Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Psychological Science
Course code/s: LWLPSB Bendigo
Note – subject to university approval, some changes to this program are pending, including the removal of the subject LAW3PAL
Course Description
The Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Psychological Science is a five-year combined degree providing an accredited professional qualification in law as well as a degree in psychology. The program offers an innovative, high quality legal education with a strong global and social justice perspective and a real emphasis on hands-on experiences. Students undertake their first two years of study at Bendigo campus and then normally transfer into the equivalent combined degree program at Melbourne campus, where they complete the remainder of their course. However, students who wish to remain in Bendigo are offered the ability to complete their later year core subjects and some electives through e-learning and/or intensive courses. The program includes all the compulsory law subjects required by the Council of Legal Education for admission to practice in Victoria and a wide range of law electives, many with a practical skills component, such as clinical legal education, communication and advocacy skills, and negotiation. It also includes a compulsory specialised law subject relevant to psychology, Mental Disorder and Criminal Responsibility. For further information about core law subjects and electives, please refer to the entry for the Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry) in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law section of this handbook. The Bachelor of Psychological Science degree provides students with broad knowledge and skills in psychology as well as biological and social aspects of behaviour but does not qualify a graduate to work as a psychologist. Further education, training and supervised experience is required for registration as a professional psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia and also for membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
Admission requirements
Admission requirements are VCE units 3 and 4, and a study score of at least 35 in English (ESL) or 30 in any other English.
Degree requirements
Students must:
- complete a total of at least five years of full-time study or its equivalent
- complete in sequence the compulsory law subjects
- complete in sequence the compulsory psychology subjects
- complete a total of 600 credit points (360 credit points in law, 225 credit points in psychology and 15 credit points in either psychology or other approved free elective counting towards psychology)
- complete a total of 24 subjects in law (20 compulsory subjects and 4 electives) and 16 psychology subjects
Course structure
Students will complete eight core law subjects and eight psychology subjects at Bendigo. Then they complete the remainder of their program at Melbourne (years 3-4). Prior to transfer, students can also enrol in law electives at the Melbourne Campus in summer and winter school and may be able to complete one law clinic placement subject at Bendigo.
Course structure
First year
|
Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Dispute Resolution | LAW1DR |
| TE-SEM-1 | Legal Institutions and Methods | LAW1LIM |
| TE-SEM-1 | Experimental Foundations of Psychological Science | PSY1EFP |
| TE-SEM-1 | History, Philosophy, and Methodology of Psychological Science | PSY1HPM |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Criminal Law | LAW1CRL |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Public Law | LAW1PPL |
| TE-SEM-2 | Clinical Foundations of Psychological Science | PSY1CFP |
| TE-SEM-2 | Statistical Methods | STA1STM |
Second year
|
Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Contract Law A | LAW2CTA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Principles of Tort Law | LAW2TOT |
| TE-SEM-1 | Psychological Research Methods | PSY2PRM |
| TE-SEM-1 | Cognitions | PSY2COG |
| TE-SEM-2 | Contract Law B | LAW2CTB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Constitutional Law | LAW2CSL |
| TE-SEM-2 | Developmental Psychology | PSY2DEV |
| TE-SEM-2 | Abnormal, Clinical and Health Psychology | PSY2ACH |
Third year
|
Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Statutory Interpretation | LAW2STA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Foundations of Property Law | LAW2FPL |
| TE-SEM-1 | Mental Disorder and Criminal Responsibility | LAW3MDC |
| TE-SEM-1 | Psychological Assessment | PSY3PAS |
| TE-SEM-2 | Civil Procedure | LAW2CIV |
| TE-SEM-2 | Real Property Law | LAW3RPT |
| TE-SEM-2 | One law elective | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Social Psychology | PSY2SOC |
Fourth year
|
Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Evidence and Criminal Procedure | LAW2ECP |
| TE-SEM-1 | Law Elective | |
| TE-SEM-1 | Research Project in Psychology A | PSY3RPA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Administrative Law | LAW3ADN |
| TE-SEM-2 | Psychology and the Criminal Law | LAW3PAL |
| TE-SEM-2 | Psychological Intervention | PSY3PIN |
| TE-SEM-2 | Research Project in Psychology B | PSY3RPB |
Fifth year
|
Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code |
|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Company Law | LAW3CMP |
| TE-SEM-1 | Principles of Equity and Trusts | LAW3ETR |
| TE-SEM-1 | Law Elective | |
| TE-SEM-1 | 3rd Year Psychology Elective | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Remedies | LAW3REM |
| TE-SEM-2 | Legal Practice and Conduct | LAW3LPC |
| TE-SEM-2 | Law Elective | |
| TE-SEM-2 | 3rd Year Psychology Elective |
1. LAW3PAL will not be offered in 2013.
2. Students must complete this subject in the same year as Research Project in Psychology A (PSY3RPA).
Compulsory and Elective Law Subjects
For lists of compulsory and elective law subjects, refer to lists under Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry) (LVLGEB) in the Bendigo Chapter of this Handbook.
Compulsory and Elective Psychology Subjects
For lists of compulsory and elective psychology subjects, refer to lists under Bachelor of Psychological Science (SBBS). Note that PSY3HAR, PSY3CNN, and PSY3ASD are offered as electives in odd-numbered years and PSY3RTP, PSY3NBC, and PSY3CSI are offered in even numbered years. Students will not be able to take PSY3NBC unless they have previously completed at least 1 biology or behavioural neuroscience subject.