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Bachelor of Arts (Legal Studies)

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Learn about Australia’s system of justice and law making in this course. It offers training in law and social justice issues, legal and human rights, dispute resolution and juvenile justice.

The Bachelor of Arts (Legal Studies) involves study in social science, Australian legal systems and law, including sociology and legal governance.

This course will empower you to work in the recently emerging and growing ‘paralegal’ field, where you will be providing legal assistance to law professionals.

Course Essentials

How to apply

We are currently accepting applications for this course. Applications close on 25 January 2013

Methods of applying:

  • You can apply direct to VU

Please note that part-time study may not be available at all campuses.

Already a VU student?

You can transfer into this course through our internal transfer process.

For more info contact the
College of Arts

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Careers

  • court officer
  • paralegal
  • judicial worker
  • legal researcher
  • law clerk

Learn more about your career options on the Australian government's Career Information and Resources website.

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Study pathways

There are recognised study pathways for this course. You may be able to complete your course faster by getting credit for previous study.

VU TAFE to undergraduate

You can get credit in the Bachelor of Arts (Legal Studies) (ABSL) if you have studied one of these TAFE courses at VU:

Advanced Diploma of Legal Pracitce

  • You may get up to a year of credit.

To find out more about the pathways available for this course, please contact the .

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

Get credit for your work, study and life experience through our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

Find out more about Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Graduate faster

If you've done previous study related to this course, you may be awarded credit. This means you can graduate in less time.

Completing this course also gives you a head-start on other at VU courses at a higher level of study.

We also award credit for relevant work and life experience. This is called Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

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Course Objectives

This course aims to:

  • Develop knowledge and understanding in socio-legal studies, social sciences, law and social research in order to explore relevant problems in the social distribution of justice;
  • Develop skills to problematise work in legal and justice settings;
  • Develop effective communication and organising skills in the fields of law and justice;
  • Develop broad awareness of theory and practice in relevant para-legal fields;
  • Promote a scholarly approach to researching and reporting issues and problems in socio-legal studies.
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Units and electives

To be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Legal Studies) students must have successfully completed a total of 288 credit points. All units of study are worth 12 credit points. Full-time students will normally complete an average of 48 points each semester.

In addition students must satisfy the following requirements:

  • successful completion of 24 semester units of study, including 10 in the Faculty of Business and Law and 14 in the Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development.
  • students may not enrol in more than 10 units of study overall at first-year level. An Arts specialisation is six units of study in the same subject area - two at first-year level and then another four at second and third-year levels.
  • students in the BA (Legal Studies) course are strongly advised to undertake Sociology as their Arts specialisation. Information on other Arts units of study/specialisations offered at Footscray Park campus is available to assist in students' selection of units of study. Information regarding which law units of study are available in each semester for this year is available during the enrolment period.

Arts Specialisation unit 1

Arts Specialisation unit 2

Arts Specialisation unit 3

Plus two Law electives

Arts Specialisation unit 4

Plus one Arts elective

Plus two Law elective

Arts Specialisation unit 5

Arts Specialisation unit 6

Plus one Arts elective

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take, and optional 'elective' units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

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Admission Information

  • Year 12: VCE with minimum study score of 20 in English units 3 and 4 (any).
  • International: Completion of a secondary school qualification equivalent to Australia’s year 12 or VCE qualification. IELTS minimum 6.0 (no band less than 6) or equivalent.
  • Mature: Applicants with relevant work, education and/or community experience may be considered on the basis of equivalence.
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How to apply for this course

We are currently accepting applications for this course.

You can apply direct to VU. Applications close on 25 January 2013.

When you're ready to apply:

  1. Read the Advice to applicants (contains details about how to apply for your course, extra requirements, what happens when you submit your application and other important information).
  2. Complete the Higher education direct entry application form.
  3. As part of the application you may need to complete extra requirements such as:
    • submit supplementary forms
    • attend an interview, audition, information session or workshop
    • submit a folio
    • sit a test

Details about extra requirements are available from the College of Arts.

You need to complete all extra requirements by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered.

Transferring between VU courses

Want to transfer into this course from another VU course? Complete the Victoria University internal course application form and check whether you need to complete any extra requirements, listed above.

You can also contact us directly:

  • Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Student Centre
    Phone:     +61 3 9919 4409
    Email:     artscourses@vu.edu.au
  • Course Coordinator:
    Assoc Professor David McCallum
    Phone: +61 3 9919 4174
    Email: david.mccallum@vu.edu.au 
  • Ring us on +61 3 9919 6100
  • Find answers and ask questions at GOTOVU

Get in touch

Contact us to discuss your course options:

Ring us on +61 3 9919 6100

Find answers and ask questions at GOTOVU

At Victoria University, we make every reasonable effort to make sure the information displayed online about our courses is accurate and complete. We continually look to provide innovative courses. Those courses are shaped by a number of things including your feedback and changes in Government funding arrangements. As a result there may be changes to the courses we deliver and fees charged. We will update the website regularly to reflect any changes.

Information about course fees, articulation and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations, and services available to students can be accessed on the University’s website or by contacting the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100.

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