Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws

2021 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Indicative student workload
• Professional recognition
• Career opportunities
• Participation requirements
• Mandatory student checks
• Alternative exits
• Fees and charges
• Course Learning Outcomes
• Course rules
• Course structure

Course overview

Combine an industry-leading legal education with thought-provoking investigative learning when you study Deakin’s Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws. Deakin Law School trains you in everything from torts to commercial law, while your arts degree offers a range of complementary specialisations, from criminology to sociology, politics and policy studies to media studies.

Graduating with two versatile degrees sets you up for a career without limitations.

No matter which field you enter, you’ll be ready for your future role because of the real-world experience you build throughout the course. In the law stream, you can work on real cases alongside established legal professionals at Deakin Law Clinic. In the arts stream, you’ll hone industry-relevant skills on work-integrated learning projects and depending on your major, you can choose to undertake an international experience.

Want to develop transferrable skills that enhance your career prospects in law?

The law operates in and is influenced by many external factors, from society to economics and the environment to politics. A combined Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws course gives you the extra knowledge to appreciate – and work with – these extenuating issues.

Deakin Law School provides a strong foundation in all major areas of law, including:

• contracts law
• legal practice and ethics
• criminal law and procedure
• torts
• property law
• constitutional law
• administrative law

As part of your legal education, you’ll gain practical skills through our programs at Deakin Law Clinic, industry placements and internships. We also offer opportunities to study abroad, with exchange programs and university partnerships, so you can further enhance your contextual understanding.

In your arts degree, you’ll choose from a range of study areas in social sciences, humanities and the arts. What is it about the law that interests you most? If you’re into human behaviour, you might choose sociology. If the state of the world is more your thing, you might look at international relations. Or, you might opt for something that simply fascinates you, like anthropology or film and television.

Your units are taught by active researchers and field workers, so you’ll always be learning the latest industry concepts, legal practice and approaches. Plus, you’ll benefit from their existing connections and insights, giving you a competitive edge to stand out to employers.

Indicative student workload

As a student you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time. The minimum expected workload for a Law unit will normally be around 150 hours, which includes attendance at class, reading, completion of any assessment, and preparation for the exam.

Professional recognition

Deakin’s Bachelor of Laws is designed to satisfy the university component of the requirements to become an Australian Lawyer set by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB). 

Career opportunities

Graduates can look forward to a diverse and challenging career in a range of roles, including:

• conveyancer
• corporate lawyer
• law reform officer
• federal police officer
• judge
• jury consultant
• law professor
• legal adviser
• mediator
• police development manager
• policy adviser
• private investigator
• liquidator
• legal secretary
• international trade law consultant
• accountant
• auditor
• human resources manager
• stockbroker
• organisational counsellor
• small business owner
• immigration agent
• sport law adviser.

Participation requirements

Units in this course may have participation requirements that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning or collaborative research training arrangements.

Mandatory student checks

Units which contain work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, working with children check or other check. These requirements will be detailed in unit guides upon enrolment.

Alternative exits

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year and your study load. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website or our handy Fee estimator to help estimate your tuition fees.

Course Learning Outcomes

Please refer to the Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) of each of the single degrees.

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws, students must attain a total of 40 credit points, consisting of 16 credit points from the Faculty of Arts and Education and 24 credit points from the Faculty of Business and Law, plus the compulsory 0-credit point MAI010 Academic Integrity Module. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point. Most students choose to study 4 units per trimester, and usually undertake 2 trimesters each year.

Course structure

Units

Compulsory 0-credit point unit (to be completed in first trimester of study):-

• MAI010 Academic Integrity Module

The 24 credit points from the Bachelor of Laws (M312) include:-

• 18 credit points of core units
• 6 credit points of law elective units including 1 credit point of an experiential unit from the WIL/Practical Elective units list.

The 16 credit points from the Bachelor of Arts (A300) include:-

• Level 3 - at least 4 credit points
• either two major sequences, or a major sequence and a minor sequence

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

• Contact Student Central