Law with Criminology

Law with criminology is a combination that enriches doctrinal legal study with the social scientific understanding of why crime occurs, how criminal justice institutions function and whether their responses to offending are effective or just. Legal training develops your analytical, research and drafting skills alongside a thorough knowledge of how English law operates across core subject areas; criminology adds the sociological, psychological and policy perspectives that illuminate what the law is actually doing when it defines and responds to crime. At the University of Bedfordshire, this four-year programme includes a foundation year, making it accessible to students who need to build their academic and analytical foundations before the main degree begins.

Entry to the foundation year requires around 72 tariff points.

You will study the core legal subjects, including contract, tort, criminal law, constitutional and administrative law and equity, developing the rigorous analytical and communication skills that legal education demands. The criminology component engages with crime causation theories, penology, victimology, the operation of the police, courts and prison system, and the contested question of what criminal justice is trying to achieve. Bedfordshire's law courses have been recognised in the National Student Survey for learning opportunities that develop knowledge and skills applicable to future careers.

The foundation year develops the academic skills needed to succeed in the degree.

Graduates pursue careers in legal practice, criminal justice services, social work, the probation service, policy research, the voluntary sector and public administration. The law degree provides a foundation for the further professional qualifications required to practise as a solicitor or barrister. Many graduates also go into postgraduate study in criminology, law or social policy, while others move directly into roles where the combined analytical and social science training is valued.