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Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry)
Course information for - 2024 entry
Offered at 3 locations
- Duration
- 3 years full-time or equivalent part-time
- CRICOS Code
- 079434K
- IELTS
- 7.0 overall score (Individual Score of 6.5 in all tests)
- Fees (first year)*
- $31216
- Start dates
- July 2024, February 2025, July 2025, February 2026, July 2026
Overview
If you already have an undergraduate degree and you want to become a lawyer, this course is for you. Our focus is on making a strong and positive contribution to our communities, and you will put it all into practice with pro bono work whilst you study.
Students who have completed 120 credit points of law units with a grade point average of 5.75 and above may apply to complete an honours degree.
Professional experience
You will complete 80 hours pro bono experience (after your first year).
Work placement
Pro bono placements are undertaken from the second year of law studies. You’ll engage in practical, law related activities, especially on behalf of those who are the most marginalised and disadvantaged in our community. These placements will provide valuable experience in the practical operation of the law. Through community engagement you’ll have the opportunity to reflect upon the capacity of the law to respond to social justice issues involving those who are marginalised and disadvantaged as well as in law reform. You’ll benefit from, develop and reflect upon the values of collaboration, equality, mutual respect and commitment to justice in an ethically-based profession.
Professional recognition
This degree has been approved by accreditation authorities as a prerequisite for admission to legal practice in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and is recognised for the purposes of admission in other Australian states and territories.
Careers
Our graduates have pursued careers in:
- the legal profession
- government administration
- industry regulation
- media
- politics
- NGOs, both domestic and international
- academia
- diplomacy
- the evolving digital environment will open unforeseen opportunities for thinkers trained in the law
Industry partnerships
ACU works with a variety of industry partners:
- Toongabbie Legal Centre
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry), a student must complete 240 credit points (cp).
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
Overseas study available
You’ll have the opportunity to study the university Core Curriculum at our Rome campus. A number of elective units in this degree are also available to study overseas.
Entry requirements
View transparency admission information
International applicants
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites:
New South Wales
Prerequisites: Applicants must have successfully completed a recognised three-year Bachelor degree. (There is strong competition for places in the degree and successful applicants are likely to have a strong undergraduate bachelor degree).
Victoria
Prerequisites: Applicants must have successfully completed a recognised three-year Bachelor degree. (There is strong competition for place in the degree and successful applicants are likely to have a strong undergraduate bachelor degree).
Applicants whose first language is not English must have either:
- successfully completed at least two full–time years of study in secondary or higher education where the medium of study was English; or
- demonstrated their English proficiency, as set out below:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Overall Score 7.0,
- Individual score of 6.5 in all tests.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language – Academic (TOEFL)
- Internet based total of 94, achieve a minimum of 24 in writing, 20 in speaking and listening, 19 in reading.
English language requirements
IELTS (International English Language Testing System): Overall score of 7.0, Individual score of 6.5 for all tests.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language – Academic): from an Internet based total of 94, achieve a minimum of 24 in writing, 20 in speaking and listening, 19 in reading.
Inherent requirement
There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.
Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you
Pathways
Pathways into course for international applicants
New South Wales
Prerequisites: Applicants must have successfully completed a recognised three-year Bachelor degree. (There is strong competition for places in the degree and successful applicants are likely to have a strong undergraduate bachelor degree).
Victoria
Prerequisites: Applicants must have successfully completed a recognised three-year Bachelor degree. (There is strong competition for place in the degree and successful applicants are likely to have a strong undergraduate bachelor degree).
Further study
A student who has completed at least 120 cp of LAWS units of the degree with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 5.75 may be eligible for Admission to the Bachelor (Honours degree).
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
A student who achieves an Honours at a minimum level of Second Class Division A (Distinction average) may be eligible for Admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
Meeting the eligibility requirements for admission is not in itself a guarantee of admission. The candidate’s potential to undertake research, the quality and feasibility of the research proposal, the availability of appropriate supervision and the referee’s reports will all be taken into consideration. Please refer to the Higher Degree Research Regulations.
A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must comply with the Higher Degree Research Regulations.
Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2022 Admission. Refer to your relevant Tertiary Admission Centre website for future years' entry requirements.
Fees
Course costs
- Unit fee: $3902
- Average first year fee: $31216
- Estimate total cost: $93648
The tuition fees quoted above are for commencing students in the current year who undertake a normal full-time load. The Unit Fee is based on a 10cp unit. Fees are reviewed annually.
Tuition fees for continuing students may increase by up to 3 percent each year for the minimum duration of the course as provided on your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE). Students who continue to study beyond the minimum duration will have the relevant annual commencing rate applied to their fees for subsequent study periods.
Payment options
You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.
Scholarships
You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.
How to apply
International applicants
Direct application
Apply nowInformation on the application procedure
Applicants must have successfully completed a recognised three-year Bachelor degree. (There is strong competition for places in the degree and successful applicants are likely to have a strong undergraduate bachelor degree).
Deferment
Yes. See Defer your offer.
Students with a Student Visa will need to complete the program in minimum duration, study at least one subject on-campus each semester and must not undertake more than 33% of the program online.
Staff Profile
Dr Perla Guarneros
Lecturer, Thomas More Law School
Perla is a law academic at Thomas More Law School where she teaches contract law, family law, legal ethics and legal theory, among others. Her research interests include international human rights law, the rights of irregular migrants and international criminal law.
Perla was admitted to legal practice under Mexican jurisdiction in 2008. She holds an LLM from the University of Turin and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute; and an LLM in common law by La Trobe University in Australia, where she completed her PhD Thesis on the protection of the rights of transit migrants and the international responsibility of the State to protect them. This work is now being edited to turn it into a monograph.
Before coming to Australia, Perla worked as a legal counsel and barrister in Mexico; she was a legal officer at the National Human Rights Commission and then at the human rights branch of the Attorney General's Office in the Federal Government of Mexico.
She is an editor of the Australian Feminist Legal Journal; and is currently involved in various research projects within the Thomas More Law School.
Associate Professor Kunle Ola
Associate Professor, Thomas More Law School
Dr Kunle Ola’s research traverses Intellectual Property, Copyright Collective Administration, Open Access to knowledge, Company Law and Migration law. His works challenge institutional imbalance, develops, informs, and guides law reform, public policy and international norm setting.
Kunle is an associate professor at the Thomas More Law School). Kunle holds a Law degree (LL. B) from the University of Benin, LL.M from the University of South Africa, a PhD from the Australian Catholic University, a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and a Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law and Practice. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and has over twenty-three years of private, public, and international experience.
His research projects include collaborations with agencies such as, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Ford Foundation, United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD), Australian Research Council (ARC) and Canada's International Development Research Council (IDRC).
Testimonial
“One of the things I enjoy the most about studying at ACU is that I‘m not just a number here – my lecturers and tutors know my name. I feel there is a real support network of students and lecturers to help me through my degree. I think this is because ACU offers smaller classes, resulting in a more personal experience.”