Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Communications and Media

This is a five-and-a-half-year double degree at the University of Notre Dame Australia. You come out with two qualifications: a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communications and Media. The law side covers the subjects the Legal Profession Admission Board expects, contracts, torts, criminal law, constitutional law, property, equity, evidence, administrative law and civil procedure. The communications side runs alongside it: journalism, media production, public relations, digital media, writing for different audiences. You study both at once rather than finishing one and starting the other.

Australian law degrees are structured around units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You need to pass the prescribed units, and the Priestley 11 subjects have to be there for your degree to count toward admission. Notre Dame runs its academic year in semesters, and the double degree stretches past the usual five years because of the combined load. Most students finish with a capstone or research unit in law, where you work through a substantial piece of legal writing under supervision. Communications students often take a professional placement or industry project as part of their degree.

The practical side matters here. Law students at Notre Dame get involved in mooting, client interviewing and community legal work. Communications students do newsroom-style production, media campaigns and internships with outlets, agencies or in-house teams. The two halves feed each other, you learn to argue a case and you learn to explain it to a camera, a podcast audience or a news desk.

This suits school leavers and mature-age students who want to practise law but also want to work with media, or who want a communications career with legal grounding. It is a long degree, so be sure you want both. Check the official CRICOS listing and the university page for the current unit list, English requirements and how to apply. International students should note the Student visa work limit of 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream after graduation.

• Solicitor or barrister (after completing practical legal training and admission in an Australian state or territory)
• In-house legal counsel or compliance officer
• Journalist, producer or editor in broadcast, digital or print media
• Public relations or corporate communications manager
• Media and communications adviser in government, politics or the public sector
• Policy officer or analyst
• Content strategist or social media manager
• Legal affairs reporter or media lawyer
• Roles in law firms, media organisations, government departments, not-for-profits and corporate affairs teams across Australia