Law with Criminal Investigation

LLB (Hons)

Location

Stoke-on-Trent campus

UCAS code

M108

Start dates available

  • September 2026
  • September 2027
University of Staffordshire Courses

Learn how to investigate crimes and bring offenders to justice with this innovative degree that combines law and policing.

You’ll get hands-on using our simulation spaces, analysing crime scenes, interviewing witnesses and presenting cases in court. It will give you an insight into how different professionals work together within the criminal justice system.

The course will also give you a firm grounding in many other aspects of law, so you can explore a wide variety of career options. Other practical opportunities include the chance to help real clients in our Legal Advice Clinic.

Assessments are also based on real-world scenarios and could include delivering a simulated mediation session and giving evidence in our courtroom.

As the course is taught by specialist law and criminal investigation teams, you’ll gain lots of transferable skills. There will be input from other professionals as well, such as local lawyers and representatives from the police, prison and probation services.

Once you graduate, you can progress with confidence onto the next stage of qualification to become a barrister, solicitor or CILEX lawyer.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: LLB (Hons) Law with Criminal Investigation

Duration

University of Staffordshire undergraduate courses are usually 3 years for full-time study.

Courses which offer other study options have longer durations:

  • Full-time with a placement year, 4 years
  • Full-time with a foundation year, 4 years
  • Part-time, 4-9 years

Course content

First year:

You will study three core law modules and one criminal investigation module. The criminal investigation module is Introduction to Criminal Theories. This module will introduce you to the Criminal justice system and key concepts and theories in criminology.  

Within Law you will learn contract and tort law (Law of Obligations), which are both aspects of civil law and cover legal agreements and civil liabilities. You’ll also study Public Law – the rules and laws of the state. You will also understand and examine learn how the English Legal System operates and begin to develop your legal skills, including writing, referencing and research – crucial for any future legal career.

Second year:

In Contemporary Policing, you will examine debates around trust, legitimacy, fairness, and accountability, alongside the impact of political, social, and technological change on policing.

In your law modules, you will learn about property law, EU law and the lawfulness of decisions taken by public bodies. We will also explore criminal law, including how the courts operate and key elements of criminal liability. You will develop your analytical and problem-solving skills by looking at complex case scenarios.

Third year:

Level 6 offers students increased opportunities to consider wider social and ethical contexts for the study of Law, including in a range of global contexts. The programme combines 60 credits of options in Law - across a wide range of subjects tailored to students’ professional and academic interests – with 60 credits of core modules in Criminal Investigation. Students can opt to study modules which complement skills and knowledge acquired in both disciplines; for example, having studied Introduction to Criminal Theory, and Contemporary Policing, you may opt to study Human Rights Law, which would complement the two core Criminal Investigation modules, Extreme Offenders and Public Protection, and Safeguarding.

If you volunteer with our Legal Advice Service, you’ll offer free advice to the public under supervision.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module where available.

Year 1 compulsory modules
English Legal System & Legal Skills 30 credits
Introduction To Criminal Theory 30 credits
Law Of Obligations 30 credits
Public Law 30 credits
Year 2 compulsory modules
Contemporary Policing 30 credits
Criminal Law And Practice 30 credits
Eu And Business Law 30 credits
Land And Trusts 30 credits
Year 3 compulsory modules
Extreme Offenders 30 credits
Public Protection And Safeguarding 30 credits
Show 11 optional modules

Entry requirements

What do I need?

UCAS

112-120 UCAS points

A Levels

BBC

BTEC

DMM

Work out your estimated grades using the UCAS calculator

Other UK qualifications
  • Access to HE Diploma - Pass Access with a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points. Applicants to Staffs who are taking the Access to HE Diploma receive a reduced tariff point offer as part of our access and participation plan activity
  • UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma - grade of Merit overall
  • OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - grade DMM
  • T Levels - Eligible T Level applications will be asked to achieve a minimum overall grade of P (A*-C) or Higher Pass as a condition of offer

We welcome applications from students studying a range of international and UK qualifications, including Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales, Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers and the Irish Leaving Certificate. Offers will normally be made in line with our standard entry requirements and may include specific grade requirements in relevant subjects.

We understand that you might have experienced a challenging run up to higher education and may have not met the entry requirements as listed. If this is the case don’t worry, contact us and our team of expert advisors can guide you through the next stages of application, or help you find the perfect course for your needs.

Facilities

You'll learn in our simulation and immersive facilities, aiming to mirror real life scenarios helping you to build the skills employers are looking for. 

Mock Courtrooms

One room is designed as a crown courtroom and the other for cases at magistrates’ court. Read more

Students can present legal arguments, act as expert witnesses, or take part in mooting.

Our digitally enabled mock court rooms are designed to create simulated scenarios for students to put theory in to practice and gain confidence, skills and knowledge to take forward in to their career. 

One room is designed as a crown courtroom and the other for cases at magistrates’ court. Students can present legal arguments, act as expert witnesses, or take part in mooting. Each space includes a dock, lawyers’ area and a bench for the judge or magistrates.

The courtrooms are used by a wide range of students from different perspectives including law students, policing, forensics, international relations and more, to give practice with not only mooting but also in presenting evidence and various other aspects of trials.

In our video, learn about simulation in our Mock Court Room, used by students to practice their skills to prepare them for their future career.
Watch video

Lifelike living space

The lifellike living space in Ashley 2 lets you practice your skills in a variety of non-clinical settings, including bedroom, bathroom, lounge and bedsit. Read more

Bedrooms:

The bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and is used for simulated crime scenes where students can practise investigative skills or social work and healthcare can use the space for urgent situations and interviews.

Lounges:

The lounges have a homely feel, with comfy furniture and framed photos. Students can use these spaces for policing or forensic investigations. Social work and healthcare can also use the space for realistic interviews and clinical emergencies.

Bathroom:

The bathroom provides a lifelike backdrop for students to practise their skills. It can be used a range of simulation scenarios, such as domestic crime scenes or clinical emergencies.

Bedsit:

With a kitchen diner, bedroom and bathroom, the bedsit provides a lifelike backdrop for students to practise their skills. Scenarios can range from gathering evidence at simulated crime scenes to dealing with clinical emergencies.
Watch video

Careers

Our course will grow your skills and knowledge to prepare you for a range of careers.

You could progress to the next stages of studying toward becoming a solicitor, barrister or a CILEX lawyer. Alternatively, the degree gives you a vast range of practical skills into other related areas.

Students on this programme have the opportunity to enhance their studies with a placement year, gain valuable work experience, and take part in international activities—potentially supported by the Turing funding.

All students have access to Careers, Placements & Employability, our dedicated careers team.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Teaching across the range of modules is informed by staff research and practitioner expertise. Staff follow a constructivist approach to learning and teaching, facilitating students’ active engagement in the construction of their own knowledge.  Whole group lecture sessions support students in the acquisition of new knowledge, with clear guidance on core principles and required readings from a range of texts. Small group sessions require students to apply and extend that knowledge across a range of tasks focusing on problem solving in real life contexts.  

Assessment

Assessments in both subjects are designed to provide meaningful, authentic opportunities for students to develop skills and knowledge, for example advising a client in a simulated Property Law advice session or a 30-minute podcast for the module Contemporary Policing.

At all stages of the programme, students are required to use technology effectively in the research, preparation and submission of assessments. The university library gives access to a wide range of physical and digital resources for the study of both Law and Criminal Investigation. In addition, digital copies of textbooks for Law are available electronically through the OUP Law Trove portal.This allows lecturers to set readings across a wider range of student texts from introductory to more advanced, whilst also reducing the financial burden on students who may choose not to buy print copies.

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include:

  • study skills such as reading, note-taking and presentation skills
  • written English, including punctuation and grammatical accuracy
  • academic writing and how to reference
  • research skills
  • critical thinking and understanding arguments
  • revision, assessment and examination skills
  • time management

Additional support

Our Student Inclusion Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Staff

You will be taught by an expert teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teaching training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.  

Your course leader for the LLB (Hons) Law with Criminal Investigation will be Donna Graham. 

Please note, teaching team staff members may change during your studies.

Profile Image

Donna Graham

Lecturer

I am the Course Leader for the LLB (Hons) Law 2 Year Accelerated Course and Course Leader for LLB (Hons) Law with Specialisms at the University of Staffordshire.

Donna's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 21 September 2026 the tuition fees are:

Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £9,790 per year of study £17,085 per year of study

For the course starting on 20 September 2027 the tuition fees are:

Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £10,050 per year of study £17,285 per year of study

UK and Channel Island students: This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation. If the UK government passes appropriate legislation, the fee for subsequent years of study may increase in each academic year. But this increase will not exceed the rate of inflation as measured by RPIX**. Any change in fees will apply to both new and continuing students. The University will notify students of any change as early as possible. Further information about fee changes would be posted on the University’s website once this becomes available.

**RPIX is a measure of inflation equivalent to all the items in the Retail Price Index (RPI) excluding mortgage interest payments.

Accommodation and living costs

Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

Sources of financial support

If you receive funding from Student Finance you may be eligible to apply for additional benefits. Details can be obtained by reading our additional funding web pages, or visiting www.gov.uk.

Scholarships and additional funding

As an undergraduate student at Staffordshire, you may be eligible for additional financial support through one of our scholarships and bursaries. You can visit our funding page to find out more and check your eligibility.

Apply now to Law with Criminal Investigation

Location Award Study option Start date
Stoke-on-Trent campus LLB (Hons) Full-time 21 September 2026 Apply now
Stoke-on-Trent campus LLB (Hons) Full-time 20 September 2027 Apply now

Not ready to apply yet?

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University of Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University of Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.

Have you considered?

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025

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The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026

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The Mail University Guide 2026

in the UK for Games Education

Rookies Games Design and Development 2023, 2025

TIGA Best Games Institution 2024, 2025

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021