Graduate Diploma in Global Competition and Consumer Law

The Graduate Diploma (Global Competition and Consumer Law) is a highly innovative and advanced international course that responds to the proliferation of competition and consumer policies and laws, and their increasingly active enforcement, around the world.

Competition policy and law are a crucial means of driving economic growth, higher living standards and productivity at national and global levels.This course provides interdisciplinary knowledge and skills through subjects that grapple with the legal, regulatory, economic, political, institutional and social facets of competition policy, law and enforcement.

The course focuses substantively on the policies, laws and enforcement experiences of the major jurisdictions in this field, the United States and European Union, but also draws on other jurisdictions - from the Asia Pacific region particularly (including Australia).

Subjects have been developed and are taught by leading experts, each bringing outstanding pedagogical skills, substantive knowledge and practical skill and experience to instruction in the course.The course provides students with advanced specialised expertise and skills to tackle the complex challenges raised by the design and application of competition systems.

It is designed for professionals in the private and public sectors who are aspiring to build or advance a career in this field.It can be completed either wholly online or through a combination of wholly online and wholly on-campus subjects.

Using a combination of face-to-face teaching in small class sizes and sophisticated interactive technology, the course facilitates close rich engagement with globally-renown experts and a diverse network of like-minded peers.The course requires completion of 50 credit points in total.

Students who complete the Graduate Diploma have the option of transferring to the LLM (Global Competition and Consumer Law), for law graduates, or Master of Global Competition and Consumer Law, for non-law graduates, which will involve completion of a further 50 credit points.

Credit will be given towards these masters degrees for the credit points completed in the Graduate Diploma.As most students in this course will be full-time professionals, enrolment is on a part-time basis for most students.

On this basis, the course will typically be completed in two years.

However, students will be permitted to elect to undertake an increased study load during their course if their circumstances allow.

Course structure

Students must complete 50 credit points of study from the prescribed list of subjects.

Foundations: Competition Law & Economics is a prerequisite for several other subjects.

Entry requirements

In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

• A degree in a relevant discipline; and one year of documented relevant professional experience.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• prior academic performance, and
• the professional experience

The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

Applicants are required to satisfy the university's English language requirements for graduate courses.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:

• The ability to use a computer, including read material on screen, to a competent standard;
• The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
• The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
• The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.

Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact Student Equity and Disability Support.

Intended learning outcomes

Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Global Competition and Consumer Law will:

• Have advanced knowledge within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge relating to the global field of competition and consumer law, including the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills in relation to:
• The economic theories, policies and principles that underpin and influence the policy and law in this field;
• The legal rules that govern market structures and conduct in major jurisdictions around the world;
• The design, operation and assessment of institutions that administer competition and/or consumer policy and law
• Challenges that arise in the enforcement of competition and consumer law from the perspectives of businesses, practitioners, governments and enforcement agencies; and
• Contemporary international debates on the reform of competition and consumer policy and law;
• Have cognitive, technical and communication skills that enable them to:
• Analyse critically, evaluate and convey information;
• Generate ideas and solutions to complex problems from both theoretical and practical perspectives; and
• Communicate complex knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences in the global field of competition and consumer law;
• Apply their knowledge and skills to make high level, independent judgments and carry out a range of technically specialised functions at an advanced level in the global field of competition and consumer law, demonstrating autonomy, well-developed judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner or learner in this field.