LLB (Hons) Law with foundation year
Course Overview
Whether you're seeking to forge a career as a solicitor, barrister, costs lawyer, legal executive or conveyancer, the University of Bolton's LLB (Hons) Law with foundation year is an excellent choice. It's also an ideal springboard to a career in civil service, business management, politics, HR or finance.During the foundation year, our experienced team will introduce you to key areas of law and raise your awareness of the legal system and the law-making process in England and Wales. We'll also introduce you to general study skills such as finding, understanding and using appropriate academic resources, as well as skills specific to law such as mooting and how to interview a client.
After successfully completing the foundation year, you'll progress to the Qualifying Law Degree, following the same programme of study as students on our three-year LLB (Hons) Law course. We'll guide you in a detailed exploration of the sources, institutions and personnel involved in the law in England and Wales, and support you in developing the skills required to practice law.
We'll also challenge you to develop sought-after employability and transferable skills. Overall, our dedicated team will focus on helping you gain the skills employers value along with a deep and critical understanding of the law.
Highlights
- Our Law courses are in the top 10 in the UK for student satisfaction, according to The Complete University Guide 2024.
- This LLB (Hons) includes the seven foundations of legal knowledge and the skills associated with graduate legal work, such as legal research. If you wish to train as a barrister, you must achieve three components set out by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). These are the academic, vocational and work-based learning components. This LLB (Hons) fully meets the requirements of the academic component. It also meets the entry requirements for the Solicitor's Qualifying Examination (SQE) if you're an aspiring solicitor.
- The University of Bolton's Legal Advice Centre guarantees law students a compulsory work placement of at least one semester and an additional optional work placement. Here they can develop and enhance their practice skills by assisting members of the public with their legal enquiries.
- Few law schools have their own courtroom. Our state-of-the-art Moot Law Court gives you the opportunity to apply your academic and forensic skills to practical situations in front of your peers.
- We have our own dedicated Law library, as well as a specialised law librarian. Online legal database resources are available via Lexis Library and Westlaw, and we use the virtual learning environment, Moodle, to create an interactive learning environment.
- We maintain strong partnerships with local law firms and other legal service providers, facilitating work shadowing opportunities and regular visits by guest speakers. We also run an annual Law Lecture series and are home to the Centre for Contemporary Coronial Law.
Key Features
- We offer a deep understanding of the fundamental legal principles, concepts, values, rules and techniques, establishing your knowledge and understanding of the doctrines and principles which underpin the law of England and Wales.
- Our research-active academic law staff offer you access to expertise in a range of disciplines, including alternative dispute resolution, commercial, employment, European, family, healthcare, intellectual property, international and judicial reform.
- We'll guide you in the use of research data, including primary sources such as legislation, EU law, case law, and secondary source materials such as government reports, white and green papers, and refereed journal articles.
- You'll be encouraged to gain practical experience in presentation, argument and applying legal method skills as you participate in mock interviews, moot debates and negotiations.
- We recommend that you join the University of Bolton's Student Law Society, which offers access to work placement opportunities, presentation skills development sessions and court trips.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- 48 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You may be required to attend for an interview, complete a diagnostic assessment and/or provide a portfolio of appropriate work.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University's Fitness to Practice declaration.
- If English is your second language and you feel you need extra help with your language skills, you have the option of studying specialist language modules during the foundation year. Please contact the English for Academic Purposes team for further information and advice.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The academic study of law will give you an insight into the legal systems on which much of our day-to-day life is based. As well as acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of the law, this degree will enable you to develop a range of key employability skills such as reasoning and critical judgement, researching for accuracy, confidence gained from public speaking, the ability to formulate arguments and great attention to detail. These skills are highly transferable and can place you well for a career inside or outside the legal profession.
To practice law after graduation, you must go on to further study and vocational training. To become a solicitor in England and Wales, you have to complete the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and undertake a minimum of two years of full-time (or equivalent) Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) in a qualifying legal role. If you aim to work as a barrister in England and Wales, you'll need to undertake a Bar course with an authorised institution, followed by a pupillage or work-based learning component. Variations in training routes exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland for both roles.
This degree is a Qualifying Law Degree, so if you started this course before 31 December 2021 (date subject to change), you have a choice of qualifying as a solicitor through either the SQE route or by completing the Legal Practice Course (LPC) route.
What can I do with this qualification?
If you qualify as a solicitor, you'll have direct contact with clients, with the broadest caseload coming from high street practices covering criminal, family, probate and business law. Opportunities are therefore available in private practice, in public sector bodies such as local authorities and the government, and the in-house legal departments of companies.
If you choose the barrister route, you'll most likely work in sets of chambers on a self-employed basis. Alternatively, barristers may seek employment in public sector bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the Armed Forces legal service, and the Government Legal Profession.
Alternative career options
Not all graduates want to qualify as a lawyer. You may prefer to work in an area involving legal content, perhaps in business or the wider community. As a law degree is highly regarded, you'll be well placed to seek a career in a huge variety of fields, bearing in mind that some jobs may require further study and/or work experience. Some possibilities are:
- Immigration
- Police
- Trading standards
- Investment banking
- Tax advice/inspection
- Teaching and education
- International aid/development
- Human resources
- Health and safety
- Probation/social work
- Accountancy
- Political research
- Charity and advice work
- Recruitment
- Stockbroking
- Marketing
Professional Recognition
This LLB (Hons) includes the seven foundations of legal knowledge and the skills associated with graduate legal work such as legal research. If you wish to train as a barrister, you must achieve three components set out by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). These are the academic, vocational and work-based learning components. This LLB (Hons) fully meets the requirements of the academic component. It also meets the entry requirements for the Solicitor's Qualifying Examination (SQE) if you're an aspiring solicitor.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
| Year of study | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 | |
| 2025-26 | £5,760 | £9,535 | £9,535 | £9,535 | - | £34,365 |
| 2026-27 | - | |||||
International Fees
| Year of study | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 | |
| 2025-26 | £17,500 | £17,500 | £17,500 | £17,500 | - | £70,000 |
| 2026-27 | - | |||||
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.
A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:
Free of charge to apply
Secure, simple and streamlined
Contact us directly for any admissions queries
Regular updates on your application directly from the University
Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton LLB (Hons) Law with Foundation - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton LLB (Hons) Law with Foundation - 22 September 2025
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
The School of Law is led by professionally qualified and specialist law staff with a wide range of experience in practice, teaching and research. The LLB programme uses a blended learning and teaching style, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate. You can expect lectures, seminars, tutorials, technology-enhanced applications, mooting, debates, role plays and student presentations.
In most modules, formal lectures introduce a topic. We'll then encourage you to apply this knowledge to case studies based on a range of legal problems in follow-up small group seminars. You'll have the opportunity to attend additional weekly tutorials, ensuring you have space to ask questions or seek individual help.
We employ a diverse and distinctive suite of assessment methods, allowing you to benefit from a balanced approach. You can expect examinations, coursework, presentations, mock interviews, mooting and negotiations. Some assessments will contribute to your final module mark and allow you to demonstrate that you've met the learning outcomes. In contrast, others focus on helping you identify areas that need extra attention on your part or where you need additional support from your tutors.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Academic and Research Skills
- Law in Context
- Mooting and Interviewing
- Core Legal Principles
- Academic Language and Skills 3
- English Legal System and Foundation Legal Skills
- Contract Law
- Criminal Law
- Public Law
- Equity and Trusts
- Professionals in Practice
- Law of Tort
- European Law
- Land Law
- Legal Skills
- Preparation for Practice
- Professional Standards and the Commercial Environment
- Dissertation
- Employment Law
- Family Law
- Company Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- Jurisprudence
- Advanced Legal Practice
- International Human Rights Law
- Sports Law
- Medical Law and Ethics
- Professional Standards and the Commercial Environment
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Coursework 50% Practical exams 25% Written exams 25% |
| Level 1 | Coursework 50% Practical exams 25% Written exams 25% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 50% Practical exams 17% Written exams 33% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 71% Practical exams 22% Written exams 7% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Guided independent study 69% Placement/study abroad 0% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 31% |
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 74% Placement/study abroad 0% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 26% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 74% Placement/study abroad 0% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 26% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 78% Placement/study abroad 0% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 22% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
