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Contacts ContactsAdministrative advice telephone (02) 9514 3444 Academic advice Director, Undergraduate Program Ms Michelle Sanson Other informationFor general information about the Faculty of Law, including details and location of the Law Information Office, the Law timetable, the Law Students' Society, prizes and scholarships, the Law Library Collection, and contact details for the Faculty's other academic program areas, see the Faculty information section. The Faculty information section also contains information concerning computer access, studying as an international student, contact details for other units of the University, parking at UTS, University forms and the Rules of the University. ElectivesLaw electives In order to assist students to perceive the interrelationship of the various electives and their general orientation and to make informed choices, the electives are classified into the groups indicated below:
Non-law electives Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Laws in Australian Indigenous Studies may study up to 48 credit points of non-law electives. Students must obtain the permission of the Director, Undergraduate Programs, if they wish to enrol in nonlaw subjects offered by other faculties of the University or other universities. In addition to seeking this approval, it is necessary to approach the faculty or institution in which the non-law subjects are to be studied to obtain approval, and also to ensure that any prerequisites or corequisites are satisfied. Among the non-law electives available are those in Aboriginal Studies set out in the following list. Further details may be obtained from the School of Adult Education on telephone (02) 9514 3900. 015110 Aboriginal Cultures and Philosophies 8cp International Studies electives The Institute for International Studies at UTS offers electives in language studies and in the study of contemporary societies in parts of the non-English-speaking world. All subjects are taught over one semester and have a value of 8 credit points. Language and culture studies All students wishing to take language and culture studies as a credited part of their degree are required to enrol through the Institute for International Studies, whether the language and culture studies are undertaken on a UTS campus or elsewhere. The Institute teaches some language and culture programs at UTS, has made arrangements with other universities for some language and culture programs to be taught to UTS students, and can make special arrangements for individual students to attend specific language and culture programs where academic needs demand. The individual student's level of language proficiency before entry to the UTS program determines their level of language study. There is a range of entry levels to the various programs available. Most are available at beginners' and post-HSC levels, and some at more advanced levels. The Institute offers language programs in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Greek, Indonesian, Malaysian, Russian and Thai are offered through arrangements that have been made with other universities. Contemporary society The Institute also offers a series of subjects that provide an introduction to the contemporary societies, politics, economics and culture of China, Japan and the countries of South-East Asia, Latin America and Europe. There are no prerequisites for any of the contemporary society subjects. All subjects are taught in English and are available, with the permission of their faculties, to all UTS students. Further information is available from the 2004 handbook for the Institute for International Studies or: Institute for International Studies Subjects open to other facultiesStudents enrolled in other faculties in the University may apply for approval to enrol in law subjects. This approval is subject to the meeting of prerequisites and to class sizes. Applications are to be made prior to enrolment to the Director, Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Law (or his/her nominee). Non-award studentsApplications may be made by persons not enrolled in the University to enrol in law subjects as non-award students. Applications should be directed to Admissions, UTS Student Info & Admin Centre, City and Kuring-gai campuses. Miscellaneous studentsLaw students who have completed their course may enrol as miscellaneous students in subjects they were not able to complete while enrolled. Applications should be directed to Admissions, UTS Student Info & Admin Centre, City and Kuring-gai campuses. Cross-institutional studentsStudents from other universities may seek to enter UTS as cross-institutional students and will be permitted, with their faculty's approval, to undertake up to a maximum of three subjects that will then be credited towards their degree. Applications should be directed to Admissions, UTS Student Info & Admin Centre, City and Kuring-gai campuses. Summer session in LawThe Faculty offers a Summer session to enable enrolled Law students to undertake one or a maximum of two electives at the conclusion of Spring semester. The Summer session consists of six teaching weeks in December and January and may include a weekend workshop. Details of application procedures for the Summer session 2004/5 are available on the Faculty website at: www.law.uts.edu.au/summer_school Recommended reading prior to entryA Guide to Legal Problem Solving for Law Students, P Keyzer, Butterworths, or A Career in Law, edited by J F Corkery, Federation Press, may be purchased from the Co-op Bookshop, the Sydney Law Cooperative Bookshop, Butterworths or the Law Book Company. Graduate Employment and Summer Clerkship programsStudents wishing to apply to enter these programs must do so in their penultimate year of study.1 The Faculty of Law participates in the Graduate Employment and Summer Clerkship programs conducted by many of the law schools in NSW in conjunction with the major Sydney law firms and government departments. Many of the firms only employ graduates through the programs. The application closing date for the programs is normally set in April/June of each year, and interested students are advised to watch the noticeboards because the deadlines imposed are strictly adhered to. Applications are lodged through the UTS Careers Services at City campus, Broadway. Footnote: AssessmentWhile assessment varies from subject to subject, students may be required to do one or more of the following: final examinations, informal examinations, takehome examinations, assignments, research work, class participation, moot, presentation of seminar papers or a viva voce. Coordinating examiners will advise students of the mode of assessment for their subjects in their course outline and/or by notice on the noticeboard by the end of the third week of the semester. Lodgment of assignmentsStudents are required to retain a copy of any assignment lodged in the assignment box. Students who are handing in written work must submit it, with an assignment coversheet attached, in the assignment box located on level 3 at the Law Faculty at Haymarket (CM05B.3). The assignment box is cleared daily at 6.00 p.m. Assignments submitted by DX, fax or email will not be accepted by the Faculty. Formal requirementsEssays and other written work should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the Faculty of Law's Guide to Essay Writing, which may be obtained from the Faculty. All work submitted for assessment should bear an assignment coversheet. These are available from the Law Information Office. If required by the lecturer concerned, the work must be typed. The work must be properly written with due regard to spelling, punctuation, grammar and syntax. Unless otherwise instructed by the lecturer concerned, all written work should include footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography in the manner set out in the Guide to Essay Writing. Any piece of written work which does not comply with these requirements may be:
Late workAny work submitted after the date of submission may be penalised in marks or rejected without assessment (where circumstances dictate). Subject coordinators have the right to establish individual assessment regimes. University Rules provide for an appeal against assessment if students are not told of changes to assessment by week three of semester (although in some circumstances revision can be made during semester). Unless modified by the coordinator and subject to reasonable excuse and permission given beforehand, lecturers can usually deduct five marks per week (one mark per business day) for late work and refuse to accept work once corrected work has been returned. PlagiarismWhere individual work is required for the purposes of assessment, the copying, unacknowledged use of, or reliance on the work of other individuals without acknowledgment is considered to be cheating/misconduct. The penalties imposed for cheating/misconduct or allowing work to be plagiarised are severe under the University Rules and regulations. Plagiarism is one of the most serious crimes in the academic community – it indicates an attempt by someone to pass off the words and/or ideas of another as their own. To take any but a few sequential words of another without acknowledgment is plagiarism and tantamount to cheating. It will be so treated at the Faculty of Law. Experience shows that one of the most common ways for plagiarism to occur is when students work together. It is acknowledged by the academic staff that study groups are an efficient and beneficial method of learning – peer tuition is effective – but problems arise when it is extended into the assessment process. The Faculty expects, in fact demands, all assignments submitted to be the work of the person who is credited with the mark. It can be an extremely fine line between discussion of an essay topic with another and collaboration, but where comparisons of various students' work indicate collaboration, this will be taken to be plagiarism and the Faculty policy will be invoked (Guide to Essay Writing). Any acts of plagiarism will be penalised. Such penalties may include, depending upon the seriousness and nature of the offence:
Progression and acceleration policyThe following policy will apply to progression and acceleration. Students will be permitted to enrol in subjects totalling up to 28 credit points per semester with the leave of the Director, Undergraduate Programs or nominee, if:
The Faculty of Law is unable to guarantee that there will be no timetable clash or no final examination clashes where students do not progress normally. Subject exemptionSubject to the approval of the Faculty Board in Law, it is possible for students to obtain exemptions for both law and nonlaw subjects. Law subjects Students may be able to obtain an exemption, up to a maximum of 48 credit points, from law subjects if they are able to satisfy the Faculty Board that a comparable course of study has been successfully undertaken as a Bachelor of Laws subject within the Faculty of Law of another recognised university. As a general rule, exemptions will not be given if the subject was studied more than six years ago. The period in the 'six-year rule' shall be calculated from the date on which the subject in which the exemption is sought was successfully completed, to when it is due to be undertaken in the Faculty of Law. However, the Faculty Board shall always retain a discretion to waive the strict application of the rule in cases where there is additional evidence of work or study experience. Indeed, in subjects where there have been significant recent changes in the law, an exemption may not be granted even though the subject was successfully completed less than six years ago. The Faculty Board must be satisfied that the student has successfully completed a comparable subject elsewhere. To verify this, the student must produce a transcript of his or her academic record and a copy of the relevant institution's handbook containing a detailed description of the subject, together with the reading guide that was current at the time of study. Exemption for law subjects will only be granted to students who have studied law in a recognised law school. Students who have studied law through the Law Extension Committee of the Supreme Court (LPAB) will not be granted exemptions. Non-law subjects It is possible to obtain exemptions for nonlaw electives in the Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Laws in Australian Indigenous Studies programs if students have completed a degree, diploma or associate diploma course from a recognised tertiary institution. The maximum exemptions that can be granted on the basis of having completed a course are as follows:
Students wishing to study non-law electives within their Law degree in other faculties of the University or within a degree course at another university may be granted approval to undertake up to 48 credit points. Formal application to do so must be made in writing to the Faculty Board in Law. In combined degree courses, this can not be permitted. Partially completed courses No exemptions can be sought for a partially completed diploma or associate diploma course. Students entering the Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Laws in Australian Indigenous Studies programs with a partially completed degree, either as transfer students from another faculty of the University or from another university, may be granted up to a maximum of 24 credit points. Students who wish to undertake subjects at another university and receive accreditation for them must complete an Application for Concurrent Study form, available from the Law Information Office. Students who are seeking exemptions should complete an Advanced Standing Application form, which is also available from the Law Information Office. It is recommended that all students seeking an exemption should make an application early in the course. Inquiries should be directed to the Law Information Office on telephone (02) 9514 3444. Internal course transfers UTS students who internally transfer into the Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Laws in Australian Indigenous Studies programs may receive up to 48 credit points of exemptions from non-law electives for subjects which have been completed as part of their previous UTS studies. Exchange programThe Law Faculty participates in the exchange program administered by the UTS Institute of International Studies. Through the program it is possible to undertake three or four law electives overseas. To be eligible for the program, students should have a Credit average or better, and have completed 70516 Equity and Trusts before going overseas. The number of places is strictly limited and applications must be lodged at least six months prior to intended departure. Once approved for exchange, students are enrolled in one or more of the following subjects: 76801 Exchange Subject 1, 76802 Exchange Subject 2, 76803 Exchange Subject 3, 76804 Exchange Subject 4). Marks achieved in study overseas may be adjusted, and will appear against the above subjects on your UTS transcript. Exchange subject marks will be included in the calculation for Honours. Information and application packs are available from the UTS Institute for International Studies. Further details are available online at: HonoursIt is possible for students to gain an award with Honours in the Law degrees or the Law component of combined or double degrees. The Bachelor of Laws degree is awarded with Honours, and does not require an additional Honours year. To this end, the Research Project, which is a necessary requirement, must be undertaken as an elective subject of 6credit points within the degree. This subject forms part of the credit points required for degree completion: 192 for the full-time or part-time degree, 144 for combined degrees. Application to undertake a Research Project should be made at least one month prior to enrolling in the subject. The Honours Regulations are set out below: 1. Awards 1.1 Awards of the Law degree or the Law component of a combined degree shall be classified as follows: (a) degree (with First Class Honours) (b) degree (with Second Class Honours), and (c) degree. 1.2 Award of the degree with Second Class Honours shall not be graded. 2. Requirements of Honours 2.1 To qualify for an award of the degree with Honours a student shall: (a) successfully complete the subject 76040 Research Project 4 (b) subject to (e) and (f) below, obtain an Honours mark, calculated in accordance with the formula 'Sum of All' (UTS law subject credit points x mark) divisible by the 'sum of all law subject credit points' such that: (i) for First Class Honours – 75 per cent (ii) for Second Class Honours – 70 per cent (c) not fail any subject after the first semester of study (d) successfully complete not less than 96credit points of law subjects within the Faculty of Law (e) for the purpose of the calculation in (b), students may discount up to three of their worst subjects provided that at least 12 UTS Bachelor of Laws subjects are included in the calculation, and (f) a student's Honours mark shall include the mark obtained by the student in the subject Research Project notwithstanding that such mark might be one of their worst subjects. 2.2 In exceptional circumstances the Faculty's Undergraduate Programs Committee may modify or dispense with the requirements of Regulation 2.1(c) and (d), subject to appeal to the Faculty Board in Law. The University MedalThe University may award a medal to students who have achieved outstanding academic merit throughout their undergraduate degree course. The medal is awarded within the Bachelor of Laws program to the student achieving the highest marks at First Class Honours level. Research Project regulationsThe following regulations relate to the Research Project and refer only to the Bachelor of Laws program in the Faculty of Law. 1. The regulations apply to the following elective subject 76040 Research Project 4. 2. A student undertaking a research project is required to demonstrate: (a) eligibility to graduate with Honours (b) a high level of understanding of the law relevant to the topic (c) the capacity to research and analyse legal material (d) the ability to use research tools and skills (e) the ability to present the results of the research in a coherent and comprehensive form, and (f) the availability of an appropriate supervisor. 3. A recommended component of the research project is attendance at the research project workshop. This will normally be held prior to the commencement of the semester in which the student intends undertaking the research project. 4. Assessment is based on a dissertation to be submitted by students, which will normally be expected to lie within the following range: Research Project: 8,000–12,000 words. 5. Where research related to research projects has been done for another purpose, either in the Faculty of Law or elsewhere, full disclosure of that prior research must be made at the time the topic is submitted for approval. If the topic is approved notwithstanding such prior research, then that research shall not form part of the work completed for the research project and shall be excluded from the final assessment. The student shall provide further information concerning that research as may be requested by the supervisor or the subject coordinator. 6. The coordinator of research projects may require the student to undergo a viva voce examination, in which case the viva voce shall form part of the assessment of the subject. 7. The Faculty Board in Law has ultimate control over all aspects of research projects. Any student, the subject coordinator or the Associate Dean has the right to approach the Board on any issue arising out of these regulations, a research project or assessment. 8. There shall be a subject coordinator for research projects who shall be appointed at the first Faculty Board meeting in the Faculty of Law each year and shall hold office until the first Faculty Board meeting the following year. During the absence of the subject coordinator, the Director, Undergraduate Programs, or Associate Dean may act in his or her stead. 9. A student will normally enrol in the subject Research Project: (a) in the semester prior to undertaking practical legal training (or in the final semester of their degree where they are not undertaking practical legal training as part of their degree), and (b) only if that student has successfully completed any core subject or elective subject relevant to the topic. 10. A student wishing to undertake a research project shall submit a signed written proposal to the Faculty's Administrative Officer (Undergraduate) on the form available from the Law Information Office. The proposal shall include the name of the topic of the proposed research project and the name of the supervisor and must be signed by the supervisor. Approval must be granted before enrolment is allowed. 11. If the subject coordinator does not approve the application, it shall be submitted to the next meeting of the Faculty Board, which may approve the application on such terms as it thinks fit, or disapprove the application. 12. A student is required to enrol in the Research Project subject no later than the beginning of the semester following that in which the subject coordinator or the Faculty Board approved the proposed research project. 13. (a) Students may expect their supervisor to provide them with academic direction and may expect to meet initially with their supervisor to discuss their project. (b) Any amendments to the research project proposal may be approved by the supervisor if the project remains within the same substantial area as previously approved. However, any substantial amendments to the student's approved proposal shall be proposed in writing to the supervisor and subject coordinator. 14. A research project shall normally be taken over one semester and the dissertation shall be lodged at the Law Information Office not later than 4.00 p.m. on the Friday of Week 13 of the semester. In circumstances of appropriate special consideration, upon the student's written request, the subject coordinator may, with the concurrence of the student's supervisor, grant the student an extension of time for the submission of the project which shall not exceed two weeks from the original date of submission. 15. The dissertation must comply with the following format rules: (a) Two copies of the dissertation shall be presented to the subject coordinator. One of these copies will be returned to the student after examination. (b) The dissertation shall be written in English in good-quality typescript on one side of the paper only. In the body of the dissertation, one-and-a-half spacing is preferred, but double spacing is permissible. Single spacing may only be used for appendices, footnotes and quotations. (c) The paper used shall be good-quality medium-weight white stock, sufficiently opaque for normal reading. (d) The size of the paper shall be ISO A4 (297 mm x 210 mm). (e) The margins on each sheet shall be not less than 40 mm on the left-hand side, and 20 mm on the right-hand side, top and bottom. (f) Both copies of the dissertation shall be accompanied by an abstract of not more than 400 words. (g) Both copies of the dissertation shall be presented in a permanent and legible form and if not bound, then suitable for future binding. (h) Each copy of the dissertation shall be enclosed in a stiff cover. 16. For the research project, there shall be one examiner, appointed by the Faculty Board. That examiner shall usually be the supervisor. If there are any unresolved differences of opinion on any matter relevant to a student's assessment, such differences shall be resolved by a reviewer appointed by the Associate Dean. Practical legal training program (PLT)A number of subjects offered in the practical legal training program can be studied as part of the undergraduate Law degree. It is an option which may be taken by students in their final semester of study, in place of four Law elective subjects (24 credit points). Practical legal training comprises five subjects and is taught over 18 weeks from 9.00a.m. – 5.00p.m., Monday to Friday. The subjects are: 75401 Litigation 6cp In addition, students enrol in a concurrent Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice comprising three additional subjects (12 credit points) in order to complete the practical legal training program. The additional subjects are: 75412 Legal Skills and Professional Awareness 6cp See the practical legal training program for further details or: www.law.uts.edu.au/courses/plt Practical legal training program by distanceThe practical legal training program may be undertaken by flexible learning mode, full time and part time. This means students learn at a time, rate and location that suits each individual student. Students use self-managed learning tools to learn at their own pace. Because of the skills-based nature of the courses of study within the practical legal training program, two compulsory Monday to Friday face-to-face schools are included in the course of study. The first school takes place at the beginning of the course of study, for the Legal Skills and Professional Awareness subject, with the second at the conclusion of the course, for the Advocacy subject. The subject 75411 Practical Experience requires students to undertake 16 weeks of full-time or equivalent part-time experience (approved in advance by the Faculty) following completion of the practical legal training program. It is possible, however, to undertake one-half of this requirement (8 weeks of practical experience) in the year prior to commencing the practical legal training program. No other subject may be taken in conjunction, and students in combined degrees must have completed 48 credit points of their studies in the other degree prior to enrolling in the practical legal training program. Priority for a place in the practical legal training program will be given to UTS undergraduates who enrol by the date advertised by the Faculty. Alternatively, students may choose to complete their undergraduate degree from the choice of electives and delay PLT studies for up to two years, or even forego such studies completely. Applicants and students who decide on this latter course must realise that, under the current rules of the Legal Practitioners Admission Board (LPAB), upon graduation they will not be able to practise as a solicitor or barrister in NSW unless they are able to demonstrate substantial legal experience to the satisfaction of the LPAB. Future exemptionsStudents who complete the Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice are eligible to apply for 12 credit points exemption towards a UTS Master of Laws. |
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