Professional Doctorate in Legal Science (Research)

The Professional Doctorate in Legal Science (Research) combines coursework with a research dissertation to enable advanced study and reflection on practice in the professional field of law.

As a doctoral student, you will choose a real-world legal problem to explore as a research project and will be encouraged to use it to draw upon, and extend, your professional experience and expertise in relation to your own workplace, organisation or community.The UC Faculty of Business, Government and Law has particular teaching and research strengths in the areas of corporate, business and taxation law, although you can choose to explore a subject from across the legal spectrum.

You will graduate from the program having made a unique contribution to professional practice in your chosen field and ready to progress your career to the next level.

As a Higher Degree by Research (HDR), this course is covered under the Australian Government's Research Training Program (RTP) funding model, which provides a fee offset for domestic students for the standard duration of the course.A professional doctorate is, by its very nature, the embodiment of Work Integrated Learning (WIL), and is much more focused on professional practice than a traditional PhD.

Throughout your coursework and specifically in your dissertation, you will be encouraged to apply your existing professional knowledge and undertake new research to identify and explore a real-world problem in the field of law.*Subject to satisfactory undergraduate law degree and successful completion of a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, which qualifies you for admission to practice as a lawyer.Before a candidate is admitted to the Professional Doctorate in Legal Science program, the University must be satisfied that it is able to supervise the candidate's proposed dissertation, and that the candidate satisfies the following admission requirements:There are non-standard English language requirements for this course.

To be eligible, you must have an academic IELTS or equivalent of 6.5 with no band score below 6.0.

Students who have undertaken all their education in an English-speaking country (as defined on the UC website) are deemed to have met our English language proficiency requirements.Domestic students who are accepted on this course are provided for under the Australian Government's Research Training Program (RTP) funding model, which provides a fee offset for the standard duration of the course.

Once your RTP entitlement is consumed, you will be charged the annual fee rate that applied at the start of your degree.

Further information on fees for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students can be found here.

Professional Doctorate in Legal Science (Research) (72 credit points) Required - 51 credit points as follows

• Dissertation - 48 credit points as follows 4517 - Legal Science Dissertation D:FT - 48 cp, Level D 4518 - Legal Science Dissertation D:PT - 48 cp, Level R
• Coursework - 3 credit points as follows6621 - Advanced Legal Research and Writing PG - 3 cp, Level P

Restricted Choice - Must pass 21 credit points from the following

• Postgraduate Level units approved by the Course Convener.

Candidates are also required to complete a Research Education Program to acquire the generic skills & attributes identified as appropriate for graduates of postgraduate research programs at UC.

Admission Requirements

Before a candidate is admitted to the Doctor of Legal Science Program, the University must be satisfied that it is able to supervise the candidate's proposed dissertation and that the candidate satisfies the following admission requirements: - a bachelor's degree in law or an equivalent qualification;- five years of professional practice in a legal area;- provides evidence of superior legal professional performance both intellectually and technically;- provides evidence of capacity for specialised coursework at the postgraduate level; and - demonstrates capacity to undertake significant research in the proposed doctoral field.

Assumed Knowledge

None.

Periods Course is Open to New Admissions