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Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

Undergraduate degree

Gain additional opportunities to establish your career as a pathway to a PhD or Masters by Research degree.

Key facts

Duration

1 year full-time

Locations

Current Deakin Students

To access your official course details for the year you started your degree, please visit the handbook

Course overview

Deakin’s one-year LLB (Honours) program is an opportunity to conduct in-depth research into an area of the law that interests you, under expert supervision from a member of Deakin Law School. Available to high achieving students who have completed a four-year Bachelor of Laws at Deakin or another Australian institution, Deakin’s LLB (Honours) allows you to improve your research skills, hone your analytical abilities and develop the quality of your writing – all skills that are highly valued by employers.

Looking for a pathway to research degrees and enhanced career opportunities?

In Deakin’s LLB (Honours) you will undertake rigorous research on a specific topic, chosen with the assistance of your supervisor and the course director, and write a 10,000-word thesis. Completing an LLB (Honours) can help propel your legal career as you’ll have evidence of your capacity to research and write at a high level. Alternatively, you may choose to apply for further study such as Master’s degree or a PhD. Whatever path you choose, an LLB (Honours) at Deakin will prepare you for an exceptional career.

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Course information

Award granted
Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
Year

2025 course information

Deakin code
M412
Level
Undergraduate
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition

The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8

Course structure

To complete the Bachelor of Laws (Honours), students must attain a total of 8 credit points, plus completion of the compulsory 0-credit point module, DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin.

Students are required to complete 8 credit points of study. This will comprise:

  • 4 credit points of core units (two legal research training and application units).
  • 4 credit points of course elective units ^.

^ which may include 4 LLB electives selected from M312 advanced law studies (equivalent Deakin level 3 and 4 coded units, other than WIL units). Students are expected to receive RPL for these LLB electives, based on their Bachelor of Laws studies.

Please note:
Current Deakin M312 Bachelor of Laws (or combined Law courses) students who satisfy the entry requirements for the M412 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) may enrol in this course concurrently with their current Law course.

Core Units

Bachelor of Laws (Honours) core units:

  • Legal Research Training (2cp)
  • Legal Research Project (2cp)
  • Course electives

    4 credit points of course elective units^ can be chosen from:

  • Corporate Insolvency Law
  • Sentencing Law and Practice
  • Family Law
  • Financial Services Regulation
  • Health Law
  • International Arbitration
  • International Commercial Law
  • Workplace Law
  • Succession Law
  • Migration and Refugee Law and Policy
  • Transnational Study Tour
  • Taxation
  • Competition Law and Policy
  • Intellectual Property
  • Contemporary International Legal Challenges (Intensive)
  • Environmental and Climate Law
  • Mining and Energy Law
  • Data Law, Privacy and Cybercrime
  • ^ As noted above, it is expected that students enrolling in this course will receive RPL for law elective subjects that they have already undertaken (and so will not have to undertake these electives when enrolled in Honours). Applications for RPL will be assessed by reference to the list of core electives below. Likewise, any students not granted RPL (or who are not granted RPL for the full four electives) will have to undertake course electives from the above list

    Intakes by location

    The availability of a course varies across locations and intakes. This means that a course offered in Trimester 1 may not be offered in the same location for Trimester 2 or 3. Check each intake for up-to-date information on when and where you can commence your studies.

    Trimester 1 - March

    • Start date: March
    • Available at:
      • Online

    Trimester 2 - July

    • Start date: July
    • Available at:
      • Online

    This course will be available to both new applicants and Deakin students currently enrolled in M312 Bachelor of Laws or combined Law degrees and who meet the entry requirements for M412.

    INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - International students should note that, due to visa regulations, this course can only be undertaken while living outside Australia.

    Deakin splits the academic year into three terms, known as trimesters. Most students usually undertake two trimesters each year (March-June, July-November).

    Additional course information

    Course duration

    Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.

    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.

    Workload

    You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, online interactions, or professional experiences for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. 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.

    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.

    Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

    Entry requirements

    Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements, and individual circumstances. You will need to meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.

    Please note, there are limited places in this course and entry is competitive. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

    Academic requirements

    For Deakin students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws degree (M312), or a combined Bachelor of Laws degree, to be considered for admission to this degree you will need to have completed a minimum number of credit points of MLL/MLP/MLT units, (or equivalent, as determined by the LLB (Hons) Course Director), as outlined in the following criteria:

    • for students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws degree (M312), 21 credit points of MLL/MLP/MLT coded units, with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 65% across these units.
    • for students currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Laws combined degree, 16 credit points of MLL/MLP/MLT coded units, with a WAM of at least 65% across these units.

    For all other applicants (not a current Deakin University student), to be considered for admission to this degree you will need to meet the following criteria:

    • completion of an accredited 4 -year Bachelor of Laws at an Australian institution with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) (or equivalent average grade indicator) of at least 65% in all law units successfully completed.

    All applicants:

    Applications must be accompanied by a personal statement (600 words in total), which includes an overview of their proposed Honours research (300 words) and their motivation(s) for undertaking Honours (300 words).

    English language proficiency requirements

    To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:

    Admissions information

    Learn more about Deakin courses and how we compare to other universities when it comes to the quality of our teaching and learning.

    Recognition of prior learning

    Fees and scholarships

    Fee information

    Estimated tuition fee - full-fee paying place

    Scholarship options

    A Deakin scholarship could help you pay for your course fees, living costs and study materials. If you've got something special to offer Deakin - or maybe you just need a bit of extra support - we've got a scholarship opportunity for you. Search or browse through our scholarships

    Apply now

    Apply directly to Deakin

    Applications can be made directly to the University through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's International Student Application Service.

    We recommend engaging with a Deakin Authorised Agent who can assist you with the process and submit the application.

    Need more information on how to apply?

    For information on the application process, including required documents and important dates, visit the How to apply webpage.
    If you need assistance, please contact us.

    Pathways

    Further study options

    Graduates may wish to apply for further study in Higher Degrees by Research.

    Careers

    Career outcomes

    The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree provides students with demonstrated skills pertaining to legal research, writing and analysis, all of which are highly prized in legal practice, as well as in government, policy, and corporate roles.

    Course learning outcomes

    Deakin's graduate learning outcomes describe the knowledge and capabilities graduates can demonstrate at the completion of their course. These outcomes mean that regardless of the Deakin course you undertake, you can rest assured your degree will teach you the skills and professional attributes that employers value. They'll set you up to learn and work effectively in the future.

    Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes
    Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities Apply advanced legal research methodologies and legal reasoning to identify and address legal issues with reference to relevant social, political and global contexts and theoretical approaches as appropriate
    Communication Employ advanced legal writing skills to effectively communicate legal arguments and the conclusions that follow
    Digital literacy Utilise a variety of resources in order to formulate and execute a research strategy and plan
    Critical thinking Critically evaluate and synthesise legal and other relevant sources to identify and articulate a legal problem that is suitable for research at an advanced level, and apply high-level legal reasoning to explore such policy, theoretical and legal questions as arise
    Problem solving Apply rigorous legal analysis to formulate and articulate well-reasoned and nuanced responses to the legal problem under consideration
    Self-management This CLO is not explicitly assessed
    Teamwork This CLO is not explicitly assessed
    Global citizenship Evaluate and compare different approaches and solutions to legal problems in Australian and international jurisdictions and incorporate consideration of ethical perspectives where appropriate