The Graduate Diploma in Laws (GDipLaw) allows you to tailor your studies to meet your own professional and personal areas of interest in law.

As a student in the Graduate Diploma in Laws, you’ll study four subjects from the world-renowned Melbourne Law Masters program, which offers students a choice of more than 170 subjects across dozens of specialist legal areas.

Like the Master of Laws (LLM), it’s available only for law graduates and the flexible structure makes it ideal for working professionals looking to develop their expertise in selected areas of the law.

As a student in the Graduate Diploma in Laws, you can choose from almost all subjects available in the Melbourne Law Masters program, allowing you to tailor the diploma to suit your professional aspirations and personal interests.

Course structure

Students must complete 50 credit points of study from the subjects available in the Master of Laws (excluding Fundamentals of the Common Law, International Legal Internship and the Minor Thesis).

Subject timing and format

The Melbourne Law Masters program has been designed around the busy schedules of working professionals. Subjects are offered from February to December each year. Most subjects are taught intensively over five days, with some subjects taught for two hours each week during the semester.

Subjects delivered online will have a combination of pre-recorded lecture content, live sessions and discussion boards among other resources. On-campus subjects involve interactive, seminar-style classes in the Law Building in Melbourne.

Online subjects

You are also able to take 12.5 credit points of study online from the Competition and Consumer Law specialisation.

Duration

Full-time students enrol in 50 credit points per semester (or half-year period) and have an expected course duration of six months. Part-time* students enrol in 25 credit points per semester (or half-year period) and have an expected course duration of one year. Semesters without enrolments require a student to apply for a leave of absence.

*Part-time enrolment is for domestic students only. Part-time students may reduce their study load to 12.5 credit points per half-year period and thus have a maximum course duration of two years.

For detailed course and subject information, see the Handbook: Graduate Diploma in Laws.

The Graduate Diploma in Laws is for those who already hold a degree in law and are looking to develop their expertise.

It’s ideal for professionals wanting to advance their careers by honing their legal and research skills and becoming a specialist in their area of interest. As a student in the Graduate Diploma in Laws, you’ll develop skills in critical analysis and the ability to interpret and transmit your ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Many students who complete four subjects towards the Graduate Diploma in Laws decide to take four more subjects to complete a Master of Laws.

Applicants must have completed: A degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent) leading to admission to practice, with a University of Melbourne equivalent score of at least 70, or equivalent or A d

IELTS (academic English Only): 6.5 (no band less than 6.0)
TOEFL Internet-based test: 79 + ; Writing 21; Speaking 18; Reading 13; Listening 13;
Pearson Test of English Academic: 58 + no communicative skill below 50
Cambridge English: Advanced/ Certificate of Advanced English (CAE): 176 + no skill below 169.