Bachelor of Psychological Science - Bachelor of Laws | 2019

*Students interested in studying this degree part-time should consult with the Law Head of Students by contacting lha-enquiries@uow.edu.au.

**Students commencing in Spring will undertake their first session in the Bachelor of Psychological Science, before completing their first year of Law in their second year of enrolment.

Overview 

A Bachelor of Psychological Science – Bachelor of Laws from UOW equips you with a comprehensive legal education: a world-class degree that provides a thorough grounding in the law, as well as a real-world focus on the essential practical skills and the social and ethical context in which the law operates. 

Combining Law with Psychological Science allows you to learn the biological and social bases of behaviour, cognition and perception, social and developmental psychology, personality, and applied psychology. This combination gives you an in-depth understanding and reasoning of the human experience that can enhance your skills as a legal practitioner.

We believe that practical experience is a vital part of your legal training. We are the only law school in New South Wales that requires you to complete a legal internship, providing highly valued industry experience.

We are committed to social justice and providing a legal education that engages with the complexities of law's intersection with society.

This double degree delivers a practical and contextual legal education that prepares graduates not only for traditional careers in the legal profession but also for a wide range of careers in government, business and community organisations – as leaders, innovators and problem solvers. 

Entry Requirements & Credit Arrangements

Information on academic and English language requirements, as well as eligibility for credit for prior learning, is available from the Course Finder.

Course Learning Outcomes

A number of the course learning outcomes in each of these degrees complement and consolidate outcomes in the partner degree.  Applied across two discipline areas, the outcomes are achieved at a broader and more comprehensive level.

The outcomes which are common and consolidated in this double degree ensure that on successful completion of the course students will be able to:

Please refer to the Course Handbook page of each individual degree for a comprehensive list of course learning outcomes.

Course Structure

To qualify for award of the degree, the Bachelor of Psychological Science - Bachelor of Laws, a candidate must successfully complete at least 234 credit points, comprised of:

1. All compulsory Law subjects as set out in the Course Program below;
2. 30 credit points of elective subjects from the Bachelor of Law (Graduate Entry) elective list;
3. 78 credit points of Psychology subjects in accordance with the table below;
4. A minimum of 12 credit points of elective subjects from the Psychological Science degree or General Schedule.

Note:  Where any subjects have the prefix LAW, the equivalent Bachelor of Laws subjects (LLB) must be substituted.

Part-time Study
A student is considered part-time when they are enrolled in less than 75% of the standard load for a session. If you are seeking to complete your undergraduate law degree part-time, you are required to complete a minimum of 12 credit points (2 subjects) per session. Please refer to the Recommended Study Sequence for information.
 

 Click on subject codes in the above table for information on sessions of offer for each subject. To find out specific information on timetables, tutorials and classes, visit the Timetable page.

Compulsory Work Placement / Online Components

This course contains a total of 140 hours over 4 weeks of compulsory work-based placements. This course may also contain compulsory components to be completed online.

Undertaking a work integrated learning (WIL) experience during your university education is now a significant contributor to being competitive in securing employment in your field of choice when you graduate from UOW.

Law students will complete a Legal Internship subject (LLB3397). This subject is the vehicle for a practical placement designed to expose students to the application of the law in practice; enable students to understand the importance of developing the skills of legal research; communication, drafting, practice management and problem solving; and enable students to observe and reflect upon the values, ethical standards and conduct of the legal profession in practice.

Professional Recognition / Accreditation

Law

The UOW Bachelor of Laws (single LLB or in combination with another degree) is accredited by the Legal Procession Admission Board (LPAB) as satisfying the academic requirements necessary for admission to the Australian legal profession. On completion of the Bachelor of Laws, a student who wishes to practise as a barrister or solicitor must also undertake some form of professional practical training, the requirements for which vary between each state and territory of Australia.

In New South Wales, a student who intends to qualify for admission to practice is required to undertake a practical legal training (PLT) course accredited by the LPAB, followed by or incorporating a period of practical experience in a law-related setting. Practical experience gained by students in LLB3397 Legal Internship may be counted towards this practical experience requirement. Graduates should check with their PLT provider. A list of LPAB accredited PLT courses can be found on the LPAB website.

Students who intend to practise as solicitors after admission will be subject to a period of restricted practice and the mandatory continuing legal education requirements. Further information is available from the Law Society of New South Wales. Students who intend to practise as barristers after admission will be required to read with a senior barrister for a period of time and to undertake the Bar Readers' Course and Bar Examination before being qualified to take briefs on their own account. Further information is available from the New South Wales Bar Association.

Psychological Science

The Bachelor of Psychological Science and the additional honours year (Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)) are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council as a four year sequence for the purposes of provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. An additional two years of supervised practice is necessary to apply for general registration. This can be through two years supervised practice in the community or a fifth year of University study plus one year of supervised practice in the community or an approved Masters degree.

Honours

Law

High achieving students enrolled in this double degree may consult with the Honours Coordinator in Law regarding the possibility of transferring into an Honours Law degree.

A student who successfully transfers into an Honours program but does not meet the minimum performance standards required for the award of Honours will be permitted to transfer back to the double degree in which they were enrolled immediately prior to the transfer into the Honours course, and will be awarded credit for the number of credit points passed in the Honours degree.

Psychology extension for honours eligibility

Students who complete an extended program in psychology are eligible to apply for the one year honours program to confer the Bachelor of Psychological Science with honours. To see the requirements for the extended psychology program, and for entry into the honours program, please go to the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) Handbook page. The extended Psychology program will require students to exceed the normal total credit point requirements for the degree. Students should carefully plan their sequence of study and, if necessary, seek academic advice.

Other Information

Further information is available via email: lha-enquiries@uow.edu.au