LLB (Hons) Law with integrated Foundation (3-year degree)

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The three-year LLB Law degree with Integrated Foundation is designed for students who will benefit from a one-year introduction to enable them to study law at undergraduate level. The first year of the programme provides a foundation to the more specialist ‘core’ subjects delivered in years two and three, leading to the award of an LLB.

The Buckingham LLB’s concentrated mode of delivery during years two and three of this programme prepares you for careers in law, governance, public service, industry, and commerce. It also satisfies the necessary first step for qualifying as a lawyer in various common law jurisdictions, including Canada, Nigeria (Single Hons LLB), the Bahamas, Ghana and Bermuda.

For those interested in qualifying as a solicitor in the UK, our LLB with Integrated Foundation provides you with thorough preparation for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam 1 (SQE1), enabling you to choose the accelerated SQE1 preparation courses after graduation. Our innovative and diverse curriculum also contributes to preparation for the practice-orientated SQE2, both SQE1 and SQE2 being necessary for qualification as a solicitor. Buckingham Law School graduates (LLB and LLM) also benefit from a 20% discount on the SQE1 preparation course provided by the leading professional legal educator BARBRI.

For those UK and international students wishing to qualify as an English barrister, our LLB with Integrated Foundation (single or combined honours) satisfies the academic component of Bar training, the necessary first step to qualifying as an English barrister.

Buckingham Law School also offers a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities to develop your professional skills and experience of legal practice. These opportunities include the possibility, between the second and third year of your LLB with Integrated Foundation, to undertake a sandwich year placement with a professional organisation.

Students at Buckingham who gain a second-class honours degree or higher are guaranteed a place on our LLM programme in International and Commercial Law with its specialist pathways. This opportunity greatly enhances specialist knowledge and enables our students to acquire two degrees in only three years, or four years if you pursue our LLB Law degree with Integrated Foundation programme. There is also the opportunity for undertaking research degrees at LLM and PhD.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have satisfactory completion of grade 12 plus GCSE English and Maths at Grade C / Grade 4, or above, plus evidence of genuine intellectual capacity. If your first language is not English, you will also need an IELTS score of 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in each component).

Please note that the first nine months of this programme constitute the Foundation stage. Students are expected to pass in all the Foundation modules with marks of 60% or more, in order to progress to the second year stage of the course.

UCAS applications

You may apply either through the national UCAS university admissions system, or at any time directly to the University using our own online application form. Our UCAS code is B90.

Mature students

The age range of our student body varies from those who have recently completed A-levels (or equivalent) to more mature students. Age is no barrier to learning and we welcome all applications from suitably qualified students.

International students

We are happy to consider all international applications and if you are an international student, you may find it useful to visit our international pages for details of entry requirements from your home country.

The University is a UKVI Student Sponsor.

Selection process

Wherever possible, you will be invited to the University to meet the Admissions Tutor for an informal interview and to have a tour of our campus. If you are an international applicant, it may not be possible for you to visit in person, so if the Admissions Tutor has any queries about your application you may be contacted by Microsoft Teams, email or phone.

The Admissions Office for Business would be happy to answer any questions you may have:

Student Contract for prospective students

When you are offered a place at the University you will be notified of the student contract between the University and students on our courses of study. When you accept an offer of a place on the course at the University a legal contract is formed between you and the University on the basis of the student contract in your offer letter. Your offer letter and the student contract contain important information which you should read carefully before accepting an offer. Read the Student Contract.

Quality teaching

We offer high quality, traditional Oxbridge-style teaching, which leads to our degrees being recognised around the world. The standards of degrees and awards are safeguarded by distinguished external examiners – senior academic staff from other universities in the UK – who approve and moderate assessed work and by the QAA.

High calibre staff

Most of our academic staff teach for three terms out of four, with the remaining term used for research. Because of this, we have no difficulty in attracting high calibre, highly respected lecturers, many of whom also have a background in the practise of law either as solicitors or as barristers qualified to practice in the United Kingdom and also in other overseas jurisdictions with excellent contacts with the professions and can offer networking opportunities for students. We also have a ‘Streetlegal’ programme which assists students in obtaining legal practice experience.

Teaching methods

Teaching is carried out through a combination of lectures supported by seminars and tutorials. A key feature of the Buckingham teaching method is the use of small tutorial groups which provide the most effective means of ensuring that the students benefit from the academic expertise at their disposal. It is also the philosophy of Buckingham’s faculty to be available to students outside the scheduled tutorial times and to encourage good working relationships between staff and students with our excellent Personal Tutor system which supports student every step of the way:

We provide:

• Experienced teaching staff, many of whom are Barristers, or Solicitors, holding PhDs and having published articles and books.
• Masterclasses with world class advocates in which you can learn from, question and debate with guest speakers.
• An active, vibrant and ever-growing Student Law Society.
• The chance to make a difference via our Amnesty International Student Society.

The University of Buckingham’s distinctive style of small group teaching makes our Law School different from almost all others in the UK. A profession in Law invariably requires intense discussion of the nature of problems, understanding different viewpoints and analysis to resolve them and we believe our teaching style provides outstanding preparation for these challenges. Mooting and negotiating are compulsory elements in our Legal Skills module and our students also have the opportunity of practical sessions and stimulating external competitions.

Combined Honours Law allows students to take the core foundation subjects and devote the remaining one-third (120 units) of the degree to another subject area. This might be a Modern Language, Computer Skills, Psychology, Business or a wide range of others.

Assessment methods

The assessment of individual modules within each course varies according to the subject. Assessment is usually by examination, assessed coursework, or a combination of the two. Please check module information for more details.

Preparation for work

All our degree courses combine academic challenge with the transferable skills that will stand you in good stead for future employment. Many of our more vocationally-focused degrees offer the opportunity of work placements and experience in industry.

An annual Legal Workshop is held, in partnership with current practitioners, allowing you to practise advising clients and to present short cases as though in court.

Graduate employment

Our graduates have gone on to further study at most of the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, London, Oxford and Cambridge and secured jobs in senior positions around the world. Among our alumni we have a graduate who became the head of his country’s civil service and one who became a leading Formula One motor-racing driver. Another secured a position as the Minister of Sabah and one female law graduate became the first British lawyer to become a French Advocate.

The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering educational services. 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 so on. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.

*The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering educational services. If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.

The following fee illustrations provide an insight into the cost savings which can be made by studying at The University of Buckingham.

• Fee illustration: International students
• Fee illustration: Home students

You may also find it useful to visit the following fee related information on our site:

• Estimated Living Costs
• Grants and Loans

Discounts

Students who graduate from the University and plan to continue their studies with a postgraduate degree at Buckingham can benefit from a very generous automatic discount on their fees:

• 33%, those with a first class honours degree from Buckingham
• 25%, those with a Second Class Honours, Upper Division (2:1) degree from Buckingham

Scholarships

The University of Buckingham Bursary aims to support students on low incomes or from low-income families. The bursary is worth £2000 per year and students receive this as a termly reduction in tuition fees (£500 reduction per term). Read about the eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Details of other scholarships can be found on our main Bursaries and Scholarships page.

On-campus accommodation

We guarantee on-campus accommodation to all new students for their first four terms of study, as long as it is booked and paid for in good time, so you’re assured of a safe and secure home from home when you arrive at the University. Most new students choose this option.

Living on campus enables you to become involved in University activities, make friends, and integrate with the University community. For some of you this will be your first time in the UK; for others it will be the first time living away from home – and independence brings its challenges as well as its excitements. Whatever your circumstances, we know how important it is for you to feel comfortable in your accommodation.

What’s included?

All our study bedrooms are fully furnished, centrally heated, and connected to the internet. With few exceptions they have a wash basin and small refrigerator. We have a large number of ensuite rooms, and are upgrading more rooms each year. There are shared kitchens for when you wish to cook for yourself.

Find out more

If you’d like to find out more, visit our Accommodation pages or get in touch with our Accommodation Team.

We recommend that all prospective students visit our campus if they are able to, at one of our open days or a Campus Tour, campus tours include a typical student room.

We welcome applications in two different ways – directly via our online application form or through UCAS.

If you’re interested in transferring to Buckingham from another university then please get in touch to talk through your options.