A student admitted to a program for a coursework award must enrol in the courses, sequences of courses, or combinations of courses, that the University determines may be included in the program for the year in which the student is admitted to the program.
Please ensure that you follow the study requirements of the academic year you were admitted or, if accepted, will be admitted to the program.
A Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree provides candidates with a law degree that opens doors to a diverse range of professional careers in Australia and around the world.
In addition to equipping you with an understanding of law and the contexts in which it operates, the LLB (Hons) places a significant emphasis on building your high-level research skills through opportunities to conduct independent legal research.
Through the LLB (Hons), you will graduate with an honours-degree, giving you additional advantages in establishing your career or providing a strong foundation for postgraduate study. The program satisfies the academic component to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia.
Are you interested in understanding political systems in Australia and in other parts of the world? Do you want to find out what drives citizens’ political attitudes and behaviour, and how these affect policy outcomes? The Bachelor of Political Science is the only dedicated political science degree in Australia. In it, students:
- study the identities, values and norms that underpin citizens' attitudes, drive political behaviour, and contribute to policy outcomes;
- examine and compare the institutions and political systems of Australia and other countries;
- acquire and apply a broad range of analytical skills that are highly sought after in today’s job market.
Located in the nation's capital, ANU enables students to be in the hub of Australian politics while they study politics. Internships, including in Parliament House, give students the opportunity to see see and experience policymaking firsthand.
Career Options
ANU ranks among the world's very finest universities. Our nearly 100,000 alumni include political, business, government, and academic leaders around the world.
We have graduated remarkable people from every part of our continent, our region and all walks of life.
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.
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
- Review, analyse, and synthesise knowledge from primary and secondary legal sources to identify and provide solutions to complex legal and justice problems.
- Interpret and critically evaluate the nature of law and its social and ethical impact on society, at a local, national, and international level.
- 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.
- Communicate to a variety of legal and non-legal audiences in a range of oral and written formats.
- 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.
- 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.
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key areas of interest to political scientists, including citizen ideas/interests/attitudes/behaviour, policy actors and outcomes, and political/social/legal institutions;
- apply political science theories and concepts to the key areas of interest to political science;
- demonstrate knowledge of a specific region/historical era of relevance to political science; apply political science theories and concepts to that region/era; reflect critically on the theories'/concepts' utility and explanatory power;
- apply analytical tools from political science and other social sciences to the evaluation of political phenomena across of a variety of issue-areas that are relevant toscholars and policymakers; and
- communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a wide variety of media.
Admission Requirements
- ATAR:
- 97
- International Baccalaureate:
- 41
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.
Indicative fees
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
Bachelor of Political Science - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $54,540.00
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.
Program Requirements
The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) flexible double degree component requires completion of 144 units, of which:
A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses
The 144 units must include:
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
LAWS4219 Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights
LAWS4227 Japanese Law and Society
LAWS4230 Law Internship (Capstone)
LAWS4256 Law, Gender Identities and Sexualities
LAWS4262 Advanced Administrative Law
LAWS4299 Law's History and Context
LAWS4300 Undergraduate Law Dissertation
LAWS4302 International Law Clinic
LAWS4315 Law and Development in the Contemporary South Pacific
LAWS4358 International Law, Science and Technology
LAWS4700 Law Research Capstone Project
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.
The Bachelor of Political Science flexible double degree component requires the completion of 96 units, of which:
A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses
The 96 units must consist of:
A minimum of 72 units must come from the following lists:
12 units from completion of the following compulsory Introductory and Methods courses:
POLS1002 Introduction to Politics
POLS1009 Introduction to Data and Methods for Political Science and International Relations
A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 12 units from the completion of courses from the following Theory list:
POLS2102 Political Belief and Deceit
POLS2119 Ideas in Politics
POLS2130 Public Choice and Politics
A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 12 units from the completion of courses from the following Australian and Comparative Politics list:
POLS2010 Comparative Politics
POLS2114 Australian Politics
A minimum of 6 units from the completion of courses in the following list:
POLS2044 Quantitative Methods in Politics and International Relations
POLS2045 Qualitative Methods in Politics and International Relations
POLS2137 Meaning in Politics: Interpretation, Method and Critique
A minimum of 6 units and a maximum of 18 units from the completion of the following Political Science and Social Science Enquiry courses, of which no more than 6 units can come from courses taken outside POLS:
DEMO1001 Global Population Challenges
ENVS1003 Introduction to Environmental and Social Research
HIST2110 Approaches to History
INDG1001 Country, Kinship and Continuities: An Introduction to Australian Indigenous Studies
INDG1002 Resilience, Responsibilities, Resurgence: First Peoples' Experiences and Ways of Being
POLS1005 Introduction to International Relations Foundations and Concepts
POLS2002 Public Policy: Theory and Practice
SOCR1001 Foundations of Social Research
SOCY2038 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods
SOCY2043 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
STAT1003 Statistical Techniques
Or any other 2000 level POLS course with permission of the program convenor
24 units from the completion of the following 3000-level courses, of which:
A minimum of 18 units must come from the following Political Science Depth list:
POLS3002 Comparative European Politics
POLS3029 Sharing Power: Federalism in Comparative Perspective
POLS3043 Pressure Groups and Political Lobbying
POLS3095 Politics in Latin America
POLS3111 Elections, Political Behaviour and Public Opinion in Australia
POLS3113 Human Rights
POLS3125 Game Theory and Social Sciences
POLS3126 Democracy and Dictatorship
POLS3127 U.S. Politics
POLS3134 The Politics of Gender, Race, and Identity
A maximum of 6 units from the following Social Science Enquiry Depth list:
ANIP3003 Australian National Internships Program A
ENVS3028 Environmental Policy
INDG3001 First Nations Peoples, the State and Public Policy in Australia
SOCR3001 Data for Decision Making
6 units from the completion of courses from the following Area Expertise list:
ASIA1025 Asia and the Pacific: Power, Diversity and Change
ASIA1030 Asia and the Pacific in Motion
ASIA1035 Introduction to Asian Politics
ASIA1999 The Origins of Political Order in Asia
ASIA2026 The Politics of China
ASIA2031 Japanese Politics
ASIA2065 Asia’s Changing Politics in Comparative Perspective
ASIA2096 North Korea: History, Culture, Politics
ASIA2222 Taiwanese Society and Politics
ASIA2516 Indonesia: Politics, Society and Development
DEMO2003 Migration in the Modern World
ECHI1006 The Australian Economy, Past and Present
HIST2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History
HIST2221 Britain in the Age of Revolutions and Empires 1688-1848
HIST2226 Nazi Germany
HIST2227 Australian Political History
HIST2240 Democracy and Dissent: Europe Since 1945
HIST2242 The Soviet Union: From the Russian Revolution to the Collapse of Communism
INDG1002 Resilience, Responsibility, and Resurgence: First Peoples' Experiences and Ways of Being
MEAS1001 Introduction to the Modern Middle East
MEAS1002 Islam: History and Institutions
MEAS2000 Iran: History, Politics and Culture
MEAS2001 New States of Eurasia: Emerging Issues in Politics and Security
MEAS2105 The Political Economy of the Middle East
PASI1011 Pacific Encounters: An Introduction to Pacific Studies
PASI2001 Pacific Studies in a Globalising World
POLS2031 Politics in the Middle East
POLS2055 Pacific Politics
POLS2069 Politics in Russia
Specialisations
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Specialisations
Study Options
| Year 1 | LAWS1201 Foundations of Australian Law 6 units | LAWS1203 Torts 6 units | POLS1002 Introduction to Politics 6 units | Political Theory and political philosophy list Course 6 units |
| LAWS1202 Lawyers Justice and Ethics 6 units | LAWS1204 Contracts 6 units | POLS1009 Introduction to Data and Methods for Political Science and International Relations 6 units | Another course from specified lists 6 units | |
| Year 2 | LAWS1205 Australian Public Law 6 units | LAWS1206 Criminal Law and Procedure 6 units | POLS2119 Ideas in Politics 6 units | Political Theory and political philosophy list Course 6 units |
| LAWS2250 International Law 6 units | LAWS2249 Legal Theory 6 units | POLS2044 Quantitative Methods in Political Science and International Relations 6 units | Comparative Politics list Course 6 units | |
| Year 3 | LAWS2201 Administrative Law 6 units | LAWS2203 Corporations Law 6 units | Comparative Politics list Course 6 units | Australian Politics list Course 6 units |
| LAWS2202 Commonwealth Constitutional Law 6 units | LAWS2248 Legal Research and Writing 6 units | Another course from specified lists 6 units | Political Economy list Course 6 units | |
| Year 4 | LAWS2204 Property 6 units | Law Elective Course 6 units | Methodology list Course 6 units | Another course from specified lists 6 units |
| LAWS2205 Equity and Trusts 6 units | Law Elective Course 6 units | Methodology list Course 6 units | Australian Politics list Course 6 units | |
| Year 5 | LAWS2244 Litigation and Dispute Management 6 units | Law Elective Courses 18 units | ||
| LAWS2207 Evidence 6 units | Law Elective Courses Law Capstone Courses 6 units 12 units |
Back to the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) page
Step 1: Understand your program
Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in a Flexible Double DegreeA Flexible Double Degree (FDD) is normally composed of 240 units (40 courses of 6 units), or the equivalent of five years full-time study. The Law component of an FDD program consists of 144 units (24 courses or 6 units) in total, distributed as follows:
- 16 Law compulsory courses (96 units)
- 8 Law elective courses (48 units), including one law Capstone Course (6 units minimum)
Your other courses (normally 16 courses or 96 units) of your FDD will be towards your second non-law degree.
To find out how many units are required for your FDD, please use the degree builder.
Students studying the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) as a single degree will need to complete 192 units in total (32 courses of 6 units), equivalent to four years of full-time study, distributed as follows:
- 16 compulsory law courses (96 units)
- 8 Law elective courses (48 units), including one law capstone course (6 units minimum)
- 8 courses of Law or non-law elective courses (48 units)
Specialisations
Students may choose to complete one or more of the specialisations listed below as part of their Law degree by completing four Law elective courses listed under the relevant specialisation on Programs and Courses, under the Study tab.
Law elective courses are generally not undertaken until the second or third year of the program. Students are also not required to nominate a specialisation at the start of their program, and specialisations can be changed at a later stage. As such, we encourage new students to keep specialisations in mind, but not to be concerned about deciding on this at the commencement of their law degree.
Please note that specialisations are optional and are not required for graduation.
Step 2: Choose your courses
Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in a Flexible Double DegreeIn Semester One, you should enrol in:
- LAWS1201 Foundations of Australian Law
- LAWS1203 Torts
- 2x non-law courses that will count towards your second degree in your FDD. Visit ANU Programs and Courses to see what's on offer.
Study Plan - Semester One start
In Semester Two, you should enrol in:
- LAWS1201 Foundations of Australian Law
- LAWS1204 Contracts
- 2x non-law courses that will count towards your second degree in your FDD. Visit ANU Programs and Courses to see what's on offer.
Study Plan - Semester Two start
In Semester One, you should enrol in:
- LAWS1201 Foundations of Australian Law
- LAWS1203 Torts
- 2x non-Law first-year elective course. Visit ANU Programs and Courses to see what's on offer.
In Semester Two, you should enrol in:
- LAWS1201 Foundations of Australian Law
- LAWS1204 Contracts
- 2x non-law courses that will count towards your second degree in your FDD. Visit ANU Programs and Courses to see what's on offer.
Study Plan - Semester Two start
Step 3: Enrol in your courses on ANUHub
ANUHub allows students to enrol, view invoices, check grades, confirm graduation eligibility, pay fees, submit commonwealth assistance forms (CAF), maintain personal information.
Enrol on ANUHub | How to enrol on ANUHub
Step 4: MyTimetable and Canvas
MyTimetable is the ANU official timetabling system enabling you to view the timetable for your enrobed courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials.
Canvas is the Learning Management System, where you can access course materials, readings, lecture recordings, and submit assignments. You’ll be granted access to your courses on Canvas within 24–72 hours after enrolling via ANUHub.
Step 5: Textbooks, assessments due dates and learning outcomes
A Class Summary is produced for each course and contains important information, including required textbooks, assessment due dates, and learning outcomes. You can find your Class Summary on the Programs and Courses website by searching for your course and selecting the Class tab, or via your Canvas course site. Class Summaries are made available at least two weeks prior to the course start date.
Step 6: Orientation week and college induction
We are excited to welcome you to the ANU community and look forward to seeing you on campus during O-Week and throughout your studies. Participating in O-Week is a great opportunity to meet new people, become familiar with campus life, and prepare for the start of semester. The College will also provide a short induction session to help ensure you are ready to commence your studies on time.
Credit/Status for prior studies
Students who have undertaken previous study that is relevant to their current academic program can request to receive course credit based on their prior learning. University rules, policy and procedure relating to the granting credit is set out in the Coursework Awards Rule, Policy: Recognition of prior and external learning and Procedure Credit and exemptions.
Application for Status (Credit) instructions and form | ANU Law School Credit Guidelines
Academic Advice
ANU Student Hub
student@anu.edu.au
+61 2 6125 3339
Back to the Bachelor of Political Science page
Enrolling for the first time can be overwhelming. Below, you will find information that will assist. Please note that advice on this page is indicative, and you are encouraged to contact the CASS Student office at students.cass@anu.edu.au or visit the the CASS student office website if you require tailored information.
Important items to note:
- We recommend you start a CASS Program Plan. This is a way to track how the courses you take fit within the overall structure of your degree and will help you plan for your later year courses.
- The Bachelor of Political Science can be taken as a single degree or combined with another degree in a Flexible Double Degree (FDD). When the Bachelor of Political Science is combined with another undergraduate degree through a Flexible Double Degree, 48 units of ANU electives units are replaced with the core requirements of the other degree and the total program duration is expanded to 192 units (4 years Full-Time) or 240 units (5 years Full-Time) depending on the duration of the other program.
Semester 2 commencers
Please note that if you are commencing your studies in Semester 2 there may be restrictions on the courses available for enrolment. If you have concerns, please contact students.cass@anu.edu.au
Single degree
The Bachelor of Political Science requires 144 units (24 courses), including:
- A maximum of 60 units from 1000-level courses (i.e. 10 x 6 unit courses)
- A minimum of 18 units must come from completion of 3000 level courses (i.e. 3 x 6 units courses)
- Two compulsory courses
- A minimum of 12 units of courses tagged as Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving (i.e. 2 x 6 unit courses)
Double degree
The total number of overall units in a Flexible Double Degree (FDD) depends on the FDD combination e.g. Of which a minimum of 12 units (i.e. 2 x 6 unit courses) must be tagged as transdisciplinary problem-solving. These courses may be taken in either component of the FDD. The Bachelor of Political Science component of an FDD requires 96 units, including:
- A maximum of 36 units from 1000-level courses (i.e. 6 x 6 unit courses)
- A minimum of 18 units must come from completion of 3000 level courses (i.e. 3 x 6 units courses)
- Two compulsory courses
- A minimum of 12 units of courses tagged as Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving (i.e. 2 x 6 unit courses)
Enrolment Status
Duration
The Bachelor of Political Science typically takes three years to complete on a full-time basis. Students will usually take 24-units (four x six-unit courses) each semester and there are two semesters each year. One course is typically worth six-units.
In total, students need to complete 144 units of study towards the Bachelor of Political Science. This will be 24 courses if all courses are worth six-units, but may be fewer if one or more courses of 12-units or more are taken.
If you combine the Bachelor of Political Science with another degree in a Flexible Double Degree, you will need to complete a total of 192 units (32 six-unit courses) or 240 units (40 six-unit courses) depending on the combination. This will typically take four years for a 192-unit degree or five years for a 240-unit degree on a full-time basis.
Domestic students?may choose to enrol in fewer than 24-units in any semester or half-year study period. Students studying 18 or more units in a half year (January – June or July – December) are considered full-time. Students studying less than this are considered part-time.
If you take fewer than 24-units in any half year period, then your degree is likely to take longer than three years to complete.
International students on a student visa are required to enrol in a full-time study load of 24-units in each half year study period (Summer, Semester 1, Autumn or Winter, Semester 2, Spring) unless they have been approved for Reduced Study Load or program leave.
Maximum time for completion
- The maximum period for completion of the single Bachelor of Political Science degree is 10 years from the date of first enrolment in the program. This 10 years includes any periods of leave.
- The maximum period for completion of a flexible double degree is 10 years for a 192-unit degree or 11 years for a 240-unit degree from the date of first enrolment in the program. The maximum period includes periods of leave.
A transfer of credit (status) from previous studies will reduce the total amount of time remaining to complete the balance of your degree. When you are assessed for credit, you will be notified of the new maximum end date for your degree in your credit offer.
Important things to keep in mind when choosing your 1000-level courses
In your first year, you will typically enrol in 1000-level courses – these courses have ‘1’ as the first number in their course code. E.g. POLS1002, POLS1009. Many 2000 and 3000 level courses build upon the specific knowledge achieved through 1000-level courses.
You may take 1000-level courses later in your program. But remember you can’t count more than 10 x 1000-level courses (60 units) towards your single degree or 6 x 1000-level courses (36 units) towards your Political Science half of the double degree. In your first year, you will typically enrol in 1000-level courses – these courses have ‘1’ as the first number in their course code. E.g. POLS1002, POLS1009. Many 2000 and 3000 level courses build upon the specific knowledge achieved through 1000-level courses.
You may take 1000-level courses later in your program. But remember you can’t count more than 10 x 1000-level courses (60 units) towards your single degree or 6 x 1000-level courses (36 units) towards your Political Science half of the double degree.
Majors and Minors
See available majors and minors for this program
Electives
Electives are courses that provide freedom for you to select subjects that align to your personal interests and career aspirations in a more individualised way than is possible through general major or degree requirements. An ANU elective is a course that you can select without restriction, beyond the global requirements of your program (e.g. limits on 1000-level courses, etc).
In the Bachelor of Political Science, you can select a minimum of 48 units and a maximum of 72 units of electives. You can try a range of courses such as computing, history, or marketing. The choice is yours.
We also recommend holding some ANU electives in reserve to keep other opportunities open, such as international exchange, internships, and meeting the transdisciplinary requirements of your degree.
Study Options
Bachelor of Political Science - single degree
For study plans, please visit cass.anu.edu.au/current-students/degrees-and-program-plansStudy Options
| Year 1 48 units | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
| ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
FDD
For study plans, please visit cass.anu.edu.au/current-students/degrees-and-program-plansStudy Options
| Year 1 48 units | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
| ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
Disciplines
Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving Courses (TD)
Transdisciplinary courses at the ANU are?courses that encourage students to collaborate across different disciplines and perspectives to solve complex problems. These courses help students develop skills to synthesise knowledge from different fields.
In this degree, you will have to complete 12 units of courses flagged as Transdisciplinary Problem-Solving (TD). TD courses can be identified using the Programs and Courses search engine, and are also listed in the 'overview' tab of this program.
You can satisfy this requirement through a course/s listed in the program or through the ANU electives it all depends on how you structure your degree and your other enrolment choices.
Academic Advice
Course credit
If you have undertaken previous study that is relevant to your current academic program, you can request to receive course credit. For more information and how to apply, see the CASS credit application webpage, or contact the CASS Student Office.
For further information on prerequisites and Arts and Social Science disciplines you can:
- Email us at?students.cass@anu.edu.au, or
- Come and talk to someone - you can attend a drop in session with an academic advisor here