Law and Politics (LLB)
- Subject areas:
- Law,
- Politics and international relations
- UCAS code: ML12
- Next intake: September 2021
- Duration: 3 years
- Mode: Full time
Why study this course
Unquestionably the relationship between Law and Politics is an interdependent one.
Both subjects have a huge impact on all our lives regardless of age, ethnicity and social background. This programme allows you to combine these fascinating topics within the interdisciplinary environment of the School of Law and Politics.
You will gain a comprehensive grounding in Law by studying the foundation modules (which constitute the academic stage of training that is currently necessary to become a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales) across the three years of your programme. Alongside your Law modules you will study Politics modules that explore how parliaments and governments function and evaluate political ideas such as power, freedom, democracy, conflict, legitimacy and accountability.
Distinctive features
Politics
Founded on world-class research and an international reputation for excellence, our degree programmes are both challenging and inspirational.
We have excellent academic links with the National Assembly for Wales and long established relationships with national and international organisations such as the Westminster parliament, European Union and NATO giving you the opportunity to supplement your learning by engaging with political decision makers.
Law
We work in partnership with lawyers, charities and voluntary organisations to give you the opportunity to practise and extend your skills through a variety of pro bono schemes. Our students have helped overturn two convictions at the Court of Appeal through their work as part of the innocence project, reclaimed thousands of pounds for individuals and/or families who have paid private nursing home fees, provided legal support for rugby clubs and players and supported vulnerable adults who have been arrested.
You will have the opportunity to apply for a work placement which will be carried out in the third year of your degree. Should you wish to pursue a career in the legal sector, full-time, salaried placements will be open to you at a number of Cardiff Law firms via a competitive application process which aims to replicate the graduate recruitment processes you will encounter after leaving University. During your placement, you will undertake legal practice as a paralegal, and will perform graduate level roles.
Should you wish to pursue a career in the political sector you will have an opportunity to gain relevant work experience during your third year at an organisation that plays a key role in Welsh governance.
Accreditations
Subject area: Law
Subject area: Politics and international relations
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The changing nature of the pandemic means it can be hard to predict future plans with certainty. Whatever the situation, we're making every effort to keep our students safe and give them the best possible teaching and learning experience.
Entry requirements
AAB-ABB
Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard A level offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.
The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.
DDD-DDM in a BTEC Extended Diploma in any subject.
34-32 overall or 666-665 in 3 HL subjects.
Other UK qualifications may also be accepted, often in lieu of A-levels, but subject requirements must be met. If you are offering non-UK qualifications, our qualification equivalences guide should allow you to calculate what kind of offer you are likely to receive.
Please be aware that this is a general guide, and that some programmes may have more detailed or specific entry requirements which will be reflected in your offer.
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 62 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.
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 Tier 4 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.
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.
Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.
Tuition fees
Students from the UK
| Year | Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Year one | £9,000 | None |
| Year two | £9,000 | None |
| Year three | £9,000 | None |
Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, unless you qualify for UK fee status, tuition fees for 2021/22 will be in line with the fees charged for international students. UKCISA have provided information about Brexit and tuition fees.
Students from the rest of the world (international)
| Year | Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Year one | £17,450 | None |
| Year two | £17,450 | None |
| Year three | £17,450 | None |
Financial support
Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.
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
This is a three-year, full-time course, consisting of 120 credits a year. The final degree classification that you are awarded is based on the grades you achieve in the modules that you take in years two and three.
During the course of your degree, you will be able to take the Foundations of Legal Knowledge modules that constitute the Qualifying Law Degree.
In your second year you will have the opportunity to apply for a work placement which will be carried out in the third year of your LLB Law degree. The full-time, salaried placements will be open to you via a competitive application process which aims to replicate the graduate recruitment processes you will encounter after leaving university. During your placement, you will undertake legal practice as paralegals, and will be performing graduate level roles. You will develop both key practitioner skills such as case management, legal research and legal writing in addition to generic employability skills such as time management, team working and commercial awareness. Placements will be located in Cardiff and will count for 10% of degree classification.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2021/22 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2021.
Year one
You will study modules to the value of 120 credits in your first year.
You will take four compulsory 20 credit Law modules and two optional 20 credit modules in Politics in your first year, providing you with a solid base for the next two years of your degree programme.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Contract [20] | CL4201 | 20 credits |
| Criminal [20] | CL4202 | 20 credits |
| Legal Foundations [20] | CL4203 | 20 credits |
| Public Law [20] | CL4204 | 20 credits |
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Y Da, Drwg a'r Gwleidyddol: The Good, the Bad and the Political | PL9193 | 20 credits |
| Introduction to Political Science | PL9194 | 20 credits |
| Introduction to International Relations | PL9195 | 20 credits |
| Introduction to Political Thought | PL9196 | 20 credits |
| Introduction to Globalisation | PL9197 | 20 credits |
| Introduction to European Integration | PL9198 | 20 credits |
| Introduction to Government | PL9199 | 20 credits |
Year two
You will study modules amounting to 120 credits in total, 80 of which are to be chosen from the list of optional Law modules available. Remaining modules will be taken from the list of options in Politics.
If you wish to obtain a qualifying Law degree, you will notice that our QLD modules (Tort and Land Law) are offered with a range of credit weightings. This provides you with flexibility in your module choices but also allows you to study the modules needed for a qualifying law degree.
The list of optional modules is kept under review on an annual basis in light of factors such as staff resources and student demand. The final honours classification is based on the assessments taken in years two and three.
Year three
In year three, you will choose between 60 and 80 credits from Law modules and the remaining 40-60 credits will be chosen from Politics options.
If you wish to obtain a qualifying Law degree, you will notice that our QLD modules (Law of the European Union and Equity and Trusts) are offered with a range of credit weightings. This provides you with flexibility in your module choices but also allows you to study the modules needed for a qualifying law degree.
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
We offer a supportive learning environment, where you are enabled to acquire a range of skills and a wealth of specialist knowledge. Our courses foster intellectual skills, such as critical thinking, close analysis, evaluating evidence, constructing arguments, using theory and the effective deployment of language in writing and in debate. We also help you gain experience in team working, independent research and time management.
You will be taught both by lecture and seminar. Lectures provide an overview of the key concepts and frameworks for a topic, equipping you to carry out independent research for the seminars and to develop your own ideas. Seminars provide an opportunity for you to explore the ideas outlined in the lectures.
Seminars usually consist of about 15 students and the seminar leader (a member of the teaching team). Seminars may take various formats, including plenary group discussion, small-group work and student-led presentations.
You will practise and develop legal, intellectual and presentational skills by participating in diverse learning activities, such as solving legal problems, small-group discussions, debates, moots, oral presentations, independent research tasks and written assignments. You will also enhance your team-working skills.
Year 1
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
19%
Guided independent study
81%
Placements
0%
Year 2
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
18%
Guided independent study
82%
Placements
0%
Year 3
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
18%
Guided independent study
82%
Placements
0%
How will I be supported?
You will have access through the Learning Central website to relevant multimedia material, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion circles.
The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.
An extensive programme of careers lectures and workshops is delivered within the School of Law and Politics and a Law Careers Consultant is available.
A range of staff are available to provide further support, including an academic support tutor, a pro-bono scheme co-ordinator and specialist law librarians.
Feedback
We will provide you with frequent feedback on your work. This comes in a variety of formats including oral feedback during tutorials, personalised feedback on written work, feedback lectures, generic written feedback and feedback on tutorial performance
Year 1
Written exams
78%
Practical exams
0%
Coursework
22%
Year 2
Written exams
73%
Practical exams
0%
Coursework
27%
Year 3
Written exams
77%
Practical exams
0%
Coursework
23%
What skills will I practise and develop?
A law degree develops your ability to organise facts and ideas in a systematic way, identifying relevant information and evaluating these to formulate advice for a client or a legal argument.
You will also:
- enhance your ability to argue in an objective, reasoned, professional manner, with due regard to authority and acceptable citation methods
- develop your ability to undertake independent learning and effectively manage your time
- enhance your team-working skills, contributing constructively and reliably
- develop your communication skills, both orally and in writing
- learn how to use subject specific electronic sources, databases and the Virtual Learning Environment to gather evidence and to research legal questions
- grasp complex issues with confidence
- ask the right questions of complex texts
- have an imaginative appreciation of different views and options and analyse these critically
- identify and apply relevant data
- develop practical research skills
- propose imaginative solutions of your own that are rooted in evidence
- communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in writing and speech
- work to deadlines and priorities, managing a range of tasks at the same time
- learn from constructive criticism and incorporate its insights
- work as part of a team, developing a collaborative approach to problem-solving
- use IT programmes and digital media, where appropriate
- take responsibility for your own learning programme and professional development
Careers
Career prospects
In 2016/17, 95% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating.
Degrees in Politics provide you with a foundation for a wide range of careers such as in non-governmental organisations, global development, international business, diplomacy and intelligence in government, journalism, and policy research, as well as a basis for more specialist subjects taught at postgraduate level.
Students who have studied Law and have chosen to work immediately following their degree have obtained roles as negotiators, paralegals, mortgage handlers and lawyers with law firms such as Hugh James Solicitors, Admiral Law, Eversheds LLP and NHS Wales Legal and Risk Services.
However, a law degree doesn’t restrict graduates to careers within the legal profession. Each year a number of law graduates enter professions as diverse as finance, sales and marketing, digital communications and recruitment.
You will have access to a dedicated Careers Consultant at the School of Law and Politics. They arrange practical employability workshops throughout the year which cover topics including writing CVs and covering letters, preparing for employer selection days and interviews, job search strategies and sourcing work.
Studying in Welsh
Next steps
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HESA data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2020. 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 2017/18, published by HESA in June 2020.
