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BA(Hons) Law and Criminology

Entry year
2025/26
Course code
MM19
Application
UCAS
Level
Undergraduate
School
Bristol Law School
Tariff points
112
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
Three years, Four years sandwich
Delivery
Full-time, sandwich
Programme leader
Matthew Raymont-Hall and Eve Smietanko

This course is open for applications

Introduction

Get access to advanced computing systems, laboratories, mock courtrooms and simulations that give you real-world experience to succeed in your career.

Why study law and criminology?

Studying criminology gives you a deep understanding of offending and victimisation and the realities of societies' responses to crime. This knowledge both complements and critically contextualises the study of the laws through which criminal justice is applied. You'll develop an understanding of how law is applied, which will benefit you whether you wish to practise criminal law or work in the criminal justice system.

Why UWE Bristol?

Here at UWE Bristol, we acknowledge the intrinsic link between law and criminology. In this course, you won't just learn what the law is but how and why it has come about. You'll consider law, criminal justice and society from different perspectives, and learn how concepts and institutions work and could be improved.

You'll be able to explore modules spanning criminal justice, criminal law, crime patterns, policing, media, youth justice, drugs, terrorism, serious offending and penology. You'll gain a solid grounding in criminological research methods and practice, plus you'll develop valuable legal skills such as mooting and negotiating.

Our course gives you real-world insight and you'll be able to develop professional abilities through community engagement and work-based learning. Within your first two years, you'll have bespoke law and criminology modules designed to give you the knowledge and skills required of this joint discipline. In years two and three, you'll select optional modules that allow you to specialise more in law or criminology or study both in equal measure.

Where can it take me?

If you wish to pursue a career in law, our BA(Hons) Law and Criminology will prepare you to sit the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

For those who aspire to become barristers, the course can include the subjects you'll need to satisfy the academic stage of training before studying the Bar Training Course (BTC). To do this, you'll need to select certain optional modules within years two and three, which we'll be able to advise you on.

As a full-service Law School, you can study the LLM/PGDip Bar Training Course (BTC), PGDip/PGCert Solicitors Training Course (SQE prep) and LLM/PGDip Solicitors Training Course (SQE Prep) at UWE Bristol.

Structure

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

Year one

You'll study:

  • An Introduction to Applied Criminal Justice and Community Policing
  • Criminal Law
  • Foundations for Law and Criminology.

Year two

You'll study:

  • Contract Law
  • Policing and Crime Prevention
  • Problem-solving in Law and Criminology
  • Tort Law.

Plus, optional Law modules (the number depending on credit requirements) from:

  • Environmental Law
  • Land Law (if you wish to take the Bar Training Course you must study this module)
  • Migration, Law and Policy
  • Public Law (if you wish to take the Bar Training Course you must study this module)
  • Sexual Offences and Offending: Criminal Justice Responses.

Plus, optional Criminology modules (the number depending on credit requirements) from:

  • Angels or Demons? Understanding and Managing Youth Offending
  • Drugs, Crime and Society.

Placement year (if applicable)

If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement or study year abroad after year two.

You'll complete a placement or study year abroad learning module.

See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.

Final year

You'll study:

  • Criminology and Law Project
  • Criminal Justice.

Plus, optional law modules (the number depending on credit requirement) from:

  • Equality and the Law
  • Equity and Trusts (if you wish to take the Bar Training Course you must study this module)
  • European Union Law in Context (if you wish to take the Bar Training Course you must study this module)
  • Family Law
  • International Human Rights Law.

Plus, optional criminology modules (the number depending on credit requirement) from:

  • Green Criminology: Environment, Crime and Justice
  • Risk and Risk Management
  • Transnational Crime and Comparative Criminology
  • Victims and Victimology.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

"During my degree, I volunteered at a prison for sex offenders and completed a project with a support service for sexual violence victims. This gave me access to the industry, which led me to co-found a business providing education on challenging sexual violence." Sophie, Criminology and Law graduate

Learning and Teaching

Our student-centred learning approach supports you to develop the skills you need to have a successful professional career. Our modules take different learning approaches, so you can choose those that match your style best.

We use a variety of teaching methods which will include lectures, seminars and workshops. You'll be encouraged to participate in discussions and activities throughout to enhance your learning and experience.

You'll be allocated an academic personal tutor who'll support you academically throughout your degree.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Study time

During your degree, you'll have a minimum of 12 hours contact time with a lecturer each week.

For every hour of contact time there is an expectation that you spend three hours studying independently.

In year one and year two, you'll receive one hour of peer assisted learning (PAL) each week.

Assessment

You'll be assessed using problem and essay questions, exams, research-based assessments, reflection on skills acquisition, report writing, portfolio submissions and presentations.

Within your first year you'll be assessed using a full range of assessment methods. In years two and three you'll have the option to select modules which suit your interests, strengths and learning style.

In year one, 50% of the year will be assessed with ‘pass/fail’. This allows you to concentrate on gaining the knowledge and skills that underpin this discipline with opportunity to practice and improve.

Learn more about assessments.

Features

Placements

We encourage you to do a 40-week paid work placement in the UK or overseas, supported by an award-winning placement team. You'll gain valuable real-world experience, develop key skills and increase your employability on graduation.

If you choose the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after year two. In addition to this you can study the final year 'Law in Action' module where you'll gain experience in a local law firm or voluntary organisation for one day a week. Previous students have worked with Bristol Law Centre, Watkins Solicitors, Red Cross, Death Row, Citizens Advice and local schools.

Fieldwork

Field trips are an important part of your studies, particularly our annual visit to Lincoln's Inn where you'll dine in court with barristers and judges and learn more about this exciting career. Other study visits include the Houses of Parliament, European Court of Justice, World Trade Organisation and magic circle law firms.

Study facilities

You'll study in our Bristol Business School building, where you'll have access to modern learning spaces, including a dedicated law resource room. Mock courtrooms help you practise legal submissions, take part in recorded mock trials and gain experience of being in court.

Practical criminology sessions are held in our well-equipped teaching laboratory, where technicians show you how to use advanced computing systems, statistical software and analytic instrumentation.

In our specialist library, you can access books, trade press, academic journals, and industry databases both on and off campus.

You'll also have access to the College of Business and Law (CBL) Learning Hub, which provides one-to-one support and workshops.

Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.

Pro Bono Unit

You'll have opportunities to engage in Pro Bono work, where you'll volunteer to help the local community.

Supervised by academics and practitioners, you'll work on cases and provide legal advice through projects such as The Innocence Project, Elderlaw, the UWE Street Law Programme and schools mentoring scheme.

Take a personalised virtual tour of the Psychology, Sociology and Criminology facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.

Life

Accommodation

An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

BA(Hons) Law and Criminology graduates are highly valued by employers due to their wide knowledge base and critical, analytical and legal skills. This degree combination leads naturally to a career in criminal law. You could pursue a career as a solicitor or barrister or in areas such as criminal justice and the charity sector.

Our graduates could go on to find employment in the following sectors and roles:

  • legal adviser
  • paralegal
  • prisons and probation
  • policing
  • education
  • research
  • social work
  • charity sector
  • Non-governmental organisations (NGO)
  • public sector.

As well as the careers above, alumni from this course have gone onto careers in:

  • finance
  • fire and rescue
  • marketing
  • civil service
  • Network Rail
  • primary school teaching.

Many students train as a barrister or solicitor through the LLM/PGDip Bar Training Course (BTC), PGDip/PGCert Solicitors Training Course (SQE prep) or LLM/PGDip Solicitors Training Course (SQE Prep) or undertake one of our LLMs.

If you major in criminology, you could go into research, education, social work, counselling, charity work and healthcare. There are also opportunities with the police, prison and court services, as well as the legal sector.

Get inspired

Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and help you to find graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.

We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.

Visit our employability pagesto learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.

Fees*

There is currently no published fee data for this course.

Supplementary fee information

*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.

Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.

Please see GOV.UK for further information.

Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.

You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the four year course and then transfer to the three year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.

Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.

Learn more about funding.

Additional costs

This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.

Learn more about costs.

Entry

Typical offers

  • Tariff points: 112
  • Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
  • English Language Requirement:

    International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

    *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.

  • A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
  • EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required.

    For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.

  • Access: No specific subjects required.
  • Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required.
  • Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
  • Welsh Baccalaureate: We accept tariff points achieved from the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
  • Cambridge Technical: No specific subjects required.
  • T Levels: No specific subjects required.

Entry requirements

If you don't meet the entry requirements, you may be eligible for BA(Hons) Criminology and Law (with Foundation Year).

International applicants

For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.

If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.

Read more about entry requirements.

How to apply

Read more about undergraduate applications.

Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.

For further information

Unistats

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