Law and Criminology (LLB)
- Subject areas: Law, Social sciences
- UCAS code: M190
- Next intake: September 2025
- Duration: 3 years
- Mode: Full time
Why study this course
Expert and respected
We are recognised for our expertise in the field of socio-legal studies, policing, hate crime, digital criminology, financial crime, and white-collar crime.
Award-winning
Our Pro Bono Unit has won numerous awards and provides essential work experience.
Changing lives
Our staff and student-led Innocence Project is the only UK project to have had 2 convictions overturned at the Court of Appeal.
Connected
You’ll benefit from our close links to Welsh Government, city law firms, courts, and advice centres, and links with South Wales Police and HMPs Cardiff and Parc.
Bilingual study
We offer innovative and high-quality Welsh-medium provision in all core law modules and a selection of law options.
Law is a subject which can be applied to virtually every aspect of our lives. From the receipt in your pocket to how you are treated in the workplace, to experiences of the criminal justice process, and so much in between. It’s also never been more topical. Whether that’s local, national, or international concerns. Think Brexit or human rights. Think fracking and environmental issues. Think identity fraud and cybercrime.
Our Law with Criminology (LLB) programme has been designed to develop your knowledge and understanding of how the legal system is located within a changing social, economic, and political context and how the law – and its application - is shaped by that context. Whereas Law examines the system of rules used by a country or state to regulate its inhabitants, Criminology focuses on criminalisation, victimisation, and social responses to crime and disorder. This makes both topics an ideal pairing for study as an integrated programme.
This degree programme gives an opportunity to study both Law and Criminology and so benefit from acquiring interdisciplinary knowledge, perspectives and skills. In addition to the academic skills you’ll develop, and the knowledge you’ll build through our diverse modules, we offer a range of opportunities for professional development and putting your skills into practice. Our pro bono schemes work in partnership with lawyers, charities, and voluntary organisations, helping members of the community with legal matters, completely free of charge. Through these schemes, and working on real cases, you’ll develop skills in client care, legal research, writing and public speaking, and communication in all forms. In Criminology, we draw on wide ranging research-informed teaching to explore sociological, psychological and political approaches to crime and its control.
We also offer other placement and work experience opportunities. Past students have undertaken paralegal placements with a range of solicitors, developing key practitioner skills such as case management and legal writing, alongside general workplace and employability skills.
With a view on your progression in law, our programme offers the core subjects required by the Bar Standards Board for future barristers and which are also foundational for practice as a solicitor. You’ll gain the knowledge and skills you need, while optional modules will allow you to develop specialist interests or explore diverse legal topics and sub-fields of Criminology. In addition, you will examine crime, justice and control from a social scientific perspective, applying your knowledge and understanding of criminological research to real world issues and debates.
Our commitment to supporting your professional development and aspirations also includes tailored careers support. You’ll have access to advice and guidance which will help inform you about your options and make decisions for your future – whether that’s within the legal field or not. Your skills, experiences and knowledge will be valuable to a range of different careers.
Beyond law, our Law with Criminology graduates proceed to careers in criminal justice, finance, national and local government, sales and marketing, digital communications, the media, recruitment, and many other sectors.
Subject area: Law
Subject area: Social sciences
Entry requirements
We accept a combination of A-levels and other qualifications, as well as equivalent international qualifications subject to entry requirements. Typical offers are as follows:
A level
AAA-ABB
Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.
Our grade range covers our standard offer and contextual offer. We carefully consider the circumstances in which you've been studying (your contextual data) upon application.
- Eligible students will be given an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range.
- Where there is no grade range advertised and/or where there are selection processes in place (like an interview) you may receive additional points in the selection process or be guaranteed interview/consideration.
Learn about eligible courses and how contextual data is applied.
International Baccalaureate
36-32 overall or 666-665 in 3 HL subjects.
Baccalaureate Wales
From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3). This qualification will replace the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (Welsh Baccalaureate). The qualification will continue to be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.
Other essential requirements
You must have or be working towards:
- English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade B/6 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements.
If you’d like to progress to either the Legal Practice Course or the Bar Training Course after you graduate, we urge you to first read the fitness to practise requirements of the relevant professional body to make sure you’d be eligible to register with them:
- Bar Standards Board handbook
- Solicitors Regulation Authority period of recognised training
We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects.
We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements.
English language requirements
GCSE
Grade B or grade 6 in GCSE English Language.
IELTS (academic)
At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and a minimum of 6.0 in all other subskills.
TOEFL iBT
At least 90 overall with a minimum of 22 for writing and 20 in all other subskills.
PTE Academic
At least 69 overall with a minimum of 69 in writing and a minimum of 62 in all other communicative skills.
Trinity ISE II/III
II: a Distinction in Writing and at least one Distinction and two Merits in other components.
III: at least a Pass in all components.
Other accepted qualifications
Please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our other accepted language qualifications.
Criminal convictions
You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.
If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:
- access to computers or devices that can store images
- use of internet and communication tools/devices
- curfews
- freedom of movement
- contact with people related to Cardiff University.
Other qualifications from inside the UK
BTEC
DDD-DDM in a BTEC Extended Diploma in any subject.
T level
Acceptance of T Levels for this programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic School. Consideration will be given to the T Level grade/subject and grades/subjects achieved at GCSE/Level 2.
Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.
Tuition fees for 2025 entry
Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.
Learn how we decide your fee status
Fees for home status
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.
Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
Fees for island status
Learn more about the undergraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Fees for overseas status
We are currently awaiting confirmation on tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.
Additional costs
Accommodation
We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.
Living costs
We're based in one of the UK's most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.
Course structure
The programme is taught full time over three academic years. In each year, you will study six 20-credit modules, which will include a combination of core and optional modules.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2025/2026 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2025.
Year one
In year 1, you’ll study 4 core law modules, and the events and processes that influence the development and operation of the law. You’ll also study 2 core modules in the School of Social Sciences that provide a comprehensive introduction to criminology and related social scientific perspectives.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Tort Law | CL4101 | 20 credits |
| Criminal Law | CL4102 | 20 credits |
| Public Law I | CL4103 | 20 credits |
| Public Law II | CL4104 | 20 credits |
| Foundations of Contemporary Criminology | SI0284 | 20 credits |
| Key Ideas In Social Science | SI0422 | 20 credits |
Year two
In year 2, you’ll again study 4 core modules, 3 in law and one in criminology. You'll also choose one from a range of optional modules in law and one option from criminology. The optional modules allow you to deepen your appreciation of the social, political, and economic environment in which legal and criminological developments take place. Additionally, the optional modules in law allow you to develop practical legal skills that will enhance your employability and help to prepare you for a potential placement or for pro bono activities in your final year.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Land Law | CL5101 | 20 credits |
| Contract | CL5102 | 20 credits |
| Foundations of European Union Law | CL5103 | 20 credits |
| Legal Practice: Foundation Skills | CL5107 | 20 credits |
| Miscarriages of Justice | CL5108 | 20 credits |
| Commercial Property: Skills and Practice | CL5109 | 20 credits |
| Immigration Law, Policy and Practice | CL5110 | 20 credits |
| Practical Employment Law | CL5115 | 20 credits |
| Advocacy | CL5116 | 20 credits |
| Responses to Crime | SI0202 | 20 credits |
| Real World Research (with Placement) | SI0302 | 20 credits |
| Crimes of the Powerful | SI0314 | 20 credits |
Year three
In year 3, you’ll take one core law module. You’ll also choose 5 further modules from a range of options across law and criminology that will give you the opportunity to develop a more specialised or more diverse degree profile. Your law options provide a choice of theory and practice-orientated modules to meet diverse interests. Additionally, a wide range of pro bono opportunities will be available and can be incorporated into law credit bearing modules (up to 40 credits). If you wish to pursue study of a particular legal issue, you'll have the opportunity to write a dissertation (20 credits).
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Equity and Trusts | CL6101 | 20 credits |
The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.
Learning and assessment
The style and format of teaching on the programme is diverse, to reflect and cater for a variety of learning styles, and to help you develop your independent learning skills. Our approach to teaching nurtures a student learning community, so that you can receive peer-to-peer support and collaborate with other students.
Modules are taught by teams of lecturers with a mix of academic and professional experience so that you benefit from their knowledge of contemporary real-life examples and scenarios and continuing engagement in legal and criminological research and scholarship.
Our aim is to ensure that you graduate with the self-reliance, transferable, and law-specific skills that will equip you for the future. We will help you to develop these attributes outside the classroom by providing you with a range of teaching and learning materials and activities that you will need to undertake in your own time either individually or in groups with other students.
Our in-person, face-to-face teaching and learning is supported and complemented by various digital tools. Each module makes extensive use of Learning Central, which is the university’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). On Learning Central, you’ll find discussion forums, pre-recorded videos, links to relevant web-based resources, multimedia materials and course materials.
How will I be supported?
You’ll receive regular feedback on your progress throughout your programme. Feedback takes various forms e.g., formative oral feedback during small group sessions, in seminars, and tutorials. Feedback is designed to help you develop as a learner and academic, so that you can improve your performance in future summative assessments. In addition to regular class hours, all teaching staff have Student Support Hours when you can meet and discuss any learning queries arising from the module or from your studies in general.
You’ll have access to both physical and online law and social sciences libraries, with access to a wide range of primary and secondary materials, including books, journals, and online databases for accessing cases, legislation, and other digital materials that are relevant to your studies.
You’ll receive dedicated pastoral support through our personal tutor scheme, with a designated personal tutor in each of Law and Criminology. If you wish to study through the medium of Welsh, you’ll be designated a Welsh-speaking personal tutor. Our Academic Support Tutor can assist with issues that affect your ability to attend classes or complete assessments, and a Student Mentoring Scheme is also available through the university.
A designated Disability and Diversity Officer ensures that reasonable adjustments are made if you declare a disability. In addition to this, the university has a range of services to support you, including the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, and the Student Support Service.
We offer an extensive programme of careers advice and workshops with an in-house Law Careers Consultant and a Pro-bono Scheme Co-ordinator, in addition to the university’s Student Futures (careers) service.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment tasks vary from module to module to ensure you develop a wide range of legal and transferable skills. These will include, but are not limited to, traditional academic essays, unseen examinations, reflective journals, or letters of advice to hypothetical clients of a law firm. Similarly, some presentations will test advocacy skills, as though you were presenting in front of a judge, whereas others will be aimed at a different type of audience, such as an academic audience.
What skills will I practise and develop?
The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will achieve by the end of your programme at Cardiff University and identify the knowledge and skills that you will develop. They will also help you to understand what is expected of you.
On successful completion of your programme you will be able to:
Knowledge & Understanding:
KU 1 Demonstrate a systematic knowledge and understanding of fundamental legal concepts and the key criminological theories and concepts and their relationship to cognate social science disciplines
KU 2 Critically evaluate the content and application of legal rules, principles, and theories in a variety of political, economic, social, cultural, and ethical contexts
KU 3 Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the doctrinal coherence significance of a body of statutes and/or case law
KU 4 Critically engage with key ideas, theories, developments and debates in contemporary criminology and criminal justice and selected sub-fields.
Intellectual Skills:
IS 1 Critically evaluate a range of knowledge, scholarship and arguments in law and criminology, with due regard to their evidential basis and underpinning principles, and make reasoned judgements.
IS 2 Undertake basic legal research identifying relevant issues using relevant primary and secondary sources
IS 3 Interpret and apply legal rules, principles, and abstract concepts to complex factual situations to solve problems
IS 4 Utilise knowledge and skills to understand and explain social phenomena of interest to criminology and apply this understanding to new or novel questions.
Professional Practical Skills:
PS 1 Communicate persuasively across audiences and genres, conveying academic ideas and legal-technical arguments to both specialist and non-specialist audiences using visual, written, or oral techniques.
PS 2 Independently propose practical and ethical solutions to actual or hypothetical client-based legal problems.
PS 3 Systematically evaluate and recognise ambiguity and uncertainty in the law
Transferable/Key Skills:
KS 1 Research and study creatively, independently, and reflectively, applying advanced knowledge and skills to unfamiliar legal or criminological challenges or contexts.
KS 2 Demonstrate initiative by taking responsibility for one’s independent study and managing one’s time, including in the completion of assessments, and working in teams when appropriate.
KS 3 Demonstrate technical proficiency in written English and/or Welsh and competence in applying scholarly and legal-technical terminology, so as to be able to apply skills in critical evaluation, analysis and judgement effectively in a diverse range of contexts.
KS 4 Express ideas coherently and succinctly, within defined word limits, and using information technology.
KS 5 Demonstrate digital literacy and the ability to assess the credibility of information sources.
Careers and placements
Career prospects
Cardiff University is committed to enabling all students to develop the skills and attributes to become social, economic, and environmentally aware global citizens. Our graduate attributes have been developed to reflect the needs of employers and support you to develop your skills to a higher level and be well prepared for the world of work.
We expect our graduates to be collaborative; effective communicators; ethically, socially, and environmentally aware; independent and critical thinkers; innovative, enterprising, and commercially aware; and reflective and resilient. To that end we have embedded innovative teaching and authentic assessment into our portfolio of core and optional modules, that will enable you to develop these attributes. We have a suite of year 2 optional modules that emphasise employability skills development. We’ll also signpost you to the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities taking place within the school and across the university that will help you to further cultivate your employability skills and graduate attributes.
Many of our graduates go on to qualify as solicitors and barristers, taking up positions in private practice law firms, as well as in local and national government and in large organisations which have their own in-house legal teams. Those who become barristers usually work in Chambers on a self-employed basis, or as employed barristers with organisations such as the Crown Prosecution Service or the Government Legal Department.
Some Law with Criminology graduates choose to enter law related employment straight after completing their degree – in roles such as paralegal, case handler or legal assistant. Others pursue alternative routes into law by training as a licenced conveyancer, chartered legal executive or company secretary/governance professional. This degree also provides a solid basis for developing careers in criminal justice, community safety, crime reduction and security management
The skills you develop through your Law with Criminology degree are highly prized by graduate recruiters in general. Outside the legal profession, our graduates find employment in the public, private and third sectors including with organisations such as the Civil Service, local government, charities, banks, professional services firms and in roles as diverse as social work, police, human resources, accountancy, journalism, marketing and management.
This degree can also lead to postgraduate study including master’s programmes in specialist areas of law or criminology and criminal justice.
Placements
The programme offers a range of opportunities to study abroad, or to undertake legal work experience placements. It is possible to transfer from the LLB Law with Criminology to the LLB Law with Criminology with a Placement Year at the end of Year 2, subject to the availability of placements. There is a selection process. Shorter placement opportunities are also available through our wide range of pro bono activities, some of which are provided internally and others through external partners. These placements may be undertaken on a voluntary or a credit-bearing basis. We offer modules allowing students to obtain up to 40 credits through pro bono placements.
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HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.
