COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master program requires students to complete a total of 100 credit points and is designed to offer flexibility while ensuring a strong foundation in legal study relevant to students’ academic backgrounds and professional goals. Students who do not hold a law degree from a common law jurisdiction are required to complete Fundamentals of the Common Law and undertake 87.5 credit points from the prescribed list of subjects, enabling them to build essential knowledge of common law principles before progressing into specialised study. Students who do hold a law degree from a common law jurisdiction must complete 87.5 credit points from the prescribed list and may also select 12.5 credit points from the broad range of subjects available in the Master of Laws, excluding Fundamentals of the Common Law and the Minor Thesis, allowing them greater choice to tailor their learning to areas of specific interest. The program structure reflects the needs of working professionals, with subjects delivered from February to December each academic year. Most subjects are offered in an intensive five-day format, providing concentrated learning periods that minimise extended time commitment, while others run weekly for two hours across the semester to support ongoing engagement. Students can study in a format that suits their circumstances, with online subjects combining pre-recorded lecture content, live sessions and discussion boards, and on-campus subjects held in interactive, seminar-style classes at the Melbourne Law School. Full-time enrolment consists of 50 credit points each semester with an expected duration of one year, while part-time domestic students may take 25 credit points per semester for a two-year duration, or reduce their load to 12.5 credit points per half-year period, extending the degree to a maximum of four years. Students who do not enrol in a given semester must apply for a leave of absence.