Whether you are a budding politician looking to change Australian law or a passionate journalist who wants to report on our country’s latest legal developments, understanding the law is valuable. The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts (Politics & Journalism) is an exciting double degree that covers the legal knowledge necessary to excel as a lawyer and an introduction to current affairs, world politics and journalism. Contact us today to start your learning journey.

Why study this degree?

This double degree in Law and Politics & Journalism is your gateway to many rewarding careers in law, politics, or journalism. Many lawyers pursue political careers, but studying the law also equips you to become a policy adviser in state or Federal Government. In addition, our Bachelor of Laws degree is an accredited degree for admission to legal practice. It covers underlying legal and ethical principles and explains how they are applied in legal practice.

Being part of the School of Law is an enriching and enjoyable experience. As a student, you will be in a small class (for the last few years, our average class size has been 31 students) and have access to academics outside of class. Inspired by the caring Catholic ethos which runs through the School of Law, academics are committed to quality teaching and providing excellent pastoral care to each student. The University aims to give students every opportunity to fulfil their potential as a student and be inspired to go out into the community and make a difference.

The Notre Dame Law degree has a particular focus on the basic building blocks of the law (the so-called “Priestley” subjects) and on developing practical skills such as public speaking, advocacy, alternative dispute resolution and commercial practice skills. Through our mentoring and internship programs, students have many opportunities to experience the law in practice. All your lecturers have substantial experience in legal practice (either as solicitors, Canon law or environmental law experts, barristers or judges). This allows each student to learn the Principles of law and how they apply in legal practice.

Year One

• Legal  Research and Writing
• Legal  Process and Statutory Interpretation
• Introduction to World Politics
• Introduction to Journalism
• Legal History
• Politics, Democracy and Governance in Australia
• Journalism: Theory and Practice

Year Two

• Criminal Law A
• Contract Law A
• Torts A
• Setting the Agenda: The Media and Politics
• Criminal Law B
• Contract Law B
• Torts B
• Media and Society
• One Journalism Elective

Year Three

• Property Law A
• Property Law B
• Two Journalism Electives
• Three Politics Electives

Year Four

• Advocacy
• Constitutional Law
• Equity
• Corporations and Partnerships
• Evidence
• Administrative Law
• Trusts
• Law Elective One

Year Five

• Remedies
• Civil Procedure
• Legal Philosophy
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Commercial Practice & Ethics
• Law Elective Two
• Law Elective Three
• Law Elective Four

Law Electives*

• Advanced Administrative Law
• Advanced Civil Procedure
• Advanced Constitutional Law
• Advanced Evidence
• Advanced Research Project (i.e. Honours research – two courses)
• Bioethics and the Law
• Advanced Taxation Law
• Commercial Drafting
• Commercial Law
• Construction and Building Contract Law
• Contemporary Legal Issues
• Directed Research Project
• Employee Relations Law
• Entertainment Law
• Environmental Law
• Family Law
• Health Law
• Human Rights Law
• Insolvency
• Intellectual Property Law
• Canon Law (i.e. Church Law)
• Law in Context (Externships) – involves work experience
• Law Review (i.e. the University's legal journal)
• Mining and Petroleum Law
• Occupational Safety and Health Law
• Introduction to Australian Taxation Law
• Succession
• Competition and Consumer Law
• Trial Advocacy
• Indigenous Law
• Law & Religion

*Available law electives are subject to change and may vary depending on your campus and year of study. Please check with your school for the current electives on offer.

Politics & Journalism Electives

• Politics, Democracy and Governance in Australia
• Introduction to World Politics
• Setting the Agenda: The Media & Politics
• Introduction to Journalism
• Journalism: Theory and Practice
• Media and Society
• Australian Foreign Policy
• Comparing Political Systems
• Strategy, Security & Diplomacy
• Media Ethics and Law
• Journalism for TV & Video
• Interactive Media
• Radio

Core Curriculum

• CORE I: Foundations of Wisdom
• CORE II: Elective
  • Electives in philosophy and\or theology
  • Professional embedded electives that integrate studies in a profession with philosophy and\or theology
  • An option to undertake a pilgrimage embedded in the study of the philosophy and theology of pilgrimage, e.g., World Youth Day
  • An option to undertake a course that integrates philosophy & theology with community service and charity work
  • An option to undertake an elective in philosophy, theology, and the liberal arts contained within an international experience

More information regarding courses can be found at the course descriptions pages Fremantle Sydney.

Full details of the program requirements are contained in the Program Requirements.

Graduates of this program can follow diverse career paths in the private and public sectors; Career opportunities range from Solicitor, barrister, judge’s associate, and research assistant in the fields of law, politics or journalism.

Applicants must meet High school qualifications (or equivalent) to apply for undergraduate program. Academic minimum entry requirements for international applicants vary from country to count

IELTS (Academic) - 6.5 overall, with no individual band score lower than 6.0; CAE/CPE - 176 overall, with no individual band score lower than 169; PTE Academic - 58 overall, with no individual band score lower than 50; TOEFL (iBT) - 84 overall, with no score lower than 21 in writing and no other band score lower than 17.