LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology
Combine legal study with criminological insight to develop your legal reasoning, advocacy skills and understanding of crime and justice.
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Course overview
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Find out moreAbout the course
Prepare for a successful future in law, criminal justice, and related professions with an LLB that combines academic legal study with criminological insight and practical skills development. Through small-group teaching, personalised support, and our innovative Legal Lab, you will develop expertise in legal reasoning, advocacy, research, and the analysis of crime and justice. This degree equips you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for legal practice and a wide range of professional careers.
The LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology at Buckingham combines a strong foundation in legal knowledge with the study of crime, criminal behaviour, and justice systems. The programme covers the Foundations of Legal Knowledge required for the academic component of Bar training, and supports preparation for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Plus, the degree also delivers specialist criminological knowledge and research skills relevant to contemporary criminal justice issues.
As you advance through the programme, you will strengthen your research, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills while gaining experience in the effective and responsible use of legal technologies, digital research tools, and generative AI. Practical and professional skills are embedded throughout the degree, enabling you to build confidence in legal drafting, interviewing, advocacy, teamwork, ethical decision-making, and evidence-based analysis.
You will benefit from an engaging and supportive learning environment built around small-group teaching, personalised feedback, and close interaction with our academic staff. Teaching is designed to develop both legal understanding and criminological insight through a blend of our engaging teaching methods.
A distinctive feature of the programme is the Legal Lab, an innovative learning environment that introduces students to the essential skills of legal practice and professional development. Through structured and supported activities, students develop expertise in legal reasoning, drafting, critical evaluation, client interviewing, oral advocacy, professional communication, and ethical decision-making.
This degree also emphasises digital literacy, research methods, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence and legal technologies. Students develop the ability to evaluate legal and criminological evidence, analyse complex social issues, and apply theoretical perspectives to real-world challenges.
The course encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and reflective practice, helping you understand how law, crime, and justice interact within wider social and political contexts. By integrating legal knowledge with criminological insight, the programme prepares you for legal training pathways, criminal justice careers, postgraduate study, and a broad range of professional opportunities in government, policy, research, and community organisations.
Graduates leave equipped for careers in legal practice, criminal justice, government, policy, research, community organisations, and a wide range of professional sectors.
Course Highlights
- Innovative Legal Lab where you develop practical legal skills through simulations and real-world scenarios.
- Combined study of law and criminology, exploring crime, justice, and legal systems from multiple perspectives.
- Small group teaching with personalised feedback and support from experienced academics.
- Preparation for legal careers, including support for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and the academic stage of Bar training.
- Training in AI and legal technology, preparing you for the future of the legal profession.
- Develop advocacy, client interviewing and legal drafting skills from the start of your degree.
- Industry-relevant assessments designed to mirror the skills used in professional legal environments.
- Transferable skills for diverse careers in law, business, government and the public sector.
Course breakdown
The LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology is structured to support your development from foundational legal knowledge and criminological understanding to confident and independent professional practice. You will begin by developing a strong grounding in legal principles, criminological theories, and academic skills before progressing to more advanced legal and criminological analysis.
Year 1
During your first year, you will develop a strong foundation in legal knowledge, criminological understanding, and academic skills. You will be introduced to key areas of law and learn how to analyse legal problems, interpret legal sources, construct persuasive arguments, and explore theories of crime and justice. As you progress, you will build confidence in research, critical thinking, and evidence-based analysis.
Year 2
In your second year, you will deepen your understanding of core legal principles while exploring contemporary criminological issues and criminal justice systems. Greater emphasis is placed on critical evaluation, independent research, and the application of legal and criminological knowledge to complex real-world challenges. You will continue to develop professional, analytical, and research skills relevant to legal, criminal justice, and wider professional careers.
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Teaching and assessment
We keep class sizes small so you won’t get lost in the crowd. You will be assigned a personal tutor to support you every step of the way, and our academic and student support teams will ensure you have the tools to succeed in your studies. We value the quality of your learning experience.
Teaching methods
Our teaching approach focuses on helping you develop not only legal knowledge but also an understanding of crime, criminal justice, and the social contexts in which law operates. Through a combination of our engaging teaching methods, you will build the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to succeed in legal, criminal justice, and wider professional environments.
Lectures provide a structured introduction to legal principles, criminological theories, and key concepts relating to crime and justice. Designed to be interactive and engaging, they use case-based learning, digital tools, and knowledge checks to reinforce understanding and encourage active participation.
Tutorials take place in small groups and enable you to explore legal and criminological issues in greater depth. Through discussion, debate, problem-solving, and critical evaluation, you will strengthen your analytical abilities, legal reasoning, and communication skills while receiving personalised feedback to support your progress.
Workshops focus on the practical application of legal and criminological knowledge. Working individually and collaboratively, you will tackle realistic scenarios, evaluate evidence, develop research and drafting skills, and connect theory with contemporary legal and criminal justice issues.
A distinctive feature of the programme is the Legal Lab, an innovative practice-based learning environment where you will develop core professional competencies in a supportive setting. Through simulations and skills-focused activities, you will gain experience in legal research, drafting, client interviewing, advocacy, teamwork, professional communication, ethical decision-making, and the use of legal technology. Legal Labs also help students understand how legal and criminological perspectives can be applied to real-world justice challenges.
Surgery hours provide additional opportunities for one-to-one guidance and academic support, helping you strengthen your understanding, prepare for assessments, and develop as an independent learner.
Together, these teaching methods are designed to move beyond simply learning about law and criminology to applying knowledge in practical, professional, and real-world contexts.
Timetabled activities
In your first year, on average, you can expect:
| Activity | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 4 |
| Tutorials | 2 |
| Workshops | 2 |
| Legal Lab | 2 |
| Surgery hours | 2 |
Assessment Methods
Assessment on the LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology is designed to develop both your academic knowledge and the practical skills required in legal, criminal justice, policy, and research settings. You will be assessed through a variety of methods that reflect the diverse competencies expected of contemporary law and criminology graduates.
Assessments may include:
- Written examinations (seen and unseen)
- Online multiple-choice tests
- Legal drafting exercises
- Presentations
- In-class tests
- Professional training activities
- Independent research projects
- Criminology dissertation.
You will complete both individual and group assessments to help you develop your independence, teamwork, communication, and project management skills.
Assessment methods vary across modules, ensuring you experience a broad range of formats throughout the programme. This approach reflects contemporary legal and criminological education while developing the analytical, research, communication, and professional skills that are highly valued by employers. Your assessment outputs may include reports, podcasts, infographics, posters, digital content, and recorded presentations.
Most assessments are marked anonymously to ensure fairness and impartiality. All assessments use detailed marking rubrics, and students are provided with clear marking criteria to help them understand expectations and achieve success.
After your course
The LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology provides a strong foundation for graduates seeking careers in law, criminal justice, policy, and related professional sectors. The programme covers the Foundations of Legal Knowledge required for the academic component of Bar training and supports preparation for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), while also developing specialist knowledge of crime and justice. By the time you graduate, you will have developed strong the transferable skills required to support your progression into legal practice, criminal justice agencies, government, policy, research, community organisations, postgraduate study, and specialised professional training.
Here are just some of the career opportunities and skills that can stem from studying on this course:
Career opportunities
- Solicitor (following SQE qualification pathway)
- Barrister (following Bar training and qualification)
- Paralegal
- Criminal Justice Practitioner
- Police or Investigative Officer
- Compliance Officer
- Policy Adviser
- Criminology Researcher
Career skills
- Research and analytical skills
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Professional communication and presentation skills
- Legal drafting and report writing
- Advocacy and interviewing skills
- Digital literacy and responsible use of AI
- Teamwork, collaboration, commercial awareness and professional judgement.
Careers and Employability Support
Our courses strive to effectively combine academic challenge with the transferable skills that will stand you in good stead for future employment. The Buckingham tutorial teaching model means that our students are well prepared as they embark on their careers and future study.
Find out more about our Careers and Employability Service.
Postgraduate study
Our two-year degrees mean you can begin your postgraduate studies quicker than your peers.
“Buckingham helped make the impossible, possible. The strong support offering and small class tutorials make the degree less daunting.”
Reni, Undergraduate student
Entry requirements
See our general University entry requirements for information on flexible entry, mature students and alternative qualifications.
UK Offers
The standard entry requirements for this course are: A-level: ABB-BBC (or equivalent).
International Applicants
We have a number of standard entry requirements for our international applicants:
If you are uncertain on whether you will be eligible to apply for this course, please contact our Admissions team.
Course fees
The fees for this course are:
| Start | Type | 1st Year | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Month Year Full-time (2 Years) | UK | £00,000 | £00,000 |
| INT | £00,000 | £00,000 | |
Month Year Full-time (2 Years) | UK | £00,000 | £00,000 |
| INT | £00,000 | £00,000 |
The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.
Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.
Scholarships and bursaries
How to apply
We welcome applications in two different ways – directly via our online application form, or through UCAS.
Apply direct
Apply online from this page as:
- The most flexible option.
- You can apply until shortly before the course starts.
- There are no application fees.
- Apply as an additional option to your UCAS choices.
You can apply directly through our website by clicking the ‘Apply Now’ button.
Apply via UCAS
Alternatively, if you do not wish to apply directly with us, you can apply via UCAS where you can easily make Buckingham one of your UCAS choices.
Do bear in mind that the application and decision deadline are set by UCAS and there is an application fee to UCAS.