Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry)

Course information for - 2025 entry
Domestic
  • Domestic
  • International

Offered at 3 locations
  • Brisbane
  • Melbourne
  • North Sydney

Duration
3 years full-time or equivalent part-time
QTAC code
116622
ATAR
78.00 for Brisbane
Fees (first year)*

$16992 CSP

Start dates
Semester 1 intake: Beginning February 2025
Applications open August 2024
Midyear (Semester 2) intake: to be advised

Overview

If you already have an undergraduate degree and you want to become a lawyer, this course is for you. Our focus is on making a strong and positive contribution to our communities, and you will put it all into practice with pro bono work whilst you study. 

Students who have completed 120 credit points of law units with a grade point average of 5.75 and above may apply to complete an honours degree.

  • 95% graduates employed

  • Top 10 Catholic universities globally

  • Top 40 young universities worldwide

Professional experience

You will complete 80 hours pro bono experience (after your first year).

Work placement

Pro bono placements are undertaken from the second year of law studies. You’ll engage in practical, law related activities, especially on behalf of those who are the most marginalised and disadvantaged in our community. These placements will provide valuable experience in the practical operation of the law. Through community engagement you’ll have the opportunity to reflect upon the capacity of the law to respond to social justice issues involving those who are marginalised and disadvantaged as well as in law reform. You’ll benefit from, develop and reflect upon the values of collaboration, equality, mutual respect and commitment to justice in an ethically-based profession.


Professional recognition

This degree has been approved by accreditation authorities as a prerequisite for admission to legal practice in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and is recognised for the purposes of admission in other Australian states and territories.

Careers

Our graduates have pursued careers in:

  • the legal profession
  • government administration
  • industry regulation
  • media
  • politics
  • NGOs, both domestic and international
  • academia
  • diplomacy
  • the evolving digital environment will open unforeseen opportunities for thinkers trained in the law

Industry partnerships

ACU works with a variety of industry partners:

  • Toongabbie Legal Centre

Course details

Course structure

Course map

Open all

Please note: Course maps are subject to change.

Commencing Semester 1

  • Law Specified UnitsLAWS104Foundations of Law and Legal Research10 cp
  • Law Specified UnitsLAWS105Contract Law10 cp
  • Law Specified UnitsLAWS106Criminal Law and Procedure10 cp
  • Law Specified UnitsLAWS206Torts10 cp
  • Law Specified UnitsLAWS107Introduction to Australian Public Law10 cp
  • Law Specified UnitsLAWS108Commercial Law

    (Pre: LAWS104 & LAWS105)

    10 cp
  • Law Specified UnitsLAWS200Business Organisations10 cp
  • Pro Bono/Community Legal Engagement UnitLAWS213Community Legal Engagement Pro Bono

    (Pre: LAWS104)

    10 cp

Prerequisites (Pre:) are other units that you must have passed before enrolling in this unit. 

Graduate statement

Insight

As an ACU graduate you have personal insight founded on an understanding of who you are as a professional, a citizen and a scholar. You embrace change and growth through critical self-awareness and learning autonomy. You are empowered to seek truth and meaning, drawing on the principles of justice, equity, and the dignity of all human beings.

Empathy

As an ACU graduate you value human dignity and diversity. This appreciation is founded on deep reflection, and empathy. You have experience of Indigenous Knowings and perspectives and can engage respectfully when working alongside Australia's First Peoples. You can connect with people and cultures and work with community in ways that recognise the dignity of the human person and all cultures

Imagination

As an ACU graduate you utilise imagination and innovation to solve problems. You critically analyse information from a range of sources to creatively solve practical problems and use critical thinking to make decisions and advance the common good. You appreciate the role of innovation and creative thinking in developing a better future for each person and community.

Impact

As an ACU graduate you recognise your responsibility to work for social justice and a sustainable world founded on a commitment to human dignity and the common good. You lead change through respectful collaboration and effective communication of ideas to diverse peoples, groups and communities in local and global contexts. You are empowered to positively impact your profession and the community.

AQF framework

Bachelors Graduate Entry - AQF Level 7

Overseas study available

You’ll have the opportunity to study the university Core Curriculum at our Rome campus. A number of elective units in this degree are also available to study overseas.

Entry requirements

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have successfully completed a recognised three-year Bachelor degree in any field of study.

International students need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2025 Admission. Refer to your relevant Tertiary Admission Centre website for future years' entry requirements.

View transparency admission information

Applicants with higher education study

You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements and subject prerequisites for your chosen course. 

If you have completed at least two units of AQF-recognised study at bachelor level or above, we’ll assign you with a new selection rank that reflects your study level, duration, and grade point average.

If your prior study or relevant work experience has provided you with knowledge, skills or experience aligned with the learning outcomes of units in your new course, you may be eligible to gain credit for study or have your prior learning recognised. This means you may be able to complete your ACU course in a shorter timeframe.

You can use our credit search tool to see what you might be eligible for. For more information about credit and recognition of prior learning at ACU, follow the link below.

Search our credit database

Learn more about recognition of prior learning

Inherent requirement

There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.

Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you

Pathways

Further study

A student who has completed at least 120 cp of LAWS units of the degree with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 5.75 may be eligible for Admission to the Bachelor (Honours degree).

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

A student who achieves an Honours at a minimum level of Second Class Division A (Distinction average) may be eligible for Admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Meeting the eligibility requirements for admission is not in itself a guarantee of admission. The candidate’s potential to undertake research, the quality and feasibility of the research proposal, the availability of appropriate supervision and the referee’s reports will all be taken into consideration. Please refer to the Higher Degree Research Regulations

A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must comply with the Higher Degree Research Regulations.

Fees

Course costs

Average first year fee*

$16992 CSP

Payment options

You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support. 

Explore your options

Scholarships

You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.

Search our scholarships

How to apply

Domestic applicants

Brisbane

Apply through QTAC

QTAC code 116622

Deferment

Deferment is available for one year. Find out more about deferment: Deferment Information.

Staff Profile

Dr Perla Guarneros

Lecturer, Thomas More Law School

 Perla is a law academic at Thomas More Law School where she teaches contract law, family law, legal ethics and legal theory, among others. Her research interests include international human rights law, the rights of irregular migrants and international criminal law. 

 

Perla was admitted to legal practice under Mexican jurisdiction in 2008. She holds an LLM from the University of Turin and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute; and an LLM in common law by La Trobe University in Australia, where she completed her PhD Thesis on the protection of the rights of transit migrants and the international responsibility of the State to protect them. This work is now being edited to turn it into a monograph.


Before coming to Australia, Perla worked as a legal counsel and barrister in Mexico; she was a legal officer at the National Human Rights Commission and then at the human rights branch of the Attorney General's Office in the Federal Government of Mexico. 


She is an editor of the Australian Feminist Legal Journal; and is currently involved in various research projects within the Thomas More Law School. 

Associate Professor Kunle Ola

Associate Professor, Thomas More Law School

Dr Kunle Ola’s research traverses Intellectual Property, Copyright Collective Administration, Open Access to knowledge, Company Law and Migration law. His works challenge institutional imbalance, develops, informs, and guides law reform, public policy and international norm setting.

Kunle is an associate professor at the Thomas More Law School). Kunle holds a Law degree (LL. B) from the University of Benin, LL.M from the University of South Africa, a PhD from the Australian Catholic University, a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and a Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law and Practice. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and has over twenty-three years of private, public, and international experience.

His research projects include collaborations with agencies such as, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Ford Foundation, United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD), Australian Research Council (ARC) and Canada's International Development Research Council (IDRC).

Testimonial

Alana

“One of the things I enjoy the most about studying at ACU is that I‘m not just a number here – my lecturers and tutors know my name. I feel there is a real support network of students and lecturers to help me through my degree. I think this is because ACU offers smaller classes, resulting in a more personal experience.”


Alana
Laws (graduate entry) student
 

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