Criminal Law LLB (Hons) Undergraduate - September 2025/26* Entry

This course allows you to specialise in an important area of legal practice, giving you a deeper understanding of crime, criminal law and the criminal justice system. As well as developing your legal skills, our strong links with the legal profession and industry ensure practical opportunities for ‘real world’ experiences. If you are passionate about criminal justice, this well-rounded degree is the perfect springboard to launch you into your chosen career.

The course is designed to foster your intellectual independence. You’ll be supported to develop the confidence and skills needed to think critically, to ask and answer cogent questions about law and its role in society, and to effectively communicate your reasoned arguments, orally or in writing.

You will acquire new knowledge and understanding of the principles and values of law and justice, and you’ll learn how law can be used to benefit individuals and societies, including the most marginalised in our community.

During the course you will study fundamental areas of legal knowledge. Not only will you study Criminal Law, but you will also examine subjects such as Public Law where you’ll learn about how the country is organised and run; and Contract Law where you’ll learn about how legal agreements are made and operate between people and companies. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to study topics such as Digital Policing and E-Crime, Crime and the Media and Organised Crime and Counterterrorism.

You’ll also have the opportunity to choose from exciting law optional modules such as International Law, Commercial Law, Human Rights, Roman Law & Legal History, Philosophy of Law and Family Law. If you choose our Work Placement module you will get the opportunity to experience legal work in a real-life situation. 

You will be an active participant in your learning. It’s not all about sitting and reading. You'll learn the skills of debating, advocating and negotiating through a range of module and extra-curricular opportunities. You’ll also benefit from professional development activities, trips to government and judicial institutions, and from a wide range of guest speakers.

Throughout your studies you’ll acquire the academic knowledge and be introduced to the skills required to pursue a legal career should you wish to go on to qualify as a solicitor or barrister. 

Why choose Bangor University for this course?

• Unique opportunities to work with legal practitioners and industry professionals through our pro bono programmes.
• A state-of-the-art replica courtroom, ensuring students gain essential practical experience by taking part in mock legal trials.
• Welsh language provision is offered as part of every compulsory law module, and some optional modules can be studied entirely through the medium of Welsh.

Additional Course Options

You will experience a range of teaching methods throughout your course, including lectures, small group formats (tutorials), online learning environments, self-directed or collaborative study, experiential learning and problem-based learning.

Your usual week will be made up of twelve hours of lectures along with fortnightly one-hour tutorials.

During your time with us, you will foster self-management skills, including an ability to reflect on your own learning, make effective use of feedback and an ability to work in a team.

You will develop the ability to conduct independent research, including accurate identification of issues which require researching, retrieval and critical evaluation of relevant information from a range of appropriate sources, including primary legal sources.

The level of challenge and achievement you will be faced with is gradually increased throughout your course.

Our learning, teaching and assessment procedures will give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have met the necessary skills and qualities within your law course. We recognise the importance of inclusive practice and are sensitive to equal opportunities requirements as indicated by good practice and relevant legislative obligations.

A wide range of assessment methods are used to determine your overall achievement; these assessments may be timed or untimed, seen or unseen, continuous or examination based.

Tasks that you might encounter could include essays and reports of varying length; case notes; statutory interpretation; briefs; critiques of articles; oral/video presentations; moots; skills-based assessments; reflective learning journals; research project/dissertation; and work/clinic-based assessments.

What will you study on this course?

In Year 1, students will take 100 credits from the following topics, Contract Law, Criminal Law, Legal Skills, Public Law, Introduction to Criminal Justice and Introduction to Criminology. There are also optional modules available in topics such as Applying psychological theory to real-world problems, Criminal Psychology and Social Influence.

In Year 2, students will take 100 credits from the following topics, Criminal Evidence, Equity and Trusts, Land Law, Law, Justice and Procedure and Tort Law. There are also optional modules available in topics such as Crime & the Media and Digital Policing and E-Crime.

In Year 3, students will take 20 credits from the following topics The UK, EU Law and Brexit. Students will also take 40 credits from the topics such as, Forensic Psychology, Organised Crime and Counter-terrorism, Perspectives on Youth Crime, Policing, Security & The State, Power, Crime and Punishment and Serial Killers. Students will also take 60 credits from topics such as, Business Law & Practice, Commercial Law, Criminal Law Dissertation, Endangered Wildlife and International Law, Environmental Law, Family and Welfare Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Law and Contemporary Issues, International Law of the Sea, Law and Social Justice, Law and Technology, Law, Justice and Rights, Partnerships and Company Law, Practical Professional Skills, Preserving Cultural Heritage, Property Practice, Wills & Estates and Work Placement.

Please note course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

General University Costs

Home (UK) students

• The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,250 per year (2025/26).
• The fee for all integrated study abroad years is  £1,385 (2025/26).
• The fee for an integrated year in industry as part of a sandwich programme is £1,850 (2025/26).

More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.

International (including EU) students

• International Student Tuition Fees
• International Student Living Costs and Scholarships

Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:

• If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
• If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

1. Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
2. Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
3. Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

General University Requirements

To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.

EU and International Students' Entry Requirements

For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.

A Bangor Law degree opens up exciting career paths in law and in many other rewarding areas where you can make a difference to people's lives and the planet.

Throughout your studies you’ll acquire the academic knowledge and be introduced to the skills needed to pursue a legal career should you wish to go on to qualify as a solicitor or barrister. You may wish to work in the public sector as a government lawyer, or in the private sector, specialising in criminal law, commercial law or immigration law.

If you don’t want to practise as a solicitor or barrister, you may still wish to work in an area where your legal training and knowledge would be advantageous and where you can work to make a positive difference. Many non-governmental organisations (charities) require people with legal backgrounds to work as policy officers, campaigners and advice workers. International organisations, such as the United Nations offer tremendous opportunities to those who are looking for an international career.

As an LLB Law graduate, you will be able to pursue career opportunities in a wide range of other areas not necessarily connected to the law but for which the general and intellectual skills acquired during a law degree make you extremely well qualified. These may include the civil service, journalism, the media and creative industries, the probation service, the police and the prison service.

At Bangor we work hard to ensure you become aware of the many opportunities that lie ahead.

• The University’s Skills and Employability Service provide you with essential information to allow you to make key decisions about your future.
• The School’s Employability Officer works to assist students in finding work experience, including internships and placements.
• If you take the Work Placement module, you will have the chance to experience legal work in a real-life situation.
• The Student Volunteering Office offers many opportunities to work with the local community.

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. 

Internships

Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.

Student Volunteering

Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.

A 'with Foundation Year' option is available for this course. Apply for Law (with Foundation Year).