Law with Criminology (Placement Year)

LLB Hons

  • UCAS code MM14
  • Entry year 2026
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 4 years
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We welcome applications from the United States of America

We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from the United States of America.

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 5

    5th for student experience (Law)

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)

  • 6

    6th for Criminology

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)

  • 9

    9th for Student satisfaction for Criminology

    The Complete University Guide (2025)

Human rights breaches. Miscarriages of justice. Environmental harms. Law and crime permeate all spheres and sectors. Learn from leading experts as you develop your legal skills. Join in mooting competitions and network with prestigious Law firms to create invaluable connections.

Gain an in-depth perspective on today’s most pressing issues by studying criminology as part of your Law degree, with topics ranging from criminal justice and youth crime to social harm and environmental crime. You will have the opportunity to connect with local agencies such as the police and the prison service. Open up your career options with this fascinating joint degree.

Why Lancaster?

  • Unravel technical legal topics: Uncover how Law shapes our society and take a critical look at the social, cultural, political, and economic contexts of crime and criminal justice
  • Explore today’s challenges: Examine crime through a social justice lens and explore topics such as drug-related crimes, sex offences, organised crime, and human rights violations
  • Exceptional academic support: Work closely with world-class academics committed to innovative teaching and student support
  • Build connections: Gain valuable real-world experience by taking part in our community Law Clinic or Street Law project, and meet law enforcement and criminal justice experts
  • Prepare for success: Our Law Fair is attended by top lawyers and their recruitment teams and we have regular visits from top alumni
  • Unlock your career potential: Tailored career advice to discover diverse pathways and practical steps you can take to achieve your goals

Law and crime in context and society

Law is one of the most fascinating and intellectually challenging subjects you can choose. You will gain a good understanding of Law in context and wider societal issues. Building on the foundations of legal knowledge, you’ll also learn about issues that are right at the heart of our society such as human rights law, litigation funding, legal history, property law and the right to protest.

Studying criminology at Lancaster complements your legal studies by providing alternative perspectives on issues of crime, punishment and justice. You will look critically at the social, cultural, political, and economic contexts of crime and criminal justice, as well as viewing challenges through a social justice lens.

You will examine how crime is portrayed in the media and popular culture and explore how deviancy is rendered as a criminal act and how activism and protest can be demonised. You will learn to untangle the complex relationship between society, crime, and the criminal justice system and explore what alternative ways of doing justice might look like now and in the future. This is not dramatised or romantic crime. This is real life: brutal, saddening, enraging, uncomfortable, but fascinating.

Establish professional connections

We provide many opportunities for you to make professional connections with legal firms and criminal justice organisations.

You'll benefit from our strong links to Chambers, Law firms and related professions from across the UK, including Magic Circle firms from London. We usually host alumni visits and lectures, and a Law Fair, which is typically attended by lawyers (including trainees, associates and partners) and members of their recruitment teams.

Recent external speakers have included a representative from Victim Support, a Restorative Justice coordinator from Lancashire Constabulary, a Detective Inspector working in domestic abuse and a 'professional burglar' who turned his life around and now advocates for crime prevention and community support.

You'll meet professionals at NGOs and charities, as well as local criminal justice agencies such as Lancashire Constabulary, the Police Federation for England and Wales, Police Scotland, HMP Lancaster Farms, HMP Thorn Cross, prison education providers Novus, and Probation and Youth Justice.

Practical experience is key

To stand out as a graduate, you need practical real-world experience as well as academic prowess. In our Law Clinic you can interview clients and, supervised by a qualified solicitor, offer free legal advice to members of the local community on topics from family law and consumer disputes to wills and probate. Through our Street Law project you could present information sessions to community groups on topics such as cyberbullying.

Our facilities include a purpose-built Mock Court Room complete with state-of-the-art technology. Through a realistic courtroom experience, you’ll develop your courtroom skills and confidence.

We provide a variety of placement and volunteering opportunities, with organisations such as West Mercia Police, HMP Lancaster Farms, Partners of Prisoners (POPS) and Family Support, Red Rose Recovery, Global Telemetrics (Security Liaison) and Enterprise, RAIS (Refugee Advocacy, Information and Support) and an Environmental Charity, the Wyre Rivers Trust.

Great student support

At Lancaster we work hard to make sure you are supported throughout your degree and that your time with us is memorable, enjoyable and successful. The Law School provides a friendly hub for students to drop in anytime. You will have easy access to our staff team in Law and Criminology, with your own academic advisor to guide you through your studies and a specialist advisor for legal writing skills.

A judicial wig

Engage with experts

Here at Lancaster, our Law School staff combine extensive expertise in teaching with cutting edge research in areas such as Human Rights, International Law and Diplomacy, Commercial and Environmental Law.

In Criminology our internationally recognised team of researchers lead in shaping both criminal justice policy and the academic field of criminology. Our staff advise the United Nations and the EU, influence drug policies in the UK and overseas and work with national and local criminal justice agencies. 

In both disciplines, our expertise and research inform our teaching and guarantees that your classes will include the very latest knowledge in each field.

Student societies

You will find yourself part of a friendly, active student and staff community where you will feel at home. Many of our students make friends for life. 

The student Law Society organises a range of activities including career events and negotiation competitions judged by barristers and members of the judiciary.

Events organised by the Criminology Society augment your academic studies with talks and discussions on hot topics, and career-focused events.

It’s not all work! Recent social events have included a formal dinner and ball, fun movie night, and sports including netball and football.

Students in the mock court room at Lancaster University.

Your Placement Year

Sometimes known as a year in industry, your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years.

Placements and Internships

Hear from students and employers on how Lancaster University could support you to gain real-world experience and bolster your CV with a placement or internship as part of your degree.

A student working on a piece of stained glass.

A placement year is an excellent way to...

  • try out a role that you may be interested in as a career path
  • start to build your professional network (some placement students are offered permanent roles to return to after they graduate)
  • develop skills, knowledge and experience to put you ahead of the field when you graduate

You'll spend your third year...

in a graduate-level position, where you’ll work for between nine and twelve months in the type of role that you might be considering for after you graduate. A very wide range of companies and organisations offer placements across all sectors.

As a full-time employee, you’ll have a job description with specific responsibilities and opportunities to access training and development, the same as other employees.

A whiteboard showing a diagram of 'how to create a CV'

Our Careers and Placements Team...

will help you to search and compete for a suitable placement with expert advice and resources, such as creating an effective CV, and tips for applications and interviews.

You will still be a Lancaster University student during your placement and we’ll keep in touch to check how you are getting on.

Students drinking coffee in a campus coffee bar

The university will...

use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.

Careers

Armed with a Law and Criminology degree from Lancaster University, and with the high-level skills you’ll gain, you’ll be ready for a wide array of roles across multiple sectors.

As well as legal and criminology expertise and experience, you’ll be the type of graduate employers want – a strong communicator with the confidence to speak in public, put forward a well-evidenced argument and make sound decisions. Able to think critically, carry out research and analyse data, you will be a valuable asset in any professional role in law, the civil service, criminal justice system and beyond.

Your degree will prepare you for exciting roles in the legal profession and our graduates go on to a wide range of careers including law firms, or careers at the intersections of justice, law, and social change. Those wishing to pursue a criminal justice career will find opportunities with organisations such as the Police, Prison Service, National Probation Service, Youth Offending Service and HM Courts and Tribunal Service.

Some of our graduates secure places on graduate training schemes while others start careers in the Civil Service (The Ministry of Justice, The Home Office, HMRC and Trading Standards, the Department for Health and Social Services), the charity sector, media, taxation, finance, and politics.

Following this degree, you may wish to pursue further training for roles such as solicitor or barrister. Your course offers a significant amount of preparation for the material that is examined in the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE 1).To show our commitment to your success, we also work with two SQE training providers – Barbri and BPP. These organisations provide our students with discounts, free training modules, masterclasses and events, and careers advice.

On your Law with Criminology degree, you will have the support of our specialist career advisors, including access to practising solicitors who know the sector inside out. To help you create important connections and gain valuable insight into potential careers, we’ll invite you to meet alumni and attend a Law Fair with top lawyers and their recruitment teams

Our graduates typically take up roles with:

  • Criminal justice agencies (the Police Force, HM Prison Service, the National Probation Service, GSL UK)
  • Youth offending services
  • Civil Service Departments
  • Local Government
  • Solicitor
  • NHS trusts
  • Charities
  • Legal and Consulting firms
  • Banks and financial institutions
  • Court personnel
  • Clerk in chambers
  • Professional research and consultancy

Careers and employability support

Our degrees open up an extremely wide array of career pathways in businesses and organisations, large and small, in the UK and overseas.

We run a paid internship scheme specifically for our arts, humanities and social sciences students, supported by a specialist Employability Team. The team offer individual consultations and tailored application guidance, as well as careers events, development opportunities, and resources.

Whether you have a clear idea of your potential career path or need some help considering the options, our friendly team is on hand.

Lancaster is unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which recognises activities such as work experience, community engagement or volunteering and social development. A valuable addition to your CV!

Find out more about Lancaster’s careers events, extensive resources and personal support for Careers and Employability.

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. You may need to have qualifications in relevant subjects. In some cases we may also ask you to attend an interview or submit a portfolio. You must also meet our English language requirements.

Find more about these qualifications and others not shown here

Learn about how we will assess your application

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Contact Admissions

If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, please complete our enquiry form and one of our team will get back to you.

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Enhancing our curriculum

We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future.

We will publish more detailed information about the structure of this degree course for 2026-entry in June 2025, ahead of our summer undergraduate open days. This will include overviews of the core modules you will take and examples of optional modules which may be available to you.

Fees and funding

We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2026/27 entry fees have not yet been set.

Fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

Details of our scholarships and bursaries for students starting in 2026 are not yet available.

You can use our scholarships for 2025-entry applicants as guidance.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2026/2027 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

Undergraduate open days 2025

Our summer and autumn open days will give you Lancaster University in a day. Visit campus and put yourself in the picture.

Undergraduate Open Days
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  • Accommodation guide

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  • The city and beyond

    Our historic city is student-friendly and home to a diverse and welcoming community. Beyond the city you'll find a stunning coastline and the picturesque Lake District.