Postgraduate course information

The UTS: Law postgraduate program has grown dramatically and is constantly developing its suite of offerings to keep in line with the needs of the profession and students.

Close interaction between the legal profession and UTS: Law guarantees first-class education and a marketable postgraduate legal qualification. Classes are taught by a mix of practising professionals and full-time academic staff, who ensure students gain specialised knowledge and training within their degrees.

New challenges are facing the study and practice of law. The blurring of lines between business and law, and the impact of technology, are increasing the interdisciplinary relevance and interest in law right across the marketplace. UTS: Law upholds the tradition of excellence to meet the expectations of its students to foster a collegial environment in which both academics and students are driven by a commitment to outstanding intellectual achievement.

Internal course transfer

Students may apply to articulate up or down between graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and master's programs, within the same area of study. Students should apply for an internal course transfer before the program they are currently enrolled in is completed. Appropriate successfully completed subjects are credited to the new course if the transfer is approved.

Students are also permitted to apply for an internal course transfer across postgraduate courses of the same level. Only completed subjects relevant to the new course can be credited if the transfer is approved. Students are not permitted to apply for an internal course transfer between undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) may be granted subject to University Rules and UTS: Law guidelines.

The granting of exemptions is at the discretion of the Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning). All students seeking RPL must lodge an application to the Haymarket Student Centre prior to enrolment.

Information on applying for RPL, including the RPL precedent list, is available at:

Students may be able to obtain exemption from law subjects if they are able to satisfy the Faculty Board in Law that a comparable course of study has been successfully undertaken at another recognised university.

To verify this, if the subject upon which the student is basing their RPL application does not appear on the RPL precedent list, the student must provide a transcript of his or her academic record and a detailed subject outline, together with the subject reading guide that was current at the time of study, for assessment. Students who have undertaken a law subject at another university, either in the year before or after that which is published on the RPL precedent list, may seek an exemption without supplying the full subject outline as part of their RPL application.

Exemptions from core subjects, as well as practical legal training subjects are only granted to students on the basis of equivalent subjects completed as part of a law degree leading to professional practice and offered by a law school at a recognised tertiary institution. Exemptions for postgraduate law option subjects are only granted to students on the basis of study undertaken as part of a postgraduate law course offered by a law school at a recognised tertiary institution. Exemptions are not granted to students who base their RPL application on the completion of cross-disciplinary subjects.

Students who have studied law through the Law Extension Committee of the Supreme Court (LPAB) are not granted exemptions. In postgraduate courses of three years or less full-time duration students who have completed a relevant postgraduate qualification may apply for exemptions to a maximum of one quarter of the credit point value of the course. In postgraduate courses of three years or less full-time duration students who have an incomplete relevant postgraduate qualification may apply for exemptions to a maximum of half of the credit point value of the course.

As a general rule, exemptions for law subjects are not given if the subject upon which the student is basing their RPL application was studied more than six years ago. The period in the 'six-year rule' is calculated from the date the subject was successfully completed to when it is due to be undertaken at UTS: Law. The Faculty Board in Law shall always retain discretion however to waive the 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. RPL for practical legal training subjects has a time limit of three years.

A student who transfers from a law degree at a recognised tertiary institution into a Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies (C07074), Master of Legal Studies (C04147) or Juris Doctor (C04236) at UTS, and unsuccessfully applies for an exemption from 70115 Perspectives on Law and/or 70120 Legal Method and Research because the completion of the introductory law subject(s) undertaken at the other university were insufficient to grant an exemption, the student can make a written request to the director (students) to have their application reconsidered.

• For 70115 Perspectives on Law, students must demonstrate that they have completed subjects covering contracts, criminal law, torts and constitutional law within the other university's law degree. Alternatively, the director (students) may approve an exemption from 70115 Perspectives on Law if in their view the student has acquired sufficient knowledge from the subjects completed at the other university to justify the exemption.
• For 70120 Legal Method and Research, students must demonstrate that they have completed subjects at the other university which collectively have a sufficient focus on legal method and research to justify an exemption.

If a student is unable to obtain an exemption from a UTS: Law core subject on the basis of having completed a similar core subject at another university, because the content of the subject completed at the other university was insufficient to warrant an exemption from the corresponding UTS: Law core subject, the student cannot use the completion of that similar core subject undertaken at the other university as the basis of an exemption from an unspecified elective within a postgraduate law course at UTS.

Students who have been admitted to the Master of Laws (C04143) and who have completed a Juris Doctor (C04236) at UTS, after transferring to this course from the Master of Law and Legal Practice, are able to claim:

• an 8-credit-point unspecified law elective exemption where the student completed a minimum of two law electives (12 credit points) within the Master of Law and Legal Practice that were not credited to their Juris Doctor study plan
• a 16 credit-point unspecified law elective exemption where the student completed a minimum of three law electives (18 credit points) within the Master of Law and Legal Practice which were not credited to their Juris Doctor study plan
• a 24 credit-point unspecified law elective exemption where the student completed a minimum of four law electives (24 credit points) within the Master of Law and Legal Practice which were not credited to their Juris Doctor study plan.

Further information is available at:

Concurrent study at another tertiary institution

Subject to approval by UTS: Law, candidates may apply to undertake subjects in postgraduate law courses at other universities for credit towards an unspecified option in their course at UTS. A concurrent studies application, detailing the academic content, attendance, assessment requirements and reading guide of the subject(s) proposed to be completed, should be submitted to the Haymarket Student Centre before applying to the other institution. Students who complete subjects concurrently at another institution without prior approval risk not being able to credit these subjects to their course at UTS.

• Students cannot undertake core subjects on a concurrent basis.
• Students cannot undertake options on a concurrent study basis if UTS: Law offers the equivalent subject during the proposed semester.
• Students must complete a minimum of 50 per cent of the credit point value of their course at UTS.

The concurrent studies application form is available from:

Mandatory continuing legal education

Participation in postgraduate study may entitle lawyers to mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) points. If this particular educational activity is relevant to students' immediate or long-term needs in relation to their professional development and practice of the law, they may claim one 'unit' per hour of attendance (excluding refreshment breaks).

Further information regarding MCLE points is available from the Law Society of NSW:

Postgraduate coursework

UTS: Law offers a range of postgraduate coursework degrees to suit both law graduates and graduates of other disciplines. UTS: Law prides itself on its unique specialisations, greater flexibility and vocational relevance. General graduate certificate, graduate diploma and master's programs in law and legal studies, and specialised programs in communications law, intellectual property law, international law, practical legal training and dispute resolution are available.

Courses

Coursework programs are normally structured as follows:

• master's degrees: 48 credit points
• graduate diplomas: 36 credit points
• graduate certificates: 24 credit points.

Exceptions to this include the Juris Doctor (C04236) (144 credit points), Master of Industrial Property (C04150) (54 credit points), Graduate Diploma in Australian Law (C07073) (48 credit points), Graduate Certificate in Australian Law (C11211) (30 credit points), and the Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (C11128) (12 credit points).

Subjects

UTS: Law timetables subjects over three teaching periods: Autumn semester, Spring semester and Summer session. The full range of core and optional subjects available can be found under each of the course entries.

Core law subjects

All core subjects are taught in Autumn and Spring semester and are timetabled during the day and repeated in the evening.

Optional law subjects

A range of optional law subjects is taught in both Autumn and Spring semesters and in block intensive mode during Summer session. However, not all optional subjects are timetabled every semester and some optional subjects are offered on a two-yearly basis only. Timetabled optional subjects are offered subject to sufficient student interest.

Postgraduate progression

In accordance with rules 10.2.3 and 10.4.1, a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or master's candidate shall be excluded if they fail to maintain a minimum rate of progress. To maintain a minimum rate of progress, a student must not:

• fail any two subjects, or
• fail a subject twice.

Students may appeal against such exclusion under rule 10.8.

Postgraduate students are advised that they may be excluded from a course if they exceed the maximum time allowed for completion of that course (see rule 10.5).

Contacts and inquiries

Majors

UTS: Law offers six major areas of study within the Master of Laws (C04143). Students in this course elect to complete study within a major, sub-major or alternatively subjects from across the major areas. Students must nominate a major or sub-major for it to appear on their academic transcript. Students who do not nominate a major and subsequently meet the requirements for a major must submit an e-request before graduation. Majors are available in:

• corporate and commercial law
• family law and dispute resolution
• health law and policy
• intellectual property
• international law
• law and regulation.

Postgraduate research

Higher research degrees provide an opportunity for law and non-law graduates to make a major contribution to knowledge by undertaking advanced-level research through the exploration of ideas and issues in a thesis. UTS: Law offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Law (C02028), the 'professional doctorate', the Doctor of Juridical Science (C02027) and a Master of Laws (Research) (C03024). These degrees are particularly valuable for students wishing to pursue a career in research or academia. Entry is on the basis of proven research achievement.

Information about potential supervisors and areas of supervision is available at:

Student research is coordinated through the associate dean (research) and the faculty research officer and governed by the Research Management Committee (RMC). The associate dean (research) or faculty research officer can be contacted for further information about the faculty's research and higher degree research program.

Support for research students

In addition to the support provided by the UTS Library and the University Graduate School, UTS: Law provides a range of shared facilities for higher-degree research candidates such as study spaces, printing access, email, internet and telephone access.

Contacts and inquiries

Research interests of staff members

There is a diverse range of staff research interests within the faculty. The faculty has established five research networks which represent the key areas of research strength:

• Health, family and communities
• Intellectual property, media and communications
• Corporate, commercial and tax
• International law, human rights and the environment
• Criminal justice and criminology

Information on supervision and research interests of staff is available at:

Staff contact details are available at: