferable skills based on real-life scenarios with an emphasis on enhancing employability. It revolves around dispute resolution exercises helping 'clients' to resolve disputes. It is designed to enhance practical lawyering skills. It also includes relevant elements of practice and procedure, such as analysis of the merits of a claim or defence and preparing a case for trial as well as selected pre-action considerations and trial procedures.

    50% Coursework

    50% Practicals

    SSC500
    Stage 2 Professional Development, Placement Preparation and Identifying Opportunities 0 credits

    This module is for students in the School of Society and Culture who are interested in undertaking an optional placement in the third year of their programme. It supports students in their search, application, and preparation for the placement, including developing interview techniques and effective application materials (e.g. CVs , portfolios, and cover letters).

    LAW5017
    Property Law 20 credits

    The module examines principles and the law, together with elements of practice, relating to freehold and leasehold property and associated rights and interests.

    100% Examinations

    Optional modules

    LAW5002
    Family Law 20 credits

    This module will examine the principles of family law from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5003
    Human Rights 20 credits

    This module provides an in-depth analysis of the law relating to human rights with reference to national, regional and international law principles. It examines the development and scope of fundamental rights in both theory and practice, and the legitimate limits and restrictions on rights in the interests of balancing conflicting interests in democratic societies.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5005
    Cybercrime 20 credits

    This module provides in depth examination of core principles and concepts of criminal law, an introduction to modes of participation, and detailed analysis of selected offences and defences.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5006
    Employment Law 20 credits

    This module provides students with knowledge of a specialist area of law, namely Employment Law, whilst also continuing to offer development of transferable and practical legal skills.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5007
    Immigration Law 20 credits

    This module focuses on the key and topical issues in Immigration, Nationality and Refugee law in the UK. The UK’s system of immigration control is fully considered and there is some emphasis on the application of decision making to those entering the UK both for immigration purposes and as refugees. There is consideration of the global and European context and of the influence of policy, politics and the media in the field.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5008
    Community Legal Engagement (Street Law) 20 credits

    A module in which students apply knowledge and develop practical and transferable skills. This may be in the Street Law Clinic but some students may choose to volunteer with one of the Law Clinic’s community partner organisations or find their own volunteer placement.

    100% Coursework

    CRM5003MX
    Harm in the 21st Century 20 credits

    This module explores the global challenges of harmful behaviours and activities in contemporary society by considering specific areas of concern for criminologists. By drawing on real-world examples in everyday life, the module examines how social problems and issues have arisen due to processes of globalisation that have changed the social, political and economic landscape of the 21st century.

    100% Coursework

    CRM5009MX
    Crime, Harm and Culture 20 credits

    The module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of harm and crime by exploring relevant issues from film, television, music, fiction literature and art. By applying a criminological lens to different forms of popular culture, students will be able to examine a variety of media forms in terms of its content and its contemporary political, social and economic context using different theories and concepts.

    100% Coursework

    ENG5002MX
    Gothic Fictions: Villains, Virgins and Vampires 20 credits

    This module looks at eighteenth- and nineteenth-century novels to trace the variety and scope of literary contributions to the Gothic. It begins by discussing the origins of the Gothic novel, then moves to the heyday of the genre in the revolutionary 1790s, on to authors writing in the early and mid-nineteenth century, through to the decadence of the 1890s.

    100% Coursework

    ENG5017MX
    Writing Genre Fiction 20 credits

    This module takes students into in-depth engagement with prose fiction writing in various genres, with possibilities including fantasy, science-fiction, period/historical, young adult fiction, horror, comedy, romance, crime, and thriller. The module is taught through lecture, seminars, and workshops where students are asked to submit and feedback to peers and tutors on a regular basis.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5015
    EU Trade Law 20 credits

    This module offers the opportunity to expand knowledge and understanding of EU Law in the context of the regulation of certain aspects of trade.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5018
    Equality and the Law 20 credits

    This module will consider how Equality Law has developed over the last century and introduce students to key principles and debates in this area. To promote inclusion, the module will look at Equality Law in a social, political, and legal context. In respect of the latter, there will be a key focus on discrimination in the workplace. The module will also consider how we enforce equality rights (including the challenges for enforcement), and how they may evolve in the future.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5019MX
    Law in Context: Commerce and Intellectual Property 20 credits

    This module focuses on the work of commercial lawyers in practice in helping businesses to trade. It analyses a range of contractual agreements dealing with the manufacture, sale, supply and distribution of goods, assets and services in general and intellectual property in particular.

    100% Coursework

    PER5008MX
    Play and Games for Performance 20 credits

    This module will introduce students to practical methods for designing games and play structures for participatory performances that invite audiences to become actively involved in the work. In addition to learning new tools for designing and facilitating play, students will be prompted to consider playfulness from a theoretical perspective, recognising the connection between the play of mimesis and theatrical performance.

    100% Coursework

    PIR5013MX
    Politics Beyond Parliaments 20 credits

    This module analyses the role of civil society and the public sphere in democratic governance and in democratization from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

    100% Coursework

    PIR5014MX
    Voter Behaviour and Effective Election Campaigning 20 credits

    This module undertakes an advanced examination of contemporary trends and developments in theories of electoral behaviour globally; then more specifically the relationship between electoral rules, electoral systems and election outcomes; the evolution of campaign techniques, and the role, mechanics, and accuracy of opinion polls in modern electoral politics. These global understandings are applied directly to the case of British politics.

    100% Coursework

  • Optional placement year

  • Gain valuable on-the-job experience through our optional placement year. We will support you in your second year in deciding whether to take this opportunity, and assist you in finding a placement and in being prepared for it. The placement could be in any appropriate external setting. Alternatively, you can gain this experience by selecting our Work-Based Learning module in your final year.

    Core modules

    SSC600
    School of Society and Culture Placement Year

    Students have the opportunity to gain work experience that will set them apart in the job market when they graduate by undertaking an optional flexible placement year. The placement must be a minimum of 24-weeks (which can be split between a maximum of two different placement providers) and up to a maximum of 48-weeks over the course of the academic year. The placement is flexible and can be undertaken virtually, part or full time and either paid or voluntary. This year allows them to apply and hone the knowledge and skills acquired from the previous years of their programme in the real world.

  • Final year

  • In your final year, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your research skills with a dissertation on a legal issue that inspires you, or undertake work-based learning for credit, including within our Law Clinic. You’ll be able to further tailor your degree to your interests and career ambitions by choosing from a selection of Law modules such as, for example, those intending to progress to vocational training as either a solicitor or barrister, including Criminal Law and Practice, Business Law and Practice, and Trusts and Practice.

    Optional modules

    LAW6000
    Dissertation 40 credits

    The production of a substantial dissertation (10,000 words) on a legal or legally related area with content and form determined by the student. For the LLB Law and Criminology the dissertation will be set in context.

    100% Coursework

    LAW6001
    Work-Based Learning 40 credits

    A 40 credit module in which students develop intellectual, practical, transferable and ethical skills in a work-based learning context. The placement may be in or for any work-based organisation, though many of these will be law related. Students may be placed within one of the Law School’s Law Clinic projects or within a Law Clinic partner organisation or they may choose to find the whole or part of their work experience independently.

    100% Coursework

    LAW6002
    Work-Based Action Research 20 credits

    A module in which students apply legal skills (including research) and knowledge by undertaking practical legal research as part of their work-based learning.

    100% Coursework

    LAW6003
    Criminal Law and Practice 20 credits

    This module will build on the principles taught in Criminal Law, and introduces students to the practical/professional application of criminal litigation; it will look at the criminal justice process from investigation and the decision to charge; detention and interrogation, and introduce the substantive law and rules around criminal evidence; funding criminal legal services; through to the criminal litigation process; and sentencing and appeals.

    70% Coursework

    30% Examinations

    LAW6004
    Family Law 20 credits

    This module will examine the principles of family law from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

    100% Coursework

    LAW6005
    Human Rights 20 credits

    This module provides an in-depth analysis of the law relating to human rights with reference to national, regional and international law principles. It examines the development and scope of fundamental rights in both theory and practice, and the legitimate limits and restrictions on rights in the interests of balancing conflicting interests in democratic societies.

    100% Coursework

    LAW6006
    Trusts and Practice 20 credits

    The module examines equitable principles and the law relating to trusts and estates. The module supports the development of a practical understanding of the law sitting behind wills and the administration of trusts and estates.

    70% Coursework

    30% Examinations

    LAW6007
    Business Law and Practice 20 credits

    This module considers the “life” of business organisations, how they operate and how they are governed. It critically assesses the concepts and principles of corporate law as well as key elements of practice and procedure in how they operate and are governed. The module builds upon elements of contract law and applies them in a commercial setting.

    70% Coursework

    30% Examinations

    LAW6008
    Cybercrime 20 credits

    This module provides in depth examination of core principles and concepts of criminal law, an introduction to modes of participation, and detailed analysis of selected offences and defences.

    100% Coursework

    LAW6009
    Employment Law 20 credits

    This module provides students with knowledge of a specialist area of law, namely Employment Law, whilst also continuing to offer development of transferable and practical legal skills.

    100% Coursework

    LAW6010
    Immigration Law 20 credits

    This module focuses on the key and topical issues in Immigration, Nationality and Refugee law in the UK. The UK’s system of immigration control is fully considered and there is some emphasis on the application of decision making to those entering the UK both for immigration purposes and as refugees. There is consideration of the global and European context and of the influence of policy, politics and the media in the field.

    100% Coursework

    ENG6003
    Advanced Short Story Workshop

    In this module we will examine a range of contemporary short story writing and relevant theory as a way for students to learn how to compose their own short fiction. Class time will be divided between discussion of short fiction and theory, writing exercises and peer workshops of student work. The workshops will be substantially informed by staff research practice.

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Personalise your degree

All our degrees have a wide range of optional modules and there is even the opportunity to study modules from any of the School of Society and Culture 's subject areas.
You could graduate with one of the following personalised course title combinations:
 
Law with Anthropology

Modules

    ANT5006MX
    Decolonising the Social Sciences 20 credits

    This module responds to contemporary calls to decolonise the social sciences. It reads the history of social science through the lens of post-colonial and indigenous studies. How have non-western voices been marginalised and silenced by academia? What does academia look from the perspective of the subaltern? Can the social sciences shed their colonial robes, or are they doomed to remain racialised and exclusionary disciplines? We explore these questions in regard to emerging disciplines aimed at constructing better and more inclusive futures, including 'indigenous criminology', 'participatory ethnography', and the 'anthropology of the otherwise'.

    100% Coursework

    ANT5008MX
    Brave New Worlds: Ethnography of/on Online and Digital Worlds 20 credits

    This module teaches students how to use ethnographic methods to make sense of the internet, which we now increasingly inhabit. Students learn how to navigate and analyse platforms such as Facebook or TikTok. They study how these technologies transform our relationships, identities, and ideas of truth. The module also examines the socio-cultural and ethical aspects of digital worlds (e.g. Second life).

    100% Coursework

    ANT6008MX
    Coastal Cultures: Marine Anthropology in the age of climate change and mass extinction. 20 credits

    Using ethnography, we analyse how coastal communities use the sea – not only as a source of livelihood, but as a key ingredient in the construction of their identity and place in world. Drawing on a range of cases from across the world – from Polynesian sorcerers, to Japanese whale mourners, to Cornish surfers – we study how coastal communities are responding to climate change, sea level rise, pollution, and extinction.

    100% Coursework

Law with Art History

Modules

    ARH5008MX
    Painting Sex and Power 20 credits

    The module examines the link between the perception of sexuality and power in a variety of media, and from diverse historical and geographic contexts. Critical approaches from gender studies will be combined with visual analysis in order to contextualize the biased and stereotypical nature of the imagery.

    100% Coursework

    ARH5002MX
    Imagery in Online and Offline Worlds: Film, Television and Video Games 20 credits

    This module provides students with a comprehensive understanding of current approaches towards mass media and visual culture. Particular emphasis will be put on medium-specificity, content analysis and audience studies.

    100% Coursework

    ARH6002MX
    Questions in Contemporary Art 20 credits

    The module introduces and examines selected questions raised in the last three decades in contemporary art. Case studies drawn from art history, critical and cultural theory, and where appropriate related disciplines, will be examined.

    100% Coursework

Law with Creative Writing

Modules

    ENG5010MX
    Writing Creative Nonfiction: Autobiography, Travel Writing, Reportage 20 credits

    This module introduces students to the key concepts and issues in contemporary works of creative nonfiction, or 'life writing'. Included in our readings will be works of memoir and autobiography, travel writing, personal essays and reportage. The module is entirely taught in workshops where we experiment with producing our own works of creative nonfiction and learning to refine them, as well as critically evaluate and contextualise them.

    100% Coursework

Law with History

Modules

    HIS5004MX
    Global Cold War: Politics, Culture and Society 20 credits

    This module is an introduction to major themes in the political, social and cultural history of the modern world with special focus on the 20th century and the Cold War.

    100% Coursework

    HIS5007MX
    Eighteenth-Century Empires 20 credits

    This module is designed to explore the ‘long eighteenth century’ with a broad geographical focus, encompassing, but not limited to the Atlantic Isles, Atlantic world, formal and informal empire, and trading connections. It takes in the slave trade and impact of slavery globally, studies voyages of exploration, examines the scientific and political enlightenment, and wider cultural and social impacts of imperialism.

    100% Coursework

    HIS5009MX
    Middle Kingdoms: Themes in Early Modern Asia 20 credits

    This module introduces the history of early modern Japan (c.16th-19th centuries). At one level, it explores key questions shaping the histories of the late Sengoku (‘Warring States’) and Tokugawa Japan. Building on these questions, it then situates the Japanese experience in a trans-regional perspective with reference to early modern China, Korea, Ryukyu, as well as Europe.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS5014MX
    Dunkirk to D Day: The Second World War in Europe 20 credits

    The module examines the Second World War in Europe and the Atlantic Ocean from 1940 to late 1944.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS6002MX
    Piracy and Privateering, c.1560-1816 20 credits

    This module explores piracy and privateering activity in the seas around the British Isles and further afield from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the end of the second Barbary War in 1816. This course focuses on the social history of piracy and privateering, the organisation of pirate society, and the economic impact of piracy and privateering.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS6006MX
    America, the United Nations and International Relations 1945 to the present 20 credits

    This module provides a detailed examination of the relationship between the United States of America and the United Nations in the management of international relations from 1945 to the present.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

Law with Criminology

Modules

    CRM6010MX
    Green Criminology 20 credits

    This module will address theoretical perspectives, methodological issues, and empirical research related to the field of green criminology, including applied concerns, such as policy and social/political praxis, through a range of concepts, topics, and themes that are central to green criminology.

    100% Coursework

    CRM5007MX
    Contemporary Issues in Criminology 20 credits

    This module focuses upon a contemporary criminological or criminal justice-related issue that has received attention in the media and in official reports but may not be well covered yet in an established academic literature. The purpose of the module is for students to collect data on the issue and to subject it to a criminological analysis appropriate to the topic.

    100% Coursework

    CRM5008MX
    Security and Policing Today: Debates and Issues 20 credits

    This module provides students with a contemporary overview of debates and issues in policing and security environments that inform practice and development in the field. The module examines how modern policing and security function, the impact of professionalization on all aspects of policing tasks and the tensions and benefits attained from multi-agency working. The module considers policing legitimacy, the ethics of crime control and associated engagement with the diversity of contemporary society, competing community interests and professional practice.

    70% Coursework

    30% Tests

    CRM6011MX
    Security Management 20 credits

    This module provides students with a critical insight into the professional domain of security management. It provides an overview of the theories, policies, procedures and practices that underpin the work of the security manager, and focuses upon a career-relevant knowledge and understanding of this significant area of expertise.

    70% Coursework

    30% Tests

Law with International Relations

Modules

    PIR6007MX
    Global Environmental Politics 20 credits

    This module examines the problem of environmental degradation and its implications for our global political economy. It discusses the major debates in political thought around the primary causes of environmental degradation. The module outlines the major attempts to build international regimes for global environmental governance, and the difficulties and obstacles that such attempts have encountered. A range of ideas, critiques, policy proposals, innovations in governance, and templates for political activism within the environmental movement are critically evaluated.

    100% Coursework

    PIR5009MX
    Refugee Studies 20 credits

    This module focuses on the political, economic and social context of forced migration and considers the complex and varied nature of global refugee populations. It analyses responses at international, national and regional level and engages with a range of challenging questions around international co-operation, the framework of international protection, humanitarianism and the causes of displacement.

    100% Coursework

    PIR5011MX
    Global Development 20 credits

    This module embraces both theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding development issues and policies, at international and multilateral scale. The approach incorporates historical, economic, political and social perspectives. The module considers issues faced by international development agencies, as well as the impact on populations in the developing world to illustrate and provide context for the discussion of various developmental concerns.

    100% Coursework

Law with Politics

Modules

    PIR6008MX
    Voter Behaviour and Effective Election Campaigning 20 credits

    This module undertakes an advanced examination of contemporary trends and developments in theories of electoral behaviour globally; then more specifically the relationship between electoral rules, electoral systems and election outcomes; the evolution of campaign techniques, and the role, mechanics, and accuracy of opinion polls in modern electoral politics. These global understandings are applied directly to the case of British politics.

    100% Coursework

Law with Sociology

Modules

    SOC5005MX
    Globalisation and Social Justice 20 credits

    This module investigates the key debates of globalisation and critically evaluates, in terms of its economic, political, socio-cultural and legal dimensions, the causes and consequences of a globalising world. It furthermore explores a range of international social justice issues to examine the relationships (causative and ameliorative) between policies and (in)justice

    60% Coursework

    40% Practicals

    SOC5006MX
    Gender, Sex and Sexuality 20 credits

    This module introduces students to the sociology of gender, sex and sexuality. It interrogates these concepts with particular reference to identity, activism, social justice and social change. It develops an understanding of the similarities, differences and intersections between gender, sex, sexuality and other social signifiers of difference/diversity including ‘race’, ethnicity, dis/ability, class and age.

    100% Coursework

    SOC6004MX
    Health, Medical Power and Social Justice 20 credits

    This module considers a range of issues concerning health, illness and medical power in contemporary society. The module seeks to develop an understanding of the impact of ‘medicalisation’ on everyday life, as well as the importance of social divisions, such as age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status. There will be a focus on a range of sociological perspectives on health with an opportunity to focus upon areas of particular interest.

    100% Coursework

Law with Policing and Security Management

Modules

    CRM6011MX
    Security Management 20 credits

    This module provides students with a critical insight into the professional domain of security management. It provides an overview of the theories, policies, procedures and practices that underpin the work of the security manager, and focuses upon a career-relevant knowledge and understanding of this significant area of expertise.

    70% Coursework

    30% Tests

    CRM5008MX
    Security and Policing Today: Debates and Issues 20 credits

    This module provides students with a contemporary overview of debates and issues in policing and security environments that inform practice and development in the field. The module examines how modern policing and security function, the impact of professionalization on all aspects of policing tasks and the tensions and benefits attained from multi-agency working. The module considers policing legitimacy, the ethics of crime control and associated engagement with the diversity of contemporary society, competing community interests and professional practice.

    70% Coursework

    30% Tests

    CRM5006MX
    Forensic Criminology: Social Investigations

    This module focuses on how social science can contribute to criminal investigations. This involvesforensically investigating the backgrounds and experiences of individuals involved in criminal or deviantbehaviour. The sociology of the police who are tasked to conduct investigations is also analysed. Students will be encouraged to apply criminological techniques and theory to scenario-based examples which will focus on victims, offenders and the police, and their positions in society.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

32 - 48

Contextual offers: Typically, the contextual offer for this course is 8 points below the advertised tariff. A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes into account individual circumstances that are beyond your control, and that can potentially impact your learning and your exam results, or your confidence in applying to university.

Check your eligibility for a contextual offer

18 Unit BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma
PPP-MMP in any subject.
BTEC National Diploma modules
If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.
International Baccalaureate
24-25 overall to include 4 at any subject at Higher Level. English and Maths accepted within: Higher Level = 4, Standard Level = 5.
IELTS
If overseas and not studying English within IB – Must have IELTS: 6.0 overall with 5.5 in all elements.
Access courses
Pass access course (any subject) plus GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4 or above or equivalent.
New Irish Highers
Achieve Irish Leaving Certificate with 32-48 UCAS points.
T Levels
Pass in any subject.
GCSE
GCSE’s or equivalent: Maths and English at Grade C/4 or City and Guilds; Key Skills Level 2 will be considered on an individual basis.
Mature students with appropriate work experience are encouraged to apply. For those who do not meet the requirements, please enquire for further details. We encourage any candidate who is unsure about the suitability of their qualifications or experience to contact Admissions in the first instance, who will then liaise with the Admissions Tutor and Programme Lead.
We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding

Student 2024-2025 2025-2026 *
Home £9,250 £9,250
International £17,100 £17,600
Part time (Home) £770 £770
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per 10 credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. More information about fees and funding.

* UK Government announcement on tuition fees

On Monday 4 November 2024 the UK Government announced a proposal to increase tuition fees for home undergraduate students from £9,250 to £9,535 per annum from September 2025 onwards. The University of Plymouth intends to apply this new fee from September 2025. However, implementation of this increase will be subject to Parliamentary procedure. The University will give further details to both prospective and current students as soon as more information becomes available.

Additional costs

This course is delivered by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business and more details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are listed on the following page: Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business additional costs .

Undergraduate scholarships for international students

To reward outstanding achievement the University of Plymouth offers scholarship schemes to help towards funding your studies.

Tuition fees for optional placement years

The fee for all undergraduate students completing any part of their placement year in the UK in 2024/2025 is £1,850.
The fee for all undergraduate students completing their whole placement year outside the UK in 2024/2025 is £1,385.
Learn more about placement year tuition fees

How to apply

All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code.
To apply for this course and for more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.
Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
 

Hone your courtroom skills

Situated inside The Box, Plymouth's £40 million cultural hub, the University uses The Foulston Room for its moot court facility.
Through mock case scenarios, you have the ability to practise a variety of legal roles in this space. The room has been authentically configured and furnished to simulate a real court environment.

The Foulston Room gives our students hands-on, real-world experience of the court room. Setting foot in this Grade II listed building, walking up its grand staircase and into a historic room that looks and feels just like a real court is thrilling! With interactive teaching, court room simulation and ‘mooting’, our students get to experience what it is really like to represent clients in court. It is the perfect space to grow confidence and develop craft, and it’s the best possible preparation for future success in their legal careers.

John MatthewsDr John Matthews
Interim Head of School

Group of students wearing barrister wigs in Moot Court, Foulston Room (hero image optimised)
Students using Moot Court in the Foulston Room
Moot Court in the Foulston Room

Whilst working in the law clinic, we had the opportunity to help those who needed it, and have been able to make a positive impact in difficult times. It was also a huge factor in helping me stand out when applying for jobs.

Alannah O’Neill
LLB (Hons) Law student 

Follow in our graduates’ footsteps

Learn more about the diverse range of successful career pathways our LLB (Hons) graduates take after completing the course

Jennifer Smith, LLB (Hons) Law graduate

Jennifer Smith
Jennifer shares her journey since graduation and how studying at Plymouth shaped her career as a Pupil Barrister specialising in law.

Dhanisha Falguni Chandrakant - LLB (Hons) Law

Dhanisha Falguni Chandrakant Bharadia
Fundraiser and volunteer Dhanisha has big plans for her future in environmental law.

Ciaran Cronnelly, politician

Ciaran Cronnelly
Ciaran volunteered while studying at the University of Plymouth to launch his career as a politician and strategic change consultant.

Resilience, empathy and passion – but what else does it take to be a lawyer for the people?

“A law firm always wants a nice rounded individual. One that knows the theory but can also do the marketing and networking. You need empathy, regardless of the practice area. You need resilience. You need to juggle client expectations with your workload and third parties.”
Read Donna's story
Donna Butler, Partner at Beers LLP, puts forward a fair case for the power of empathy and studying law at Plymouth.
LLB Law graduate Donna Butler

Learn from experts including trained and practising solicitors