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Foundation in Law

Foundation Diploma

UCAS code: M111

Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026

Full time: 1-year foundation course leading to 3-year undergraduate degree (funding available for all 4 years if the whole programme is undertaken).

Part time: 2 years

Location: Headington

Department(s): School of Law and Social Sciences

Overview
Course details
Careers
Entry requirements
How to apply
Tuition fees

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Overview

Develop academic and workplace skills – including skills of communication and research – that will help you thrive in education and beyond. Successfully completing your Foundation Diploma in Law diploma guarantees you a spot on one of our undergraduate law courses.  

The programme is ideal if you need to top-up your A-level grades before coming to university, or if you’re returning to study after a break from education. 

On the course you will:

  • develop key legal skills such as statutory interpretation and case reading
  • enhance your problem solving and oral skills
  • gain highly-valued competencies in legal research and writing.

You’ll be taught by academic staff whose diverse experience will shape your learning. The support you’re given will help you succeed at Oxford Brookes and beyond.

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Students in court

Why Oxford Brookes University?

  • We’ve got your back

    You’ll be joining a close-knit legal community. Help is always easy to find.

  • Spend time wisely

    You will have the opportunity to take part in extracurricular activities and make the most of your time at Oxford Brookes.

  • Move onto the LLB Law

    When you successfully complete this course you will have a guaranteed place on one of our LLB courses.

  • Unique voices

    Our teaching staff come from a variety of diverse backgrounds. They bring fresh perspectives to the teaching of law.

  • Transferable skills

    You’ll fine-tune your problem solving and communication skills. These are useful in many jobs.

  • Free language courses

    Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Course details

Course structure

In semester 1, we’ll help you take your oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills to a standard where you can thrive in higher education. You’ll get to grips with key legal concepts and develop your studying techniques that will help equip you for your future studies. You will study modules including Introduction to Law and Study Skills.

Semester 2 covers important themes in criminal, constitutional and contract law. You’ll complete a small research project to further develop the skills you’ll need for your undergraduate degree, with one-to-one support from a supervisor.

Throughout the year, you’ll receive guidance from an academic adviser. They will help you plan your next steps after finishing the course, whether this is further study or finding employment. 

Three students chatting on seating

Learning and teaching

You’ll learn in a highly supportive environment that encourages a broad range of learning styles. 

Our course modules originate from the School of Law. This means that we draw on a range of content, approaches and expertise from within the Faculty. 

You will learn through a variety of teaching and learning methods including: 

  • lectures, seminars and workshops
  • supervised independent learning
  • court visits
  • skills acquisition sessions
  • work with a wide range of practical resources.

During your studies, you’ll gain a range of personal and professional skills which will be a springboard for your future career development in a number of industries.

Assessment

Assessment methods are diverse. While some modules require formal exams, we will mostly assess you by coursework, including:

  • essays
  • reflective logbooks
  • critical commentaries.

Study modules

Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around 8 hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.

Semester 1

Compulsory modules

  • Introduction to Law

    In this module, you’ll gain a strong understanding of the English and Welsh Legal System. You’ll gain the knowledge you need to study law at degree-level, as you get to grips with the role of the courts. You’ll have a firm grasp of the sources of law in a common law system, and how the courts work in England and Wales. You’ll also visit a court, and gain an understanding of how courts operate. 

  • Principles of Criminal Law and Reading Cases

    In this module, you’ll gain a crucial skill in a key area of Law - the ability to read legal cases with precision, rigour, and clarity. You’ll also explore some fundamental concepts of criminal law, including what constitutes a criminal act or criminal mindset.

  • Research Skills

    In this module, you’ll gain the core knowledge to succeed in your Foundation in Law course. You’ll develop key skills in how to undertake a research project in law. You’ll get to know legal databases, and the process of managing and carrying out a research project.  

  • Study Skills

    In this module, you’ll develop the tools you need to study Law successfully at university. You’ll gain excellent organisation and time management skills, crucial to studying the law in the full workload of an LLB Degree. You’ll gain the critical skills to read widely and purposefully. You’ll also learn how to take notes effectively while reading, as well as write clearly and correctly.

Semester 2

Compulsory modules

  • Criminal Advocacy Application

    In this module, you’ll develop key skills for practising law. You’ll develop core knowledge of criminal advocacy, which is when you make your client’s case to the court. You’ll get to know the criminal procedure of a Crown Court Trial, and develop your ability to communicate confidently and persuasively when speaking in public. You’ll gain the oral presentation skills you need for criminal advocacy in the Crown Court, and you’ll learn these skills through video recording, feedback and analysis. 

  • Introduction to Constitutional Law and Essay Writing

    In this module, you’ll gain core skills in legal writing, accelerating your chances of success in your Foundation in Law course, and later LLB degree. You’ll learn how to use journal articles to enhance your legal analysis. You’ll also have the opportunity to practice your legal writing, allowing you to improve continually. 

  • Principles of Contract Law and Problem Solving

    In this module, you’ll get to grips with the law of Contract, which governs and enforces how, and when, we make legal agreements. You’ll understand Contract Law from the point of view of a consumer, and understand the most recent law on consumer rights. You’ll gain a strong understanding of statutory interpretation - how courts interpret and apply the law. You’ll also gain key skills in problem solving, vital to practicing the law. 

  • Research Project

    This module gives you the chance to do independent research on a fascinating legal subject. You’ll gain core skills for studying the law at degree-level, as you identify, define and complete your own research project. You’ll base your project on one of three topics, centered around our staff’s research interests, meaning you’ll always be taught by an expert. You’ll have expert guidance and one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will help you as you get to know your topic.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Careers

After successfully completing the course you are free to progress on to one of our  LLB programmes: Law, Law with Business, or Law with Criminology. Your academic adviser will help you decide which course is your best option.

You’ll have learned techniques in academic study and interpersonal communication, boosting your self-confidence.

Your new skills in presentation, independent learning, teamworking, and research will be useful in a variety of workplaces.

Entry requirements

Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.

Standard offer

UCAS Tariff Points: 48

A Level: DD

IB Points: 24

BTEC: PPP or MP

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process


Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCAS


Part time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the University


International applicants
Apply direct to the University

Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
£9,250
Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module
International full time
£15,950
Home (UK) full time
£5,760
Home (UK) part time
£720 per single module
International full time
£16,750

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) full time
£9,250
Home (UK) part time
£1,155 per single module
International full time
£15,950
2025 / 26
Home (UK) full time
£5,760
Home (UK) part time
£720 per single module
International full time
£16,750

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

* Following the government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we expect to increase our undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Please visit The Education Hub for more information about the changes. We will confirm our fees for 2025/26 as soon as possible.

Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students. 

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support. 

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

Oxford Brookes Bursary for home students Undergraduate maintenance loans for part-time UK students Undergraduate maintenance loans for full-time UK students Undergraduate tuition fee loans for UK students Oxford Brookes Bursary Scheme

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.