ML13 Law and Sociology (4 years) (Full-Time)
What will I learn?
This joint degree aims to develop your understanding of technical and doctrinal aspects of the law, sociological theory and research, and social problems, institutions and practices. As a joint degree student in Law you will also gain a critical awareness of the role that law can play in modern societies, and will develop both contextual and professional perspectives on the law, seeing legal institutions, ideas and processes as an important part of society. As a joint degree student in Sociology you will have the chance to explore key phenomena and problems in contemporary society, including crime and justice, gender and sexualities, media and technologies, health and illness, race and ethnicities, markets and global economies.
In addition to covering subject-specific content, this course takes an interdisciplinary approach that enables lawyers to understand law in a broad sociological context and helps sociologists to understand legal techniques and institutions.
A key feature of the course is the second-year module on Social Theory of Law, developed specifically for this course and jointly taught by experts in the sociological study of the law who are teaching and researching in the Law School and the Department of Sociology at Warwick. Taking this degree will give you the opportunity to develop high-quality skills in legal and sociological research, presentation, debating, writing and independent study, and to acquire legal and sociological understanding that will enable you to participate effectively in policy debates.
By successfully completing all the core Law modules, you gain a qualifying law degree through this course. Having spent the first and second year of your degree developing core sociological and legal skills, in your third and fourth year you can choose from a wide range of modules tailored to your academic interests. Optional modules available to current students include (among others):
From the Sociology Department:
Sociology of Gender; Life of Media; Crime and Society; Race and the Making of the Modern World; War, Memory and Society; Understanding Social Inequalities; International Perspectives on Gender; Class and Capitalism in a Neoliberal World; Bodies, Property and Politics; Commercial Cultures in Global Capitalism; Relationship and Family Change; Political Sociology; Educational Inequalities; Sociology of Health and Medicine; Sexuality, Power and Discourse; Racism and Xenophobia; Punishment, Justice and Control; Capitalism and Religion; Transnationalism and New Media; Race, Resistance and Modernity.
From the Law School:
International Criminal Law; Refugee and Asylum Law; Shakespeare and the Law; French Law; Introduction to Competition Law; Law and International Business Environment; Comparative Criminal Justice; Human Rights in Practice; Medicine and the Law; Taxation Law, Policy and Principles; An Introduction to Islamic Law; Child Law; Family Law; Law and Literature; Criminal Evidence; Global Intellectual Law and Property; Law, Seas, People and Ecosystems; Financial Services Regulation; Foundations of Commercial Law; The Art of Advocacy: Mooting and Forensic Rhetoric.
If you choose to pursue the qualifying law degree route, in your third and fourth years, you will study core modules in Law alongside some options chosen from both Departments.
A level AAB - Sociology A level preferred but not essential
International Baccalaureate 36 points - Higher level Sociology preferred but not essential
Other Qualifications We welcome applicants with non-standard qualifications or relevant experience, and applicants with other internationally recognised qualifications. For more information please visit the international entry requirements page. We do not require applicants to have passed the LNAT.
Access Courses Access to HE Diploma (QAA-recognised) with 60 credits including 45 at level 3, of which 33 credits must be at Distinction Level and the remainder at Merit Level
Warwick International Foundation Programme (IFP) All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme (selected courses only). For full details of standard offers and conditions visit the IFP page.
General Studies/Critical Thinking General Studies/Critical Thinking – normally excluded from offers
Further Information
Taking a gap year We welcome applications for deferred entry.
Interviews We do not typically interview applicants.Offers are made based on your predicted and actual grades, along with your personal statement. Occasionally, some applicants may be interviewed, for example candidates returning to study or those with non-standard qualifications.
Departmental Open Days Applicants offered conditional or unconditional places will be invited to attend a Departmental Open Day, normally held on a Wednesday in late February, mid-March and early May. Click here for more information about visiting the law school. Click here for information about Open Days at the Department of Sociology.
How will I learn?
Each module in Law usually has a weekly lecture that is two hours long. In addition, you will attend regular seminars (around 7 per term per module) which offer opportunities for legal problem solving and discussion of ethical or policy issues relating to the law. Each module in Sociology usually has a weekly one-hour lecture followed by a weekly seminar class which provides the opportunity to discuss, debate and critically analyse sociological concepts, theories, methods and phenomena. Some modules also include workshops and external activities as well as opportunities to conduct research alongside academics. Staff also have regular office hours in which you can discuss issues outside the seminar setting and get face-to-face feedback and advice. We employ a range of innovative teaching methods, such as performance based learning, film and visual media, group work, debating and mooting, reflective journals and dramatised dissertations.
Our commitment to rigorous, research-led teaching in Sociology and Law means that we ask for consistent work and for your full commitment and engagement throughout the course. In return, we will give you all the support and advice needed to help you realise your full potential.
How will I be assessed?
We offer a variety of assessment methods, with emphasis placed on deepening your skills and knowledge progressively and widening your skillset. Feedback is provided regularly via class tests, essays and other formative and summative written work. For your Sociology modules you can choose to weight your degree towards either examinations or essays.
Can I study abroad?
All students have the opportunity to apply for an intercalated year abroad at one of our partner universities. The Study Abroad Team based in the International Office offers support for these activities, and the Sociology Department’s dedicated Study Abroad Coordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.
Scheme of Study
Four years full-time study leading to the degree of:
- BA (Honours) or
- BA (Pass) or
- BA (Honours) (QD) - Qualifying Degree status (QD) indicates professional recognition
The choice of optional modules given by the School of Law is subject to any requirements laid down by the School of Law as to the order in which modules must be taken, or prerequisites for modules.
Module Options
This four-year, joint degree seeks to provide a holistic and comprehensive education in the fields of Sociology and Law. A key feature of this course is its interdepartmental, jointly taught core module in the second year, The Social Theory of Law.
You will be admitted to the qualifying law and sociology programme and will have to take core modules in law in years 1-4 and core modules in sociology in years 1-2. For further information on the requirements for the Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) please read below.
The Qualifying Law Degree
You will be automatically enrolled for the qualifying law degree as part of your BA Law and Sociology Degree. In order for your degree to maintain its status as a qualifying degree, you must successfully complete all four years and must complete the following accreditation subjects: Criminal Law, Tort Law, Contract Law, Property Law, Constitutional & Administrative Law, Foundations of European Union Law, and Law of Trusts.
Opting out of a Qualifying Law Degree
You can choose to study the BA Law and Sociology without gaining a qualifying law degree. Doing so means that in the fourth year you do not have to take the core Law modules: Law of Trusts and Foundations of European Union Law. Instead, you can choose 30 CATS worth of Law optional modules along with the rest of your Sociology optional modules.
Course Structure for students starting from 2016-17 onwards and completing the Qualifying Law & Sociology Degree:
Year One
- Module 1: (Core) LA115 The Modern English Legal System (15 CATS)
- Module 2: (Core) LA124 Tort Law (30 CATS)
- Module 3: (Core) LA116 Introduction to Legal Theory (15 CATS)
-
- Module 4: (Optional Core) SO128 History of Sociological Thought (15 CATS)
- or Module 4: (Optional Core)SO116 Sociology of Gender (15 CATS)
-
- Module 5: (Optional Core) SO126 Class and Capitalism in a Neoliberal World (15 CATS)
- or Module 5: (Optional Core) SO122 Race and the Making of the Modern World
- Module 6: (Core) QS104 Introduction to Social Analytics I (15 CATS)
- Module 7: (Core) SO120 Researching Society and Culture (15 CATS)
More information on sociology modules can be found here.
Year Two
- Module 1: (Core) LA217 Social Theory of Law (30 CATS)
- Module 2: (Core) LA104 Criminal Law (30 CATS)
- Module 3: (Core) LA243 Contract Law (30 CATS)
- Module 4: (Core) SO242 Designing and Conducting Social Research (15CATS)
- EITHER:
- Module 5: (Optional Core) SO243 Practice and Interpretation of Quantitative Research (15CATS) OR:
- Module 6: (Optional Core) SO245 Modern Social Theory (15 CATS)
Year Three*
- Module 1: (Core) LA201 Constitutional and Administrative Law (30 CATS)
- Module 2: (Core) LA103 Property Law (30 CATS)
- Other Modules: (Optional) 60 CATS From the School of Law and/or the Department of Sociology
Year Four*
- Module 1: (Core) LA307 Law of Trusts (30 CATS)
- Module 2: (Core) LA240 Foundations of EU Law (15 CATS)
- Other modules: (Optional) 75 CATS of modules from the School of Law and/or the Department of Sociology (Students have the option of writing a dissertation in Law or Sociology, which has a weighting of 30 CATS.)
* In Years 3 and 4, students must complete at least 90 CATS of Sociology modules over the course of two years. Students can take ONE 15 CATS module from another department - including one of the interdisciplinary modules offered by the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning in Year 3 OR Year 4.
Course Structure for students not completing the Qualifying Law Degree Requirements
Same as above except Year 4:
- Not required to take Foundations of EU Law and Law of Trusts. Instead, take 120 CATS worth of Optional Modules with:
- At least 30 CATS worth of Optional Modules from the School of Law
- At least 30 CATS worth of Optional Modules from Sociology, so that in Years 3 and 4, students complete at least 90 CATS of Sociology modules over the course of two years.
- Students have the option of writing a dissertation in Law or Sociology, which has a weighting of 30 CATS.
- In years 3 OR 4: Students can take ONE 15 CATS module from another department, outside of Law and Sociology- including one of the interdisciplinary modules offered by the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning .
Examination Scheme
Most modules given by the School of Law are examined by a combination of invigilated examination and course work. A small number of modules are assessed solely by coursework. In some modules the proportion of work assessed by examination is fixed, but in others candidates may choose, subject to the overall limit on assessment, different proportions of assessed work. Where the proportion of examined work is variable, the length of the invigilated examination usually varies accordingly.
The pattern of assessment for modules given by the Department of Sociology allows a candidate to choose to be examined either by one three-hour unseen invigilated examination (100%), or by two 3,000 word essays (100%), or by one two-hour unseen invigilated examination (50%) and one 3,000 word essay (50%). Further rules are laid down by the Department of Sociology.
Up to 55% of a candidate's work may be examined by assessment. Any candidate who wishes to exceed this limit must apply to the School of Law for special consideration. If the School approves the application it will be submitted for consideration by the Examinations Committee of the Senate.
Many invigilated examinations are preceded by 15 minutes reading time. Some examinations also provide material for students' use (statutes, treaties, cases, etc.).
Year Weightings
- First Year 0% - 120 CATS
- Second Year 33.3% - 120 CATS
- Third Year 33.3% - 120 CATS
- Fourth Year 33.3% - 120 CATS
- This degree is jointly taught by Warwick School of Law and the Department of Sociology, both of which are consistently ranked by national and international league tables as amongst the best. Warwick School of Law is ranked 38th in the QS World University Rankings 2014/2015 and Sociology is ranked 23rd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2014/2015 and 4th in The Guardian University Guide 2016.
- Warwick School of Law pioneered - and continue to apply - a unique approach to the study of law: one that is contextual, comparative and international. Its approach provides an excellent foundation for students wishing to become solicitors or barristers, examining the impact of economic, cultural and political change on the law, as well as exploring the critical role the law can play in improving social and economic conditions in modern societies.
- You will also study in one of the UK’s top Sociology departments. We consistently score highly in the national and international league tables, ranked 23rd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2014/2015 and 3rd in The Guardian University Guide 2015.
- An outstanding provider of teaching and learning, we provide a first-rate environment for cutting-edge research. Our undergraduate programmes are designed and informed by high-calibre scholars, producing arguments, theories and ideas that are published and discussed around the world. We encourage our students to become active members of this lively research culture.