The program couples undergraduate qualifications in law and accounting. Students gain an in-depth knowledge of accounting principles and practice, combined with study of economics, finance, statistics and law. Students develop professional legal skills, including the ability to analyse and interpret legal material, understand fundamental legal principles, the relationship between law and society, and solve non-legal problems. Students can tailor study for career paths in a variety of local and international law fields.
The program meets the undergraduate academic requirements for admission to legal practice through the Legal Profession Admission Board and also satisfies the current pre-admission educational requirements for registration as a practicing accountant. Graduates may pursue further specialised study.
The Bachelor of Accounting is accredited with and satisfies the pre-admission educational requirements for membership of CPA Australia (CPA), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA). Completion of this degree will allow students to claim a number of exemptions from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in obtaining the CIMA Professional Qualification.
The University has approval from the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) to deliver programs in Australian taxation law and commercial law for tax (financial) advisers and tax agents. Successful completion of the Bachelor of Accounting degree (including completion of specific electives) satisfies the tertiary qualifications requirements to register as a Tax (Financial) Adviser or Tax Agent. Details of which subjects must be completed to meet these requirements can be found via the link below.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Accounting/Bachelor of Laws are eligible to apply to the Legal Profession Admission Board for admission to legal practice in NSW after undertaking prescribed practical legal training. Providing students complete subject LAWS 4008 Revenue Law (students can select this as an LLB alternate subject), this degree satisfies the accreditation requirements of CPA Australia (CPA), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) for entry into their respective programs. Completion of this degree will allow students to claim a number of exemptions from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in obtaining the CIMA Professional Qualification. In addition, by utilising their alternate subjects to complete the Taxation major T023, students satisfy the tertiary education requirements to register as a Tax (Financial) Adviser and a Tax Agent with the TPB. Details regarding these requirements can be found via the link located below. Students choosing to exit with the Bachelor of Accounting at the end of the third year who wish to seek professional accreditation as an accountant will need to complete all subjects listed in the first three years of the recommended program sequence and subjects LAWS 4008 Revenue Law (students can select this as an LLB alternate subject) and LAWS 3045 Law of Associations (an additional subject).
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Accreditation
This degree is internationally accredited with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and students who complete this degree will receive exemptions from 11 ACCA papers.
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
The business component of this program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Inherent Requirements
There are inherent requirements for this program that you must meet in order to complete your program and graduate. Make sure you read and understand the requirements for this program online.
Western Sydney University seeks to enhance student learning experiences by enabling students to engage in the culture, expectations and practices of their profession or discipline. This program includes a placement or other community-based unpaid practical experience.
There is an optional work component available in this program. Please contact the Program Advisor listed above for information.
International students should be aware that if an elective is a requirement of the program but the work itself was not registered with CRICOS, students can still complete these electives but it would be counted towards the work limitation. For more details, refer to the 'Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for international students' website.
Eligibility for admission to the Bachelor of Accounting/Bachelor of Laws is based on the following requirements:
Recommended studies: HSC English (Advanced)
Assumed Knowledge: HSC 2 subject Mathematics
Applications from Australian and New Zealand citizens and holders of permanent resident visas may be made via the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) or directly through the Western Portal. Use the links below to apply via UAC or Western Sydney University. Applications made directly to Western Sydney do not have an application fee.
Applicants who have undertaken studies overseas may have to provide proof of proficiency in English. Local applicants who are applying through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) will find details of minimum English proficiency requirements and acceptable proof on the UAC website. Local applicants applying directly to the University should also use the information provided on the UAC website.
International students currently completing an Australian Year 12 in or outside Australia, an International Baccalaureate in Australia or a New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) level 3 must apply via UAC International.
All other International applicants must apply directly to the University via the International Office.
International students applying to the University through the International Office can find details of minimum English proficiency requirements and acceptable proof on their website.
Overseas qualifications must be deemed by the Australian Education International - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) to be equivalent to Australian qualifications in order to be considered by UAC and Western Sydney University.
Special Requirements
Students enrolling in these subjects may need to have a National Police Certificate and consent or prohibited employment declaration as they may be conducting their placement in circumstances where they work with minors:
LAWS 3078 Legal, Economic and Social Transformation in Taiwan
Advanced Standing
Advanced Standing will be assessed in accordance with University policy.
Program Structure
Qualification for the award of Bachelor of Accounting/Bachelor of Laws requires the successful completion of 400 credit points as per the recommended sequence.
Note: Students wishing to seek professional accreditation as an accountant will need to complete alternate subject LAWS 4008 Revenue Law as one of the eight LLB alternate subjects.
Students can tailor their study to include subjects that are recognised for specialist tax and financial planning practice in the accounting profession. Note that additional study may be required to achieve full accreditation in those specialist fields. Students should seek advice from the DAP re alternate subjects to be taken.
Students choosing to exit with the Bachelor of Accounting at the end of the third year who wish to seek professional accreditation as an accountant will need to complete all subjects listed in the first three years of the recommended program sequence and subjects LAWS 4008 Revenue Law (students can select this as an LLB alternate subject) and LAWS 3045 Law of Associations (an additional subject).
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Accounting/Bachelor of Laws will only be eligible to graduate from their Bachelor of Laws degree upon completion of the entire 400 credit point program. Students enrolled in this program who wish to graduate with a standalone law degree prior to completion of the entire Bachelor of Accounting component must transfer to program Bachelor of Laws (Non Graduate Entry) which requires the completion of 320 credit points (inclusive of 80 credit points of non-LLB study).
Students may early exit with the Diploma in Laws on completion of 80 credit points, comprising 20 credit points of specified Law core units and 60 credit points of Law core or alternate units, as provided in the course structure. Please refer to the Diploma in Laws links above for details.
Students who will be seeking professional accreditation as an accountant should enrol in subject LAW 4008 Revenue Law in place of one LLB Alternate subject
The equivalent subjects listed below counts toward completion of this program for students who passed these subjects in 2019 or earlier.
JUST 2002 - Bioethics, replaced by LAWS 2014 Bioethics
The equivalent subjects listed below counts toward completion of this program for students who passed these subjects in 2021 or earlier.
LAWS 3008 - Civil Procedure and Arbitration (200813), replaced by LAWS 4013 Civil Procedure and Arbitration
LAWS 3064 - Remedies (200756), replaced by LAWS 4014 Remedies
LAWS 2002 - Constitutional Law (200009), replaced by LAWS 4015 Constitutional Law
LAWS 4001 - Administrative Law (200013), replaced by LAWS 3081 Administrative Law
LAWS 2011 - Property Law (200012), replaced by LAWS 3082 Property Law
LAWS 3059 - Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics (200020), replaced by LAWS 2015 Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics
The subjects listed below count towards completion of the program for students who may have passed subjects in the list in 2022 or earlier.
FINC 1001 - Management Accounting Fundamentals, replaced by ACCT 1010 Management Accounting Fundamentals
JUST 4001 Clinical Legal Placement, replaced by LAWS 4017 Access to Justice Clinic
Replaced Subjects
The subjects listed below count towards completion of this program for students who passed these subjects in 2021 or earlier.
LAWS 3043 - Land Transactions Law (200021)
LAWS 3035 - International Moot Court (200663)
LAWS 4002 - Advanced Constitutional Law (200755)
LAWS 4009 - Transaction Law (200758)
LAWS 3066 - Revenue Law Industry Placement (201007)
LAWS 3073 - Elder Law Industry Placement (201020)
JUST 2009 - Law Economics and Business Ethics (200296)
LAWS 4011 - Law Honours Dissertation (200700)
Please note that the availability of Bachelor of Laws Alternate Subjects may vary from year to year. New subjects may become available and some others discontinued. The School will publish information on which subjects are available in a session.