Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2013

Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of International Relations

Course code/s: LWLINT Melbourne

Note – subject to university approval, some changes to international relations subjects in this program are pending 


Course Description

The Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of International Relations is a five-year combined degree providing an accredited professional qualification in law as well as a degree in international relations. 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. It 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, including subjects complementary to international relations such as Human Rights Law, Public International Law and Organised and International Crime. 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 Law and Management section of this handbook. The international relations course combines core subjects in politics, international public policy and professional competency in transition to the workplace, with electives from politics and other disciplines including economics, history, sociology, anthropology and sociology. This combined degree will provide students with the skills to work with and for the main organisations within international politics or as a lawyer in the public, private or community sector.

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 and international relations subjects
  • complete a total of 600 credit points (360 credit points in law and a minimum of 240 credit points in international relations subjects)
  • complete a total of 24 subjects in law (18 compulsory subjects and 6 electives, including at least 2 electives from a specified list)
  • complete a total of 15 or 16 international relations subjects including at least 90 credit points at 3rd year comprising
    • core subjects at 1st and 2nd year level (60 credit points at 1st year, 30 credit points at 2nd year)
    • elective subjects from an Elective List at each year level (15 credit points at 1st year from List A, 45 credit points at 2nd year from List B and either 90 credit points at 3rd year from List B or 60 credit points at 3rd year from List B plus POL3PCW)

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 States, Nations and Security: world in transition POL1SNS
TE-SEM-1 First year Elective from IR List A  
TE-SEM-2 Principles of Criminal Law LAW1CRL
TE-SEM-2 Principles of Public Law LAW1PPL
TE-SEM-2 Economy Environment and Human Rights: world in transition POL1EEH
TE-SEM-2 First year Elective from IR List A  
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 First year Elective  from IR List A  
TE-SEM-1 International Public Policy POL2IPP
TE-SEM-2 Contract Law B LAW2CTB
TE-SEM-2 Principles of Constitutional Law LAW2CSL
TE-SEM-2 Theory of World Politics POL2TWP
TE-SEM-2 Second year Elective from IR List B  
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 Two 2nd year Electives  from IR List B  
TE-SEM-2 Civil Procedure LAW2CIV
TE-SEM-2 Real Property Law LAW2RPT
TE-SEM-2 3rd Year Law Elective  
TE-SEM-2 3rd year Elective from IR List B  
Fourth year
Teaching period Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 Evidence and Criminal Procedure LAW2ECP
TE-SEM-1 Law Elective from approved menu  
TE-SEM-1 Law Elective  
TE-SEM-1 3rd year Elective from IR List B  
TE-SEM-2 Principles of Administrative Law LAW3ADN
TE-SEM-2 Law Elective  
Either    
TE-SEM-2 Professional Competence: Transition to Workplace POL3PCW
or    
TE-SEM-2 Two 3rd year Electives from IR List B  
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 Third year elective from IR List B  
TE-SEM-2 Remedies LAW3REM
TE-SEM-2 Legal Practice and Conduct LAW3LPC
TE-SEM-2 One law elective  
TE-SEM-2 Third year elective from IR List B  

For course information on international relations, please contact an adviser from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences or visit their website at www.latrobe.edu.au/humanities.

Bachelor of International Relations electives

Students in the double degree program complete electives from an Elective List at each year level. For information on names and relevant credit points for subjects in the Elective List, please refer to Handbook entry for Bachelor of International Relations, under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, or you may visit their Faculty Office on the 3rd level of the Humanities 3 Building, Melbourne Campus. In addition to these electives, students are expected to participate in a series of workshops held in each year. Each workshop will be of two to three hours duration.

Law electives

Students must choose at least two law electives from the following list:

Teaching period Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 Public International Law LAW3PIL
TE-SEM-1 Human Rights Law LAW3HRL
TE-SEM-2 Organised and International Crime LAW3OIC [not offered 2013]
TE-SEM-2 International Business Law LAW2IBL

A subject or subjects from the Master of Laws in Global Business Law can be substituted with the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Compulsory and Elective Law Subjects

For lists of compulsory and elective law subjects, refer to lists under Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry) (LVLGE).