The Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies is not a professional legal qualification. Applicants seeking to be admitted to practise should refer to the Master of Law and Legal Practice (C04148) or the Bachelor of Laws (C10124).
The Faculty recognises that there are a number of non-lawyers who wish to undertake postgraduate legal study in order to function effectively in their chosen profession. The Legal Studies program provides graduates from non-law disciplines with the high-level legal theory and practical skills to identify and understand the legal issues raised in their specific area of practice or interest.
The Legal Studies program particularly benefits accountants and auditors, business development managers, compliance managers, engineers and architects, financial advisers and planners, IT professionals, law enforcement officers, paralegals, policy officers in the public, private and non-profit sectors, property developers, and public sector managers and administrators (especially those working in DFAT, DCITA, the Attorney-General's Department and Treasury).
Graduate Diploma candidates may transfer to the Master of Legal Studies (C04147). Candidates do not take out the Graduate Diploma, rather subjects undertaken within the Graduate Diploma are applied towards the Master's.
Applicants require a Bachelor's degree in a discipline other than law.
Note that completion of a Bachelor's degree does not guarantee entry into this course. Admission is at the discretion of the Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning.
The Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies can be completed in a minimum of one year of full-time study or one-and-a-half years of part-time study.
The course is offered in a variety of attendance patterns, including distance teaching requiring no on-campus attendance, intensive block attendance and weekly on-campus evening classes. Fast-tracking via Summer session is also available.
The course requires completion of a core introductory subject (6 credit points) plus a further five subjects (30 credit points). Students can elect to undertake a major which comprises five subjects within the area of the major (30 credit points) or attempt subjects across the major areas.
Students may also elect to undertake up to a maximum of 12 credit points of postgraduate subjects offered in other faculties in the University. Enrolment in non-Law subjects will be at the discretion of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty in which the subject is offered.
77885 Legal Process and Legal Research | 6cp | |
CBK90501 Legal Studies major choice | 30cp | |
Total | 36cp |
The list of available majors is shown below. Subjects are regularly timetabled but not all subjects listed are offered in any one semester. Timetabled subjects are offered subject to sufficient student interest. The current timetable can be found at:
List of majors | ||
MAJ09320 Dispute Resolution | 30cp | |
MAJ09322 International Law | 30cp | |
MAJ09323 Information Technology Law | 30cp | |
MAJ09363 Industrial and Intellectual Property Law | 30cp | |
MAJ09367 Family Law | 30cp | |
MAJ09388 Commercial Law | 30cp | |
MAJ09389 International Trade Law | 30cp | |
CBK90503 No specified major | 30cp |
Further information is available from: