Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
2016 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2016 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Bachelor of Laws (Honours) |
| Campus | This course is only offered Online |
| Cloud Campus | Yes |
| Duration | 1 year full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Deakin course code | M412 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
Course overview
The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) equip you with an understanding of law and the context in which it operates, together with high-level research skills gained through conducting independent legal research. The honours degree will give you an advantage in establishing your career and provide foundations for postgraduate study.
To be awarded the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) students must complete Deakin’s Bachelor of Laws (M312) with an average of 65%, then successfully complete two units – one in research methods and the other, a research project.
The program satisfies the academic component to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia.
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Faculty of Business and Law, 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.
Professional recognition
Deakin’s Bachelor of Laws (Honours), like the Deakin Bachelor of Laws, satisfies the academic requirements needed to become an Australian Lawyer set by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB). In addition to completing an approved LLB degree, a person seeking entry is required to work for one year as a legal trainee, or to undertake a practical legal training (PLT) course.
Career opportunities
Obtaining a law degree is normally the first step towards becoming a barrister or solicitor, and most students entering law school aspire to enter one of these branches of the legal profession. A Law degree, especially when combined with a degree in Arts, Commerce, Management or Science, is a qualification that offers unequalled career opportunities. As an alternative to practising as a barrister or solicitor, you may choose to enter business (eg. as a corporate lawyer, company administrator or business manager); government service (as a lawyer with departments or authorities as diverse as the Attorney Generals Department, the office of Parliamentary Counsel, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Australian Securities Commission); industrial relations; public administration; teaching (at a university); or in law reform (as a research officer).
The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree provides students with demonstrated research skills, which are highly prized in legal practice, government, policy, and corporate roles. In particular, students who complete the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) will have a strong foundation for entry into postgraduate study and potential careers in academia, legal practice, and government roles.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
| Discipline specific knowledge and capabilities | Integrate theoretical knowledge and understanding of a coherent body of knowledge, including: (a) the fundamental areas of legal knowledge, the Australian legal system, and underlying principles and concepts, including international and comparative contexts, (b) the broader contexts within which legal issues arise, and (c) the principles and values of justice and of ethical practice in lawyers’ roles, (d) applying such integrated knowledge to researching a major legal issue, (e) developing a specialised knowledge in the area of law researched. |
| Communication | Justify and communicate well developed communication skills, including: (a) communicating orally, in writing, and by any interpersonal means effectively, appropriately, and persuasively for both legal and non-legal audiences, (b) collaborating effectively, using technologies where the demonstration of autonomy, well developed judgement and responsibility takes place, (c) demonstrating high level written communication skills in the preparation and presentation of legal research. |
| Digital literacy | Use technologies to identify, locate, evaluate information for problem solving scenarios as well as communicating legal solutions, including: (a) identifying, evaluating and synthesising relevant factual, legal and policy issues, effectively using technologies where appropriate, (b) effectively using online law databases and other digital law resources in undertaking a research thesis on an important law matter, (c) finding, using, and disseminating information using technologies, (d) using digital sources to organize and present information in authentic and complex legal situations. |
| Critical thinking | Exercise critical judgement with the ability to problem-solve in unpredictable and sometimes complex scenarios, including: (a) identifying and articulating legal issues, (b) applying legal reasoning and research to generate accurate and relevant responses to legal issues, (c) demonstrating skills in research methods and undertaking a significant and novel legal research thesis, (d) engaging in critical analysis and making a choice amongst alternatives using reasoning, (e) thinking creatively in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses. |
| Problem solving | Create solutions to a wide range of legal problems, utilizing analytical and critical thinking with the ability to problem-solve, including: a) identifying and articulating legal issues, b) applying legal reasoning and research to generate accurate and relevant responses to legal issues, c) acquiring legal research skills to undertake a significant research project on a mjor law problem, d) engaging in critical analysis and making a choice amongst alternatives using reasoning, e) thinking creatively in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses. |
| Self-management | Reflect on performance feedback to demonstrate long term development and to facilitate self improvement, including: a) lifelong learning and working independently, b) reflecting on and assessing capabilities and performance, and making use of feedback as appropriate, to support personal and professional development, c) taking responsibility for personal actions, d) undertaking a significant piece of independent research on a major law issue. |
| Teamwork | Collaborate and communicate in teams, including: a) communicating in ways that are effective, appropriate and persuasive for legal and non-legal audience, b) collaborating effectively with others from different disciplines and backgrounds, c) working effectively with parties providing specialised services in support of independent legal research. |
| Global citizenship | To be aware of and apply legal knowledge in different environments and global contexts, including: a) an understanding of approaches to ethical decision-making, b) an ability to recognise and reflect upon with a developing ability to respond to ethical issues likely to arise in complex professional contexts, c) an ability to recognise and reflect upon the professional responsibilities of lawyers in promoting justice and in service to the community, d) an ability to exercise professional judgement, and as applying to undertaking a significant piece of legal research incorporating comparative and international perspectives, e) an ability to recognise and reflect upon cultural and community diversity. |
| Approved by Faculty Board October 2014 |
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Laws (Honours), students must attain a total of 36 credit points, consisting of 4 credit points from the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (M412) and 32 credit points from the Bachelor of Laws (M312).
To complete the requirements of the course you must include:-
- 4 credit points of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) units consisting of:
- MLH401 Legal Research Training (2 credit points)
- MLH402 Legal Research Project (2 credit points)
- 32 credit points from the Bachelor of Laws (M312) or associated courses*, with a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 65% across the course.
Students will be enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws course (M312) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (M412) course concurrently.
Final Honours Grades will be determined as follows (65% and above is the minimum for Honours award – no rounding up):
- H2B 65 – 69%
- H2A 70% - 79%
- H1 80% and above
If a student successfully maintains a WAM of 65% in Bachelor of Laws (M312) or associated course, but fails one or more units in Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (M412), they may either repeat the failed unit(s) or choose to graduate with Bachelor of Laws (M312) or associated course.
* Associated course(s) refers to the double degree law courses:
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (D312)
Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws (D322)
Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Laws (D335)
Bachelor of Information Systems /Bachelor of Laws (D367)
Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of International Studies (D323)
Bachelor of Property and Real Estate/Bachelor of Laws (D396)
Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws (D331)
Course structure
Core Units
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) core units:
| MLH401 | Unit description is currently unavailable (2cp) |
| MLH402 | Unit description is currently unavailable (2cp) |