Criminal Law and Justice with foundation year

Criminal law and justice examines how societies define, detect, and respond to crime, and asks whether the frameworks they use are legitimate, effective, and fair. It combines the study of criminal law as a body of doctrine, what the law says, how it is interpreted, and how it is applied in courts, with a broader critical inquiry into the criminal justice system as a social institution: who polices whom, how punishment is justified and delivered, and what the relationship between crime and inequality looks like across different societies and legal systems.

At Coventry University, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, making it accessible to students who need to build their academic grounding before entering the main degree. You will study both domestic criminal law and its international dimensions, covering criminal liability, defences, procedure, sentencing, and the theoretical frameworks used to evaluate the legitimacy of state power and its impact on individual freedom and autonomy. A sandwich year gives you extended professional experience, a year abroad broadens your understanding of how other legal systems approach crime and justice, and work placement experience is embedded throughout.

Graduates pursue careers in the legal profession, the police service, the Crown Prosecution Service, probation, victim support, policy, the prison service, and roles in the charity and voluntary sector concerned with criminal justice. Those who intend to qualify as solicitors or barristers typically complete further professional training after their degree. Postgraduate study in law, criminology, criminal justice, and human rights is a common progression for graduates who wish to specialise or pursue academic research.