Law courses
Study law and learn how to make a difference in the Australian legal system.
Are you passionate about justice and people? A law degree can lead to a range of legal careers, both inside and outside the courtroom. With your recognised lawyer qualifications you could become a private consultant with a major conglomerate or help not-for-profits navigate confusing legislation. You could even advise government agencies or support small businesses with their hiring practices. A better world starts with a lawful society and you’re one step closer to being part of the bigger picture.
Discover your next steps here at Open Universities Australia, where you can enrol in online courses delivered by leading universities.
Why should you study law?
If you like to help others navigate tough situations, then life as a legal eagle may be the right path for you. With a focus on communication and research, a law degree in Australia will teach you how to speak with confidence, read efficiently, write commandingly and find pertinent facts under piles of precedent, preparing you for a career in law, in addition to fields like politics, journalism and human resources.
For those who find their calling in law, you’ll be met with slightly higher employment outcomes than other graduates. The Australian Graduate Survey found that 75% of law graduates were employed full time when the survey was done, 3% higher than the national average.
Discover online law courses
Undergraduate SCU-LAW-DEG
Undergraduate CSU-LAW-DEG
Postgraduate GRF-MIL-MAS
Discover online law subjects
Undergraduate UNE-LAW100
Undergraduate UND-LAWS2510
What you'll learn in a law course
In an undergraduate or postgraduate course, you’ll learn how to understand and detangle the complexities of Australia’s legal system.
You’ll explore the court process and how to make persuasive legal arguments, how to read and write legal documents, and how to tackle the ethical issues you may face in your role as a legal professional. You’ll also learn valuable soft skills in analytical thinking and writing, negotiation, interviewing and presentations, which, when combined with your legal acumen, will make you an asset in many industries.
As part of your studies, you’ll explore different aspects of law including:
- criminal law
- taxation law
- family law
- property law
- administrative law
- international law
Those who already have a degree in another discipline can choose to enrol in a Juris Doctor, which covers the same material at a higher postgraduate skill level. If you already have a law degree and you’d like to specialise in one aspect of law, you can do so through a relevant Masters Degree.
To practice law in Australia, university graduates are required to complete additional Practical Legal Training (PLT) under the supervision of a law firm, or through an approved PLT course like a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. You can do this through the Leo Cussen Centre for Law or The College of Law.
Law course FAQs
How long is a law degree in Australia?
It depends what you choose to study.
It takes 3 years of full-time study to earn a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor, plus an additional 6 months of full-time study to earn a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice if you want to practice law in Australia.
If you’d like to specialise in an aspect of law, like commercial law or international law, you can earn a relevant masters degree, which can involve up to two years of additional full-time study.
Of course, when you study online through us, you can complete your qualification at your own pace, a subject or two at a time.
Want to read more about this career before making your decision?
What ATAR score do you need for a law degree?
While achieving an ATAR of 80 or above (on average) is the traditional way to enrol in a law degree, it’s not the only way.
If you don’t have a strong academic history or ATAR score, you can still get into law online through us by studying single undergraduate law subjects that don’t have any entry requirements.
As long as you successfully complete these subjects, you can transition into an accredited law degree with one of our partner universities. You can then decide to keep studying your course online, or move to an on-campus place. Give our student advisors a call to find out more about how this works.
How do I know if I’m eligible to apply for a course?
Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.
Chat with us to find out more.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.
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What area of law should I practice?
Law is a fascinating field to study—and provides many different areas in which you can specialise. Have you considered these areas of practice?
We're here to guide you there
Our student advisors can assist you with enrolment, help you plan your studies, and answer questions about how studying through Open Universities Australia can get you from where you are today, to where you want to be tomorrow.