Bachelor of Legal and Dispute Studies

This program is focused on law in its social and political context.

You will study law from a number of local and global perspectives including policy, politics and sociology, as well as the mechanisms for change in legal systems.

You will learn about topical areas of legal practice in labour relations law, civil law, criminal law and evidence law, laws relating to information, family law, international human rights, and civil procedure.

In particular, you will engage with primary dispute resolution processes that offer alternative mechanisms for resolving legal disputes.You will also consider the cultural context of professional practice and communication.

You can specialise by taking by taking an optional minor (area of specialisation) in law, dispute resolution, youth justice, policy, advocacy, investigations, case management, social work, and criminal justice streams.

In your final year, you will be provided with a capstone experience in the 50 day HWSS2181 Justice and Legal Internship in a relevant organisation through which you will integrate and synthesise your knowledge, connect theory to practice, and demonstrate your holistic achievement of the program learning outcomes.You will gain skills in research, primary dispute resolution, mediation and policy analysis, and you will discover the growing significance of human rights in legal practice, government, business, and the community.

The program will assist you to develop analytical and communication skills that can be applied in a range of practical contexts.As a graduate of the program, you will work in diverse areas such as the Department of Justice, and the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, the Department of Health, dispute settlement centres, the courts and tribunals, law offices, legal aid, as well as local government and community centres, activist organisations, human rights organisations and other international organisations.

You can apply your skills in areas as diverse as the media, government and policy, the arts, communications, project management, finance, engineering, banking, industry associations, and non-governmental organisations.

You can progress to further study in law, justice, mediation and negotiation.Successful completion of this program provides a pathway into a Masters.

Upon successful completion of this program you may also be eligible to undertake further studies in related programs at RMIT University.

Year One of Program

Complete the following Seven (7) Courses:

Select and Complete One (1) course from the Program Option Courses listed at the end of this program structure:

AND

Year Two of Program

Complete the following Six (6) Courses:

Select and Complete Two (2) courses from a chosen Minor. Please refer to the list of Minors at the end of this program structure

Select and Complete One (1) course from any Program Option Courses listed at the end of this program structure:

Select and Complete One (1) Course from any University Student Elective or any Program Option course listed at the end of this program structure:

AND

Year Three of Program

Complete the following Five (5) Courses:

Select and Complete Two (2) courses from same minor chosen in year two. Please refer to the list of Minors at the end of this program structure

Select and Complete One (1) course from any Program Option Courses listed at the end of this program structure

Select and Complete One (1) Course from any University Student Elective or any Program Option Courses listed at the end of this program structure:

AND

List of Minors:

Minor: Justice Systems and Procedures:

Minor: Criminology:

Minor: Dispute Resolution:

Minor: Business Law:

Minor: Gender:

Minor: Social Justice

AND

List of Program Option Courses:

Program Option Courses:

You must have successfully completed an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent senior secondary school) qualification.

For equivalents to Australian academic entry requirements, see the Country Equivalency web page on the RMIT website.

Prerequisites

Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in any other English.

International English language requirement

A minimum of IELTS (Academic module) overall score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0, or equivalent. For equivalents to English entry requirements, see the English requirements web page.

As a graduate of this program, you will be able to:

• Apply a body of professional, theoretical and practical knowledge relevant to the socio-legal field and primary dispute resolution processes
• Apply critically reflective thought and analytical thinking to problems related to social-legal issues and dispute resolution in local and international contexts
• Contextualise specific social-legal and conflict resolution based knowledge according to socially and culturally diverse environments
• Effectively use a range of communication and conflict management skills to work productively in culturally diverse contexts
• Assist in the identification of needs and the design and planning of research in the socio-legal field
• Reflect on and implement ethical practice and social responsibility in diverse international and cross cultural settings