Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science

Overview

Equip yourself with the skills to succeed in commercial and intellectual property law. Our Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science give you necessary information about trademarks, patents and copyright laws to help you progress in the industry. You’ll emerge ready to work in legal fields specialising in intellectual property, media, and science.

Learning outcomes

The Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Science provides an accredited qualification in law whilst enabling learning to be contextualised to the discipline of science. The degree also provides students with a broad, well-rounded legal education that inculcates an understanding of the role the law plays in our society and of how it can assist Australia as a trading nation. This is achieved by addressing policy and ethical issues and incorporating international perspectives in key units and discrete units dealing with international law, the law of some of Australia’s principal trading partners and professional scientific environments.

Upon successfully completing the Bachelor of Laws, the students will be able to: 

• describe and demonstrate the application of the fundamental areas of Australian law and the Australian legal system and of the principles and doctrines that underpin them
• describe and demonstrate the application of ethical and professional responsibility in the practice of the law and a commitment to the pursuit of justice
• analyse and evaluate the interdisciplinary contexts in which legal issues arise and the disciplines and policy considerations that influence the content and operation of the law
• describe and compare the international legal order and the law and legal systems of Australia’s major trading partners
• critically evaluate events or factual situations, identify the legal issues to which they give rise and develop and articulate appropriate and creative responses
• undertake and critically evaluate research from a variety of sources to make judgements to solve complex legal problems with intellectual independence
• demonstrate effective and persuasive communication capabilities with legal and non-legal audiences
• communicate proficiently in professional practice to a variety of audiences, function as an effective member or leader of a diverse team and critically reflect on individual performance and professional development. 

Upon successfully completing the Bachelor of Science, the students will be able to:  

• demonstrate a coherent understanding of science by articulating the methods of science, explain why current scientific knowledge is both contestable and testable by further inquiry and explain the role and relevance of science in society
• exhibit depth and breadth of scientific knowledge by demonstrating well-developed knowledge in at least one science disciplinary area
• critically analyse and solve scientific problems by evaluating information from a range of sources, designing and planning an investigation, selecting and applying practical and theoretical techniques for that investigation and collecting, recording, interpreting and drawing conclusions from scientific data
• effectively communicate science by presenting information or arguments, to a range of audiences, for a range of purposes using a variety of modes
• adopt ownership of their own learning and scientific work by being independent and self-directed learners, working effectively and safely in an individual or team context, demonstrating knowledge of the regulatory framework relevant to the disciplinary area and practising ethical conduct.

Career opportunities

Graduates will have the theoretical and practical knowledge required to operate effectively in diverse settings such as law firms and barristers’ chambers, professional scientific environments, not-for-profit organisations, government, small businesses, corporate organisations and as patent attorneys.

Professional recognition

The Bachelor of Laws satisfies the academic requirements for admission to practice as a lawyer in the Victorian and Australian Federal legal systems as set by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board. Please be advised that non-academic requirements must also be satisfied for admission to practice and that no law degree allows graduates to practise straight away.

Depending on the choice of major, or minor studies, graduates of the Bachelor of Science may be eligible to apply for membership of the following professional societies:

• AusBiotech
• Australian and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics
• Australian Computer Society (ACS)
• Australian Institute of Physics
• Australian Mathematical Society
• Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
• Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC)
• Environmental Health Australia
• Environmental Institute of Australia
• Genetics Society of AustralAsia (GSA)
• National Business Leaders Forum for Sustainable Development
• Professionals Australia
• Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)
• Sustainability Practitioners Association (SPA)

Course rules

To qualify for the Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science, students must complete 500 credit points comprising:

• 20 core Law Units (250 credit points)
• 4 Law electives (50 credit points)
• 3 Professional Experiences in law (0 credit points) *
• 8 core Science  (100credit points)
• 8 units of study from a Science major (100 credit points)

Students complete no more than 200 credit points (16 units) at Introductory Level (i.e. Stage 1 - eg: LAW1XXXX). A unit of study can only be counted once. Where units are shared between majors and/or minors, students must choose an approved alternative unit.

Domestic students also have an opportunity to undertake a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Professional Placement. Please note that due to government regulation international students holding a student visa are not able to undertake Professional Placements in this course.

Professional placements

Professional placements are subject to a competitive selection process.

Students who undertake a 12-month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 575 credit points comprising:

• 20 core Law Units (250 credit points)
• 4 Law electives (50 credit points)
• 3 Professional Experiences in law (0 credit points) *
• 8 core Science (100 credit points)
• 8 units of study from a Science major (100 credit points)
• 4 units of study from the Professional Placement Co-Major (100 credit points)

Students who elect to undertake a 6-month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 537.5 credit points comprising:

• 20 core Law Units (250 credit points)
• 3 Law electives (50 credit points)
• 3 Professional Experiences in law (0 credit points) *
• 8 core Science (100 credit points)
• 8 units of study from a Science major (100 credit points)
• 2 units of study from the Professional Placement Co-Major (50 credit points)

* Please note if a student selects the Business Professional Placement units, the Professional Experience in Law units are required to be completed. If student selects the Law Professional Placement units, the Professional Experience in Law units are waived.

Maximum Academic Credit

The maximum level of credit that can be granted for the Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science is 250 credit points (normally 20 units), 150 credit points maximum from Law discipline and 100 credit points from Science discipline.

B. Applicants with higher education study

Educational history 

An applicant's entire academic history, including results from previous higher education study will be considered for entry into this course. If previous higher education qualifications are incomplete, results must have been obtained in the last seven years. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

STAT/Bridging courses 

Results from the STAT Multiple Choice will be considered for applicants without an ATAR and whose post-secondary studies do not meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

C. Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Educational history 

An applicant's entire academic history from the past seven years, including complete and/or incomplete post-secondary VET studies, will be considered for entry into this course. Only graded results will be considered. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

Bridging courses 

Applicants who do not meet the mathematics prerequisites for this course will be required to successfully complete Swinburne's MathsLink: General bridging program. Mathematics prerequisites older than five years are not considered to have met course requirements.

D. Applicants with work and life experience

Entire academic record 

This course uses an applicant's entire academic record as part of its selection considerations, including an applicant's ATAR results from the last seven years can be considered for entry into this course. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

Bridging courses 

Applicants who do not meet the mathematics prerequisites for this course will be required to successfully complete Swinburne's MathsLink: General bridging program. Mathematics prerequisites older than five years are not considered to have met course requirements.