Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science
Course code/s: LWLSCB Bendigo
Course Description
The Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science is a five-year combined degree providing an accredited professional qualification in law as well as a degree in science. 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 the Bendigo campus and then normally transfer to the equivalent combined degree program at the 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. Students complete eight core law subjects and eight science subjects over their two years at Bendigo. Students will receive full advanced standing for their law subjects upon transfer, but some reduction in advanced standing may be necessary in the case of science subjects to take into account the different content of, and credit points for, science subjects at Bendigo and Melbourne. As there may be some science majors on offer at Bendigo that are not available at Melbourne, students must ordinarily choose a major at first year that can be continued at Melbourne. Permitted majors are: biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, psychological science and statistics.
Subject to the approval of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering at Melbourne, if a desired major discipline is not available at Bendigo, it may still be possible to commence that major after transfer to Melbourne, but to complete other science subjects in the interim. At the Melbourne campus, students complete the remainder of the Council of Legal Education core law subjects and undertake law electives as well as completing their science subjects. For further information about core law subjects and electives, please refer to the Melbourne chapter for the Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry) in this Handbook. For further general information about the science component of this degree, please consult the information for the Bendigo Bachelor of Business (RBB) in this Handbook, but note that the specific degree requirements for this combined degree are more restrictive.
Admission requirements
VCE units 3 and 4, and a study score of at least 35 in English (ESL) or 30 in any other English and a study score of at least 20 in mathematical methods (either) or specialist mathematics.
Degree structure
Students must:
- complete a total of at least five years full-time study or its equivalent
- complete in sequence the compulsory law subjects
- satisfy the requirements of the Bachelor of Science
- complete a total of 600 credit points (360 credit points in law and 240 credit points in science)
- complete a total of 24 subjects in law (18 compulsory subjects and 6 electives)
- complete 60 credit points at first year level, 90 credit points at second year level and 90 credit points at third year level in science subjects from the Faculty of Science and Technology
- complete one Science major comprising 30 credit points at 1st year, 30-45 credit points at 2nd year and 45-60 credit points at 3rd year depending on the chosen discipline
Course structure
Most students will complete eight core law subjects and eight science subjects at Bendigo, then complete the remainder of their program at Melbourne from years 3-5 of the Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science (LWLSC). 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.
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 | First Year Science Elective | |
| TE-SEM-1 | First Year Science Elective from chosen Major | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Criminal Law | LAW1CRL |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Public Law | LAW1PPL |
| TE-SEM-2 | First Year Science Elective | |
| TE-SEM-2 | First Year Science Elective from chosen Major |
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 | Second Year Science Elective | |
| TE-SEM-1 | Second Year Science Elective from chosen major | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Contract Law B | LAW2CTB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Constitutional Law | LAW2CSL |
| TE-SEM-2 | Second Year Science Elective | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Second Year Science Elective from chosen major |
Third to fifth years
See years 3–5 in the entry for the Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science (LWLSC) degree in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Melbourne in this Handbook. For advice on science subjects at Bendigo which should be taken in order to major in a discipline at Melbourne, please consult a course adviser in the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, Melbourne. If advice is not sought, students may have to complete additional subjects at Melbourne in order to complete their major.
Compulsory and Elective Law Subjects
For lists of compulsory and elective law subjects, refer to the Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry) (LVLGEB) at Bendigo in this handbook. Note that Bendigo students can, if they wish, apply to undertake a placement at the Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre or another legal organisation for academic credit by enrolling into an elective subject called Rural and Regional Issues in Justice (LAW2RRJ).
Science
| Discipline | Subject name | Subject code | Teaching period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological sciences | Biology of the Cell and Organism | BIO1CO | TE-SEM-1 |
| Organs and Organ Systems | BIO1OOS | TE-SEM-2 | |
| Chemistry | Chemistry 1A | CHE1C1A | TE-SEM-1 |
| Chemistry 1B | CHE1C1B | TE-SEM-2 | |
| Computer science | Programming Environment | CSE1PE | TE-SEM-1 or TE-SEM-2 |
| Object-oriented Programming Fundamentals | CSE1OOF | TE-SEM-1 or TE-SEM-2 | |
| Web Development | CSE2AWD | TE-SEM-1 or TE-SEM-2 | |
| Discrete Mathematics (also highly recommended) | MAT1DIS | TE-SEM-2 | |
| Mathematics | Calculus A | MAT1CA | TE-SEM-1 |
| Calculus B | MAT1CB | TE-SEM-2 | |
| Linear Algebra | MAT2LIN | TE-SEM-1 | |
| Discrete Mathematics (also highly recommended) | MAT1DIS | TE-SEM-2 | |
| Physics | Physics A | PHY1PA | TE-SEM-1 |
| Calculus A | MAT1CA | TE-SEM-1 | |
| Physics B | PHY1PB | TE-SEM-2 | |
| Psychological science | Experimental Foundations of Psychological Science | PSY1EFP | TE-SEM-1 |
| Clinical Foundations of Psychological Science | PSY1CFP | TE-SEM-1 | |
| Statistics | Statistical Methods | STA1STM | TE-SEM-1/TE-SEM-2 |
Subject to the approval of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering at Melbourne (Bundoora), if a desired major discipline is not available at Bendigo, it may still be possible to commence that major after transfer to Melbourne (Bundoora), but to complete some of the above science subjects in the interim. Students in this position would have to leave some of the maximum 60 credit points at first year level free so that they could undertake the first year subjects of their major at Melbourne (Bundoora).
Honours
Students may be permitted to undertake Honours in the law program in the final year of their law studies. Normally a grade of B+ average over two full-time years of law study is required. Honours comprises a research component and a compulsory research seminar. Students must complete a 10,000-word thesis (which takes the place of two law electives) on a topic to be approved by the Honours Research and Graduate Studies Committee. The compulsory research seminar is conducted throughout the year. Students must attend ten sessions and are required to present a paper on their individual research project.
Students invited to enrol in Honours in science must complete a further full-time year of study. For further information, please see the Bachelor of Science entry in the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering section of this Handbook.
Professional recognition
The law degree includes those subjects approved by the Victorian Council of Legal Education that must be successfully completed as a prerequisite for entry into legal practice. See Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry) (LVLGE) at Melbourne for specific subjects and further information.