The Postgraduate Law Dissertation is designed to build upon previous foundational and elective courses and allow students to develop cutting-edge legal research under the supervision of a member of staff.
This cousre may be taken as part of a Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, Master of Financial Management and Law or the Master of International Law and Diplomacy program. The course is worth 12 units and involves the completion of a 12,000 – 16,000 word research thesis that will take the place of two standard courses. Students will organise supervisors according to the published supervised allocation process that is required in the semester prior to the cousre commencement.
To develop their knowledge and skills, students will engage in a range of processes that focus on the development of technical research skills, research-related soft skills and the opportunity of the development of advanced written and oral communication skills to a specialist and non-specialist audience.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Apply advanced specialised knowledge and research skills to undertake an in-depth, critical analysis with respect to the area of law relevant to the topic.
- Identify, analyse and reflect upon a complex body of knowledge in the area of law relevant to the topic.
- Critically reflect upon and synthesise complex information, practical issues, concepts and theories as they apply in the area of law relevant to the topic chosen to form a cohesive argument.
- Apply advanced knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a researcher.
Other Information
This cousre may be taken as part of a Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, Master of Financial Management and Law or the Master of International Law and Diplomacy program. The course is worth 12 units and involves the completion of a 12,000 – 16,000 word research thesis that will take the place of two standard courses.
Further information can be located within the Law Dissertation Guidelines.
Enrolment is limited with selection based on a competitive process. Postgraduate Law Dissertation | ANU Law School
Indicative Assessment
- The Postgraduate Dissertation course requires a research paper of between 12,000 and 16,000 words in length. (100) [LO 1,2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
- Classes offered in non-standard sessions will be taught on an intensive base with compulsory contact hours (approximately 26 hours of face to face teaching). The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours.
- Classes offered during semester periods are expected to have three contact hours per week.
Click here for the LLM Masters Program course list
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the ANU Law School to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
There are no prescribed texts for this course.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 34
- Unit value:
- 12 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 12.00 | 0.25000 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $10560 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $13440 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3743 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | View |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8778 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |