Law (European and International) LLB
2025-26 entryThis course covers the foundational subjects in the Common Law of England and Wales and provides the opportunity to understand European and international legal issues.
Key details
- A Levels AAA
Other entry requirements - UCAS code M120
- 4 years / Full-time
- September start
- Find out the course fee
- Study abroad
Explore this course:
Course description
Why study this course?
Further develop your knowledge of another legal system through your year abroad in your third year, where you’ll study in English.
If you plan to be a barrister, our LLB degrees satisfy the 'foundations of legal knowledge' set by the Bar Standards Board. If you plan to be a solicitor, you can also complete your Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) with the University of Law, right here.
Do real client work, advise start-ups and small businesses, investigate possible miscarriages of justice and offer advice that can make a positive difference to the people of Sheffield, all through our many pro bono schemes.
Work with international experts in the field of law, and experience learning informed by research rated as ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent.’
Develop your critical understanding of the Common Law of England and Wales with an emphasis on the European and international legal contexts.
You’ll study the foundations of legal knowledge and the principles of comparative law in your first year to gain a strong grounding in the key areas of law, building on your knowledge in your second year with advanced subjects and international law.
In your third year you’ll study abroad at one of our many partner universities across the globe. In your fourth and final year, you’ll return to Sheffield where you can build your degree around your passions and career aspirations – choosing from modules like International Trade Law, Intellectual Property Law and Immigration & Asylum Law.
The spine of this degree is the Core Legal and Study Skills module, which runs throughout your studies at Sheffield and introduces you to mooting, employability workshops and study skills sessions. Because we want you to build confidence in these areas, this module isn’t part of your final grade.
Alongside your studies you can gain real-world experience right here, with our various pro bono schemes.
Whatever way you customise this degree, you’ll ultimately graduate with the knowledge and skills you need to start your career.
Modules
A selection of modules are available each year - some examples are below. There may be changes before you start your course. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.
Choose a year to see modules for a level of study:
UCAS code: M120
Years: 2022, 2023, 2024
Core modules:
- Contemporary Issues in Law and Justice
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The module is one of the core subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It introduces students to techniques of analysing the contributions of law in addressing social problems. Case studies will be explored, based on the research expertise of School staff and selected to demonstrate controversies in the law and a variety of approaches to legal analysis. Students will be challenged to identify how different perspectives on law relate to one another, and how they are portrayed through various media. The module provides a foundation for more advanced critical analysis of the law.
20 credits - Criminal Law and Justice
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This module will introduce students to the concepts, theories and institutions of criminal law and justice, and its place in society. It will develop an understanding of the essential concepts of criminal liability. It will focus on the main institutional and procedural features of the criminal justice system, with the aim of stimulating an enquiring attitude towards the practice of criminal process. Students will have the opportunity to practise applying these processes to factual scenarios. The module provides a firm foundation for the more advanced study of criminal law and also of criminal evidence, criminal justice and criminal process.
20 credits - Law of Obligations (Contract, Torts & Restitution)
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The module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, which cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It introduces students to the Law of Obligations, within the context of the Common Law. It facilitates an understanding of basic principles of Contract, Tort and Restitution (as appropriate), engendering an understanding of the substantive law, whilst recognising and appreciating the role of these comparators as illustrative of the broader nature of the Common Law. The module provides a firm foundation for more advanced study in the areas of contract, torts, restitution and unjust enrichment.
20 credits - Principles of Comparative Law
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This module seeks to introduce students to comparative law. It will introduce students to the comparative method of legal research and question the role, function and value of comparative research. A study will be made of the major civilian and common law legal traditions. This will be undertaken both to give students an insight into how other legal systems work and to question the extent to which it is proper to talk about 'legal families'. This will lead on to a comparison between the civil and common law approaches to law. Case studies will be used to demonstrate a comparative approach to legal studies.
20 credits - Property Law (Land Law, Equity and Trusts)
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This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It introduces students to the concepts, theories and institutions of property law, and its place in society, focussing on the mechanisms for the creation, protection, transfer and loss of the different types of property right, specifically in Land Law and in Equity and Trusts. Students have the opportunity to practise the application of these mechanisms to factual scenarios. The module is essential for more advanced study of property-related subjects, including commercial property law, intellectual property law, and environmental law.
20 credits - Public Law in the UK and the EU
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This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It covers the key principles of constitutional, administrative, EU and Human Rights Law, enabling students to acquire knowledge of the key institutions and laws of the UK and the EU relevant to the constitutional and administrative justice systems of those legal orders. The module challenges students to explore at least one contemporary constitutional debate in some depth. The module provides a firm foundation for the more advanced study of a range of areas of public law.
20 credits - Core Legal and Study Skills 1 (CLASS1)
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This module supports students throughout Level 1 of their undergraduate studies. Following a programme of group learning experiences, lectures, tutorials, and self-reflection, it offers professional and peer support to students as they begin their University studies. It teaches the 'English Legal System' element of the 'Foundations of Legal Knowledge' taught through the other Level 1 Law modules, providing a basis for subsequent legal learning. It provides guidance to ensure students navigate the programme to their specific needs and interests. In doing so, the module will create a foundation for communities of learning that will sustain them throughout their degree.
Core modules:
- Advanced EU Law
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This module is one of the core/optional foundation subjects of the Qualifying Law Degree programmes offered by Sheffield Law School. Building on 'Public Law in the UK and the EU', it explores the institutional structure and legal framework of the EU, as well as its substantive law. The module offers a distinct perspective on the dynamics of the EU, focusing on fundamental rights, the internal market and citizenship. Students will engage with Treaty provisions, EU legislation and cases, and practise a range of legal skills in applying EU law to concrete situations, thereby developing their employability.
20 credits - Advanced Issues in International Law
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Advanced Issues in International Law builds on the knowledge and skills learnt in Foundations of International Law, and applies it to a number of selected issues in international law. These issues will vary from year to year and will reflect to a large degree current issues of international concern. They are likely to be in the areas of Law of the Sea, International Environmental Law, International Institutional Law, International Criminal Law, International Law on Terrorism, and International Economic Law.
20 credits - Foundations of International Law
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Foundations of International Law provides foundational knowledge of the principles and institutions of the international legal order, and applies it to specific areas of international relations (further developed in Advanced Issues in International Law). The foundational knowledge covers issues of nature and sources, sovereignty, liability and enforcement. Emphasis will be on developing analytical and problem solving skills in relation to a new and different type of legal order to the domestic one with which students are familiar.
20 credits - Core Legal and Study Skills 2 (CLASS2)
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This module supports students through Level 2 of their Qualifying Law degree at the University of Sheffield, in particular by assisting students in the transition to a higher level of learning. The module has a core purpose of reprising and enhancing the skills messages from the equivalent Level 1 module. This is achieved through a short series of lectures at the beginning of Semester 1, followed by an essay writing workshop timed to coincide with Semester 2 formative assessments and the opportunity to participate in a negotiation exercise. Additionally, the Module introduces the School's internationalisation agenda through the lecture series and online resources, and directs the students towards the School's Employability and Skills Initiative. The module provides guidance to ensure students navigate the programme to their specific needs and interests, and assists students to gain the most from communities of learning that will sustain them for the remainder of their degree.
Optional modules:
- Advanced Administrative Law and Justice
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of administrative law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU', with a particular emphasis on theories of administrative law and justice. The main focus will be judicial review: its development, purpose and place within the legal system; the substantive grounds and procedural aspects; and the remedies available. There will also be emphasis on non-judicial remedies in administrative law.
20 credits - Advanced Constitutional Law
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge'. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of constitutional law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU'. Theories of constitutionalism will be explored, alongside recent developments in British constitutional practice. Various proposals for constitutional reform will be analysed and the extensive operation of constitutional law through layers of public bodies identified.
20 credits - Advanced Criminal Law and Justice
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This module builds upon the foundational learning in LAW135 Criminal Law and Justice, developing students' knowledge about the doctrine and principles of criminal law. The focus rests upon the theme of criminalisation 'Beyond Homicide', the main family of substantive crimes examined by the predecessor module. It examines the range and scope of criminal law in critical detail, looking at the substantive offences and considering them in wider socio-legal context.
20 credits - Advanced Equity & Trusts
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights, their creation and transfer, and their protection against third parties. The module emphasises the role of equity in creating new proprietary rights and remedies. Particular consideration is given to the creation of express trusts (predominantly private), to resulting and constructive trusts, to the administration of trusts, and to the personal liability of trustees.
20 credits - Advanced Land Law
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights and applies the student's knowledge and understanding of these in the broader structure of land law. The module will primarily explore, through a transactional framework, the system of registered titles to land as well as the unregistered land system/first registration of land. Within this transactional framework, co-ownership, trusts of land, overreaching, mortgages, and commercial interests (including leases, easements and restrictive covenants) will be considered.
20 credits - Advanced Law of Contract
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. Issues of contract formation and variation will be examined in depth, alongside an analysis of the doctrines of estoppel, duress, undue influence, mistake and misrepresentation. The module will also re-evaluate the law relating to the interpretation and construction of the terms of the contract including implied terms, exclusion clauses, the doctrines of frustration and remedies. Students will be expected to critique existing legal solutions and apply complex legal principles to mock scenarios.
20 credits - Advanced Torts Law
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. In Law of Obligations the students will already have been introduced to the tort of negligence. We will build upon this foundation and further develop depth and breadth of understanding. Students will then enhance their understanding of tort by reference to other substantive torts. Which may include nuisance, trespass to the person and defamation.
20 credits - Foundations of Company Law
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This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the legislative, contractual and equitable aspects of company law. The main focus of the module will be on the legal principles governing the establishment, operation and management of companies, including: the effects of the separate legal entity status of companies; the role of the board of directors; the rights and responsibilities of shareholders; creditor rights; and remedies.
20 credits
Core modules:
- Law Year Abroad
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This unit is for use in the student record of a student undertaking a period of study abroad of 1 academic year. Individual units are taken at the other institution for the year concerned.A student will spend one session in an appropriate country, in attendance as a full-time student at a university or other approved institution, the arrangements being subject to the approval of the Head of the Law School. During this period the student will attend courses of study in the host university. Examinations in that university in the subjects studied will carry a value of one hundred and twenty credits for which no University of Sheffield grades will be awarded.
Core modules:
- Core Legal and Study Skills Final Year (CLASS-FY)
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This module supports students through their final year of undergraduate study in the School of Law and builds on WINS at Levels 1 and 2. Lectures are focussed in the first weeks of each semester and are supported by a programme of tutorials, led by Personal and Academic Tutors, and self-reflection exercises which offer professional and peer support to students. It teaches a range of research skills, and values, supporting 'research-based' modules on offer in final year. It provides guidance to help students create a solid foundation for communities of learning that will sustain them after graduation.
Optional modules:
- Advanced Administrative Law and Justice
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of administrative law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU', with a particular emphasis on theories of administrative law and justice. The main focus will be judicial review: its development, purpose and place within the legal system; the substantive grounds and procedural aspects; and the remedies available. There will also be emphasis on non-judicial remedies in administrative law.
20 credits - Advanced Constitutional Law
-
This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge'. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of constitutional law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU'. Theories of constitutionalism will be explored, alongside recent developments in British constitutional practice. Various proposals for constitutional reform will be analysed and the extensive operation of constitutional law through layers of public bodies identified.
20 credits - Advanced Criminal Law and Justice
-
This module builds upon the foundational learning in LAW135 Criminal Law and Justice, developing students' knowledge about the doctrine and principles of criminal law. The focus rests upon the theme of criminalisation 'Beyond Homicide', the main family of substantive crimes examined by the predecessor module. It examines the range and scope of criminal law in critical detail, looking at the substantive offences and considering them in wider socio-legal context.
20 credits - Advanced Equity & Trusts
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights, their creation and transfer, and their protection against third parties. The module emphasises the role of equity in creating new proprietary rights and remedies. Particular consideration is given to the creation of express trusts (predominantly private), to resulting and constructive trusts, to the administration of trusts, and to the personal liability of trustees.
20 credits - Advanced Issues in International Law
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Advanced Issues in International Law builds on the knowledge and skills learnt in Foundations of International Law, and applies it to a number of selected issues in international law. These issues will vary from year to year and will reflect to a large degree current issues of international concern. They are likely to be in the areas of Law of the Sea, International Environmental Law, International Institutional Law, International Criminal Law, International Law on Terrorism, and International Economic Law.
20 credits - Advanced Land Law
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights and applies the student's knowledge and understanding of these in the broader structure of land law. The module will primarily explore, through a transactional framework, the system of registered titles to land as well as the unregistered land system/first registration of land. Within this transactional framework, co-ownership, trusts of land, overreaching, mortgages, and commercial interests (including leases, easements and restrictive covenants) will be considered.
20 credits - Advanced Law of Contract
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. Issues of contract formation and variation will be examined in depth, alongside an analysis of the doctrines of estoppel, duress, undue influence, mistake and misrepresentation. The module will also re-evaluate the law relating to the interpretation and construction of the terms of the contract including implied terms, exclusion clauses, the doctrines of frustration and remedies. Students will be expected to critique existing legal solutions and apply complex legal principles to mock scenarios.
20 credits - Advanced Torts Law
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This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. In Law of Obligations the students will already have been introduced to the tort of negligence. We will build upon this foundation and further develop depth and breadth of understanding. Students will then enhance their understanding of tort by reference to other substantive torts. Which may include nuisance, trespass to the person and defamation.
20 credits - Children and the Law
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This module critically engages with legal and ethical debates relating to children, at both international and national levels. It allows final year students to apply a child-centred approach when analysing legislation, policies, practises, and court decisions concerning children. Children and the Law draws on a variety of disciplines, including childhood studies, sociology, psychology, criminology and law.
20 credits
There are five parts to the module. First, students are introduced to the core principles underpinning child law. These include, the best interests of the child, children's capacity, parental responsibility, and children's participation. These introductory lectures also address child related theories. During the first stages of teaching, students will be invited to take part in media training facilitated by Sheffield IT Creative Media Services.
In parts two-four of the module, students apply their foundational knowledge across three case studies. These draw on the expertise of staff and cover a broad range of issues involving children. Each case study consists of lectures (4x1 hour), a tutorial (60 minutes), and a workshop (90 minutes). Tutorials consist of set questions that students must prepare for in advance of the session. During each workshop, students are divided into small groups and asked to respond to a statement in an oral presentation. This exercise will strengthen students' public speaking, analytical and problem-solving skills. It is envisaged that individual members of staff will be responsible for the delivery of their case study's lectures, tutorial and workshop.
The fifth part of the module includes a series of concluding lectures to prepare students for the summative assessment and bring together cross-cutting themes explored in the case studies.
Not only will this module provide students with a sound knowledge of child law, it will also enhance their employability prospects by developing a range of skills. These include, time management, organisation, leadership, digital literacy and communication. Video presentations allow students to become co-creators of knowledge, whilst enabling them to grow as legal advocates. The module learning outcomes of Children and the Law line up with several of the Sheffield Graduate Attributes, including 'using clear, concise language appropriate to the academic discipline'; 'selecting, using and seeking existing and new knowledge to develop intellect'; and 'assessing and presenting data, information and evidence using software and digital media.' - Commercial Law
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This module aims to provide an overview of Commercial Law. The module is designed for students with a broad interest in commercial law, but will also provide a foundation for those wishing to undertake training in a large city firm.
- Competition Law
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Businesses selling goods and services often face competition from other sellers of similar products. The effect of this competition will normally be to keep prices down and to enhance choice for customers. Competition law is concerned with protecting and encouraging competition in markets, and seeks to control agreements which restrict competition, the ability of powerful businesses to restrict competition by unilateral conduct, the particular issues raised by concentrated markets and the reduction of competition by mergers and similar transactions. This module looks briefly at the underlying economics and then at EC and UK competition law, at both substantive issues and enforcement. The module has a practical orientation. Previous experience of economics is not required.
20 credits - Consumer Law
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This module introduces students to the legal and policy frameworks for consumer protection in English law. The module is designed to answer two key questions: (1) Why should consumers be protected? and (2) How are consumers protected?
20 credits
To answer these questions, the module aims to enable students to understand and critically evaluate certain lines of enquiry. First, the module considers the competing theoretical rationales and policy justifications for consumer protection. Second, it examines the institutions, instruments and techniques adopted to protect consumers. Third, the module analyses key statutory provisions aimed at protecting the economic interests of consumers in contractual relationships and the substantive conduct requirements imposed on traders they transact with. Fourth, the module considers how consumer protection laws are enforced in England.
Finally, the module aims to provide students with an opportunity to conduct independent research and to communicate their findings and arguments on relevant issues in consumer law.
Overall, the module is designed to provide students with an opportunity to critically engage with the law's role in championing specific policy priorities where traditional private law mechanisms are limited or inadequate. - Corporate Insolvency Law
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This module will explore legal and commercial aspects of a company's insolvency. Corporate insolvency is a pervasive issue in the business world as it affects the financial position of individuals, businesses, local economies and cross-border transactions. Companies are the primary vehicles for conducting business in modern society. This module will help students to understand why companies become insolvent and how their insolvency is resolved. In so doing, the module will introduce students to the link between credit finance and insolvency, different insolvency procedures in English Law, the legal treatment of stakeholder rights in a company's insolvency, mechanisms to preclude insolvency or to rescue insolvent companies as well as insolvency principles that may affect pre-insolvency commercial arrangements. Corporate insolvency will have enhanced implications due to economic impacts, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis.
20 credits - Criminal Evidence
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The Law of Criminal Evidence is that body of rules which determines what material may be used to prove or disprove the criminal offence alleged to have been committed by an accused. The module looks at what evidence can be presented, the way in which it can be presented, orally or by written statement, who can give evidence and the circumstances in which it can be given. The aim of the module is to provide students with knowledge of the basic principles of the law and an understanding of how these principles operate within the criminal trial and pre-trial process.
20 credits - Criminology Research Paper
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The Criminology Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a criminological topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the criminology staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.
20 credits - Criminology Research Project
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This module extends research methods abilities developed initially in earlier research methods modules. There, students learned to manipulate and analyse data using SPSS on a computer. Here, students will work in small groups developing research ideas to form a fully developed questionnaire, which will be subsequently administered to a small general public sample via Corporate Information and Computing Systems (CICS). Thereafter, resulting data are coded, computerised and analysed, and results written up as an individual report.
20 credits - Drugs, Crime and Control
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This module aims to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of drugs, crime and control by engaging with the key academic and policy literature. Students will explore a wide range of drug-related issues and debates, critically analyse the laws, policies and institutions of drug control, and situate them within the wider social context. The topics covered will include: the social construction of the 'drug problem'; drugs and crime; historical and contemporary perspectives on drug policy; drugs policing from the global to the local; tackling drugs through criminal justice interventions; drug control across the world; and the legalisation debate and alternatives to criminalisation.
20 credits - Employment Law
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This unit considers the principal areas of UK Employment Law, focusing on the relationship between employers and employees. In this guise the topic is often known as Individual Employment Law to distinguish it from Collective Labour Law, which covers matters such as trade union law and industrial conflict. Among topics covered are the Contract of Employment, Equal Pay, Sexual and Racial Discrimination, and the claims available on Dismissal.
20 credits - Family Law
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The aim of the module is to enable students to understand the principles, policy and practice of selected parts of Family Law. The module is structured to encourage students to develop their critical awareness of the law and the social policy which informs it. It covers the law relating to children after marriage or relationship breakdown; the role of agencies and courts in child care and protection; the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on Child Law; the remedies available to victims of domestic violence; nullity and divorce; and financial provision and property adjustment orders on marriage breakdown.
20 credits - Foundations of International Law
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Foundations of International Law provides foundational knowledge of the principles and institutions of the international legal order, and applies it to specific areas of international relations (further developed in Advanced Issues in International Law). The foundational knowledge covers issues of nature and sources, sovereignty, liability and enforcement. Emphasis will be on developing analytical and problem solving skills in relation to a new and different type of legal order to the domestic one with which students are familiar.
20 credits - Immigration and Asylum Law
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All forms of migration are frequently high-profile subjects of political and social debate. People cross international borders for a host of reasons, including family formation and reunion; work; study; business visits and tourism; and retirement. People are also forced to migrate as asylum-seekers, refugees, and victims of trafficking. This module examines how immigration and asylum law defines, creates, shapes, and proposes solutions to these debates.
20 credits
The module examines the Refugee Convention and the legal definition of who is recognised as a refugee. The module asks why some people are excluded from the legal protections of refugee status and why others encounter particular barriers to establishing their legal claim to asylum.
Immigration law includes issues related to who can enter, who is forced to leave, and who can stay permanently and obtain citizenship. And above all, why are some people able to and others not.
By studying this module, students will get a broad understanding of the current immigration rules or statute law in each category, but the focus is on why immigration law is what it is. What are the historical or policy reasons behind the current state of immigration law? What are some of the alternatives? And what does immigration law tell us about the UK as a society and political body?
The answers are rarely pretty. We examine in detail how UK immigration law has frequently been structured to exclude Black and Asian migrants, and how border controls have reached inside the borders of the UK to negatively affect settled Black and Asian individuals and communities. - Intellectual Property Law
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This module will look at the various legal mechanisms which are available to protect the results of creative endeavour, namely copyright, patents and trade marks. In particular the module will look at the philosophical justifications for granting legal monopolies over material such as music, genetic information and colours (when used to ‘brand’ merchandise) and ask where the balance should be drawn between protecting the rights of the market entrant against unfair copying as against those of society in having unencumbered access to important new ideas.
20 credits - International Trade Law
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The World Trade Organisation (WTO) plays a significant role in regulating the global economy. The WTO Agreements cover a wide range of topics, from international trade in goods and services, to subsidies and intellectual property. The WTO rules have pervasive effects on economic development, on individuals' lives, and on governments' freedom to define and pursue the public interest. Students will be introduced to the fundamental ideas of trade liberalisation, the WTO's institutional structure, and the WTO Agreements' core rights and obligations, and will be encouraged to critically reflect on whether international trade law appropriately balances competing values and whether existing rules and institutions should be changed.
20 credits - Law Research Paper
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The Law Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a legal topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the law staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.
20 credits - Law, Accountability and Government
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The Criminology Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a criminological topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the criminology staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.
20 credits - Police and Policing in a Global Context
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This module explores policing on a macro-level, taking into account developments on a national and global scale. The topics covered will include: conceptualizing the police and policing; key features of policing, such as police powers, discretion, police culture and accountability; models of policing; the history of policing in the UK and elsewhere; the policing of multi-ethnic communities (who can also be thought of as 'global citizens'); the role of the police in policing, in the light of the growing involvement of non-warranted civilians and others in policing activities; policing in other countries, including post-colonial countries; and policing in a transnational context; policing in global, late modern societies. The module will be partly empirical, but it will also be grounded in theories about the use of power; for example, it will be situated within theories about governance and social control, whilst also exploring whether and from where the police derive legitimacy in exerting power/authority over citizens.
20 credits - Principles of Healthcare Law and Ethics
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This module will introduce students to the nature and scope of healthcare law and ethics in the UK as it is affected by statute, the common law and international instruments. It will address fundamental aspects of healthcare law and ethics as they arise in practice including resource allocation, regulation, elements of clinical negligence as well the important concepts of consent and confidentiality.
20 credits - Responding to Crime and Victimisation
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This module examines the legal response to international and transnational crimes, from atrocities such as genocide to crimes with a trans- or international element, such as drug and people trafficking. In particular, the module will cover issues of jurisdiction, criminalisation (including contentious international crimes, such as terrorism and organised crime), justifications of international criminal prosecution and its alternatives, and concepts surrounding the implementation of the punishment of international crimes. Special attention is paid to how domestic public laws influence the applicability and 'reach' of contemporary international criminal mechanisms.
20 credits - Special Project: Pro Bono
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This is an optional module for final year students who volunteer – or have volunteered - at one of the pro bono projects approved by the School. It builds on students’ training and experience in various legal and criminal justice processes, develops students’ transferrable skills and prepares them for further study and employment. The pro bono project will form the basis for learning and assessments undertaken on the module, but the work carried out on the project per se is not assessed or credited towards the module. This module is approved as a Research Module for final year undergraduate students, as it requires students to conduct self-directed research including retrieval and evaluation of accurate current and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources. This module is part of a suite of optional Special Project modules, so is not available to any student undertaking another Special Project module.
20 credits - Law of Public Companies
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This module builds upon the knowledge and understanding of corporate law obtained on LAW220 and introduces students to the law of public companies. Students are introduced to the acute dependency of economies on these companies, particularly the legal and commercial implications of public companies having a wide variety and number of stakeholders such as shareholders, creditors, employees and consumers. Students taking this module would therefore be given an appreciation of the importance of maintaining the highest standards of governance and probity in these companies. This is achieved by a critical examination of the law regulating the incorporation, management, financing and restructuring of these companies.Students would therefore have an understanding of key legal issues that relate to the entire lifespan of public companies, as well as critical transactions such as equity finance, mergers and takeovers, along with associated laws regulating information disclosure, insider dealing and market abuse.
20 credits - Theoretical Foundations of Criminal Law
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This module explores the theoretical foundations of criminal law in England and Wales, attempting to situate criminal law in its political, philosophical, historical, and social contexts. Specific issues of criminal law theory, such as criminalisation, harm, responsibility, the rule of law, and minimum intervention are discussed, along with an introduction to the principles of criminal justice and the developing trends affecting these issues. Students will be encouraged to critically deconstruct these issues, and evaluate the distance between these theoretical principles and practice by applying these principles to current debates and tensions in the law, gaining a richer and more critical understanding of the law they have previously studied.
20 credits - Youth Crime and Justice
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This module examines youth crime and 'antisocial behaviour, as well as formal responses to young people who offend. During the first half of the module, contemporary and historical views of youth crime are critically examined, attending particularly to class, ethnicity and gender, and to the historical construction of youth as problematic. The second half of the module focuses on youth justice, including the role of the police, the courts, Youth Offending Teams, custodial institutions and other bodies in regulating unruly youth and preventing and responding to youth crime.
20 credits - Prisons, Prisoners, and their Families
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Imprisonment and its effects are a key concern in studies of punishment. This module takes a holistic approach by developing understandings of the impact of imprisonment on prisoners, prisoners' families, and prison staff. Beginning with a history of imprisonment and policy making, the module explores the management of prisons, including examination of the rules and regulations that govern day-to-day life in prisons, power relations and modes of resistance. The module then considers the experiences of specific groups of prisoners, prisoners' families, and staff. The module concludes with discussion of the future of imprisonment and arguments around prison abolition.
20 credits - Murder, Myth and Memory: A History of Jack the Ripper
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This module introduces students to historical criminology through the lens of an infamous case study, namely Jack the Ripper (an unidentified serial killer who preyed on London's Whitechapel district between August and November 1888). It seeks to disentangle the layers of meaning surrounding the Ripper's murders and examine how myth and memory have shaped understanding of this case.
20 credits
Some of the questions that will be explored throughout the course include:
Does the application of modern techniques of investigation, such as geo-profiling, to the Ripper case impinge on historical values? To what extent is Ripperology a 'masculine' discipline and how have feminist approaches helped to address this? How do dark tourism activities such as 'Jack the Ripper Walking Tours' shape cultural memory? What role do ethics and empathy play in historical research? By undertaking this module students will gain practical experience in the analysis of a variety of historical source material including letters, newspaper reports, photos, postcards, cartoons, post-mortem reports, official police reports and parliamentary debates. - Special Project: International Mooting I
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This module is an optional, advanced module addressed to students who wish to develop their advocacy skills. Students on the module may participate in international mooting competitions, for example the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law (4 students maximum); the Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot (3 students maximum); the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (6 students maximum); the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition (5 students maximum). The competitions offered each year will depend on the availability of staff members to act as tutors and academic advisors. Students will need to refer to the list of competitions offered in each academic year. Students will be chosen on the basis of their CV and personal statement, and an interview with the academic advisor of each competition. More information on the selection process for each competition will be communicated to students at the beginning of each academic year.
20 credits
The module will be assessed by written pleadings. The length, structure, and content of the written submissions will be based on the case assigned by the organisers of each competition and the relevant competition rules. Depending on the structure and content of each competition, academic advisors can also assess students on the basis of their engagement in class activities and their performance in any oral rounds of the competition for which the team qualifies. This will be clearly stipulated in the information materials for each competition.
The central aim of the module is focused on student-centred learning and the development of practical legal skills. These skills will include case analysis, legal writing skills, oral advocacy and practical legal research. The module will provide more options for students within the Law School to gain practical experience in a specialised field of law and will help develop students employability, both in the legal profession and in other sectors such as public policy and careers in international organisations. This module is part of a suite of optional final year modules based on special projects which students in the Law School can choose as extra-curricular activities. - Special Project: International Mooting II
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This module is an optional, advanced module addressed to students who wish to develop their advocacy skills. Students on the module may participate in international mooting competitions, for example the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law; the Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot; the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot; the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition. The competitions offered each year will depend on the availability of staff members to act as tutors and academic advisors. Students will need to refer to the list of competitions offered in each academic year. Students will be chosen based on their CV and personal statement, and an interview with the academic advisor of each competition. More information on the selection process for each competition will be communicated to students at the beginning of each academic year.
20 credits
This module will be normally selected by students that are already part of a team participating in an international mooting competition and have already completed Module LAW3044 'Special Project: International Mooting I'. For most international mooting competitions students need to prepare written submissions, which are usually due in January. Thus the autumn term module LAW3044 focuses primarily on the preparation of the written pleadings based on the case of each competition. The Spring term module will focus on students' preparation for the oral rounds of the respective international mooting competition, which usually take place between February and May. However, in some cases, international competitions may take place exclusively in the Spring Semester. Students will need to refer to the list of competitions offered each year for more information on the length and structure of each competition.
The central aim of the module is focused on student-centred learning and the development of practical legal skills. These skills will include case analysis, legal writing skills, oral advocacy, and practical legal research. The module will provide more options for students within the Law School to gain practical experience in a specialised field of law and will help develop students' employability, both in the legal profession and in other sectors such as public policy and careers in international organisations. This module is part of a suite of optional final year modules based on special projects which students in the Law School can choose as extra-curricular activities. - International Human Rights Law
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Protecting human rights is an increasingly important concern of international law in the modern world. Understanding its significance involves knowing what the current guarantees of human rights are and how arrangements for protecting them work. This module provides a broad but selective survey of issues in this field, examining the main human rights treaties and reviewing the procedures for implementing them, in the United Nations, through regional institutions, and elsewhere.
20 credits - Digital Lawyering
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This module will consider the different ways in which technology interacts with contemporary legal practice, from the use of social media to the impact of artificial intelligence. Students will explore the impact of technology on the legal profession, with a particular emphasis on digital skills, professional identity and ethical issues. They will also discuss the challenges to traditional legal roles posed by the growing law tech market. During the module, students will work in small groups to develop a law tech project and reflect upon the process. No prior technical skills are required and support and guidance will be given.
20 credits - Law, Democracy and Populism
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This module will explore the constitutional implications of the populist surge in Europe and America. First, specific features of the different 'varieties of populism' are identified, and second, their differential impact on core constitutional structures of liberal democracy is analysed. By comparing different populist approaches, we will examine how the ideals of the new populists have translated into law. Finally, the module focuses on the role of law and constitutional checks and balances as essential bulwarks against democratic backsliding. The current surge of populism seems to indicate that that constitutional democracy can find itself in great danger when democratic support for its core principles begins to ebb.
20 credits - Criminology and War
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The module enables students to critically analyse the nature of contemporary war from a variety of criminological perspectives. It does so through the following debates: criminology of war; war as policing; war as crime; crime in war; masculinity, violence and war; victimology and war; environmental criminology and war; war and domestic criminal policy; war, veterans and domestic crime; and criminology as peacemaking. These debates are informed by a range of examples, in particular from the post-9/11 battlefields of the Middle East.
20 credits - Understanding Criminology: Advanced Level Introduction
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This module introduces students who have not taken criminology core modules to key areas of criminological definition, empirical study, theory and the development of criminal justice systems. It equips non-criminology students with a broad understanding and so enables them to take further criminology modules if they choose. The module looks at case studies of crime and deviance from contemporary life to help students understand how some of the history and theory of criminology can be brought to bear on social and legal issues.
20 credits - Foundations of Company Law
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This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the legislative, contractual and equitable aspects of company law. The main focus of the module will be on the legal principles governing the establishment, operation and management of companies, including: the effects of the separate legal entity status of companies; the role of the board of directors; the rights and responsibilities of shareholders; creditor rights; and remedies.
20 credits - Punishment and Penal Policy
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This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?
20 credits - Race, Gender and Crime
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This module examines the relationships between gender, race and crime. It explores, from a critical standpoint, when and how patterns of law-breaking and victimisation vary according to gender and race. Focusing on topics as diverse as gender-based violence, sex work, political protest/disorder and Islamophobia, the module examines how patriarchal and racialised social structures serve to marginalise and criminalise, and also under-protect, (some) women as well as Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
20 credits - Corporate Governance, Law and Sustainability
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Corporations act as a dominant force in the global economy. Yet, along with the benefits that large companies can bring come a variety of societal and environmental harms. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals set out multiple goals relating to social and environmental sustainability but many of these objectives cannot be met without appropriate corporate action. Short-term decision making acts as the antithesis of sustainability yet is permitted by the UK's globally influential system of corporate governance. Spurred on by developments at the international level, the UK has thus sought to address a variety of sustainability issues through a number of specific regulatory interventions. This module seeks to introduce students to regulation and governance of corporate sustainability and permit the critical evaluation of the various instruments and approaches used in this area.
20 credits - Current Issues in Health Law, Ethics and Policy
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This module builds on LAW3025 Principles of Healthcare Law and Ethics, to offer students the opportunity to further develop and deepen their understanding of the legal, ethical and policy questions within and around Health Law, broadly conceived. It places the development of Health Law within its societal and policy context, and allows final year students to consider the principles of health law and ethics and build critical knowledge by reference to particular and topical issues, such as drug policy, the future of human reproduction, and biotechnology and intellectual property.
20 credits
This module is inherently interdisciplinary in nature and draws on medicine, jurisprudence, sociology, criminology and law. The topics taught within it may vary each year, depending on developments in the relevant fields and the teaching staffs' research interests. The module will start with an introductory lecture setting out the broad themes to be discussed throughout the module, before the lectures on the particular topics start. Depending on staff availability, up to six discrete topics may be studied on this module. A concluding lecture will draw together the themes within the topics and provide guidance to students in preparing their summative assessments. - UK Environmental Law and Policy
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This module introduces students to the law relating to the protection of the environment and to the legal liabilities which may arise and the remedies which may be available when a pollution incident or other environmentally damaging event has taken place. Environmental law is a wide ranging subject, embracing the study of environmental principles (such as the concept of sustainable development, the precautionary principle preventative principle and polluter pays principle etc.); the use of regulatory controls to prevent or minimise pollution; criminal and civil liability for environmental damage, and the remediation of contaminated land. Throughout the module reference will be made not only to the law but also to the policy framework in which it operates. In addition, much UK environmental law has in the past been influenced by EU environmental law, and this will be reflected in the module along with current and past global influences.
20 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Learning and assessment
Learning
You'll learn through lectures, tutorials, seminars and group work. You’ll also undertake independent study involving reading and preparatory work.
In the early stages of your course you’ll be supported in developing the skills you need to carry out effective independent study.
You’ll be assigned an academic tutor who will support you throughout your degree and oversee your personal and academic progress.
Study with us and you'll receive a research-led teaching experience, in which you'll benefit from the latest thinking and teaching by experts.
We're proud that 91 percent of our research is rated in the highest two categories in the Research Excellence Framework 2021, meaning it is classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Assessment
We use a range of assessment methods to build your confidence and prepare you as you progress through your degree. These include:
- coursework (essays and reports)
- exams
- presentations (group and independent)
Programme specification
This tells you the aims and learning outcomes of this course and how these will be achieved and assessed.
Entry requirements
With Access Sheffield, you could qualify for additional consideration or an alternative offer - find out if you're eligible.
The A Level entry requirements for this course are:
AAA
- A Levels + a fourth Level 3 qualification
- AAB + A in a relevant EPQ
- International Baccalaureate
- 36
- BTEC Extended Diploma
- D*DD in a relevant subject
- Scottish Highers
- AAAAA
- Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels
- A + AA at A Level
- Access to HE Diploma
- Award of Access to HE Diploma in either Law, Business Management, Humanities or Social Sciences, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 39 at Distinction and 6 at Merit
The A Level entry requirements for this course are:
AAB
- A Levels + a fourth Level 3 qualification
- AAB + A in a relevant EPQ
- International Baccalaureate
- 34
- BTEC Extended Diploma
- DDD in a relevant subject
- Scottish Highers
- AAAAB
- Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels
- B + AA at A Level
- Access to HE Diploma
- Award of Access to HE Diploma in either Law, Business Management, Humanities or Social Sciences, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 36 at Distinction and 9 at Merit
You must demonstrate that your English is good enough for you to successfully complete your course. For this course, we require: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C; IELTS grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component; or an alternative acceptable English language qualification
Equivalent English language qualifications
Visa and immigration requirements
Other qualifications | UK and EU/international
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.
Graduate careers
School of Law
Many of our students enter the legal profession, either as barristers or solicitors.
Our former students have joined global, national and regional law firms, barristers' chambers and have become judges. Three Lord Justices of Appeal are among our former graduates and regularly visit to support us.
With all the opportunities and skills on offer, our students have also taken up careers in the criminal justice system and in a wide range of managerial professions.
School of Law
Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020-21
Five reasons to study at the School of Law
- Tailor your degree - choose from a wide range of optional modules to shape your degree to your interests and career aspirations.
- Gain real world experience - apply to join one of our pro bono schemes, which gives you the chance to do real client work that has a positive impact in the community.
- Study abroad - learn a new legal system whilst having an unforgettable experience. The year abroad is compulsory for students on our four-year degrees.
- Learn from experts - our academic staff are researching at the forefront of law and criminology and amongst them are practising legal professionals. Their discoveries become yours, as their research filters into teaching.
- Become career ready - we provide you with the skills that employers value, ensuring that when you graduate you are prepared for the global workplace.
School of Law students are based in Bartolomé House which is in close proximity to the whole University campus. Teaching takes place in Bartolomé House and across the University campus, all within walking distance.
Facilities
You'll have access to our very own Moot Court where you'll have the opportunity to argue a fictional case as if representing a client and can also take part in national and international mooting competitions.
School of LawUniversity rankings
Number one in the Russell Group
National Student Survey 2024 (based on aggregate responses)
92 per cent of our research is rated as world-leading or internationally excellent
Research Excellence Framework 2021
University of the Year and best for Student Life
Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024
Number one Students' Union in the UK
Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
Number one for Students' Union
StudentCrowd 2024 University Awards
A top 20 university targeted by employers
The Graduate Market in 2023, High Fliers report
A top-100 university: 12th in the UK and 98th in the world
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025
Fees and funding
Fees
Additional costs
The annual fee for your course includes a number of items in addition to your tuition. If an item or activity is classed as a compulsory element for your course, it will normally be included in your tuition fee. There are also other costs which you may need to consider.
Funding your study
Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for a bursary, scholarship or loan to help fund your study and enhance your learning experience.
Use our Student Funding Calculator to work out what you’re eligible for.
Visit
University open days
We host five open days each year, usually in June, July, September, October and November. You can talk to staff and students, tour the campus and see inside the accommodation.
Subject tasters
If you’re considering your post-16 options, our interactive subject tasters are for you. There are a wide range of subjects to choose from and you can attend sessions online or on campus.
Offer holder days
If you've received an offer to study with us, we'll invite you to one of our offer holder days, which take place between February and April. These open days have a strong department focus and give you the chance to really explore student life here, even if you've visited us before.
Campus tours
Our weekly guided tours show you what Sheffield has to offer - both on campus and beyond. You can extend your visit with tours of our city, accommodation or sport facilities.
Apply
The awarding body for this course is the University of Sheffield.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.