Program Overview

LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology

Overview

As a Law with Criminology student at University of Suffolk, you will build on your knowledge of the law by critically engaging with national and international dimensions of crime and criminal justice policy and develop well-informed views on contested public issues. As well as developing a technical knowledge of the law, you will engage in theoretical debates relating to both legal and criminological issues. The programme places a strong emphasis on challenging “common-sense‟ notions of criminal and deviant behaviours by critically examining academic research and making informed decisions based on available evidence.

Course Structure

Our undergraduate programmes are delivered as 'block and blend' - more information can be found on Why Suffolk? You can also watch our Block and Blend video.

Course Modules

Year 1

• Law and Lawyering (Mandatory): This module introduces the essential characteristics of law and the foundational skills of lawyering. You will first explore the theories and philosophies underpinning law and the English legal system, making comparisons historically and to other jurisdictions.
• Constitutional Law (Mandatory): This module examines the main components of the constitutional, administrative and human rights dimensions of public law in England and Wales. You will engage critically with the nature of the British constitution and the function of constitutional principles in balancing the relationship between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
• 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 and defences. You will be able assess the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on criminal law.
• Introduction to Criminology (Requisite): This module gives students a solid foundation in criminology using a topic-based approach. Students examine how we can make sense of crime and criminality and explore key areas of debate and controversy within the discipline of criminology. Crime dominates much discussion on the political and social stage and this module enables you to take part and contribute to these public discussions in an informed and knowledgeable way. You will be able to discuss the cause and nature of crime and criminality. Important practical data skills of mapping crime data are a key part in this module.
• Principles of Psychology for Criminology (Requisite): This module explores the links between criminology and psychology. You will explore key psychological approaches and perspectives to understand how human behaviour is influenced by biological, behavioural, cognitive, and psychoanalytical processes. The focus of the module is on providing students with a grounding in the fundamentals of psychology to complement their understanding of criminology.

Year 2

• Contract Law (Mandatory): You will examine the principles, policies and practical applications of contract law from a variety of perspectives. You 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.
• Tort Law (Mandatory): This 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.
• Research Methods in Law (Mandatory): You would have been introduced to legal research in the first year. This module deepens understanding of legal research for particular purposes and contexts. You 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.
• Land Law (Mandatory): You 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.
• Equity and Trusts (Mandatory): You 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.

Year 3

• Criminal Justice (Requisite): This module examines the institutions, practices and processes that make up the criminal justice system. You will focus on policing, the courts, the penal system and the probation service but also analyse the social, economic and political factors that underpins the values, practices and processes of these institutions. There has been much discussion about the nature of criminal justice and the apparent failure of key institutions to deliver justice, protection for the public and the punishment of criminals. You will explore the role of the media, public opinion and political expedience in these debates.
• Contemporary Issues in Criminology (Requisite): This module allows you 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. Recent issues explore include sex work, pornography, left and right wing extremism, black criminology, gendered victimisation, and pre-empting crime.
• 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 mechanisms and ombudsmen.

Optional Modules

• Optional Law module: Students will need to select one optional Law module from the list below:
  • Advanced Property Law and Practice
  • Clinical Legal Practice
  • Community Legal Education
  • Company Law
  • Criminal Evidence
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Family Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • International Law and Human Rights
  • Wills and Probate
• Optional Criminology module: Students will need to select one optional Criminology module from the list below:
  • Victimology
  • Drugs, Crime and Society
  • Penology

Entry Requirements

• UK Academic Requirements: 112 UCAS Points (or above), BBC (A-Level), DMM (BTEC), Merit (T Level), Pass in Access to HE Diploma
• International Requirements: IELTS 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) where English is not the student's first language
• Transferring Credit: If you have previously studied at higher education level before you may be able to transfer credits to a related course at the University of Suffolk and reduce the period of study time necessary to achieve your degree
• Mature Applicants: Students aged 21 or over at the start of their course are regarded as mature students. The University of Suffolk offers a flexible admissions policy for mature students, which takes into account life and work experience

Fees and Funding

• UK Full-time Tuition Fee: £9,535 per year
• UK Part-time Tuition Fees: £1,589 per 20 credit module
• International Full-time Tuition Fee: £15,090 per year

Career Opportunities

Many of our graduates go on to have careers in legal practice. The Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE) has made the routes to becoming a solicitor more flexible. Although some students enrol on the Legal Practice Course, a greater number now enter employment as a paralegal upon completion of their law degree, often studying for the SQE at the same time. Our degree programme also includes all the foundational legal subjects to complete the academic stage of training to become a barrister.

Facilities and Resources

The University of Suffolk benefits from its own mock courtroom on the top floor of the iconic Waterfront Building which was installed by professional court fitters in 2020. This provides students with the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills and apply the law learned in the classroom in a practical setting. The mock courtroom includes a dock, witness box and a judge’s bench. The realistic experience of the court is enhanced further by the legal gowns and lecterns purchased by Gotelee Solicitors and the university’s Foundation Board in 2019, and practitioner textbooks generously donated by the local courts. The University of Suffolk Law course is grateful for the strong support from local legal employers that went into making this room the brilliant learning environment that all our students can experience.