The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree will give you an understanding of society through a legal framework. It takes four years of full-time study to complete or can be undertaken part-time.
Summary of our four-year degree programme
First-year Law and entry into second-year
In your first year, you must take the following 100-level Law paper: LAWS 101 The Legal System. Along with the LAWS 101 paper you will need to take an additional 4 to 6 non-Law papers at 100-level.
These additional papers should include papers from your area of second preference in case you do not gain admission to second-year law so that you can go on in another degree e.g. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts and Science, Bachelor of Arts and Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce and Science.
If you wish to do a double-degree programme, you should choose the subjects of your intended second degree.
Entry into second-year Law
Entry into second-year Law is limited to approximately 250 places and selection is based predominantly on the mark you achieve in The Legal System paper. You must also have achieved a B- average in your highest-performing non-Law papers. Some students will re-take The Legal System to gain entry to second-year Law.
Explanation about application for admission to the second-year programme (PDF)
Application for second-year Law
You must complete enrolment online to apply for second-year Law.
Second-year Law
The second-year course consists of only Law papers. These five compulsory papers are fundamental to the understanding of law, and provide a foundation for advanced papers in subsequent years:
- LAWS 201 Criminal Law
- LAWS 202 Law of Contract
- LAWS 203 Property Law
- LAWS 204 Public Law
- LAWS 298 Legal Writing
Third- and fourth-year Law
During your third and fourth years of study, you must complete 2 compulsory papers – LAWS 301 Law of Torts and LAWS 302 Jurisprudence. These are generally taken during your third year.
If you wish to practice as a barrister or solicitor, the LAWS 463 Legal Ethics paper is compulsory.
You can round out your degree by choosing from a wide range of optional Law and non-Law papers, according to your specific interests.
Compulsory programmes
In addition to the above paper requirements, the programmes listed below are also compulsory:
- A research and writing training programme including at least 5 pieces of work – LAWS 498 Research and Writing
- A library and computer-assisted research training programme – LAWS 398 Legal Research Skills
- An oral advocacy skills training programme – LAWS 499 Advocacy Skills
Detailed information about the structure of the LLB, double degrees and LLB Honours (PDF)
Law papers
The range of Law papers available from 100- to 400-level
Apply for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
Go to the LLB qualifications page
Double degrees
Many Law students do two degrees, which typically takes about five years. Your first and second years will be the same as those doing just a Law degree, with one exception. Your other degree will have its own requirements – pre-requisites that you can or must complete in your first year in order to proceed with your major.
If you choose to do a double degree with your LLB, it is important that you discuss this with the Faculty's course advisers and with the course advisers for the other degree that you are taking.
See what our students say about doing double degrees:
- Yasmin Olsen (LLB, BA)
- Ella Thompson (LLB, BSc)
- Jordan Grimmer (LLB, BA)
- Rebecca Hunt (LLB, BCom)
- Peter Wigglesworth (LLB, BA)
- Harriet McCartin (LLB, BCom)
- Sara Lomaloma (LLB, BA)
- Henry Fitz-Gerald (LLB, BCom)
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB(Hons))
You may be invited into Honours as a result of exceptional performance in your second-year Law papers. There are also opportunities to apply for Honours at the end of your third year (and possibly your fourth year if you have a substantial part of your degree to complete).
The LLB(Hons) involves additional supervised research and the completion of a dissertation.