Program Overview

An International Foundation Year at our International Study Centre prepares you for your degree at Lancaster University. You will focus on English language, university-level study skills, and academic modules that relate to your degree subject.

Supporting your progression to the University
At the International Study Centre, we take every measure to ensure you are supported in your academic journey. Our programmes allow for increased time spent learning, researching and developing your skills. By studying with us, you will benefit from:

• Formal assessments at the end of each term.
• An improved English language module, Academic English Skills, providing greater opportunity for informal assessments and feedback.
• Combining and reducing the number of module assessments allowing more time to prepare.
• A personal tutorial system with a focus on your academic progress at key points of the academic year, creating action plans based on your performance and progession options.

Law
The International Foundation Year in Law leads to a choice of degrees at Lancaster University Law School – one of the UK’s most respected law schools. To prepare for your degree, you will study core English language modules and subject modules for Law. Your degree options include Criminology, Law, and Law with Politics.

As a Law student the topics you will study include justice, ethics, democracy and political institutions. You will learn about important cases and the history of the law, and you will either study Globalisation or Core mathematics.

Criminology (Placement Year)
Choose one of the best Criminology departments in the UK for your degree.
Are you interested in developing an understanding of crime, criminology and criminal justice? Ready to look beyond common-sense assumptions in relation to crime and deviance? This thought-provoking degree is taught by the world-leading, research-active academics based in our prestigious Law School. Our Criminology degree tackles the problems of crime, deviance, victimization and social harm in a well-respected programme that is intellectually challenging and exciting.

During the degree you will analyse the social, cultural, political and economic contexts of crime and criminal justice, taking an in-depth look at the social circumstances of offending, policies regulating crime, and the social response to criminal activity. The degree draws on the Law School’s expertise in youth justice, policing, prisons and punishment, sex crimes, hate crime, drugs and substance abuse, organised crime, gender-based violence, desistance and criminalisation, cybercrime and measuring crime.

80% of the School’s research was rated as internationally excellent or world leading in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2014). 

Overview
The first year is flexible, meaning that you can choose from a range of fascinating modules to study alongside your core module, An Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice.

During your second year you will explore a broad range of criminological theories and perspectives, consider how to ‘do’ criminological research and choose from a range of optional modules which explore various criminological controversies and issues. If you would like to take a global perspective on Criminology, you can apply to study for a semester at one of our highly regarded partner institutions overseas. In the final year , you will have the choice to study specialist subjects in depth from our range of optional modules.

The placement year
You will have the opportunity to spend Year 3 on a placement with a public, private or voluntary organisation in the UK or overseas. This experience should boost your employment prospects and help you to decide on your career direction and the kind of organisation in which you want to work once you graduate. You will be doing a real, responsible job – with all the satisfaction that brings.

The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and would continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.