Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

Prepare for a dynamic career in law with our professional law honours degree.

From your very first weeks as a student, you'll gain valuable skills that you can apply in reasoning, reporting, analysis, negotiation, communication and advocacy to resolve complex legal problems.

You will be involved in mock-trials in our Moot Court, learning what it’s like to act as an advocate and present before a judge.

You will also be guided to reach your potential and become career ready, with opportunities for international study tours as well as local and national internships and clerkships.

In your final year, you will also choose from an industry or clinic placement, a law reform project or high-level research to complete the honours component of your degree.

If you wish to practice law, you should also familiarise yourself with the requirements for admission as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

This degree is designed for those who don't hold a prior bachelor's degree.

If you already have successfully completed a recognised bachelor's degree (with a competitive GPA), find out more about our Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (Graduate Entry).

Entry requirements

Admission criteria

The admission criteria have been grouped to assist you to easily find the information most relevant to your circumstances. However, you may fit into more than one and the university will consider applicants against each of the relevant criteria.

Certain conditions apply. For more information refer to Appendix 4 of the University's Selection and Entry policy.

Applicants are required to meet one of the following criteria with a competitive result, and demonstrate that they fulfil any prerequisite requirements and essential requirements for admission:

Recent secondary education Meet any prerequisite requirements with a minimum grade of C- or equivalent AND

• Qualify for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), and achieved a competitive Selection Rank (ATAR), or
• Complete secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE, or
• Complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 24 points

Applicants who have not achieved the Selection Rank required for automatic selection may be selected for any remaining places based on the grades of their year 12 subjects.

Recent secondary education ATAR profile

OR Higher education study Complete or partly complete a recognised higher education program at a recognised higher education institution, or Complete at least four Open Universities Australia (OUA) courses at undergraduate level or above OR Vocational Education and Training (VET) Complete an award from a registered training organisation at Diploma level or above OR Work and life experience Qualify for Special Entry, or Complete a UniSA Foundation Studies program or equivalent, or Hold completed secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE obtained more than 2 years in the past

Essential requirements for admission

Prerequisites

Assumed Knowledge

Deferment

This degree is available for deferment. This option is made available by responding to your offer during the application process via the SATAC website. Applicants who receive an offer into a midyear degree are eligible to defer for six months.

During this degree you will study courses that teach you the fundamental legal principles and concepts that underpin the Australian legal system.

Courses such as torts, contracts, criminal law and constitutional law will give you a good understanding of the basic legal principles.

Through your choice of electives you can expand your knowledge in an area of professional interest such as health law, sports law, family law and human rights law.

Through practical learning experiences including mooting, negotiation, witness examination and the opportunity to undertake placement in a professional setting, you will be prepared for legal practice upon graduation.

You'll also be able to choose from an industry or clinic placement, a law reform project or high-level research in your final year.

For each course you study, you will need to allocate time for various classes such as lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars and practicals. In addition, you will need to study in your own time to complete assignments, readings and projects and contribute to online discussion forums (independent study). As a general rule, if you are studying full-time you would need to allocate approximately 12 hours per week for classes and 14 – 28 hours of independent study per week.

Your studies at UniSA will incorporate both practical, professionally-focused and research-based learning, so assessment types will vary. You can expect them to include:

Become a global citizen with our overseas exchange program. We have more than 60 partner universities worldwide, and study options that range from two weeks to one year. We collaborate with over 2,500 companies worldwide to bring you placement, project, research and work opportunities. You can also choose to incorporate local or national internships and clerkships into your degree.

We also host regular university-wide employee master classes and employment expos, and alumni events in Australia and overseas.

Your career

Careers in law, along with jobs in social welfare, are predicted to increase 12.9% by 20221.

Our quality teaching, focus on developing your practical skills and opportunities to connect with industry beyond the classroom will ensure you graduate career-ready.

You will hold a desired skillset for a diverse range of careers including:

• Arbitrator/Mediator: facilitating negotiation and settlement between disputing parties by providing direction and encouragement; working collaboratively with the parties and finding creative ways to reach a mutual solution
• Human rights advocate: becoming a champion for social justice; defending the right for equal treatment of all people; helping develop training initiatives to educate particular audiences
• In-house counsel: working closely with the chief executive of a business to understand strategic business issues, manage risk and offer tangible solutions; offering legal advice to business units
• Judge’s associate: working closely with a judge in and out of court; conducting legal research; liaising with court staff, the legal profession, government departments, the press and the public; ensuring the effective and efficient conduct of the judge’s court
• Law clerk: performing clerical work for courts and legal practices such as organising jury and witness lists, maintaining order in courts, executing court orders, processing court documents, documenting court proceedings
• Paralegal: supporting legal practitioners with research on legal and regulatory requirements; trial prep; drafting of contracts and written reports; concentrating on a particular area of law such as personal injury, immigration or intellectual property
• Parliamentary draftsperson: working with government bodies; drafting precise legal instruments; outlining proposed bills and regulations that will pass into new legislation
• Policy/Ministerial adviser: analysing policies and their effects to provide advice and guidance to governments and organisations; offering strategic policy and planning advice on programs and operations; reviewing, developing, and implementing policies and strategies
• Solicitor: commercial solicitor: focusing on business-specific legal practice such as: corporate, contract, competition, communications, commercial property, finance, employment, intellectual property, transport, sports and media law
• personal solicitor: focusing on areas such as personal injury, family and tort law, criminal litigation, succession and inheritance, residential property, taxation and trusts

Admission to practice

If you wish to seek admission to practice law in South Australia you must satisfy a number of specified course requirements in your degree, followed by the completion of Practical Legal Training.

1Australian Government Department of Jobs and Small Business, 2017 Occupational Projections.

Applying to study with us:

• go to the top of this page and make note of the SATAC code, then click Apply
• you will be redirected through to the SATAC website to continue your application

Our campuses have fantastic facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, workshops, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments. But you’ll also discover that your journey at UniSA is about social experiences, healthy living and getting involved. You’ll find student sports and fitness facilities, community clinics, tech zones and chill-out spaces. There are campus sport activities to keep you active, and if you are keen to explore the social side of university life, there are movies, cooking demonstrations, parties and loads more.

Adelaide has a variety of accommodation options to suit different requirements and budgets. Options include dedicated student accommodation or private rentals. See our long-term accommodation pages for plenty of options. If you need somewhere to live, our new student accommodation by urbanest is on Bank Street in Adelaide’s lively cultural precinct, an ideal perfect location for students. It is within easy reach of UniSA’s city and metropolitan campuses, Rundle Mall shopping, the Central Market, Chinatown, and the West End’s vibrant nightlife. It is also across the road from the Adelaide train station, and on bus and tram routes.

Our student support services will make your life at university easier. We want you to be successful, and if you need help, we're here to assist. We provide a full range of support services, including:

• academic counselling
• personal counselling
• social support services, including family support and nearby childcare

We have six campuses in metropolitan and regional areas, each with advanced facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments.