Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

This is a five-year double degree that pairs a Bachelor of Arts with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). You graduate with two qualifications and an honours-level law degree in one go. The arts half is where you choose a major, politics, history, sociology, languages, psychology, whatever fits what you want to do with law, and the law half is the full LLB (Honours) sequence. Western Sydney University runs the law component with a strong focus on practical legal training, so you spend time on legal writing, statutory interpretation, ethics and professional responsibility, and the core areas every Australian law graduate needs: contract, torts, criminal law, constitutional law, property, equity, administrative law and evidence.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees normally run three years full time; adding honours usually means a fourth. This double degree stretches to five because you are completing two awards. You study in semesters, enrol in units of study, and each unit carries credit points, you need to accumulate the required total across arts and law to graduate. The law component includes a compulsory honours research unit, which is a supervised research project or thesis on a legal topic of your choosing. That is the 'Honours' in the title, and it is what distinguishes this from a straight pass law degree. Some units are prerequisites for later ones, so the order you take them in matters.

Practical legal training and work-integrated learning

Law is a field where placement is built into the degree. Western Sydney University's law programme includes work-integrated learning units where you spend time in a legal workplace, a community legal centre, a law firm, a government department, a court, or an in-house legal team. The university has strong ties to Western Sydney's legal and community sectors, which is where many students do their placements. You also have access to moot court and client interview competitions, which are standard parts of Australian law degrees and give you a taste of advocacy before you graduate. The arts side may also offer internship units depending on your major.

Who this suits

This degree suits someone who wants to practise law but does not want to be only a lawyer. The arts half gives you a second lens, you might major in politics and end up in policy work, or in a language and work in international law, or in sociology and focus on human rights. It also suits students who are not certain yet whether they want to be solicitors or barristers, or whether they want to use the law in government, business, media or the community sector. Five years is a long commitment, so be honest with yourself about whether you want both halves. If you only want law, a straight law degree is shorter. If you want the flexibility of two qualifications and the research training of honours, this is the path. Entry is competitive and the English requirement for law is higher than for most other fields, IELTS Academic 7.0–7.5 overall is the usual standard for law at Australian universities, and international applicants need to meet the Student visa English threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs as well. Check the official Western Sydney University page and the CRICOS register for the current tuition, entry requirements and English equivalents.

• Solicitor, in private practice, community legal centres, government or in-house legal teams. You need to complete practical legal training and be admitted to practise in an Australian state or territory.
• Barrister, after further study and admission to the bar. Advocacy work in courts and tribunals.
• Policy adviser, in federal, state or local government, or in NGOs and peak bodies. The arts half is useful here.
• Legal officer or graduate lawyer, in government departments such as the Attorney-General's, the DPP, Legal Aid, or regulators.
• Compliance and regulatory affairs, in banking, insurance, health, education and the public sector.
• Industrial relations or employment relations adviser, in unions, employer bodies, HR teams and the Fair Work Commission.
• Journalist or media adviser, especially if your arts major is in communication, politics or history.
• Community sector advocate, in refugee services, women's legal services, Aboriginal legal services, environmental groups and human rights organisations.
• Further study, honours in law can lead to a master's or doctorate, and to academic or judicial associate roles.

Australian industries that hire law graduates include legal services, government and public administration, finance and insurance, professional services, education, health, and the not-for-profit sector. Western Sydney in particular has a large and growing legal services market, and the university's links with the region's courts, community legal centres and firms are a practical advantage when you are looking for placements and your first job. International graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work after you finish. While you study, your visa generally allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight during term. Confirm your visa conditions with the Department of Home Affairs.