Law in Practice with International Relations with a Foundation Year, LLB (Hons)

Build knowledge of both law and politics with a year in practice

Key Course Details

UCAS Code: MIPF
Mode of Study: Campus Based
Typical Offer (view equivalents): DD
Location: Bay Campus

Start Date	Tuition Fees - Year 1
Sep 2024	£ 9,000

5 Year Full Time

UCAS Code: MIPF
Mode of Study: Campus Based
Typical Offer: DD - More Information
Location: Bay Campus

Start Date	Tuition Fees - Year 1
Sep 2024	£ 16,550

Course Overview

If you don’t attain the grades needed to enrol on to the LLB Law in Practice with International Relations programme, then this 5-year programme, including a Foundation Year, could be for you.

The Foundation Year is an excellent way to gain the knowledge and skills needed to begin the LLB Law in Practice with Politics degree; you will be introduced to key themes in law, as well as being provided with opportunities to pick up new skills that will be of use throughout your undergraduate degree.

The Foundation Year is taught at The College, located on our Bay Campus. After you complete this year, you will move to the School of Law on Singleton Campus for the remainder of your studies.

The programme provides a comprehensive grounding in the core areas covered by a law degree. As your studies progress, you can choose from a wide range of specialised subject areas of law with an extensive list of over forty optional modules to choose from. Your fourth year will be spent at a paid internship in a legal setting, allowing you to experience legal practice firsthand, and pick up key skills that will be infinitely useful in your future career.

Alongside this, you will learn about the value of peaceful relationships between nations, focusing on themes including globalisation, international politics, peace and conflict, and power strategies.

All of our undergraduate law programmes contain the foundations of legal knowledge needed to enter the legal profession. Our programmes provide a strong foundation for students who may wish to take the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE) in the future and satisfy the academic stage of training required by the Bar Standards Board for those wishing to become barristers.

Why Law in Practice with International Relations with a Foundation Year at Swansea?

As a student on a Foundation programme, you will benefit from being part of a diverse teaching environment, based in state-of-the-art facilities on our £450m Bay Campus.

You will spend a year on the Foundation Year, which is entirely focused on getting you ready to undertake your undergraduate LLB Law in Practice with International Relations degree.

Based across the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law and the School of Social Sciences, you will benefit from being part of two lively and diverse environments that keep students at their heart.

Swansea University has an established and growing reputation for teaching and research in both law and politics and is consistently recognised as a source of expertise and as having an impact on policy and practice in a diverse range of fields. We are also wholly committed to continuous improvement in teaching and learning, and to putting students at the centre of our activities.

You will be supported by our established Employability Team to help you secure a placement in a legal service environment for your third year, which will have tangible benefits for your future career path and employment.

Law at Swansea is ranked:

8^th in the UK for Law* (Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) 2021/22)
12^th in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2024)
13^th in the UK for Student Experience (Times Good University Guide 2024)
Top 150 in the World (QS World Rankings 2024), and
94.6% of students who studied law are in sustained employment, further study or both (Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) 2021/22), and
90% of Graduates are in Work &/or Study 15 Months after Leaving Swansea University (HESA 2023)

*based on HEIs

Your Law in Practice with International Relations with a Foundation Year Experience

Teaching on the Foundation Year takes place in smaller class sizes, allowing for a more personalised experience. You will be given the opportunity to pick up essential skills through modules such as Critical Thinking, IT Support, and Composition and Style.

In addition to this, you will be introduced to legal concepts and terminology through a range of teaching themes that include Legal Skills, Contract Law and Criminal Law.

We offer an inclusive, student-focused learning environment and community. Modules are delivered and assessed in a variety of ways and you will be encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning, to work independently as well as with others, to act professionally, and to master new skills.

As well as teaching and learning activities we offer a broad range of opportunities for you to get involved: from research-based placements, to working with clients, to developing advocacy and other skills. Our thriving Law Clinic offers students the opportunity to get involved in giving advice to clients and we have programmes of extra-curricular mooting, negotiation and interviewing.

You will have the competitive option (available for 20 students) of undertaking an internship module with the Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament, working closely with a Member of the Senedd (MS) for one day a week. You will be studying in one of the select departments in the UK to offer the British Parliamentary Studies module, where you will be taught by our specialist academic staff and Members of Parliament, and you will visit the House of Commons.

Our undergraduate degree structure, with its range of final year optional modules, gives you plenty of scope to tailor your studies to your particular interests, career goals, or ambitions.

We offer a variety of additional work placement opportunities in a wide range of settings.

Law in Practice with International Relations with a Foundation Year Employment Opportunities

Studying a law degree can lead to a range of careers. We aim to equip students with multiple skills to enhance their graduate prospects. Our graduates go on to a wide variety of careers, which include being a:

Barrister, Civil Servant, Legal Executive, Paralegal, Police Officer, Prison Officer, Researcher, Solicitor, Stockbroker or Trading Standards Officer

Adding a political viewpoint to your degree also opens doors to careers in:

Education, Government and Politics, Humanitarian Organisations, Business, Media and Public Relation, or Public Services

Modules

Your first year of study will be your Foundation Year at The College. This covers a mix of key themes in law, combined with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in your degree.

On successful completion of your Foundation Year, you will move to the School of Law to complete your LLB degree.

Years 2 and 3 consist of the core areas of a law degree, with the option to select some of your own modules in year 3.

Year 4 (Level S) will be spent at a paid internship in a legal setting. You will take the internship module (LA-S000) and be assessed throughout the year and receive an overall module mark with feedback for each element. If the mark attained for your placement year (Level S) is not to your advantage (i.e. does not improve your overall weighted average) then it will not be counted towards your overall degree classification.

Year 5 consists entirely of optional modules allowing you to shape your own learning, with over forty to choose from.

Year 3 (Level 5S)

FHEQ 5 Undergraduate Sandwich Year

Compulsory Modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Law in Practice - Placement Year	Academic Year	120	LA-S000

Year 4 (Level 6)

FHEQ 6 Undergraduate / Honours

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Researching Politics 1	September-January (TB1)	20	PO-3319

Optional Modules

Law Optional module

Choose Exactly 80 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select 80 credits from the list below. Please ensure that your module selections are balanced across semester 1 and semester 2 (60 credits per semester).

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Family Law: Adult Relationships	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA302	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA211.
Commercial Sales	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA303	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA212. There is a welsh version of this module LAA303C, you can only select either LAA303 or LAA303C.
Cyfraith Masnach	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA303C	There is a welsh version of this module LAA303C, you can only select either LAA303 or LAA303C.
Cyfraith Hywel	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA305	This module is delivered in Welsh.
Environmental Law 1 - Regulatory Law Approaches	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA310	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA214.
Employment Law: Rights and Obligations	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA314	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA217.
Counter-terrorism Law	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA320
Criminal Evidence	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA321A
Human Rights Law	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA324	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA224.
Cybercrime	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA328
Medical Law	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA330	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA220.
International Law - Principles and Procedures	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA333	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA222.
Jurisprudence	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA335
Company Law: Incorporation, Constitution and Control	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA336
Law dissertation	September-June (TB1+2)	20	LAA339	There is an application procedure and there are eligibility criteria. If you intend to apply to take a dissertation module, please see the Dissertation Handbook on Canvas HUB:Law. While you wait to hear whether your application for dissertation is successful, please choose the module you would wish to take if you were not permitted to take the dissertation module. If you are accepted onto the dissertation module, we will make the necessary changes to your module selection.
Foundations in LegalTech	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA357
Clinical Legal Education	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA366	Available to a limited number of students.
Street Law	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA368	Available to a limited number of students.
Law of Succession	September-January (TB1)	20	LAA398
Family Law: Parents & Children	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA301	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA210.
World Trade Law	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA304	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA213.
Law, Science and Technology (LST)	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA3101
Law and the Nature Crisis	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA312
Employment Law: Enforcing Rights	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA315	To select this module you MUST have pursued LAA314.
Negotiations	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA317	Available to a limited number of students. You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA233.
Criminal Evidence Law and Psychology	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA323A
Foundations in Legal Practice	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA326	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA226.
Media Law	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA327	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA227.
Human Rights & Social Justice	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA329	You are not able to take this module if you have pursued LAA228.
Company Law: Governance, Rights and Liquidation	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA337	To select this module you MUST have pursued LAA336.
Cymraeg y Gyfraith	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA348	This module is delivered in Welsh.
Canadian Constitutional Law	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA362
Clinical Legal Education	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA367	Available to a limited number of students.
Intellectual Property Law	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA391
The Law of Devolution in Wales	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA395
Medical Law: Reproduction	January-June (TB2)	20	LAA399

AND

International Relations Optional Modules

Choose Exactly 20 credits from the following Modules:

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Parliamentary Studies	September-January (TB1)	20	PO-3121
Researching Politics 2	January-June (TB2)	20	PO-3320
Global Environmental Politics	January-June (TB2)	20	PO-3338
Africa in International Relations	January-June (TB2)	20	PO-3339

Entry Requirements

Our standard requirement is 2 A Levels at grades of DD (48 UCAS points at a minimum of GCE AS level) or equivalent. All applications will be considered on an individual basis, with GCSE grades, AS Level subjects and grades, work experience, references and personal statements taken into account.

For applicants whose first language is not English, we require a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, with a minimum 5.5 in each component or an equivalent approved English Language test. For students who fall short of only the English language requirement we offer a range of pre-sessional training programmes that you may take before starting your degree programme.

To undertake the internship element of this programme, students will be required to attain an overall year 2 average of 57% or more, evidence satisfactory attendance and engagement with their studies, and pass the Employability Skills (LA-N150) module, which will be compulsory preparation for the internship.

In addition to this, placement providers will expect students to apply for positions via a CV, cover letter and application form, which will then be followed by an interview process.

In order to pass the placement year students must pass the internship module (LA-S000) with an overall mark of 40 per cent or above and satisfy the necessary number of weeks in employment (a minimum of 40 full time (at least 30 hour) weeks. Students will be permitted one resit attempt to redeem failure across any/all elements of coursework. Failure to meet these requirements will constitute a failure of the placement year and students will revert to the non-placement, 3 year equivalent of their programme.

How You're Taught

We look to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course.

During your Foundation Year, you’ll be taught in small groups, offering a personalised experience.

During your degree, you’ll be taught through lectures, seminars and workshops, which take place in person, allowing for group working and presentations. Lectures take place in larger group sessions, in a lecture theatre setting. The course content is explored in further detail in small group seminars, allowing for further discussion with your peers.

Lecture recordings are made available for almost all modules, allowing you to revisit material to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes, enabling further flexible study.

Methods of assessment on this programme include traditional essays and examinations, but also include alternative methods including multiple choice examinations, reflective exercises and presentations.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

Welsh Provision

At least 40 credits

There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study at least 40 credits of this course through the medium of Welsh. Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
Access to the Arwain mobile app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

If you study at least 40 credits in Welsh and it is listed as an eligible course on the webpage, you can apply for the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarship (£300 for 1 year), or the Coleg Cymraeg Incentive Scholarship (£500 per year for 3 years).

Meet Your Lecturers

Our degrees are taught by experts, some of whom are experienced practitioners, and all of which have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to our students.

You can find out more about our academic expertise on our School of Law and School of Social Sciences staff pages.

Tuition Fees

Start Date	UK	International
September 2024	£ 9,000	£ 16,550

Fees for full time Undergraduate UK/EU students may be increased in subsequent years of study by an inflationary amount determined by Welsh Government.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

Funding and Scholarships

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Additional Costs

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

Travel to and from campus
Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
Purchase of books or texts
Gowns for graduation ceremonies

Careers and Employability

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

Academic Support

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

Academic writing
Maths and statistics
Critical thinking
Time management
Digital skills
Presentation skills
Note taking
Revision, memory and exam techniques
English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

Academic Support at the School of Law and School of Social Sciences

Each student is assigned a Personal Tutor in each of the Law and Politics Departments to help with:

Academic guidance
Personal development planning
Guidance on finding help with personal issues (which affect your wellbeing, attendance, and progress through university)

There are student representatives in each year of our programmes as well as school representatives for undergraduate students. The Schools also have a dedicated Student Information Office who will be able to offer academic assistance throughout your studies.

Study Abroad and Global Opportunities

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as China, Zambia, South Korea, Japan, Canada and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

How to Apply

Apply now – UK, EU and international students.

For further guidance please visit our how to apply pages.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

Application Deadlines

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.

Additional Information

Student Societies

At Swansea, we have a range of law and politics-focused societies, which offer opportunities for you to meet fellow students and take part in a variety of activities. These societies are all run for students, by students, and include:

Contact Details

Make an undergraduate enquiry

International students contact our International Team