Law in Practice with Politics with a Foundation Year

Law and politics are disciplines that address power from complementary perspectives. Law concerns itself with the rules and institutions through which power is constrained, rights are protected, and disputes are resolved. Politics investigates how power is acquired, exercised, and contested, examining governments, parties, ideologies, and the systems of governance that shape public life.

Studied together, they provide a comprehensive understanding of how societies are ordered and what happens when law and political will come into conflict.

At Swansea University, this five-year full-time LLB programme includes a foundation year, which provides a supported introduction to both disciplines for students who want to build their academic foundation before progressing to the full degree. The core programme combines the study of law with in-depth exploration of political systems, governance, and the dynamics of power. You will cover the essential areas of English and Welsh law, including contract, tort, criminal law, constitutional law, equity, and land law, alongside political science modules on comparative government, democratic theory, political ideologies, and the relationship between law and political authority.

The programme's practice-oriented approach includes workplace exposure, giving you direct experience of how law and politics interact in professional settings.

You will develop legal reasoning, critical analysis of political systems, and the capacity to think carefully about questions of legitimacy, authority, and justice at the intersection of two demanding disciplines. The combination is particularly valuable for careers where law and policy meet.

Graduates are well placed for careers in the legal profession following relevant postgraduate training, as well as in the civil service, public policy, political parties and advocacy organisations, journalism, and international institutions. The depth and breadth of the combined degree makes graduates versatile across a wide range of roles where legal and political understanding work together. Postgraduate study in law, politics, or public administration is a common next step.