LLB (Hons) Law with Criminal Justice · BCUBachelor's degree · 3 years
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Birmingham City University · Undergraduate

LLB (Hons) Law with Criminal Justice Bachelor's degree at Birmingham City University

LLB (Hons) Law with Criminal Justice at BCU leads to an LLB (Hons) award, a nationally recognised qualification from a recognised UK degree-awarding body.

LLB (Hons)
Award
3
Years
Full-time
Study mode
85%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

Looking for law courses in Birmingham? Our LLB Law degree allows you to take a year-long placement in the legal sector, which could see you travelling to America. Find out about our University entry requirements and fees here. From the provider’s course page.

LLB (Hons) Law with Criminal Justice is a Bachelor's degree (LLB (Hons)) at BCU, based in City Centre Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.

For Sociology, social policy and anthropology graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)

For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Law, see the sections below.

Course evidence score

The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.

8.3
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Strong75

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent85

Stronger evidence Published sample: 7,810. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Excellent88

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 88% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Curriculum & modules

Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.

First Year 6 modules
  • Legal SystemsCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module explores two key questions: 'What is the law?' and 'How does the law work in England and Wales?' It offers a vital foundation for your legal studies and is essential for anyone aiming to become a legal professional in England and Wales

  • Criminal LawCore20 credits
    Module details

    This is a compulsory module that has been curated to examine fundamental concepts of criminal law. The module aims to provide you with a broad overview of the fundamental legal principles and concepts of criminal law. This overview will be conducted through the examination of criminal offences against the person and property along with general defences.

  • Legal Thinking & Study SkillsCore20 credits
    Module details

    Legal Thinking and Study Skills is the module where you start to learn how to think like a lawyer and we teach you some of your basic study skills. To think like lawyer means being able to construct arguments. This will be a vital skill for the rest of your degree and life beyond. We will teach how to take an informed position on a controversial issue of injustice in society. We will do this by teaching you how to analyse famous cases on topics such as race and policing, exclusion and religion,

  • Public and EU LawCore20 credits
    Module details

    Public Law is a core module which incorporates Constitutional, Administrative, Human Rights and European Union Law. The module is designed to deliver two of the seven foundations of legal knowledge required by the Bar Standards Board (Constitutional, Administrative and Human Rights Law; and EU law in context). The module will build on the knowledge of the UK legal system and relevant political institutions gained in Legal Systems in Semester 1.

  • Contract LawCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module provides students with an understanding of Contract Law by locating their study within a carefully designed employability framework. Embracing employability, Contract Law is explained through workshop activities that simulate a legal working environment where students are part of a legal team under the supervision of their tutor, acting as their potential employer.

  • Law of TortCore20 credits
    Module details

    his is a compulsory module at Level 4 Semester 2, which is essential for you to pass and complete if you aspire to become a barrister, as per the Bar Standards Board. This module has been designed to prepare you with the knowledge for some aspects of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and thereby, demonstrates its practical importance for the legal working world.

Second Year 12 modules
  • Legal Professional SkillsCore20 credits
    Module details

    This is a compulsory Level 5 module designed to help you develop and demonstrate a range of professional and employability-focused skills essential for academic success, graduate employment, and future legal practice. It serves as a key bridge between core legal knowledge and more advanced experiential learning modules such as Law in Practice at Level 6

  • Land LawCore20 credits
    Module details

    This is a compulsory module which has been designed to align with aspects of the functioning legal knowledge of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam. The module builds on the transferable skills that you developed at Level 4 and will further these skills. It will also provide a foundation to Level 6 modules, in particular the core module, Equity & Trusts.

  • Criminal Justice Process and ProcedureOptional20 credits
    Module details

    The module explores the five main institutions of the criminal justice system: the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the courts, the prison system, and the probation service. You will examine the role, function, and interrelationship of each institution, while also engaging with a range of contemporary challenges that impact their operations, such as austerity, technology, public confidence, and equality of access to justice.

  • Company LawOptional20 credits
    Module details

    The module will provide you with a comprehensive overview of key aspects and legal principles governing UK companies. The module will focus on the formation, management and decision-making within private limited companies, as well as insolvency procedures. This module builds on knowledge acquired in the Contract Law module at level 4 and in particular, your prior knowledge of the formation of contracts will be relevant to further discussions on commercial arrangements where companies are contrac

  • Advanced CrimeOptional20 credits
    Module details

    This module introduces you to some of the key elements of practice in criminal litigation. It covers the most common offences seen in practice (sexual and violent offences). It provides you with a firm grounding in criminal litigation by covering the law surrounding police investigations and the key legal principles in proceedings in the Magistrates Courts and the Crown Court. You will also learn about many of the vulnerable individuals that you will encounter in the criminal justice system, and

  • Medical Law and EthicsOptional20 credits
    Module details

    This module will help you develop a critical and well-rounded approach to analysing complex medical decisions by using both legal sources as well as ethical approaches. This will enable you to independently assess a variety of legal and non-legal viewpoints and formulate reasoned positions in a clear and coherent manner.

  • Introduction to US Criminal LawOptional20 credits
    Module details

    This module introduces you to the core principles and processes of criminal law and procedure in the United States. You'll explore key constitutional protections and the structure of the US criminal justice system, with attention to how it operates across both federal and state levels. Using a "relational learning" approach, you'll engage with real and fictional case files to apply legal principles in practical and critical contexts

  • Human Rights and Criminal JusticeOptional20 credits
    Module details

    The module will explore the relationship between the United Kingdom's human rights obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (codified at domestic level in the Human Rights Act) and the criminal justice system in England and Wales. You will learn to identify the Convention rights which may apply at each stage of the criminal justice process, and to critically analyse and evaluate the reasoning of the European Court of Human Rights in its decisions on criminal justice issues.

  • Alternative Dispute ResolutionOptional20 credits
    Module details

    The module aims to balance both theoretical and practical elements of ADR, including negotiation, mediation and arbitration. The module provides fundamental knowledge and transferable skills used in the placement modules or clinical placement modules by providing you with workplace and dispute resolution skills.

  • Intellectual Property LawOptional20 credits
    Module details

    The module will provide a general overview of the ways in which a person's ideas, inventions, business reputation and creations can be protected both nationally and internationally. Intellectual property can be defined as those products of the mind to which the law grants the author/creator legal protection and hence the enhanced ability to exploit. You will examine the reasons behind intellectual property laws including a review of copyright, patents and trademarks.

  • PlacementOptional20 credits
    Module details

    The Level 5 Placement Module is an optional module. The module aims to provide you with an opportunity to work on real cases within a supervised setting either within Citizens Advice or at another placement provider. If working with Citizens Advice you will start training two days per week from the July at the end of Level 4 for a period of eight weeks and then from the start of Level 5 you will work one day per week at a Citizens Advice office. If working with another placement provider, it is

  • Family LawOptional20 credits
    Module details

    Module Overview Family Law is an optional module that forms part of the students' choices on the programme, providing a grounding in the principles of Family Law. Students will focus on foundational areas, including laws related to marriage and separation, divorce, child disputes, and domestic abuse, as well as the involvement of local authorities.

Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.

Course in depth

What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.

What you'll study

This degree combines core legal study with a focus on criminal justice. You'll usually begin with foundational modules in Contract Law, Public Law and Criminal Law, examining offences, defences and constitutional principles. Year 2 typically moves into Tort Law, Land Law and broader international law frameworks. In your final year, you'll pursue specialist options such as commercial law, human rights, criminal justice, family law, employment law or legal practice (SQE), alongside independent research or supervised work in a law clinic. The course structure allows you to deepen your knowledge of how the criminal justice system operates within the broader legal landscape, with the opportunity to undertake a year-long placement in the legal sector.

Who it's for

Most entrants to this course held A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Among accepted students in recent years, 90% came in with A-levels or equivalent. The most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students was 96–111 points.

University & format

This full-time LLB (Hons) Law with Criminal Justice degree is taught at Birmingham City University, a public university based at City Centre Campus. The course runs for 3 years and is delivered in English. Birmingham City University is a recognised UK degree-awarding body; its degrees are nationally recognised. The university received a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
72%
Learning opportunities
74%
Assessment and feedback
68%
Academic Support
76%
Organisation and management
84%
Learning resources
80%
Student voice
72%

Share of students responding positively.

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Applicant information

The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

PlacementPublished placement option

Professional placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.

Open daysOpen Day Book now

See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent90% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 96 - 111 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check BCU's official course page for the current offer.

Who gets in

What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.

UCAS tariff of entrants

Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.

Qualifications held on entry

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent90%
another higher-education qualification5%
an Access course5%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Accessible entry

Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.

Will you get in? Plot your grades

Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.

Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.

How to apply

Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.

Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesBCCA-level equivalent admitted students held
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write your personal statement

    A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results day & confirmation

    On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask BCU whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£18,570 / yr

Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).

Check fees at BCU →

For students who normally live in England

illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 3 years

2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.

Starting on or after 1 January 2027?

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.

Paying for it

  • Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
  • Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
  • Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All BCU funding →
No verified named award is shown for this provider yet.

That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.

We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.

StudyKit · free

Still deciding what to study?

StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.

Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

Careers & earnings

What Law graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.

Graduate earnings: this course

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£25,500£23,000 – £30,0007810
3 years after£21,500£18,000 – £25,500345
5 years after£26,000£20,500 – £30,500350

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 7,810. Cohort 2021-22.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

85%
in work or further study 15 months on
55%
in highly skilled work or study
88%
continue past their first year
  1. 1Paralegal / TraineeTraining contract or pupillage route · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Solicitor / BarristerQualified practitioner · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior AssociateLeading matters and clients · 5–9 yrs
  4. 4Partner / In-house CounselPartnership or heading legal · 9+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Law nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£25,500
£23,000 – £30,000
After 3 years LEO
£21,500
£19,550 – £27,600
After 5 years LEO
£26,000
£24,225 – £34,200
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £18,500 – £35,500

National figures for Law graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.

Work out your pay

Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.

What happened to 100 students?

Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.

85 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

65% working15% working and studying5% in further study55% in highly skilled work or study

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 7,810. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

Value compared with similar courses

How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Law courses at the same study level.

This course £26,000Peer median £28,000Middle 50% £25,500–£31,500
30th percentile

Compared with 1,352 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.

UK occupations graduates enter

Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.

  • Protective service occupationsDiscover Uni category · 20% of published destinations
  • Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
  • Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
  • Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
  • Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
  • Process, plant and machine operativesDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations

Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 30; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.

Job market & outlook

How Law graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Law courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
55%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

How AI is changing the work

AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.

What AI takes off your plate

  • First-pass document review
  • Standard contract drafting
  • Legal research summaries
  • Routine due diligence

More human than ever

  • Advocacy and negotiation
  • Judgement on ambiguous facts
  • Client trust and ethics
  • Strategy in disputes and deals

The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.

Roles & employers

Where Law graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.

Where they work

  • Law firms
  • Barristers' chambers
  • In-house legal teams
  • Government Legal Service

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.

📈

Where graduates go

85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.

🎯

Your entry chances

Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.

Official-data snapshot

Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.3 out of 10: NSS 75.1% · in work or study 85% · continued 88%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

Birmingham City University

All students31,875
International15.9%
Aged 25+26.8%

Law across the UK

Students144,525
Aged 25+24.3%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Local crime-data context

A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.

Around City Centre Campus

4,178 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Violent Crime 1543Shoplifting 618Public Order 342Other Theft 328Criminal Damage Arson 288

Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.

Is Law right for you?

Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.

International students

What applying to BCU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is £18,570 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.

English language

Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.

Student visa

You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.

Scholarships & funding

Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check BCU’s funding pages.

Living costs

Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.

Working while you study

A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.

Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with BCU and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is historically accessible, accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 96 - 111 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by BCU. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Sociology, social policy and anthropology graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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