Law with Criminology

This is a Connected Degree

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview

Complement your law studies with an understanding criminal behaviour and the processes of criminal justice.

On this degree you’ll learn about competing perspectives of crime, how social order can be challenged and maintained, and how the world deals with the crimes of the powerful — such as genocide and war crimes. You’ll develop your knowledge of the law and legal frameworks too, which builds an ideal foundation for a career in the police or prison services.

You'll apply your learning throughout the course with real world scenarios or live client work, and gain practical experience with opportunities such as the Community Lawyer module.

By taking an optional paid placement year before or after your final year of study, you'll graduate with a year of industry experience too.

Course highlights

• Enrich your study of law by developing your understanding of criminal behaviour and criminal justice

• Apply your learning in community settings to gain real-world legal practice skills

• Have confidence in your learning with our research expertise in areas such as data protection, policing and financial crime

• Benefit from teaching shaped by expert staff who have been practicing lawyers and criminologists, and who understand how the legal landscape is changing

• Be able to obtain module exemptions from the Professional Qualification in Probation

• Benefit from our partnership with Barbri, the world’s largest legal exam preparation experts, if you choose to do your Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) after graduation

• Have the opportunity to apply your learning in a paid placement year before or after your final year, where you can apply your knowledge in a criminal justice organisation

New Solicitors Qualifying Exam

The route to qualifying as a solicitor has changed for new applicants.

If you accept an offer on this course after 21 September 2021 you'll need to take the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) after you graduate to qualify as a solicitor. The content and mode of assessment of many of our modules provide a good foundation for further specific SQE preparation.

If you completed or started this course, accepted an offer of a place, or paid a non-refundable deposit (international students only) before 21 September 2021 (inclusive) you can choose to take either the new SQE or the Legal Practice Course (LPC) after graduation.

Careers and opportunities

When you graduate you'll be ready to take your next step to train as a solicitor, a barrister or a Chartered Legal Executive. It's worth noting that Chartered Legal Executives can now become judges, coroners, advocates and partners in law firms.

Law degrees are in the top 10 degrees for employability. You'll graduate with a wide range of transferable skills that will make you very employable across a range of other sectors.

Graduates of this course have gone on to work for companies such as:

• DC Kaye & Co

• The Home Office

• Surrey Police

• Willis Towers Watson (risk management)

• Invicta law

• Parker Bullen LLP

Graduates of this course have secured jobs as:

• trainee solicitor

• legal executive

• probation service officer

• Border Force executive officer

• police community support officer

• account manager

Other graduates have continued their studies at postgraduate level or set up successful businesses with help and support from the University.

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

Year 1

Core modules in this year include:

• The English Legal System
• Contract Law
• Criminal Law
• Public Law
• Understanding Criminology
• Tort

There are currently no optional modules in this year.

Year 2

Core modules in this year include:

• Land Law
• Questioning Criminology
• Legal Writing and Research
• Business and Law Undergraduate Work Placement Event
• Equity and Trusts
• Human Rights Law

Options to choose from in this year currently include:

• Crimes of the Powerful
• Global Security
• Penology and Prison
• Policing and Society
• Principles of Economic Crime Investigation
• Wildlife Crime: Threats and Response
• Training For Students on Clinical Legal Education Projects

Placement year (optional)

On this course, you can do an optional work placement year between your 2nd and 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.

Year 3

Core modules in this year include:

• European Union Law
• Contemporary Criminologies
• Criminal Justice and Human Rights

Options to choose from in this year currently include:

• Advocacy - Practice and Theory (Level 6)
• Cilex Client Care Skills
• Company Law
• Comparative Equality Law (Berkley)
• Data Protection Law and Policy L6
• Intellectual Property Law
• Law of Succession L6
• Public International Law
• Community Lawyer
• Law in Practice
• Legal Dissertation
• Cilex Level 6 Practice
• Commercial Law
• Equality Law
• Family and Child Law
• International Law and Armed Conflict
• Legal Project

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

You’ll be assessed through:

• examinations
• coursework essays
• presentations
• participation in mock trials
• written moot arguments

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select.