This course is currently being revised and new course completion requirements will be in place for 2008. Current students should check the Faculty of Law website for further information.
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry) Bachelor of Laws is offered jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The course is designed for students who want to use their professional legal qualification together with social research, policy development and political advocacy. It aims to promote understanding of how communities and political systems work, along with positive and effective intervention skills.
The combination of communication, social science and law puts students at the forefront of social change. This course integrates theory and practice through project work with possibilities for professional attachment. As many law graduates do not work as lawyers after graduation, the social inquiry subjects broaden students' employment options as well as extending their knowledge of the broader context in which the legal system operates.
The course aims to provide students with a range of professional and analytical skills grounded in sociology, social policy, politics, public history and international studies, for either legal or social science practice.
Career options include legal practitioner in community, public sector, business or media organisations as advocates, policy makers, political activists, political advisers or social or media researchers.
HSC English and computer literacy.
The course is offered on a five-year, full-time basis in which the Arts degree studies are integrated with studies in Law. Students are required to attend approximately 17 hours of seminars and lectures per week, and may be required to attend evening classes.
The course comprises 244 credit points. It allows students to graduate with the separate degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry) and Bachelor of Laws. The study components for course completion are as follows:
The Law component of 144 credit points is made up of:
The Arts component of 100 credit points is made up of:
To practice as a legal practitioner in NSW students must successfully complete an accredited legal qualification (i.e. Bachelor of Laws) and an accredited course of practical legal training, such as the UTS Practical Legal Training (PLT) program.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws or combined Bachelor of Laws degrees have the option of completing five of the eight PLT subjects within their undergraduate degree and the other three PLT subjects concurrently within the Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (C11128).
Further details about the PLT program can be found online at:
STM90447 Humanities stream | 100cp | |
STM90401 Law stream | 144cp | |
Total | 244cp |
The standard program shown is for a full-time student who has elected to undertake practical legal training within the LLB. Students have the choice of commencing practical legal training within the LLB in the final semester of study or attempting an additional 24 credit points of Law options. Students who elect to undertake practical legal training within the LLB must concurrently enrol in the Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (C11128). All options shown are Law options and are to be drawn from those on offer in CBK90042.
Year 1 | ||
Autumn semester | ||
STM90446 | ||
50105 Communication and Information Environments | 6cp | |
50107 Rethinking Culture | 6cp | |
50109 Power and Change in Australia | 6cp | |
STM90382 | ||
50120 Introduction to Social Inquiry | 6cp | |
Spring semester | ||
STM90446 | ||
50111 Colonialism and Modernity | 6cp | |
STM90382 | ||
50121 Theory and Method | 6cp | |
STM90401 | ||
70105 Legal Research | 4cp | |
70113 Legal Process and History | 10cp | |
Year 2 | ||
Autumn semester | ||
STM90382 | ||
50164 Research Methods 1 | 8cp | |
STM90401 | ||
70217 Criminal Law | 6cp | |
70211 Law of Contract | 8cp | |
Spring semester | ||
STM90401 | ||
70311 Law of Torts | 8cp | |
70616 Federal Constitutional Law | 8cp | |
Select one subject from the following in CBK90016: | 8cp | |
50138 Community, Culture and the Social | 8cp | |
50139 Political Theory | 8cp | |
50140 Comparative Social Change | 8cp | |
50141 Australian History and Politics | 8cp | |
50142 Social Theory | 8cp | |
Year 3 | ||
Autumn semester | ||
STM90382 | ||
Select one of the following: | 8cp | |
50142 Social Theory | 8cp | |
50139 Political Theory | 8cp | |
STM90401 | ||
70317 Real Property | 8cp | |
70318 Personal Property | 4cp | |
Select 6 credit points of options | 6cp | |
Spring semester | ||
STM90401 | ||
70417 Corporate Law | 8cp | |
70617 Administrative Law | 8cp | |
Select one subject from the following in CBK90030: | 8cp | |
50165 Research Methods 2 | 8cp | |
50166 Public History | 8cp | |
50300 Communicating the Social | 8cp | |
Year 4 | ||
Autumn semester | ||
STM90401 | ||
70516 Equity and Trusts | 8cp | |
71005 Practice and Procedure | 4cp | |
Select one subject from the following in CBK90017: | 8cp | |
50183 Inequality and Power | 8cp | |
50184 Globalisation: Division and Change | 8cp | |
50186 Utopias and Dystopias | 8cp | |
50187 Comparative Belief Systems | 8cp | |
50484 The New World Politics | 8cp | |
50485 Gender, Culture and Power | 8cp | |
Select 6 credit points of options | 6cp | |
Spring semester | ||
STM90401 | ||
71116 Remedies | 6cp | |
71216 Law of Evidence | 6cp | |
Select one subject from the following in CBK90033: | 8cp | |
50222 Applied Research Project | 8cp | |
50260 Parliamentary Placement | 8cp | |
50217 Professional Placement | 8cp | |
Select 6 credit points of options | 6cp | |
Year 5 | ||
Autumn semester | ||
CBK90315 Electives (Social Inquiry) | 8cp | |
Select one subject from the following in CBK90032: | 8cp | |
50163 Intercultural Interventions | 8cp | |
50220 Advocacy and Policy | 8cp | |
50653 New Media and Social Change | 8cp | |
Select 6 credit points of options | 6cp | |
Spring semester | ||
STM90102 | ||
75401 Litigation | 6cp | |
75402 Property Transactions | 6cp | |
75403 Commercial and Estate Practice | 6cp | |
75415 Professional Conduct 1 | 3cp | |
75416 Professional Conduct 2 | 3cp |
The Bachelor of Laws may be awarded with First or Second Class Honours, which does not require an additional Honours year. Honours candidates must complete the Research Thesis within the law option component. The rules concerning the Bachelor of Laws with Honours can be found in Undergraduate course information.
Supreme Court of NSW
This course satisfies the requirements for admission as a legal practitioner, provided students undertake the optional Practical Legal Training in the final semester.
Further information on the Law component is available from the Law Information Office on:
Further information on the Arts component is available from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences on: