Undergraduate course information

UTS Law offers a range of bachelor's degrees, from the stand-alone Bachelor of Laws (C10124) to Bachelor of Laws degrees that can be combined with a degree in business, communication, creative intelligence and innovation, engineering, information technology, international studies or science. Whether students are focused on studying the law on its own, or are looking to expand their qualifications and career opportunities with a combined degree, UTS Law offers practical, work-ready courses with the practical legal training (PLT) program option to get students qualified sooner.

Applications

Offers to undergraduate UTS Law courses are based on academic merit. Further information is available at Application information.

Rules and procedures

Subjects

UTS Law timetables undergraduate subjects over three teaching periods: Autumn session, Spring session and Summer session. The full range of core and option subjects that may be timetabled can be found under each of the course entries.

Core law subjects

All core law subjects are taught in both Autumn and Spring sessions. Core law subjects are offered as day and evening classes.

Option subjects

A range of option (elective) subjects are taught in both Autumn and Spring sessions and during Summer session. However, not all option subjects are timetabled every session and some are only offered once every two years. Timetabled option subjects are offered subject to sufficient student interest and academic availability.

Subject descriptions

Descriptions of the law subjects available are provided in subjects.

In order to assist students with understanding the interrelationships of the various option subjects, their general orientation and to make informed choices, the following elective streams have been developed:

• Elective Stream 1 – Public Law
• Elective Stream 2 – Private Law
• Elective Stream 3 – Legal Theory, Systems and History
• Elective Stream 4 – Legal Practice and Dispute Resolution
• Elective Stream 5 – Intellectual Property, Media and Technology
• Elective Stream 6 – International Law, Human Rights and The Environment
• Elective Stream 7 – Health, Families and Children
• Electives beyond the classroom

Recognition of prior learning

Procedure

Recognition of prior learning based on previous studies may be granted subject to the UTS Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and Procedure, section 6 of the Student and Related Rules, and guidelines of the Faculty Board in Law. The granting of exemptions is at the discretion of the associate dean (education).

An application for recognition of prior learning (RPL) is accepted only in circumstances where the basis for credit for law subjects was successfully undertaken in a comparable course of study at a recognised university.

Credit granted for subjects must comply with the AQF level for which the credit in being sought. This includes the same purpose, knowledge and skills required at the relevant level.

For applications for RPL where topics within areas of knowledge are distributed across subjects differently to subjects offered at UTS, the faculty assesses credit to reflect fulfilment of requirements of the nearest subject(s) offered at UTS.

Credit given for the subject taken at the other recognised university can only be up to the credit-point value of the equivalent UTS subject.

Applied experience subjects are not typically considered for credit (i.e. internships, practice-based placements, exchange subjects, research-only subjects and fulfilment of practical experience-type subjects).

Application

Students submit applications for RPL to the UTS Student Centre (part of the Lifetime Learner Experience Unit, or LLE). LLE reviews the application for completeness. If the subject on which the RPL is based appears on the Precedent List - or the subject was completed in the year before or after the same subject that appears on the Precedent List, LLE can approve the application under delegated authority of the Faculty of Law Board. A detailed subject outline or other documents are not required if a precedent can be applied.

If no precedent exists for the subject, the applicant must provide documentation as determined by the LLE. The application is forwarded to the Faculty for assessment.

Credit point limits

The maximum overall amount of credit granted for a Faculty of Law undergraduate or postgraduate course shall not exceed one half of the credit-point value of that course (subject to the following course-level requirements immediately below).

Students transferring into a UTS law course from an incomplete UTS course may be granted credit for all subjects completed at UTS which are part of the structure of the destination course, even if the total amount of credit exceeds the general, course-level or course-specific credit point limits.

The maximum RPL available in an undergraduate course is no more than:

• 48 credit points for core or elective law subjects, and
• 42 credit points for non-law subjects. The LLB is the only course with non-law subjects.

Time limits

As a general rule, a limit of five years applies to law subjects used as the basis of credit, calculated from the date the subject was successfully completed to when credit is sought except in the following circumstances:

• 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 five years ago
• Applications for recognition of prior learning for practical legal training subjects have a time limit of three years, and
• The Faculty Board in Law shall retain discretion to waive the application of the rule in cases where there is additional evidence of work or study experience.

Appeal of decision

An RPL decision is final. There is no right of appeal in relation to an RPL decision. A student who is dissatisfied with the process of their application for RPL may submit a complaint to the SCRO.

Bachelor of Laws (C10124) and all combined Bachelor of Laws degrees

Recognition of Prior Learning in the law component of a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or in the Juris Doctor (JD) (and combined LLB and JD awards), and Legal Studies Program (LS) will only be offered on the basis of completed study in a course recognised as leading to practise as a legal practitioner within a law school at a recognised university.

An application for unspecified credit towards the elective component of the LLB, JD and courses in the LS program on the basis of having completed a Priestley 11 subject equivalent to the LPAB academic areas of knowledge (the LPAB Schedule 1 academic areas of knowledge comprises of Criminal Law and Procedure, Torts, Contracts, Property, Equity, Company Law, Administrative Law, Federal and State Constitutional Law, Civil Dispute Resolution, Evidence, Ethics and Professional Responsibility) at another university will not be approved irrespective of if the law subject completed at another university was insufficient to warrant exemption from a UTS core law subject.

Core subjects

Applications for recognition of prior learning of a core subject in the LLB, JD or LS:

• will be assessed to ensure coverage of 'academic areas of knowledge' as set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015 (the 'Priestley' 11), and
• must include official information from the other university indicating where the subject on which the RPL is based fits into the overall course structure of the other course (i.e. the University Handbook, or similar).

As a general rule, credit for 70102 Foundations of Law will be offered on the basis of completion of an equivalent core first year introductory subject taught within a law school at a recognised university provided that the subject addresses foundational knowledge and skills, including content in legal method and legal research.

Non-law component

Students may be granted the following unspecified credit towards the non-law component of the LLB:

1. up to a maximum of 42 credit points on the basis of a completed or incomplete bachelor’s degree (three year’s full time equivalent) or completed or incomplete postgraduate degree from a recognised university;
2. up to a maximum of 24 credit points on the basis of a completed advanced diploma from a recognised university;
3. up to a maximum of 12 credit points on the basis of a completed diploma from a recognised university.

This RPL is only available in the non-law component of the stand-alone UTS LLB, and is not permitted in the non-law component of the UTS LLB combined degree courses.

No RPL can be sought for a partially completed advanced diploma or diploma.

Inquiries

telephone 1300 ask UTS (1300 275 887)
Ask UTS

Concurrent study at another university

An application for CS will be considered when the concurrent enrolment is undertaken in a comparable course of study within a law school at a recognised University. UTS students may apply to undertake subjects at other universities for credit towards their UTS course, up to a maximum of two subjects, as per the conditions set out below.

Credit granted for subjects must comply with the AQF level for which the credit in being sought. This includes the same purpose, knowledge and skills required at the relevant level.

Applications for concurrent study should be made in advance of the study being undertaken. Subjects completed concurrently at another university without prior approval risk the subject not being credited to the student's course at UTS.

Students will not be approved to undertake CS in core subjects and cannot undertake CS in electives if the Faculty offers the equivalent subject during the proposed session of the concurrent enrolment. An exemption from an elective at the other university will not be granted for the UTS core legal theory subject.

A currently enrolled UTS student who wishes to enrol in subjects at another recognised university and have these subjects credited towards their UTS award course must lodge a Concurrent Study application with LLE according to the instructions on the Concurrent Study webpage.

Course transfers

UTS students who transfer into the Bachelor of Laws from an incomplete UTS combined law degree may receive exemptions on a pro-rata basis, to a maximum of 42 credit points, from non-law subject options for subjects which have been completed as part of their previous UTS studies.

Honours

It is possible for students to gain an award with honours in the Bachelor of Laws degree or the law component of combined degrees.

Students who meet the criteria for honours are eligible for transfer into the appropriate undergraduate honours exit course on completion of all coursework. This transfer into an honours exit course is managed by the Student Centre and occurs just prior to graduation.

An additional year of study is not required. To qualify for honours, a student must complete subjects 76090 Research Methodology in their penultimate session and 76040 Research Thesis in their final session, as option subjects within the degree. These subjects form part of the credit points required for degree completion.

Honours Regulations apply to students who commenced 2024 or after and to students who commenced 2023 or earlier. Please refer to the relevant section below.

Honours Regulations for students who commenced 2024 or after:

76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis have requirements that students must comply with in addition to the following Honours Regulations:

1. Awards

1.1 Awards of the Law (Honours) degree or the Law (Honours) component of a combined degree shall be classified as follows:

a. degree (with first class honours), and

b. degree (with second class honours).

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 76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis

b. subject to requirements below, obtain an Honours WAM

i. for first class honours: no less than 80.00

ii. for second class honours: in the range of 75.00 and 79.99 (note that in calculating the honours mark, rounding occurs to two decimal places)

c. not fail any law subject after the first session of study (or part time equivalent), and

d. successfully complete not less than 96 credit points of law subjects within UTS Law.

2.2 A student’s Honours WAM will be calculated according to the following formula:

a. 25% of the Honours WAM: Student’s final mark in 76040 Research Thesis, and

b. 75% of the Honours WAM: Sum of all (UTS Law subject credit points multiplied by mark) divisible by the ‘sum of all UTS Law subject credit points’.

2.3 For the purpose of the calculation in 2.2(b):

a. students may discount up to three of their worst subjects provided that at least 12 UTS Law subjects are included in the calculation,

b. students must include the mark obtained by the student in 76090 Research Methodology notwithstanding that such a mark might be one of their worst subjects,

c. students must not include their mark in 76040 Research Thesis.

2.4 In exceptional circumstances the director (students) may modify or dispense with the requirements of regulations 2.1-2.3, subject to appeal to the Faculty Board in Law.

Honours Regulations for students who commenced 2023 or earlier

76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis have requirements that students must comply with in addition to the following Honours Regulations:

1. Awards

1.1 Awards of the Law (Honours) degree or the Law (Honours) component of a combined degree shall be classified as follows:

a. degree (with first class honours), and

b. degree (with second class honours).

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 76090 Research Methodology and 76040 Research Thesis

b. subject to requirements below, obtain an honours mark, calculated in accordance with the formula 'sum of all' (UTS law subject credit points multiplied by mark) divisible by the 'sum of all law subject credit points' such that:

i. for first class honours: no less than 75.00

ii. for second class honours: in the range of 70.00 and 74.99 (note that in calculating the honours mark, rounding occurs to two decimal places)

c. not fail any law subject after the first session of study

d. successfully complete not less than 96 credit points of law subjects within UTS Law

e. for the purpose of the calculation in 2.1(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 76040 Research Thesis and 76090 Research Methodology notwithstanding that such a mark might be one of their worst subjects.

2.2 In exceptional circumstances the director (students) may modify or dispense with the requirements of regulation 2.1, subject to appeal to the Faculty Board in Law.

Further details are available in the online subject descriptions.

To be eligible for a University medal, an undergraduate student must have achieved the highest first class honours mark in the graduating cohort.

International exchange program

UTS Law participates in the international student exchange program administered by UTS: International. Through the program, it is possible to undertake the following study options at overseas exchange partner universities:

• three or four law or non-law subject options from CBK92209 Electives (Law), or
• three law subjects from CBK92208 Options, or
• four law subjects from CBK90922 Options (Law UG) (if not using PLT as part of their degree).

To be eligible for the program, students should have a credit average or better and have completed 68 credit points of core subjects including 70517 Equity and Trusts before going overseas. The number of places is strictly limited.

Results achieved in study overseas are recorded as a pass or fail grade without a mark. It should be noted that the pass/fail results for exchange subjects are excluded from the calculation of a GPA and in the calculation for honours.

Information and application packs are available from UTS: International.