Curious about studying Law with a Foundation Year - LLB (Hons)at Birmingham City University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Law (with Honours) - LLB (Hons)
City Centre Campus (The Curzon Building)
Full Time
Sep 2027
4 Year
A law degree is a great first step into a career in law, as well as an important foundation on the route to many other careers, and we are a long-established provider of legal education to the Birmingham legal community and beyond. This course has been developed to enable anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor or barrister to undertake this first, important academic stage of their career. The course has been designed to align with the subjects that you will need to study further in order to successfully undertake the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), while also meeting the requirements of the Bar Standards Board for an undergraduate law degree.
Foundation YearThe foundation year is designed to give you the opportunity to develop your academic and interpersonal skills while developing your subject knowledge further to support you to success on your academic path. By studying a foundation year, your first year will be spent learning a wide range of broad subject areas which then open up opportunities for you to specialise further in your next year – which would be the first year of a full degree programme.
This module has been designed to help you to develop essential academic and interpersonal skills required to be successful on the course and to help you transition into Level 4 of your LLB studies. The module will provide you with foundational transferable skills to equip you for your future study in law and your personal and career development. You will explore some of the foundational transferable skills that are needed in order to successfully study a law degree, as well as starting a reflective process preparing you as a graduate. This module will link to Developing Legal Scholarship which you will during semester 2 and Level 4 Foundations in Professional Skills.
The module will provide an introduction to what law is and the role that it plays in society today. You will be introduced to both domestic and international legal principles and processes, in order to explore their impact on specific areas of human conduct and, how they seek to manage the coexistence of individuals. This introduction to a variety of law and legal concepts will help underpin the study of other law modules across Level 3, such as Learning the Law and Studying Successfully. This will provide a greater appreciation of the function played by law in contemporary society. This introduction to foundational legal principles will be developed across Levels 4 and 5 of the course. It will also introduce other areas such as international human rights, international business law and alternative methods of resolving legal disputes which can be studied at a later stage of the course.
This is a core and compulsory module and is part of the Level 3 of the course. This module aims to provide you with a foundational knowledge of the law and the core research and written communication skills necessary to be a successful undergraduate law student. The module will introduce you to several areas of the law and their socio-legal impact on individuals. This module will work in conjunction with the ‘Introduction to Law’ module with further engagement into the socio-political and legal procedures of contract, tort, criminal, public and employment law through case-studies and legal cinema. The use of legal cinema will be crucial in developing your interpretative, deductive and analytical skills whilst separating the “myths” of the law and the judicial system. This module will provide you with essential knowledge and skills, which will support your learning at Level 4.
The module aims to provide you with an introduction to aspects of legal practice and processes within the context of the English legal system. You will be introduced to a variety of legal processes within the English legal system, and the roles of the personnel involved within Civil and Criminal litigation, including alternative dispute resolution. This knowledge will complement and enhance your studies across the semester. It also introduces concepts which will be developed further at Level 4 within Legal Systems and Law of Tort and at Level 5 in Criminal Law and Constitutional and Administrative Law.
The module builds on what you have learnt in Studying Successfully, Introduction to Law, and Learning the Law during Semester one. This module will introduce you to areas of Tort, Contract and Criminal Law which are studied in depth at Levels 4 and 5 and will equip you with transferrable skills which will help with your transition into Level 4. During the module you will begin to appreciate the difference between primary and secondary sources of law, the different forms of primary sources, the part case law plays in the creation and development of our laws and the interpretation of legal principles. This module will foster your ability to read cases and undertake legal research which will develop your ability to engage in higher level study throughout this course.
This is a core and compulsory module and is part of Level 3. The module aims to introduce typical skills and attributes demonstrated by legal practitioners. You will begin to explore some of the key professional attributes expected of a legal practitioner such as drafting and advocacy. You will build upon many of the skills that you developed in Semester one to enhance your communication skills in the context of legal practice, enhancing the development of the transferable skills and professional attitudes to underpin successful study throughout the course.
The module has been designed to align with aspects of the functioning legal knowledge of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam. The module aims to provide you with basic knowledge of what the law is, what are its sources and the main characteristics of UK and foreign legal systems. The module provides foundational knowledge to support your study in Contract Law & Tort Law at Level 4, Criminal Law and Constitutional & Administrative Law at Level 5, Law of the European Union and the optional Comparative Constitutional Models module at Level 6 by providing you with foundational concepts to be developed further in these modules.
The module aims to provide you with foundational skills to equip you for your future study in law and also your future personal and career development. You will explore some of the foundational transferable skills that are needed in order to successfully study the law, as well as starting a reflective process preparing you for a future legal or other career. The module provides foundational knowledge to support your study in Professional Skillsat Level 5 by starting your learning in a range of professional skills such as time management, independent learning and reflection. Since it is vitally important that you begin your career reflection and management early, y ou will also start to think about your own career development and this will be taken further in Professional Skills at level 5.
This is a compulsory Level 4 module. The module has been designed to align with aspects of the functioning legal knowledge of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam. This module aims to furnish you with the key academic and scholarly skills to enable you to flourish as a legal scholar and succeed in your studies. The module’s primary goal is to introduce you to the skillset necessary to be part of the community of knowledge and practice which is united by the use of legal thinking and knowledge. The module provides core legal skills which will support your study throughout the degree. It will develop your ability to find, interpret, apply and understand the law and its role. It will provide you with the foundations for subsequent modules in which you solve legal problems and/or seek to explain or understand the law.
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 will introduce theoretical considerations within the Law of Tort and its function in dispute resolution and with a focus upon concepts and principles of the Tort of Negligence. The module builds on what you have learned in Legal Systems, Foundations of Professional Skills and Critical Thinking during Semester 1 of Level 4. You will consolidate your legal knowledge and you will be introduced to principles of dispute resolution in the context of the Law of Tort. You will identify facts and analyse legal issues, in order to identify solutions to legal problems.
This is a compulsory module which aims to provide you with an appreciation of the relevant contractual principles such as offer, acceptance and consideration that are involved when parties enter into legally binding agreements. The module provides foundational knowledge to support your study in Business Law at level 5 as it introduces the context for the formation of commercial transactions which is an important aspect of business law. This module aligns with the LLB course’s ethos of fostering the development of your autonomy and professional attributes through a rigorous education in law. To achieve this the module content has been designed to improve your knowledge of the substantive law as well as to prioritise the development of key transferrable employability skills, particularly those related to communication, research, commercial awareness and problem-solving.
The module aims to provide you with an understanding of the legal principles and rules involved in land law and an introduction to property transactions (also known as conveyancing). You will consider how they operate in the wider social and economic context and the legal ethics of property transactions. The module builds on the transferable skills that you developed in Professional Skills and Critical Thinking at Level 4 by developing the skills acquired. The module also provides foundational knowledge to support your study in the optional module Advanced Property.
The module aims to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts and principles of criminal law together with some of the criminal offences against the person and against property and some general defences. The module builds on what you have learned in Legal Systems and Criminal Justice Process at Level 4. It also provides foundational knowledge to support subsequent Level 5 and 6 Criminal Justice pathway options by the introduction of concepts, processes and ideology.
The module aims to providing you with an opportunity to develop certain transferable skills, principally oral skills, but also written skills and professional ethics. Workshops will take place in dedicated courtroom space to foster a professional approach. The module builds on what you have already learned in Foundations in Professional Skills at Level 4 by developing your confidence further through the practice of oral and written skills, and by recognition of the need for resilience and emotional intelligence. The module also acts as a preparation for clinical placement modules studied later at Levels 5 and 6 by equipping you with oral, written and ethical awareness.
Building on the knowledge of British political and legal institutions that you acquired in Legal Systems at Level 4, this module will allow you to explore the UK constitutional framework in greater depth, and key constitutional principles that underpin British democracy. Y ou will develop a critical understanding of those UK constitutional institutions and you will also conduct research into the impact of Brexit on the sovereignty of the UK Parliament and Constitution. Judicial and non-court based mechanisms of control of governmental action, such as judicial review and Parliamentary Ombudsman, will be considered and you will critically assess the case-law that forms the basis of the unwritten British constitution.
The module will provide you with a comprehensive overview of key legal principles which determine and oversee business structures carrying out economic activities. In addition to addressing the available legal channels for conducting business, the module will also focus on the formation, management and decision-making procedures in private limited companies. 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 business organisations are contractual parties.
The module aims to introduce the concept of equity and how it interacts with the law to create the trust by building on what you have learned in Contract Law and Land Law at Levels 4 and 5 about equitable remedies and property ownership. This module will develop your ability to undertake independent research while critically analysing the way in which the law applies to real life scenarios. It will do this by incorporating a rich, diverse and inclusive learning environment which draws upon the knowledge which you have already gained and challenging your understanding through group work and interactive materials taking a student-led approach.
The module aims to familiarise you with the Law of the European Union, combining the study of theoretical and practical elements and the procedural and substantive foundations. The module examines and evaluates the structural organisation of the EU and the way its legal processes operate. This module contextualises the rules that derive from Europe within the legal institutional framework and also the way in which those rules affect business and wider society. The module builds on what you have learned in Legal Systems at Level 4 and Constitutional & Administrative Law at Level 5 as it relates to the relationship between the structure of the EU and the English legal system, taking into account the UK’s status as a Third Party Country under EU Law.
The module aims to provide you with an intellectually stimulating and academically rigorous education in the preparation and successful completion of a dissertation. The module will explore some of the key aspects involved in the preparation of a dissertation which will be approached through a critical examination of the current law relevant to the chosen topic and through an emphasis on how the subject of the dissertation operates in context.
American Legal Practice (ALP) is an optional module. To be eligible for this module you must average a 2:1 across Level 4 and Level 5. ALP prepares and facilitates you to apply for an internship in law a legal organisation in the United States (US), developing your legal systems knowledge and legal practice skill-set, and supporting you to create a high quality CV and Cover Letter as part of your career planning. *Students wishing to study this module are subject to academic requirements specified by the Module Team
This module will provide you with critical knowledge of international humanitarian law, and international human rights law. It presents an overview of the Charter of the United Nations and engages with the International Bill of Rights and associated international legislation. The module provides a simulated crisis and humanitarian disaster wherein you will engage in a Model United Nations’ Security Council. The crisis issues include: the necessity for a sanctions regime to stop the human rights violations of genocide, torture, executions, famine, mass casualty medicine and the spread of disease, closure of schools, and border controls. To help solve the crisis, you will participate in the MUN through: (a) providing a UNSC speech; (b) engage in an alliance building activity with fellow member states, and; (c) draft a UNSC Resolution. The module will provide a critical examination of the historical and political backgrounds of the legal architecture of the UN, and how it works in practice.
Selection for the module is through application and interview. The module aims to enhance your existing problem-solving skills, and provide you with opportunities to develop your ethical awareness and transferable employability skills through casework either in our Law Clinic, or on a pro bono placement (e.g. with Citizens Advice), in private practice, or in a clinical arbitration setting.
CDD Grades/points required
Not currently available, please Contact University for up to date information.
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