Bachelor of Laws (BLAW) - LLB

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 904901; Distance education: 904905; Springfield campus: 924901

CRICOS code (International applicants): 060144J

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Program focus

The Bachelor of Laws provides students with the opportunity for a comprehensive study of law, not only to prepare for practice as a solicitor or barrister in Queensland but also to examine the legal process and its social, political and economic context. The program aims to equip students with an academic qualification for professional practice. While students undertake the traditional studies in the litigation process, they also learn about the increasingly important alternative methods of resolving disputes. They learn about conflict and communication, negotiating, mediating – from a theoretical as well as practical perspective.

Career opportunities

Private practice solicitor or barrister, government law officer, in-house corporate legal counsel, corporate sector, legal studies teacher (with further study), Federal or State government employee, community and other legal organisations, non-government agencies and many careers outside law.

Professional accreditation

The Bachelor of Laws has been accredited by the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board, Queensland, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland as an approved academic qualification under the Supreme Court (Legal Practitioner Admission) Rules 2004 (Qld). This will partially satisfy the requirements to practise as a solicitor or barrister in Queensland, or as a legal practitioner elsewhere in Australia. Intending solicitors and barristers must also complete an approved practical legal training course in order to become admitted to practice. USQ law graduates have the option of completing their practical legal training through a one-year traineeship in a law practice, or through a practical legal program offered by USQ’s preferred provider or another institution that offers a practical legal training qualification.

Program aims

The Bachelor of Laws provides students with the opportunity for a comprehensive study of law, not only to prepare for practice as a solicitor or barrister in Queensland but also to examine the legal process and its social, political and economic context.

The program aims to equip students with an academic qualification for professional practice. While students undertake the traditional studies in the litigation process, they also learn about the increasingly important alternative methods of resolving disputes. They learn about conflict and communication, negotiating, mediating – from a theoretical as well as practical perspective.

Not all law graduates aspire to a career in legal practice and so the program also builds the special capabilities that a legal education can offer. It provides opportunities to develop analytical, complex problem-solving and research skills. It seeks to build critical thinkers with an appreciation for a range of theories explaining legal regulation as well as for the social, political and economic context of the legal process. To inform students on global issues, an international dimension, for example on the regulation of business and on the protection of human rights, is also available.

Program objectives

On successful completion of this program students will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical framework of subject areas of study

• apply theoretical knowledge, concepts and principles to areas of practical significance

• research legal issues at a proficient level

• critically appraise law reform trends and recent developments and assess their impact upon legal practice and public policy

• demonstrate advanced communication, problem-solving and analytical skill

• satisfy academic admission requirements for legal practice in Queensland (subject to accreditation).

Admission requirements

Candidates for admission to this program must satisfy the normal USQ entry requirements for undergraduate programs. Please refer to Section 2.2 of the Admissions Policy, Section 2.2.1 (for Australian students) and Section 2.2.3 (for international students).

International applicants must have met the University's English language requirements or have completed the University's ELICOS/EAP program.

How to apply

Domestic students

Application for undergraduate programs may be made through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). The same procedure applies whether you plan to study on-campus or by distance education.

If you completed Year 12 at a Queensland secondary school you will be assessed for entry on the basis of your Overall Position (OP) or equivalent score. Year 12 students from other states or territories are considered for entry on the basis of their UAI, ENTER or TER and the subject prerequisites indicated. Other applicants will be based on their overall Rank.

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of your higher education and you as a student pay a student contribution amount, which varies depending on the courses undertaken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.
Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called HECS-HELP.

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called FEE-HELP.

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Program structure

The undergraduate program is 32 units in total. It has three prime components: a core (22 units), law electives (at least 3 and no more than 6 units), and non-law electives (4 but no more than 7 units). It is highly recommended that students complete non-law electives before law electives.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 10 years to complete this program.

Core courses

Compulsory core courses:

All students are required to complete a core of twenty-two single-unit courses. The purpose of the core courses is to expose law students to fundamental legal concepts and methods in legal research and reasoning.

The following courses are required of all students in the Bachelor of Laws:

Elective courses

The following law electives have been approved for the Bachelor of Laws:

Non-law elective courses

All students must select elective courses from courses offered at undergraduate level by any of the faculties at the University of Southern Queensland. Enrolment and pre-requisite requirements must be satisfied for any course selected.

The exceptions to this ruling are the following four business law courses:

• LAW1101 Introduction to Law

• LAW2104 Business and Consumer Law

• LAW2106 Law of Business Organisations

• LAW3104 Management Law.

These business law courses are NOT considered to be suitable non-law electives, as the content of these courses is either covered in other core law courses or are not relevant to the Bachelor of Laws program structure. These four business law courses should NOT be completed as part of the non-law elective requirement of the Bachelor of Laws program.

Students considering legal practice are encouraged to choose as one of their non-law electives ACC1101 Accounting for Decision-Making in order to understand the accounting environment and the common financial accounting (external) reports and management accounting (internal) tools used for decision-making purposes. This is useful for many areas of legal practice, not only commercial fields such as taxation but also family and succession law, as well as for a lawyer’s own practice management.

Students with an interest in examining the political and economic context for the legal process are encouraged to choose POL2000 Political and Economic Ideas as one of their non-law electives. This is a course for students interested in political and economic debates who wish to develop a capacity for critical analysis.

Honours

The Bachelor of Laws may be awarded with Honours. The class of honours to be awarded to a student is dependant upon:

• the Grade Point Average calculated from the grades achieved in the courses studied in, or transferred to, the program

• the grade achieved by the student in the single unit course LAW4401 Capstone Research Project.

The minimum levels of achievement normally required for each class of honours are shown in the following table. To be assured of achieving a particular class of honours students must have achieved the specified grade in the research project courses and the minimum GPA requirements for all of the courses studied or for the last 16 courses studied, or for the last eight courses studied.

IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the computer requirements section.

Other program requirements

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to Section 2 of theAcademic Standing, Progression and Exclusion Policy.

Exemptions

Exemptions may be permitted for a limited number of courses, equivalent in content and level, successfully completed recently with a recognised institution, in accordance with Section 3.5 of the Enrolment Policy.

In this section:

• Recommended enrolment patterns
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba and Springfield on-campus and Toowoomba external (standard semester 1 intake)
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba and Springfield on-campus and Toowoomba external (standard semester 2 intake)
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba external (3 courses per semester)

Recommended enrolment patterns

The flexibility of this program, particularly for the distance learning students means that there will be a range of enrolment patterns and many distance learning students will have a unique enrolment pattern. Students requiring assistance should contact a program administrator.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba and Springfield on-campus and Toowoomba external (standard semester 1 intake)

It is highly recommended that students complete non-law electives before law electives.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba and Springfield on-campus and Toowoomba external (standard semester 2 intake)

It is highly recommended that students complete non-law electives before law electives.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba external (3 courses per semester)

It is highly recommended that students complete non-law electives before law electives.