Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) requires completion of 192 units, of which: 

• A maximum of 60 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses. 
• A minimum of 12 Units from the Transdisciplinary Course List 

The 192 units must include: 

96 units from completion of the following compulsory courses: 

• LAWS1201 Foundations of Australian Law 
• LAWS1202 Lawyers, Justice and Ethics 
• LAWS1203 Torts 
• LAWS1204 Contracts 
• LAWS1205 Australian Public Law 
• LAWS1206 Criminal Law and Procedure 
• LAWS2201 Administrative Law 
• LAWS2202 Commonwealth Constitutional Law 
• LAWS2203 Corporations Law 
• LAWS2204 Property 
• LAWS2205 Equity and Trusts 
• LAWS2207 Evidence 
• LAWS2244 Litigation and Dispute Management 
• LAWS2248 Legal Research and Writing 
• LAWS2249 Legal Theory 
• LAWS2250 International Law 

48 units from completion of 4000-level LAWS-coded courses, which may contribute to meeting the transdisciplinary course global requirement, and which must also include: 

 a minimum of 6 units of Research Capstone courses from the following list: 

• LAWS4010 Jessup Moot 
• LAWS4213 Contemporary Issues in Constitutional Law 
• LAWS4218 Feminist and Critical Legal Theory 
• LAWS4601 Comparative Human Rights 
• LAWS4230 Law Internship (Capstone) 
• LAWS4256 Law, Gender Identities and Sexualities 
• LAWS4262 Advanced Administrative Law 
• LAWS4299 Laws History and Context 
• LAWS4300 Undergraduate Law Dissertation
• LAWS4302 International Law Clinic 
• LAWS4315 Law and Development in the Contemporary South Pacific 
• LAWS4700 Law Research Capstone Project 

48 units from completion of laws or non-laws elective courses offered by ANU, which may contribute to meeting the transdisciplinary course global requirement.  

HONS4300 Final Honours Grade will be used to record the class of honours. The final honours mark will be calculated using the formula S(mark x units) / S units, giving NCN and WN a nominal mark of zero. All LAWS-coded courses will be included in the calculation. 

Capstone Courses

Specialisations

Elective Study

Once you have met the program requirements of your degree, you may have enough electives to complete an additional elective major, minor or specialisation.

Study Options

Admission Requirements

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not guarantee entry into the program.

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors.

The University reserves the right to alter or discontinue its programs and change admission requirements as needed.

Domestic applicants

Before applying for a program, you should review the general information about domestic undergraduate admission to ANU programs and how to apply, and the program-specific information below.

• Applicants with recent secondary education are assessed on:
• completion of the Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (AQF) or equivalent and the minimum Selection Rank (from their academic qualifications, plus any adjustment factors) requirement for this program; and
• English language proficiency; and
• any program-specific requirements listed below.
• Applicants with higher education study are assessed on:
• previous higher education studies; or secondary education results if the applicant has completed less than one year full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) of higher education; or the results from a tertiary preparation program; and
• English language proficiency; and
• any program-specific requirements listed below.
• Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are assessed on:
• previously completed VET qualifications at AQF level 5 or higher (i.e. a Diploma or above); or secondary education results if the VET qualification is not completed; and
• English language proficiency; and
• any program-specific requirements listed below.
• Applicants with work and life experience are assessed on:
• secondary education if the Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (AQF) or equivalent was completed; or the Work and Life Experience Based entry scheme; and
• English language proficiency; and
• any program-specific requirements listed below.

For program-specific requirements for domestic applicants, please click here.

International applicants

Applicants who complete a recognised secondary/senior secondary/post-secondary/tertiary sequence of study will be assessed on the basis of an equivalent selection rank that is calculated upon application. A list of commonly observed international qualifications and corresponding admission requirements can be found here.

For program-specific requirements for international applicants, please click here

Diversity factors & English language proficiency 

As Australia's national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe. If required, competitive ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency.

Further information is available for English Language Requirements for Admission 

Additional Requirements

Applicants who have completed a Bachelor Degree or international equivalent are not eligible for admission into the Bachelor of Laws (Honours). These applicants should apply for the Juris Doctor – the ANU postgraduate degree that satisfies the academic component to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia.

Pathways

N/A

Adjustment Factors

Adjustment factors are combined with an applicant's secondary education results to determine their Selection Rank. ANU offers adjustment factors based on equity, diversity, and/or performance principles, such as for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies.

To be eligible for adjustment factors, you must have:

• achieved a Selection Rank of 70 or more before adjustment factors are applied
• if you have undertaken higher education, completed less than one year full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) of a higher education program
• applied for an eligible ANU bachelor degree program

Please visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Employment Opportunities

Law graduates may find work either in areas where a law degree is a professional requirement or more general fields in which law is especially useful.

A Bachelor of Laws would normally be a requirement for the following occupations: a Barrister or Solicitor in professional practice; a Legal Officer in government departments or private enterprise; a Corporate Legal Officer in private industry, commerce and finance; community legal work; law teaching and academic research; a Judge's Associate, and legal journalism.

To practice as a Barrister or Solicitor graduates must also complete Practical Legal Training at an accredited institution.

More general fields of employment include: the Australian Foreign Service; industrial relations; social welfare; government administration; business management; lobbying; media; public relations; law librarianship; court reporting; environmental agencies; technology and communications; and Federal and State police forces. 

Learning Outcomes

1. Review, analyse, and synthesise knowledge from primary and secondary legal sources to identify and provide solutions to complex legal and justice problems.
2. Interpret and critically evaluate the nature of law and its social and ethical impact on society, at a local, national, and international level.
3. Undertake technical legal research to access a range of legal materials, literature databases, and other online sources, and apply legal or transdisciplinary research methodologies to evaluate and synthesise findings.
4. Communicate to a variety of legal and non-legal audiences in a range of oral and written formats.
5. Develop insight into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ diverse perspectives on laws and society and evaluate their relationship and importance to contemporary Australian law and society.
6. Work both independently and collaboratively as required, and evaluate and reflect on feedback to develop personal, professional and ethical capability across a range of legal disciplines.

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirements is currently not available for this program.

Other Requirements

Applicants who have completed a Bachelor Degree or international equivalent are not eligible for admission into the Bachelor of Laws (Honours). These applicants should apply for the Juris Doctor – the ANU postgraduate degree that satisfies the academic component to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia.