Copy of Content blocks for course page

Edit the course information

#

0

Law and Sociology BA (ML13)

0a

Find out more about our Law and Sociology degree at Warwick

0c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5fkxT-thSs

0-revisions

Page updates

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

0x

Important box 1

0xx

Professional qualifications

The process by which a student qualifies as a solicitor in England and Wales has changed. Law degrees are no longer to be labelled as 'Qualifying Degrees'. We have therefore revised our curriculum for 2022 entry to coincide with these changes.

To recognise the opportunities afforded by this change in environment, our revised law-related degrees will build on our traditional approach to law in context and continue to develop new methods of teaching and learning suitable for the future. The degree currently provides a contextual, comparative and international approach to the study of law and this will remain as its guiding ethos.

We will continue to offer the Foundations of Legal Knowledge subjects, making our law related degrees an excellent first step towards a legal career. The degree will also enable students to develop an in-depth understanding of the technical and doctrinal aspects of the law, and a critical awareness of the role law plays in modern society. This establishes a strong basis for those who wish to become solicitors or barristers in the UK (or lawyers in other jurisdictions), or follow other career paths in commerce, politics, government, the administration and pursuit of justice across government, commercial or voluntary sectors.

2a

ML13

2b

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

2c

4 years full-time

2d

26 September 2022

2e

Law School

2f

University of Warwick

3a

Our Law and Sociology (BA) 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.

3b

This joint degree aims to develop your understanding of technical and doctrinal aspects of the law, sociological theory and research, social problems, institutions and practices.

You will also gain a critical awareness of the role that law can play in contemporary societies and develop both contextual and professional perspectives on the law. This will help you position legal institutions, ideas and processes as an important part of society.

Within the subject of sociology, you will explore key phenomena and problems in contemporary society, which may include crime and justice, gender and sexualities, media, race and ethnicities, and global economies.

3c

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.

3d

Many of our modules are delivered by a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops supported by online materials. The lectures will introduce you to a particular topic and then you will spend time investigating a topic in preparation for seminar discussion or practical exercises.

We employ a range of innovative teaching methods, such as experiential based learning, reflective journals and dramatised dissertations. Research training and personal and professional development are embedded throughout your degree.

Our contextual approach to law means that we also provide opportunities to engage in law-related work outside the curriculum. Across your years with us, we will give you all the support and advice needed to help you realise your full potential.

3e

Typically in lectures, depending on the options chosen, class sizes are between 10-300 students. Core module lectures consist of approximately 300 students. There are approximately 16 students per seminar. Some modules teach through workshops involving 20-30 students.

3f

Typically, each module has two hours of lectures per week, plus regular seminars or workshops which offer opportunities for legal problem solving and discussion of ethical or policy issues relating to the law. Staff have regular advice and feedback hours in which you can discuss issues outside of your seminars.

3g

Although methods of assessment vary for each module, you will generally be expected to write essays and/or sit a two to three hour examination in your modules.

For your Sociology modules you can choose to weight your degree towards either examinations or essays.

Some modules offer a variety of other assessment methods such as group presentations, moots, and reflective diaries. You will also write formative assessments for which you will receive detailed feedback in preparation for your final module assessments (formative assessments do not contribute towards your final mark).

Your second, third and fourth year count 33.3% each towards your final degree mark.

3h

Study abroad

All students can apply for an intercalated year abroad at one of our partner universities. The Study Abroad Team offers support for these activities, and the Department's dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.

3i

Placements and work experience

Engaging in activities outside your degree enables you to develop important employability and personal skills and position yourself for graduate opportunities.

Extracurricular activities

Warwick provides a wealth of extracurricular opportunities including over 250 societies (cultural, sporting, academic, campaigning and performance), volunteering, part-time work and work experience.

Live legal projects

The Law School has a strong tradition of working with students on live legal projects.

Warwick Law in the Community

This programme cultivates opportunities for you to gain practical experience in law while also making a meaningful contribution to our community locally, nationally and internationally.

You may take part in more traditional forms of legal advice and practice, but we also look beyond these to expose students to alternative ways of doing and thinking about law, including writing, research and journalism, advocacy, education and digital technology.

The programme offers volunteering opportunities through our Strategic Public Law Clinic projects and the Immigration and Asylum Clinic which run throughout the year in conjunction with Central England Law Centre.

US Death Penalty Project

We have operated a US Death Penalty Project in association with attorneys in the USA for the past 15 years.

Lacuna Magazine

Our in-house Lacuna Magazine provides the chance to be involved in journalistic writing, editing and publication.

Student Societies

Student-led law societies also run competitions (mooting, negotiation, client interviewing) and their own Pro Bono projects.

University internships

Warwick has its own summer internship programme where successful applicants undertake 6 weeks of paid work experience locally. It provides financial assistance to students who secure short periods of unpaid experience, such as work shadowing through its work experience bursaries.

Meeting recruiters

Leading graduate recruiters and law firms are keen to meet our students to provide information on their opportunities including open/insight days, internships, vacation and graduate schemes. They deliver presentations, workshops and take part in careers fairs and other events.

Each year the Law Fair brings together over 70 major law firms providing students with an opportunity to network with graduate recruiters. Information is made available to students via the myAdvantage opportunities database, Law School website and social media platforms.

The Law School has its own dedicated careers consultant who helps students identify and apply for work experience and other opportunities.

4a

A level typical offer

AAB. You must also achieve grade B/6 in GCSE English Language and grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics.

A level contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is ABB. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

4b

IB typical offer

36.

IB contextual offer

General GCSE requirements

4c

We welcome applications from students taking BTECs.

5a

Year One

Law State and the Individual

You will study the sources of law (Acts of Parliament, common law rules, conventions) and foundational concepts (such as the legislative supremacy of Parliament, the rule of law and separation of powers) through the critical reading and understanding of academic material and legal texts. We will consider the role of politics and economics and the institutional and theoretical aspects of the law, alongside the law’s relationship to the state and individuals. You will also become familiar with the purposes, limits and possibilities of legal language and methods. The module consists of a mixture of participatory and problem-based exercises, workshops, and more orthodox lecture and seminar work through which you will develop and test your knowledge and practical legal skills.

Tort Law

You will examine the law of civil liability for wrongfully inflicted damage or injury: the law of tort. We emphasise the processes and techniques involved in judicial (as opposed to legislative or administrative) law-making; the relevance and responsiveness of doctrines thus developed to society’s actual problems; and the policies and philosophies underlying the rules. As well as acquiring knowledge of the application of these technical areas of law, you will develop skills of legal reasoning and critical judgement, with particular reference to insurance, loss spreading, developing medical knowledge, professional standards and consumer protection. Work is undertaken independently and in debate and collaboration with your peers.

Introduction to Social Analytics 1

In the age of ever-increasing data availability which is paired with a growing sophistication of statistical techniques, the opportunities for social science research are vast. This module will give you an understanding of the basic elements of core descriptive and inferential statistics that will allow you not only to critically engage with quantitative findings in existing social science research, and also conduct quantitative analysis yourself. The module covers the topics of conceptualisation, operationalisation and measurement, as well as the principles of sampling and the basics of statistical inference. You will be introduced to the statistical methods and process of social science research in one hour lectures, and then explore these in extended seminars (two hours) through both readings, and the statistical software STATA. We will be working on real data sets, such as the World Development Indicators, but you will also conduct your own short surveys amongst other students and analyse the data in class afterwards.

Researching Society and Culture

What is society and how do you study it? Is human behaviour governed by rules similar to the natural world that you can study objectively? Or do human beings consciously act upon their environment and change the world through creativity and intelligence, driven by their own understanding and motivations. These are some of the questions that this module will explore.

You will be introduced to the core ideas behind sociological research and the practical tools to undertake research yourself. As well as looking at some of the key qualitative methods (for example, interviews, ethnography and discourse analysis), you will also examine the political, ethical and practical issues that social research inevitably entails.

Optional Cores

History of Sociological Thought

What holds societies together? How do societies change? And how is politics in the conventional sense affected by factors such as class, status, ethnicity or religion, or the state of the economy? These are some of the questions with which you will engage with when you consider the history of sociological thought. You will gain skills of research, analysis and debate by considering the extent to which sociology may be considered a science and how the evolution of sociological thought has been shaped by events and the cultural, economic and political problems of the day.

Class and Capitalism in the Neoliberal World

Protest and anger characterise the contemporary era – young people taking part in militant politics, protest parties gaining more votes, and even NHS doctors taking to the streets.

In this module, we will explore the social consequences of the economic and political transformations associated with neoliberalism that have taken place in recent decades. We will ask why these changes might be responsible for the global rise in urban unrest and dissatisfaction.

Topics will include growing inequality and elite power, militant policing, consumerism, anxiety, debt, the destruction of industrial communities, class identity, the marketisation of education, and the diminishing spaces of public life.

Sociology of Gender

Through case studies from the gender pay gap to the politics of Christmas, this module will transform how you see gender and its impact on the world. You will explore the origins of gender ideas and analyse their effects on areas of social life including: language; media and popular culture; science; work; family relationships; sexuality; violence; education; politics; and feminist movements.

While gender is the focus of this module, you will also consider how gender connects to other dimensions of social difference and inequality, such as sexuality, race, class or disability.

Sociology of Race

What is 'race' and why does it matter? This module answers these questions by drawing on the wealth of expertise within Warwick Sociology, and is taught by experts who research and write about race and racism from a range of perspectives. Students will learn about both theoretical concepts and real-world examples that will help them to understand how race and racism shape the social world.

Year Two

Social Theory of Law

The module is jointly taught by members of the School of Law and the Department of Sociology. You will be equipped to critically analyse and debate contemporary theories and disputes about the role of law in society. This includes consideration of significant theories of law, justice and jurisprudence and recognition of their origins, and their limitations in contemporary society. You will be expected to conduct self-directed learning and research into primary and secondary sources to arrive at your own considered position, and to express this through relevant arguments in writing, and in debate.

Criminal Law

You will develop an understanding of the general principles of criminal law and its operation within society, coupled with an awareness of the social and political forces that influence the scope of the law and its enforcement. You will encounter basic concepts of the structure of English Criminal Law, and some knowledge of procedures, theories, and historical and political contexts, so as to understand and debate legal arguments and policy. In your studies, you will be expected to assess and present arguments for and against in open debate and also work collaboratively with your peers on specific tasks.

Contract Law

On this module, you will learn to understand and explain the fundamental principles of contract law, one of the building blocks of the common law and which underlies commercial and consumer law. Using primarily a case-law approach, you will have opportunities to study the relationship between case law and statute and to tackle specific problem-solving tasks that will help you develop both your theoretical knowledge, including your understanding of the social context and function of the courts, and your legal writing skills.

Property Law

On this module, you will focus on the role of law in relation to the ownership, use and development of land. Starting with the basic principles of English land law, you will learn to apply these to hypothetical cases, and analyse, evaluate and critique individual cases and statutory provisions using a series of linked materials on a discrete topic. Working both independently and collaboratively, you will also acquire research skills and be able to speak and write about property law accurately and using appropriate terminology.

Designing and Conducting Social Research

This module will teach you the core concepts and practical skills to undertake qualitative social research in academic and professional settings. These include research design, ethnography, in-depth interviewing, documents and discourse. As well as practical skills, you will investigate how social research has changed in recent decades, considering:

• ethical questions when researching life online

• how (and whether you should) study Twitter

• effects of social media on social interactions

• how to engage diverse audiences

You will also gain analytical skills to critically evaluate previous research, and develop your ability to collect and analyse data using a range of qualitative methods.

Optional Cores

Modern Social Theory

This module will introduce you to the main thinkers and movements in critical social theory. Topics include Marxism, post-structuralism, class and culture. The changing conceptualisation of power and class is a focus throughout the module. This helps you to see how the different theoretical approaches relate to each other, and to historical and political events.

Practice and Interpretation of Quantitative Research

Quantitative methods can help you answer questions such as:

• Is income inequality in the UK growing?

• Does marriage improve health?

• Does growing up in a poor neighbourhood affect your life chances?

Analysing representative, large-scale social surveys is crucial for sociologists to understand social processes. This module will introduce you to quantitative methods and how to analyse large data sets using SPSS Statistics software. It will help you engage with published quantitative sociological research and to undertake your own basic quantitative data analysis.

Year Three

If you are thinking of becoming a barrister or seeking qualification as a lawyer in other jurisdictions, which recognise the Warwick law degree, you will be advised to take The Law of Trusts and Foundations of EU Law modules either in Years Three or Four (subject to Bar Standards Board requirements). Otherwise, you may choose optional modules so that no more than 60 CATS are taken from the Law School (including the Law of Trusts and Foundations of EU Law) and no more than 60 CATS from the Department of Sociology.

Year Four

In your final year you will be required to complete the Supervised Project either as a half or full module. The remainder of your modules will be selected from the range of optional modules available in the Law School and Sociology Department.

Supervised Project

The supervised project allows you to undertake independent study to complete one of a range of outputs. These may include a researched dissertation; reasoned policy briefing; a piece of investigative journalism; a video documentary or podcast; or other creative piece of work. The exact form will be agreed with each student. The module aims to provide you with a high degree of responsibility for the learning process and will require you to manage your own learning, reflect on it critically, and seek and use constructive feedback. There is no set syllabus given that each project is individual to the student. However, general skills-based workshops will be provided to introduce you to research methods, research ethics, managing a supervision relationship, and writing to enable you to commence independent project work early in the term. Individual supervision meetings will be focused on substantive issues and on improving quality of the work.

5b

Sociology of Knowledge
Science and Intellectuals
Life of Media
Crime and Society
Sociology of Gender
Race and the Making of the Modern World
International Criminal Law
Climate Change and Law
Introduction to Competition Law
Human Rights in Practice
Medicine and the Law

top