Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Philosophy

The Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame Australia is a five-year double degree for students who want to practise law and also dig into the ideas underneath it. You study law alongside philosophy, so you spend your weeks moving between contracts, torts and evidence on one side, and logic, ethics, epistemology and political thought on the other. The law side covers the subjects you need for admission to practice in Australia: criminal law, property, constitutional law, administrative law, equity and trusts, civil procedure and legal ethics. The philosophy side asks harder questions about those rules, what justice means, how rights are justified, what makes an argument valid.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees normally run three years full time. This one runs five because it combines two awards. You enrol in units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to pass the required total to graduate with both degrees. Most universities split the year into two semesters, though some use trimesters; Notre Dame delivers its programs on its own academic calendar, so check the official page for the exact pattern at each campus. Expect a mix of lectures, tutorials and seminars, with assessment through exams, essays, problem questions and oral presentations.

Practical legal training and the philosophy thesis

Law is a field where work-integrated learning matters. You complete practical legal training or supervised placement as part of the degree, and many students do clinical work at community legal centres or with legal aid. The philosophy half typically finishes with a research thesis or a major research essay, where you choose a topic, work with a supervisor and produce a sustained piece of written argument. That combination, court-ready skills plus research training, is what sets this double degree apart from a straight law degree.

What you gain and who it suits

You leave with the analytical and writing skills to build a legal argument, read a statute closely, and explain a complex idea to someone who does not share your background. The philosophy training sharpens exactly the reasoning that legal practice rewards. This course suits school leavers and mature-age students who want to be lawyers but are not content to stop at the rulebook, people interested in human rights, policy, academia or public debate. Graduates who want to be admitted as Australian legal practitioners still need to complete the practical legal training required by the admitting authority in the state or territory where they intend to practise; confirm the current requirements with the university and the relevant authority.

International students should check the CRICOS register for tuition and the official course page for entry requirements, English proficiency and intake dates. Law sits among the fields where institutions commonly ask for a higher IELTS score, so check what Notre Dame requires for this course rather than relying on general undergraduate figures. While you study in Australia, a student visa lets you work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may allow you to stay and work; eligibility rules change, so verify your situation with the Department of Home Affairs.

• Solicitor or barrister, in private firms, the bar, or community legal centres, after completing the practical legal training your admitting authority requires.
• Legal officer in government, state and federal departments, regulators, and statutory bodies.
• In-house counsel, legal teams inside banks, insurers, mining companies, universities and health services.
• Policy adviser, in public service, NGOs and think tanks, where the philosophy training in argument and ethics is directly useful.
• Human rights or social justice advocate, with legal centres, advocacy organisations and international bodies.
• Academic or researcher, continuing to honours or a higher degree by research in law or philosophy.
• Compliance, risk and regulatory roles, in financial services, aged care, education and the public sector.
• Journalism, publishing or communications, where close reading and clear writing are the core skills.