CRICOS code: 108414C

This program applies to students who commenced in 2022 or later.

This program is designed for high achieving law students in the Bachelor of Social Science/ Bachelor of Laws program who wish to undertake an extended level of study and research in Law. An honours degree indicates academic excellence in a professional context and, as an Australian Qualifications Framework Level 8 qualification, students may also have direct entry into postgraduate programs including Masters and Doctor of Philosophy programs. 

There is no direct entry into the Honours program. Entry is by application only following completion of at least 160 credit points of Law study and by meeting specified criteria (see Admission details).  As an embedded honours program, students are not required to undertake an additional period of study. Further details regarding the honours program and its requirements are available at: Honours in Law and School of Law Honours Guidelines.

The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) program satisfies the academic degree requirements for admission to practice as an Australian lawyer. Students will engage in collaborative face-to-face problem and case-based learning, will be supported by online learning materials, and will participate in authentic assessment to develop knowledge and skills. The program provides students with a broad progressive legal education with a strong practical orientation to the law. Students develop skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, research, communication, collaboration, self-management, and ethical and professional awareness and judgement. Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in legal advocacy, negotiation, and legal technology and extend their professional and learning experiences through work integrated learning, clinical placement and international exchange engagements.

Study Mode

Five years full-time or ten years part-time. Social Science subjects are offered at Liverpool and Penrith campuses and Law subjects are offered at Campbelltown and Parramatta campuses. Students may be required to travel between campuses in order to complete their subjects. 

Program Advice

Dr Patrick Foong

Prospective students should visit the following websites for general enquiries about this program.

Enquire about this program| Local Admission | International Admission |

Location

Location

Campus	Attendance	Mode	Advice
Campbelltown	Full Time	Internal	See above
Campbelltown	Part Time	Internal	See above
Parramatta Campus - Victoria Road	Full Time	Internal	See above
Parramatta Campus - Victoria Road	Part Time	Internal	See above

Accreditation

Graduates from the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) program are eligible to apply to the Legal Profession Admission Board for admission to legal practice in NSW after undertaking prescribed practical legal training.

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.

Inherent requirements

Work Integrated Learning

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.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for international students

Admission

This program is designed for students in the Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws program who wish to undertake an Honours program. 

Students must meet all of the following criteria for admission:

• Completion of at least 160 credit points of law study (or 140 credit points if two Summer subjects are undertaken);
• Demonstration of the likelihood of graduating with an Honours Weighted Average Mark (HWAM) of at least 70 at the time of graduation; or an Admission Average Mark (AAM) of at least 70 at the time of admission to the Honours program. 
• Submission of a ‘Nomination of Topics’ form which expresses preferences among supervisor-defined topics and/or describes a student-defined topic in a scholarly manner. 
• Demonstration of satisfactory academic writing skills
• Availability of a principal supervisor

Special Requirements

Students enrolling in these subjects may need to have a National Police Certificate and consent or prohibited employment declarations as they may be conducting their placement in circumstances where they work with minors. This would be managed on an as needs basis:

• LAWS 3077 Legal Internship
• LAWS 4012 First Nations Peoples' Access to Justice Clinic
• LAWS 3080 Street Law Clinic
• JUST 3011 Issues in the Criminal Justice System (corrective services field trip requirement) also records and identity check. 

The following units require a visa for the relevant country and the ability to travel at a specified time:

• LAWS 3024 Foundations of Chinese Law
• LAWS 3025 Law, Culture and Entrepreneurial Innovation in India
• LAWS 3078 Legal, Economic and Social Transformation in Taiwan

Program Structure

Qualification for a double degree in law requires the successful completion of 400 credit points including the subjects listed in the recommended sequences for the relevant double degree programs.

Students are eligible to graduate in the associated degree at the end of three years of full-time study, only when they have completed all non-law subjects plus the eight law subjects specified in the study sequence as being in the first three years of the relevant double degree.

Students enrolled in the 2831 Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) will only be eligible to graduate from their Bachelor of Laws (Honours) 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 Social Science component must transfer to program 2829 Bachelor of Laws (Non Graduate Entry) (Honours) which requires the completion of 320 credit points (inclusive of 80 credit points of non-LLB study).

It may be possible to vary the sequence of subjects so that students study a greater concentration of either law or their second discipline of study each semester, to minimise travel between campuses and to overcome timetabling problems. Students should speak to their academic advisor as needed. 

For details of the Social Science subjects required please see program 1667 Bachelor of Social Science. Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) students are required to complete the following social science subjects:

• A major in social science (chosen from the specified list of approved majors) of 80 credit points;
• An 80 credit point core comprised of eight common core subjects that will be spread out over the three year degree.

Note that instead of the minimum of 80 credit points of flexible subjects required to be completed by Bachelor of Social Science students enrolled in program 1667 Bachelor of Social Science, students in this Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) program are required to complete the eight law subjects listed in the first three years of the recommended sequence.

Students must also complete 240 credit points of Law subjects comprising: 

• 160 credit points of specified core subjects to meet Priestly 11 accreditation requirements:
• 10 credit points Research Training Component (LAWS 4016 Legal Research and Methodology)
• 20 credit points Research Component (LAWS 4011 Law Honours Dissertation)
• 50 credit points of LLB alternate subjects.

Recommended Sequence

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 400 credit points as per the recommended sequence below.  

Full-time start-year intake

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Autumn session		Credit Points
LAWS 1003	Fundamentals of Australian Law	10
LAWS 2004	Criminal Law	10
BEHV 1021	The Individual in Society	10
CULT 1017	Understanding Society	10
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
LAWS 1009	Legal Analysis and Critique	10
LAWS 2013	Torts Law	10
HUMN 1041	People, Place and Social Difference	10
HUMN 1060	Introduction to Indigenous Australia: Peoples, Places and Philosophies	10
	Credit Points	40
Year 2
Autumn session
LAWS 2003	Contracts	10
HUMN 2066	Investigating and Communicating Social Problems	10
Select two Social Science major subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
LAWS 2001	Alternative Dispute Resolution	10
CULT 2005	Ethics in the Social Sciences	10
Select two Social Science major subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Year 3
Autumn session
LAWS 2015	Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics	10
CULT 3001	Applied Social Research	10
Select two Social Science major subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
LAWS 2008	Government and Public Law	10
CULT 3007	Contemporary Social Issues and Professional Practice	10
Select two Social Science major subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Year 4
Autumn session
LAWS 3018	Equity & Trusts	10
LAWS 3082	Property Law	10
Select two LLB alternate subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
LAWS 3081	Administrative Law	10
LAWS 3045	Law of Associations	10
Select two LLB alternate subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Year 5
Autumn session
LAWS 4015	Constitutional Law	10
LAWS 4004	Criminal Procedure and Evidence	10
LAWS 4016	Legal Research and Methodology	10
Select one LLB alternate subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
LAWS 4014	Remedies	10
LAWS 4013	Civil Procedure and Arbitration	10
LAWS 4011	Law Honours Dissertation	20
	Credit Points	40
	Total Credit Points	400

LLB Alternate Subjects 

Students must complete 50 credit points of subjects from the list of Bachelor of Laws alternate subjects below. 

Subject List

Subject	Title	Credit Points
LAWS 4017	Access to Justice Clinic	10
LAWS 3001	Advanced Family Law	10
LAWS 4003	Advanced Taxation Law	10
LAWS 3002	Advanced Torts and Civil Wrongs	10
LAWS 3003	Advocacy	10
LAWS 3004	Anti-Discrimination Law	10
LAWS 3005	Australian Competition Law	10
LAWS 3006	Australian Consumer Law	10
LAWS 3007	Banking and Securities Law	10
LAWS 2014	Bioethics	10
LAWS 3089	Children's Rights: Local and International	10
LAWS 3011	Comparative Law: Legal Systems of the World	10
LAWS 3013	Conflict of Laws	10
LAWS 3088	Construction Law	10
LAWS 3014	Corporate Governance	10
LAWS 3015	Cyber Law and Justice	10
LAWS 4010	Designing Law Apps for Access to Justice	10
LAWS 3016	Elder Law	10
LAWS 3022	Family Dispute Resolution	10
LAWS 3023	Family Law	10
LAWS 2005	Financial Services Law	10
LAWS 2007	First Peoples and the Australian Legal System	10
LAWS 4012	First Nations Peoples' Access to Justice Clinic	10
LAWS 3024	Foundations of Chinese Law	10
LAWS 3025	Law, Culture and Entrepreneurial Innovation in India	10
LAWS 3083	Gender and the Law	10
LAWS 3028	Human Rights and the Asia Pacific	10
LAWS 3027	Human Rights Law	10
LAWS 3029	Immigration and Refugee Law	10
JUST 3008	Independent Study (Law)	10
LAWS 3030	Information and Data Governance Law and Regulation	10
LAWS 3031	Insolvency Law and Policy	10
LAWS 3032	Intellectual Property	10
LAWS 3033	International Business Transactions Law	10
LAWS 4006	International Climate Law	10
LAWS 3034	International Criminal Law	10
LAWS 4007	International Environmental Law	10
LAWS 3036	International Trade Law	10
LAWS 3039	Islam, International Law and Human Rights	10
JUST 3011	Issues in the Criminal Justice System	10
LAWS 3074	Judicial Internship	10
LAWS 3042	Jurisprudence	10
LAWS 3079	Law, Economics, Ethics and Change	10
LAWS 3084	Law and Literature	10
LAWS 3044	Law and Public Policy (Referendum 2023: engaging in constitutional change)	10
LAWS 3046	Law of Employment	10
LAWS 3047	Law of International Organisations	10
LAWS 3048	Law of the Sea	10
LAWS 3085	Law of War	10
LAWS 3075	Law's Self-Understanding	10
LAWS 3078	Legal, Economic and Social Transformation in Taiwan	10
LAWS 3077	Legal Internship	10
LAWS 4016	Legal Research and Methodology	10
LAWS 3086	Managing Legal Risk in Construction Law	10
LAWS 3049	Media Law	10
JUST 2013	Mediation	10
LAWS 3050	Medical Law	10
LAWS 3052	Mental Health Law	10
LAWS 3053	Moot Court	10
LAWS 3055	Planning and Environment Law	10
LAWS 3056	Practising in the Public Interest	10
LAWS 3061	Public Health Law	10
LAWS 3063	Public International Law	10
LAWS 4008	Revenue Law	10
LAWS 3067	Self-Managed Superannuation and Trusts	10
LAWS 3068	Space Law - Commercial Aspects	10
LAWS 3087	Sports Law	10
LAWS 3080	Street Law Clinic	10
LAWS 3076	Technology, Innovation and the Law	10
LAWS 3071	Wills and Succession	10
LAWS 3072	Work Health and Safety Law	10

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.

Equivalent Subjects

The subjects listed below count towards completion of the program for students who may have passed subjects in the list in 2022 or earlier.

JUST 4001 Clinical Legal Placement, replaced by LAWS 4017 Access to Justice Clinic