Law and Practice Foundation Year

Study level: Foundation year
Law students in a mock courtroom

Our Foundation Year courses offer an introduction to your chosen subject and are an ideal route to degree level qualifications, helping you develop the necessary skills for further study.

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

1 year full-time

Course code

MM12

Start date

September 2023
November 2023
January 2024
March 2024

How to apply
Book an Open Day
Download a prospectus
Contact us

The information on this page is for 2022-23 entry and should be used as guidance for 2023-24 entry. Please keep checking back on this course page to see our latest updates.

Course overview

Filled with intrigue and complexities, law is a fascinating and exciting subject area that is an essential component of every business organisation.

This course aims to provide a thorough understanding of legal principles and best practice. With a focus on European, national and local contexts, this course explores the development of legislation and case law with core academic skills. If you successfully pass all modules you can continue your studies with us on to the BA (Hons) Law and Practice degree, subject to meeting specific entry criteria. 

Why CU Coventry

We offer a style of education which is flexible and designed to fit around your life, allowing you to benefit from a modern, forward-thinking higher education institution, reinforced by the quality and reputation of Coventry University. We aim to provide career-focused courses, wherever possible, coupled with placement opportunities to help prepare you for the world of work. We are dedicated to making higher education accessible and enjoyable to everyone, so we keep our fees low and made it a policy to cover one module at a time, allowing you to become a specialist in each topic before moving onto the next.

Accreditation and Professional Recognition

This course is recognised by the following bodies:

CILEX logo

Chartered Institute of Legal Executives

Modules within the programme include units based on the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice. Upon successful completion of the Foundation course you’ll have the opportunity to secure this additional qualification. However, this is not a condition of academic credit. Assessment for the professional qualification is separate from those within our degree course. Should you decide to take the professional qualification with CILEx, there is an initial affiliate membership fee. Please visit the CILEx website for further details.

How can we help?

How can we help?

Chat with an advisor now or leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

What you'll study

With a focus on European, national and local contexts, this course explores the development of legislation and case law with core academic skills. If you successfully pass all modules you can continue your studies with us on to the BA (Hons) Degree in Law & Practice, subject to meeting specific entry criteria.

Modules

  • The aim of this module is to ensure that you understand the primary concepts, terms and processes in the practice of Law in England and Wales. We’ll discuss the interpretation and application of legal rules; providing you with an insight into key aspects of professional practice and law in the workplace.

    We will focus on contemporary case studies and analyse current issues in the legal system to keep the course relevant.

    This module has content from the CILEx Level 3 Unit 1: Introduction to Law and Practice embedded.

    Compulsory

  • In this module you will learn to understand exactly what constitutes a valid and enforceable contract. You’ll look at obligations, the rights of third parties and the terms of a contract to solidify your understanding. You will cover a range of relevant topics, such as discharge of contract, misrepresentation, vitiating factors and legal reasoning.

    You’ll develop analytical skills by performing critical evaluations of contractual obligations and the remedies available.

    This module has the CILEx Level 3 Unit 2: Contract Law embedded.

    Compulsory

  • The Criminal Law and Practice module encompasses both criminal theory and criminal process.

    The Criminal Law element of the module will examine the general principles of criminal law, including how liability is incurred through acts, omissions and intention. Consideration will be given to particular offences involving dishonesty and non-fatal offences against the person, murder/manslaughter, criminal damage and where relevant, defences. Key doctrines and rules will be discussed with analysis of statute and case law.

    The Criminal Litigation element will be embedded into and run alongside Criminal Law study. The study will look at how criminal cases play out at court within the criminal litigation system of England and Wales. Students will gain knowledge of the professional requirements and skills to run a criminal file in practice. In addition, students will gain valuable experience in making oral legal submission (advocacy) in a virtual courtroom.

    Compulsory

  • The initial transition to higher education can pose a range of challenges that you need to overcome. Therefore, we ensure that you have a clear understanding of the skills needed for effective legal practice, including how to create, draft and use various client care documents as well as becoming confident as an independent learner.

    We’ll guide you through legal reasoning, critical thinking and decision making. You’ll also learn the processes and procedures of professional conduct, with client care, interviews and communications.

    Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

At CU Coventry, students learn through a variety of modes. The foundation year programme is focused on applied learning geared to high intensity teaching and study throughout the programme, requiring full commitment from students. The delivery of course content is a blend of lectures, tutorials and online mediums.

Unlike traditional institutions, there are no end of year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which is more reflective of a working environment. You can expect up to 20 hours of learning activities per week, made up of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, online classes and independent learning.

Assessment

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.

Assessment methods vary and include practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, oral presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which take place at the end of each six-week block.

Course Breakdown:

  • Coursework
  • Phase Tests

Job ready

On completion, you will have had the opportunity to gain:

  • A broad appreciation of the United Kingdom’s Constitution and how the institutions of the law are positioned within that constitution.
  • Knowledge of the basic underlying legal principles at work in both the criminal and civil justice systems in England and Wales.
  • Knowledge of the sources of law and the ability to carry out research amongst those sources.
  • An ability to interpret and apply legal concepts and principles to given scenarios in order to develop lines of argument and reach informed and justified conclusions.
  • An ability to communicate legal concepts, ideas and arguments in a structured and coherent manner through a variety of oral and written media.
  • The qualities and transferable skills necessary to undertake a degree course in a law or law related subject in the UK higher education sector as an independent learner.

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2023/24 entry.

40 UCAS tariff points. All Foundation courses require 5 GCSEs at 9-4 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you don’t fulfil the entry criteria your application may be considered on an individual basis, taking into account any work experience, other qualifications and/or any training you have completed. Speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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40 UCAS tariff points. All Foundation courses require 5 GCSEs at 9-4 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you don’t fulfil the entry criteria your application may be considered on an individual basis, taking in to account any work experience, other qualifications and/or any training you have completed. Speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on how to apply and travelling to and living in the UK.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0, and a minimum of 5.5 in each component.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

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Tuition Fees

We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK £7,950 per year Not available
International £16,800 per year Not available

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

All our facilities are located at Mile Lane. Our building has been designed to enable collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish, and includes (subject to availability):

  • Indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a café
  • A library that includes loan laptops, over 115,000 eBooks and a silent study area
  • Open access IT suites and 83-inch teaching screens
  • Engineering lab, science lab and a moot courtroom
  • Student support and careers advice teams

Careers and opportunities

A qualification in law provides you with transferable skills in the employment world. With an ever-growing demand for legal professionals in all industries, graduates of a law course have an expansive list of career paths to explore. Many students graduate and find careers in the law sector, in government departments, local authorities, the hospitals, banks etc, while others continue onto further study by undertaking professional qualifications or a master’s degree in specialised subjects such as International Law.

If you successfully pass a Foundation Year, you are guaranteed a place on a relevant degree course at CU Coventry, subject to meeting specific entrance criteria, including:

Further study



How to apply

  • Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University. 

    1Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

    2UK and international opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

    3Tuition fees

    The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

    For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

    4Facilities

    Due to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2023/24 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

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