Bachelor of Laws

What you’ll learn

1. Legal Technology & Innovation: Investigate how technological change and automation are transforming legal practice. Explore how to harness these innovations to ensure legal services are more accessible and efficient than ever before.
2. Legal Theory & Practice: Examine the legal theory that underpins the Rule of Law in Australia and internationally – and informs all legal practice.
3. Ethical & Legal Responsibility: Develop a current understanding of legal ethics and professional standards to ensure your practice aligns with the modern legal system.
4. International Diplomacy: Manage legal relationships between governments and international organisations by applying a strategic understanding of jurisdictional law to the global legal landscape.

What is the Bachelor of Laws?

Swinburne Online’s Bachelor of Laws prepares you for a legal profession that is being revolutionised by digital technology.

Our curriculum equips you with a specialised digital toolkit to understand how AI, design and innovation converge in modern legal practice – from automated decision-making to platform liability and AI-generated content.

You’ll be able to take advantage of the growing number of technology-focused opportunities in legal fields that govern cyber security, media, branding and advertising.

Develop a nuanced understanding of digital disruption and its legal implications, which will open your legal career for work in criminal, intellectual property, international, commercial, finance law and more.

Swinburne Online’s Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is accredited by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB), fulfilling the first academic requirement to become a practising lawyer.

Like all Swinburne Online courses, practical experience is fundamental; we prioritise work-integrated learning through professional placements — allowing you to network with experienced legal professionals and acquire a practical skill set.

Who is this course for?

• Future-focused legal professionals: Students who want more than a traditional law degree and are interested in practising law in a modern, evolving legal landscape.
• Tech‑minded innovators: Those drawn to the intersection of law and technology, and who want to work in areas such as cybersecurity, AI ethics and intellectual property.

How you’ll study

• The Bachelor of Laws runs across three Teaching Periods per year.
• Expected study load is between 8–10 hours per week per unit.
• Set your own study pace by taking one or more units per Teaching Period.
• You’ll have 24/7 access to your online classroom, discussion boards, and learning content.

Learning is delivered through interactive materials, including videos, quizzes, podcasts, diagrams, and written content.

Recommended study pattern

To be awarded the Bachelor of Laws you must complete 24 units in total made up of:

• 20 Core Law units
• 4 Law electives
• You will also complete 3 Professional Experiences in Law

Core Units

These are foundational units in major law study areas:

Introduction to Australian Law & Statutory Interpretation (LAW10010)

Legal Writing (LAW10026)

Contract Law (LAW10028)

Torts 1 (LAW10014)

Torts 2 (LAW10025)

Criminal Law & Procedure (LAW10015)

Evidence (LAW20009)

Federal & State Constitutional Law (LAW20012)

Administrative Law (LAW20010)

Property Law (LAW20013)

Land Law (LAW20014)

Trade Marks & Related Rights (LAW20011)

Copyright (LAW20043)

Patents & Designs (LAW30011)

Legal Technology and Innovation (LAW20040)

Equity & Trusts (LAW30012)

Company Law (LAW30013)

Civil Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolution (LAW30029)

Legal Practice & Professional Conduct (LAW30015)

Core Unit Options

If you have completed LAW10011 you will need to complete LAW10013 to meet course requirements. All other students should complete LAW10029.

Commercial Law (LAW10013)

Contract Law 2 (LAW10029)

Law Electives

International Commercial Law (LAW20007)

Law and the Media (LAW20024)

Competition Law & Policy (LAW20036)

Advanced Criminal Law and Sentencing (LAW20041)

Professional Experience Law Units

Professional Experience in Law 1 (LAW10016)

Professional Experience in Law 2 (LAW20018)

Professional Experience in Law 3 (LAW30016)

Supervised examinations

Supervised examinations are a mandatory part of the course and are scheduled for specific dates and times at the end of each Teaching Period. If you are an Australian citizen, you’ll still be able to sit these exams in-person at most capital cities around the world.

All supervised examinations are conducted in-person and in paper format to meet the professional accreditation requirements of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

Award requirements

To be awarded the Bachelor of Laws you must complete 24 units in total made up of:

• 20 Core Law units
• 4 Law electives
• You will also complete 3 Professional Experiences in Law.

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $52,197

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

Study on your own terms with this forward-thinking university.

It offers a wide range of study options, from pre-apprenticeships, undergraduate, postgraduate and PhDs, including online degrees with Open Universities Australia. Swinburne is known for career-oriented education and encouraging lifelong learning.

Learn more about Swinburne University of Technology

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QS World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:

19

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2026, within Australia:

15

Applicants are required to meet one of the following minimum entry requirements to gain direct entry into the Bachelor of Laws:

• Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) – Successful completion of the VCE or its equivalent, such as an interstate or international Year 12 qualification, with a minimum ATAR of 77, and a minimum study score of 25 in any English (except EAL) or 30 in EAL (or equivalent), or
• Bachelor’s Degree – Completion, or partial completion of a Bachelor’s degree, or
• Undergraduate Certificate in Law, meeting the minimum Weighted Average Mark requirements on your first attempt.

Note: This course is not available to international students.

If you do not meet the standard entry requirements, you may still qualify for the Bachelor of Laws through an approved alternative entry pathway. For detailed information on how this pathway works, please refer to the Undergraduate Certificate in Law information below. 

Undergraduate Certificate of Law pathway

The Undergraduate Certificate of Law is a supported pathway if you wish to pursue a career in law but do not yet meet the direct entry requirements for the Bachelor of Laws. 

Across four introductory units, you will build essential legal thinking, problem-solving, and academic skills while gaining a real-world introduction to areas such as contract law, torts, and statutory interpretation. This program allows you to experience university-level legal study before committing to a full degree – building the confidence, capability, and readiness needed for the next step in your qualification. 

Typically completed in six months full-time (or part-time equivalent), this certificate creates a supported and accessible pathway into the Bachelor of Laws with no loss of credit for completed subjects. 

Core units

Introduction to Australian Law and Statutory Interpretation 

Torts 1 

Contract Law 1 

Choose one of the below units:

Criminal Law and Procedure 

Torts 2 

Legal Writing 

Contract Law 2 

To qualify for entry into the Bachelor of Laws you’ll need to complete all four units with a minimum credit average (60%) on your first attempt. 

English Language requirements will also apply.

International students are required to demonstrate their English proficiency before enrolling into a Swinburne Online degree by undertaking one of the following English language tests:

• The International English Language Test Score (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows students to gain credit (advanced standing) towards their course in recognition of skills and knowledge gained through work experience, life experience and/or formal training. Applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Speak to a Course Consultant about applying for RPL.

Professional placement

Your placement can be undertaken at any workplace where legal work is performed, provided your work experience during the placement is of a legal nature. You can complete your placement in Australia or overseas, giving you the opportunity to experience different types of legal work during your practical training, subject to approval by the Course Director.

Supervised examinations

Supervised examinations are a mandatory part of the course and are scheduled for specific dates and times at the end of each Teaching Period. If you are an Australian citizen, you’ll still be able to sit these exams in-person at most capital cities around the world.

All supervised examinations are conducted in-person and in paper format to meet the professional accreditation requirements of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB).