Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws (2538)
- Approved Abbreviation: BSocSc/LLB
- Western Sydney University Program Code: 2538
- AQF Level: 7
CRICOS Code: 018941G
This program applies to students who commenced in 2022 or later.
Students should follow the program structure for the session start date relevant to the year they commenced.
Commencement Year 2017 - 2538.9 Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws
Commencement Year Spring 2014 - 2016 - 2538.8 Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws
Commencement Year Autumn 2014 - 2538.7 Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws
Commencement Years 2010 to 2011 - 2538.4 Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws
The double degree program permits students to undertake multi-skilling and offers diverse career paths providing high marketability in multiple areas of expertise. The Bachelor of Laws provides students with professional legal skills including the ability to analyse legal material and understand fundamental legal principles; an understanding of the relationship between law and society; the skills to analyse and solve non-legal problems and specialised study into the Australian legal system.
Early Exit
Students may exit this program on completion of 80 credit points with a 2827 Diploma in Laws (exit only)
Study Mode
Five years full-time or ten years part-time. Social Science subjects are offered at Liverpool and Penrith campuses and Law units are offered at Campbelltown and Parramatta campuses. Students may be required to travel between campuses in order to complete their subjects.
Program Advice
courseadvicelaw@westernsydney.edu.au
Prospective students should visit the following websites for general enquiries about this program.
Enquire about this program| Local Admission | International Admission |
Location
| Campus | Attendance | Mode | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbelltown Campus | Full Time | Internal | See above |
| Campbelltown Campus | 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 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.
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.
Admission
Eligibility for admission to the Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws is based on the following requirements:
Assumed Knowledge: any two units of HSC English
Recommended Studies: HSC English Standard or equivalent
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.
http://www.uac.edu.au/
https://westernsydney.uac.edu.au/ws/
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 Prerequisites
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 3074 Judicial Internship
- LAWS 4017 Access to Justice Clinic
- 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 subjects requires a visa for the relevant country and the ability to travel at a specified time:
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 2538 Bachelor of Social Science/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 Social Science 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 link above for details.
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. However students who enrol in LAWS 1003 Fundamentals of Australian Law must also be enrolled in LAWS 2004 Criminal Law and students who enrol in LAWS 1009 Legal Analysis and Critique must also be enrolled in LAWS 2013 Torts Law.
For details of the Social Science subjects required please see program Bachelor of Social Science. Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws 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 elective 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 program are required to complete the eight law subjects listed in the first three years of the recommended sequence.
Social Science core subjects
| Subject | Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| BEHV 1021 | The Individual in Society | 10 |
| CULT 1017 | Understanding Society | 10 |
| HUMN 1041 | People, Place and Social Difference | 10 |
| HUMN 1060 | Introduction to Indigenous Australia: Peoples, Places and Philosophies | 10 |
| HUMN 2066 | Investigating and Communicating Social Problems | 10 |
| CULT 2005 | Ethics in the Social Sciences | 10 |
| CULT 3001 | Applied Social Research | 10 |
| CULT 3007 | Contemporary Social Issues and Professional Practice | 10 |
| Total Credit Points | 80 | |
Recommended Sequence
Full-time start-year intake
| 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 3045 | Law of Associations | 10 |
| LAWS 3081 | Administrative Law | 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 |
| Select two LLB alternate subjects | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Spring session | ||
| LAWS 4013 | Civil Procedure and Arbitration | 10 |
| LAWS 4014 | Remedies | 10 |
| Select two LLB alternate subjects | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Total Credit Points | 400 | |
Full-time mid-year intake
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spring session | Credit Points | |
| LAWS 1003 | Fundamentals of Australian Law | 10 |
| Select three core subjects from B Social Science. (refer to the structure tab) | 30 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Autumn session | ||
| LAWS 2003 | Contracts | 10 |
| LAWS 2004 | Criminal Law | 10 |
| Select two core subjects from B Social Science. (refer to the structure tab) | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Spring session | ||
| LAWS 2013 | Torts Law | 10 |
| LAWS 1009 | Legal Analysis and Critique | 10 |
| Select two subjects from B Social Science. (can be a combination of major and core subjects) | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Autumn session | ||
| Select four subjects from B Social Science. (can be a combination of major and core subjects) | 40 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Spring session | ||
| LAWS 2008 | Government and Public Law | 10 |
| LAWS 2001 | Alternative Dispute Resolution | 10 |
| Select two subjects from B Social Science. (can be a combination of major and core subjects) | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Autumn session | ||
| LAWS 2015 | Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics | 10 |
| Select three subjects from B Social Science. (can be a combination of major and core subjects) | 30 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Spring session | ||
| LAWS 3081 | Administrative Law | 10 |
| LAWS 4013 | Civil Procedure and Arbitration | 10 |
| Select two LLB alternate subjects | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Autumn session | ||
| LAWS 3018 | Equity & Trusts | 10 |
| LAWS 3082 | Property Law | 10 |
| Select two LLB alternate subjects | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Year 5 | ||
| Spring session | ||
| LAWS 3045 | Law of Associations | 10 |
| LAWS 4014 | Remedies | 10 |
| Select two LLB alternate subjects | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Autumn session | ||
| LAWS 4015 | Constitutional Law | 10 |
| LAWS 4004 | Criminal Procedure and Evidence | 10 |
| Select two LLB alternate subjects | 20 | |
| Credit Points | 40 | |
| Total Credit Points | 400 | |
LLB Alternate Subjects
Students must complete 80 credit points of subjects from the following.
| 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 3090 | Animal Law | 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 3096 | Drug Policy and Law | 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 2017 | Indonesia: Law, Governance and Culture | 10 |
| LAWS 3025 | Law, Culture and Entrepreneurial Innovation in India | 10 |
| LAWS 3083 | Gender and the Law | 10 |
| LAWS 3091 | Globalisation, Law, Governance and Culture | 10 |
| LAWS 3028 | Human Rights and the Asia Pacific | 10 |
| LAWS 3027 | Human Rights Law | 10 |
| LAWS 3029 | Immigration 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 3034 | International Criminal Law | 10 |
| LAWS 4007 | International Environmental 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 | 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 3061 | Public Health Law | 10 |
| LAWS 3063 | Public International Law | 10 |
| LAWS 3097 | Refugee Law | 10 |
| LAWS 2012 | Regulatory Risk and Compliance | 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 session to session. New subjects may become available and some discontinued. The School of Law will publish information on which subjects are available in a session.
Equivalent Subjects
The equivalent subjects listed below count towards 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 count towards completion of this program for students who passed these subjects in 2020 or earlier.
CULT 1020 Working with Communities, replace by HUMN 1060 Introduction to Indigenous Australia: Peoples, Places and Philosophies
HUMN 2049 Social Research Methods, replace by HUMN 2066 Investigating and Communicating Social Problems
The equivalent subject listed below counts toward completion of this program for students who passed this subject 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.
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)
Discontinued Subjects
The subjects listed below count towards completion of this program for students who passed the subject in 2024 or earlier.
LAWS 3036 International Trade Law
LAWS 3056 Practising in the Public Interest
LAWS 4006 International Climate Law