Master of Law, Policy and Government (coursework) (21530)
The University of Western Australia
About
UWA's admission requirements for some postgraduate courses have changed for Semester 2, 2020 to facilitate student access to study during the COVID-19 situation.
In many cases, these changes may not be extended beyond 2020.
Contact Future Students for more information.This course aims to provide students with an understanding of socio-legal theory, policy development and the skills required to work in or with governments.
The course combines theory with more practically oriented units.
Study for both degrees begins with foundational courses in law, policy and socio-legal theory.
Students can then tailor their study through elective units to focus on policy areas of interest such as crime and justice, medicine and law, international law or governance.
Students can also elect to undertake a research option which would provide a pathway to doctoral studies, or to higher level research roles in employment.
Structure
Note: This course is not available in 2020.
| KEY TO AVAILABILITY OF UNITS: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; SS = summer teaching period; N/A = not available in 2020; NS = non-standard teaching period; OS = offshore teaching period; * = to be advised |
Students with a recognised Law degree, take POLS5501 Public Policy (6 points) and LAWS5260 Intersections of Law, Policy and Government (6 points), and option units to the value of 18 points from Group A and 18 points from either Group B or Group C, of which at least 12 points must be LAWS coded. Students without a recognised Law degree, take all core units (18 points) and option units to the value of 18 points from Group A and 12 points from Group B, of which at least 6 points must be LAWS coded. Enrolment in SVLG5001 McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship and SVLG5003 Wicked Problems is subject to approval by the course coordinator and is based on the suitability of the socio-legal study project or problem.
Take as per sequence notes:
| AVAILABILITY | UNITCODE | UNITNAME | UNIT REQUIREMENTS | CONTACT HOURS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | LAWS4227 | Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions | Incompatibility: Students with a recognised Law degree or LAWS5227 Foundations of Law and Governance. | This unit is delivered intensively in 'flipped mode' and is offered twice a year. 10 online modules are to be completed in advance of two face-to-face sessions which will run 20-21 February and 23-24 July. Students must attend the face-to-face sessions. |
| N/A | LAWS5260 | Intersections of Law, Policy and Government | Prerequisites: For Master of Public Policy or Graduate Certificate of Public Policy students without a recognised Law degree: LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions. | Equivalent of 5 days intensive teaching in blended mode with recorded lectures and face to face workshops. |
| NS | POLS5501 | Public Policy | Incompatibility: LAWS5214 Public Policy | Seminars for this unit are delivered intensively |
Take as per sequence notes:
Group A
| AVAILABILITY | UNITCODE | UNITNAME | UNIT REQUIREMENTS | CONTACT HOURS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | LAWS5167 | Comparative Law | Incompatibility: LAWS3331 Comparative Law | |
| N/A | LAWS5182 | Indigenous Peoples in International and Comparative Law | Prerequisites: Juris Doctor (JD) students: LAWS4101 Foundations of Law and Lawyering and 30 points from: LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4103 Contract, LAWS4104 Property, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4107 Land Law, LAWS4108 Foundations of Public Law, LAWS5106 Legal Theory and Ethics or LAWS4109 Legal Theory and Ethics Incompatibility: LAWS5534 Indigenous Peoples and the Law, LAWS3358 Indigenous Peoples and the Law | seminars: 3 hours per week |
| NS | LAWS5215 | Regulation: Theories and Practices | Students must attend every day of the intensive period 14-15 and 21-22 May. Refer to the timetable website for further information. | |
| NS | LAWS5223 | Theories of Justice and Punishment | Prerequisites: For Master of Public Policy or Graduate Certificate of Public Policy students without a recognised Law degree: LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions. | Teaching dates for this unit are 28 August and 4,11,18,25 September. Please refer to the timetable website for session times and venues. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. |
| N/A | LAWS5305 | Mediation: Practice and Skills | Students must attend every day of the intensive period Monday 30 September to Friday 4 October. Refer to the timetable website for further information. | |
| NS | LAWS5378 | Government Accountability—Law and Practice | Teaching dates for this unit are 29-31 Jan and 3-4 Feb. Please refer to the timetable website for session times and venues. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. | |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5694 | Research Paper I | Prerequisites: For Master of Public Policy or Graduate Certificate of Public Policy students without a recognised Law degree: LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions. | This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
Take units as per sequence notes:
Group B
| AVAILABILITY | UNITCODE | UNITNAME | UNIT REQUIREMENTS | CONTACT HOURS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | COMM5604 | Media Governance | up to 24 hours | |
| N/A | LAWS5114 | International Environmental Law | Prerequisites: for Juris Doctor (JD) students: LAWS4101 Foundations of Law and Lawyering and 30 points from: LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4103 Contract, LAWS4104 Property, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4107 Land Law, LAWS4108 Foundations of Public Law, LAWS5106 Legal Theory and Ethics or LAWS4109 Legal Theory and Ethics | |
| S1 | LAWS5167 | Comparative Law | Incompatibility: LAWS3331 Comparative Law | |
| N/A | LAWS5175 | Heritage Governance: from Global to Local | ||
| N/A | LAWS5182 | Indigenous Peoples in International and Comparative Law | Prerequisites: Juris Doctor (JD) students: LAWS4101 Foundations of Law and Lawyering and 30 points from: LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4103 Contract, LAWS4104 Property, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4107 Land Law, LAWS4108 Foundations of Public Law, LAWS5106 Legal Theory and Ethics or LAWS4109 Legal Theory and Ethics Incompatibility: LAWS5534 Indigenous Peoples and the Law, LAWS3358 Indigenous Peoples and the Law | seminars: 3 hours per week |
| NS | LAWS5210 | Working with China: Business in a Socio-legal Context | Prerequisites: for Juris Doctor (JD) students: LAWS4101 Foundations of Law and Lawyering and 30 points from: LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4103 Contract, LAWS4104 Property, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4107 Land Law, LAWS4108 Foundations of Public Law, LAWS5106 Legal Theory and Ethics or LAWS4109 Legal Theory and Ethics); | This unit will be offered fully online. Pre-reading will commence June 22nd. Interactive classes will run 6-17 July. Further information is available on LMS. |
| NS | LAWS5215 | Regulation: Theories and Practices | Students must attend every day of the intensive period 14-15 and 21-22 May. Refer to the timetable website for further information. | |
| NS | LAWS5223 | Theories of Justice and Punishment | Prerequisites: For Master of Public Policy or Graduate Certificate of Public Policy students without a recognised Law degree: LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions. | Teaching dates for this unit are 28 August and 4,11,18,25 September. Please refer to the timetable website for session times and venues. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. |
| N/A | LAWS5305 | Mediation: Practice and Skills | Students must attend every day of the intensive period Monday 30 September to Friday 4 October. Refer to the timetable website for further information. | |
| NS | LAWS5378 | Government Accountability—Law and Practice | Teaching dates for this unit are 29-31 Jan and 3-4 Feb. Please refer to the timetable website for session times and venues. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. | |
| NS | LAWS5521 | Climate Change Law and Emissions Trading | Prerequisites: For Master of Public Policy or Graduate Certificate of Public Policy students without a recognised Law degree: LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions. | Students must attend every day of the intensive period 15-17 July. Refer to the timetable website for further information. |
| NS | LAWS5540 | Environmental Protection Law | This unit will run online with pre-reading from 27th April. Interactive classes will be held in the final week of May (25-29). Refer to the LMS page for further informaiton, | |
| NS | LAWS5577 | Space Law, Satellites and Drones | Prerequisites: for Juris Doctor (JD) students: LAWS4101 Foundations of Law and Lawyering and 30 points from: LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4103 Contract, LAWS4104 Property, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4107 Land Law, LAWS4108 Foundations of Public Law, LAWS5106 Legal Theory and Ethics or LAWS4109 Legal Theory and Ethics | Teaching dates for this unit are 20-24 January. Please refer to the timetable website for session times and venues. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. |
| N/A | LAWS5590 | Water Resources Law | Students must attend every day of the intensive period. Refer to the timetable website for further information. | |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5694 | Research Paper I | Prerequisites: For Master of Public Policy or Graduate Certificate of Public Policy students without a recognised Law degree: LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions. | This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5695 | Research Paper II (12 points) | Incompatibility: LAWS5696 Research Paper III Part 1, and LAWS5697 Research Paper III Part 2 | This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5696 | Research Paper III Part 1 | Prerequisites: Approval of unit coordinator Co-requisites: Students taking Part 1 in Semester 1 must take Part 2 in the following Semester 2; students taking Part 1 in Semester 2 must take Part 2 in the following Semester 1. Incompatibility: LAWS5695 Research Paper II | This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5697 | Research Paper III Part 2 | Prerequisites: Students may only take this unit if they have completed LAWS5696 Research Paper III Part 1 in the previous semster. | This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
| NS | OCEN4001 | Oceans Governance | ||
| NS | POLS5681 | Governance in the International System | seminars: 18 hours | |
| N/A | SOCS5005 | Social Research Ethics | 24 hours—taught intensively and may include evening and/or Saturday classes | |
| NS | SOCS5010 | NGOs, Governance and Development | seminars: 18 hours | |
| SS | SOCS5200 | Digital Advocacy | 1 week (30 hours) intensive split between lectures (15 hours) and practical training (15 hours); project workshops: 4 x 1 hour; final workshop: 8 hours. Summer: delivered intensively. | |
| NS, S1, S2 | SVLG5001 | McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship | Prerequisites: For Juris Doctor students: LAWS4101 Foundations of Law and Lawyering, LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4103 Contract, LAWS4104 Property, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4109 Legal Theory and Ethics; for other students, none. Permission/approval is required to enrol. Incompatibility: for Juris Doctor students: LAWS5174 Legal Internship | internship experience: approximately 100 hours; McCusker Centre attendance: approximately 8 hours |
| N/A | SVLG5003 | Wicked Problems | Prerequisites: any bachelor's degree; permission/approval is required to enrol | The unit is a 6 week intensive. Attendance at the service learning location is required every day for the first week. In the remaining weeks, students will work independently in project teams, with classroom time reduced to around 15-20 hours altogether. |
Take units as per sequence notes.
Group C
| AVAILABILITY | UNITCODE | UNITNAME | UNIT REQUIREMENTS | CONTACT HOURS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | LAWS5181 | Health Law and Policy | Prerequisites: Juris Doctor (JD) students: LAWS4101 Foundations of Law and Lawyering and 30 points from: LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4103 Contract, LAWS4104 Property, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4107 Land Law, LAWS4108 Foundations of Public Law, LAWS5106 Legal Theory and Ethics or LAWS4109 Legal Theory and Ethics) for all other students: LAWS4102 Criminal Law, LAWS4106 Torts, LAWS4108 Foundations of Public Law Incompatibility: LAWS3324 Medicine and the Law |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Entry requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—1(a) a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; or
2(a) (i) a bachelor's degree in a cognate area, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; and (ii) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent; or
3(a) (i) a bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; and (ii) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent; and (iii) at least two years of relevant professional experience.
Institution
