Bachelor of Law and Criminology (Accelerated)

at University of Buckingham United Kingdom

Well-functioning legal institutions are crucial to economic growth, development and more equitable distribution of resources. The connection between the legal system and the success of business has been shown repeatedly in the 20th Century.

The 2-year fast track programme offers a unique blend of business, economics and law covering micro and macro-economics, labour market economics, human rights law, corporate and business law, business management and business strategy.

We regularly host events and seminars where we discuss the latest research from our academics and invite speakers from the world of business and entrepreneurship.

Our academics offer a supportive, diverse and creative environment for you to explore your interests and ensure a successful educational experience. You will join an international community of students, staff and alumni.

A dedicated professional development course runs through the degree covering academic and job market skills. You will also benefit from internships and research opportunities in the Vinson Centre for Economics and Entrepreneurship.

Students taking this programme might be aiming to enter the legal profession by going on to take the Common Professional Examination and later specialise in areas of law such as anti-trust, securities regulation or taxation. Graduates can also move onto several master’s level programmes and is well suited to students who intend to take an MBA degree before entering business.

We are the beneficiaries of a substantial endowment from Nobel prize-winning economist Ronald Coase, who had a major specialism in the interface between Law and Economics and won the Nobel prize for that research. We offer several generous scholarships for students with a passion for Economics and Law. We especially encourage women and ethnic minorities to apply. Coase Scholarship details and eligibility criteria.

Our BSc in Economics (3-year degree) Is a great option if you see yourself working as an advisor in a national or international agency, as a teacher or a journalist, or if you simply wish to keep your options open before going on to a career in business or the professions. The economics programme will be an attractive alternative. In the BSc in Economics (3-year degree) programme, you have an enhanced opportunity for studying problems of economic policy. The problem of achieving macroeconomic and exchange rate stability has been of great importance to many countries in recent years for example, while microeconomic issues such as the allocation of resources to health or to raising environmental quality continue to figure prominently in public discussion. An economics degree gives you the perfect opportunity to study these issues. It also permits you to take modules in politics, law and the humanities so as to broaden your perspective further.

This is the 3-year format of the BSc in Economic degree, which allows you the traditional summer break. Starting each September, there are 3 terms per year, leading to an assessment period in early June. Then the summer is free, before the return for the new academic year in late September. This allows you more time for reading and reflection. For the 2-year format of the degree see BSc Economics | 2 Years, 2 Years (+ 1 term).

This MA programme is a continuation of the project established by the late Sir Roger Scruton at the University of Buckingham. It is a one-year, London-based programme of ten evening seminars and individual research.

Sir Roger Scruton was very critical of the current academic approach to philosophy, where direct engagement with fundamental philosophical questions and the training of the philosophical mind have been displaced by a focus on engaging with the  thoughts of philosophers through the lens of linguistic analysis and examination of minutiae. Central to Scruton’s vision in designing the programme was his conviction that the best way to learn philosophy is by doing philosophy, i.e.: engaging in philosophical dialogue. This lies at the heart of the seminars.

Dr. Alicja Gescinska, was chosen by Sir Roger to assist him in this task, and continues the programme in the same spirit, where the exchange of ideas and a vivid dialogue are central to the course. She does this, together with Professor Raymond Tallis.

Together they have crafted a programme of ten guest lectures which will not only introduce the students to key topics of philosophy, but which will also allow them to take part in real philosophical discussions. The guest lectures will be provided by internationally renowned philosophers. The students will thus have  the chance to exchange ideas,  and enter into dialogue, with leading figures in the field. During the course of the year these seminars are supplemented by additional online lectures by the course organisers.

The range of topics covered in the programme reflect the wide range of research areas that were central to the work of Sir Roger Scruton.

Each seminar takes place at the Reform Club, Pall Mall, central London and is followed by a dinner during which participants can engage in discussion with the course directors and guest lecturer.

Examination will be by a research dissertation on an approved philosophical topic chosen by the student, of around 25,000 words. Guidance and personal supervision will be provided.

BSc Computing with Accounting and Finance  will enable you to understand computing and communications technologies lie at the heart of modern society. They include hardware, software, networks, tools, telecommunications equipment and required standards that provide the technological framework on which the delivery of information services is based. The IT industry is reporting a widening gap in software skills while hard technology is developing and diversifying fast.

The overall aim of this intensive programme is to enable all students to develop their potential so that they can apply what they have learnt to deal with computational problems and develop solutions in a real-world environment in relation to accounting and finance. Through studying this programme, students learn how to specify, design, develop and operate efficient and innovative computer-based systems and gain up-to-date knowledge and awareness of the relevant computing technologies within a shorter space of time. Graduates of BSc Computing with Accounting and Finance will be able to undertake a variety of careers in the IT sector of related industries.

This major/minor programme of study specifically aims to produce technically sound computing graduates who are exposed to basic concepts and practice of accounting and finance, providing them with IT and computing technical know-how as well as awareness of the principles of the application areas.

The content of this fast-track programme is compatible with the UK QAA subject benchmark statement for Computing and with the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The intensive nature of the programme requires motivation, commitment and above all good management of time

The three year BSc Psychology with foundation is designed for students who need additional preparation prior to the undergraduate level study. The first year of the programme is intended to provide a foundation in both knowledge and academic skills for the more specialist subjects in years two and three. When you apply for this programme, we will be able to advise whether this 3-year (BA/BSc with integrated Foundation) option or our 2-year UG degree is the best option for you.

As a student, you will learn core theory and have the opportunity to study the eight areas of practitioner psychology, enabling you to make an informed choice on your future career as a psychologist. In addition, we have modules in distinct areas of study such as creativity and cyberpsychology.

The BSc Psychology with foundation programme at Buckingham has been designed to integrate the unique Buckingham tutorial teaching model into the teaching of psychological science. The programme is based on three core elements. First, covering the core theoretical content required for British Psychological Society accreditation meaning that the degree has both national and international recognition. Second, strong research methods and analysis skills embedded within the programme so that Buckingham graduates have begun to develop a range of highly employable skills.

The programme explores how sport developed into the third biggest industry in the world, driven by paternalist institutions as well as market forces. The MA interrogates how technology has influenced spectator sport, and how sport became an agent as well as beneficiary of globalization. Students will study the biases that can work against good decision-making, and how effective leaders build consensus and effect change. The programme explores the relationship between data analytics and human judgment.

The MA examines the challenge of sustaining fair competition (cheating, doping, match-fixing) and best practice on how to retain and improve public trust. The programme explores the social function and value of the sporting event. Students will be introduced to sport’s reach and impact, its influence on local identity, as well sport’s role as an agent of cosmopolitanism. The sports event is always in flux: from the fan in the stadium, to the fan listening on the radio or watching on television, to the fan hooked into the digital world of social media. Students will study the power of sport as a projection of nationhood, and the wider issue of “sports diplomacy.” Students will be introduced to the influence of sport on race, gender and homophobia.

The MSc programme in Money, Banking and Central Banking focuses on the changes in the banking and financial markets during and since the Global Financial Crisis, as well as the changes made by major central banks in the running of their monetary policies since then. The programme will pay particular attention to the assessment of the policy responses given by world leading central banks to the Covid-19 crisis and their effects on prices and output over the medium and long term.

Banks and central banks play a pivotal role in the sound functioning of modern monetary economies. The 2008-09 Global Financial Crisis was a powerful reminder of how important it is to understand their functioning and operations, and the relationship between the quantity of money and the overall economy.

Unlike any other programme in the UK, ours emphasises the importance of high quality monetary and banking analysis, allowing our students to assess which policies are compatible with stable economic growth and long term financial stability.

Our students will leave with expert knowledge of monetary economics, monetary policy, risk assessment and how financial institutions operate. They will be equipped with the specialised knowledge and skills required for a career in central banking, as well as monetary analysis suitable to pursue a career in consultancy businesses, research departments and specialised media.

The BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (3-year degree) combines the three important subjects of Philosophy, Politics and Economics. What makes it different to PPE offered in other universities is its integrated character, with a special focus on explaining how human behaviour shapes economic and political institutions.

In the Philosophy strand, you will take an Introduction to Philosophy module and study the Philosophy of Mind. In addition, there will be more specialised modules in political theory: Introduction to Political Theory; Freedom; Evolution and Human Cooperation. And students will receive a grounding in the Philosophy of Social Science.

The Politics element of the degree focuses on area and country studies, with a particular emphasis on political order and security challenges. Those challenges vary from region to region but typically take the form of political violence (war, terrorism and organised crime), mass migration and economic instability. Students are encouraged to approach these problems from a number of disciplinary perspectives. For example, the study of Latin America would consider the historical, cultural and economic determinants of the region’s politics.

The Economics element of the PPE programme covers the core areas of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. But in addition, there is an emphasis on the interaction between Economics and Politics. Students also receive a strong grounding in mathematics and quantitative methods.

Another distinctive feature of the degree is that two modules – in Politics and Philosophy – will be based on a series of lectures by prominent academics and public figures. These are taught in London (travel and other expenses will be covered in the fees).

The BSc Biomedical Sciences with integrated foundation (3 years) is taught on the Crewe campus awarding graduates of this course a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences degree.

Biomedical science focuses on how cells, organs and metabolic systems function in the human body. Through this understanding of health and disease processes, new treatments and therapies can be created or developed, contributing to necessary advances toward solving significant health problems facing today’s society

Our Certificate in Medical Foundation Studies is a level 3 qualification designed for those students who wish to study on our BSc (Hons) Biomedical sciences programme but do not currently meet the entry requirements and require additional preparation prior to undergraduate level study. The programme is intended to provide a foundation in both knowledge and academic skills for a seamless transition into the BSc.

The MA in English Literature by research is taught through seminars, group sessions, and personalised one-to-one teaching with a first and second supervisor. A postgraduate reading group, and seminars led by staff and guest speakers, gradually develop the insights needed to complete your research project.

English MA brochure coverThere are four parts to the qualification:

• A research proposal
• A bibliography
• A short essay
• A longer Dissertation
• There are no exams.

This is an opportunity to work closely on a writer or topic that fascinates you, within a supportive environment. You can undertake research in most literary topics within the period 1550 to the present day. You start by developing the Project Preliminaries with your supervisors: the research proposal, bibliography, and essay. Then you progress to the full Dissertation (25,000-30,000 words), written under the guidance of your supervisors.

The MA commences in September or January each year, on a full- or part-time basis. The MA takes one year full-time, two years part-time.

For the MA, full-time attendance on campus is not required, but overseas students in particular, or home students wishing to use libraries intensively, may apply for a room in University accommodation. Alternately, you can travel in for the teaching days, usually Wednesdays during term. The one-to-one sessions with your supervisors can be arranged for any day of the week.